[He takes a deep breath, failing to meet Ragnar's eyes as he leans into his hand. He really wishes he'd stop taking time to understand and talk things out, it's completely opposed to the haze of feeling and impulse that Dodger is comfortable in. While he's struggling with a way to explain himself, he takes Ragnar's free hand and places it firmly on his hip, urging him to keep touching him. He just needs to keep feeling something.]

I said it's fine, it doesn't matter. [He hesitates again, eyes darting for a moment before he finally manages:] It's just been- a while. Since I was on this end of things. It uh- it wasn't a panic, that's the wrong word- shock. It shocked me. I forgot how it- felt. Just- if we keep talking about it we're both gonna go soft, can you just- can we do this?

[He'd been such a smooth talker before on the street, but now he looks almost like an indignant child. Articulating his feelings has never been his strong suit, but here he toes the line of admitting he's nervous and afraid, unsure of what he's doing, and that just isn't something he can stomach.]