"... I see."

Altair hadn't really noticed. Their conversations themselves had perhaps given a few hints, but Thrawn's tone was always cool and even and it was difficult to get a read on his emotions by his tone. Or perhaps Altair was just good at telling himself that there was nothing there. That he was imagining things.

After all, had he not done the same only moments ago.

"It's scary, isn't it?"

To love was to open oneself up to loss. Altair had lost most of the people he'd loved in his life. That loss still stung. If he opened his heart enough to love Thrawn not as a friend, but as something more, then he wasn't sure he'd be able to endure it should he lose him in the future.

But to ignore those feelings was to suffer, too.

"If you'd like to act on these feelings, then... I think I'd be okay with it. Because it's you."

Overcoming the fear of loss was difficult, but. Well, he wanted to try anyway. Because the joy of love was worth it.