As Yussa speaks, something in Caleb shifts, like a mechanism releasing. He holds his mug of steeping tea with both hands to keep himself from touching his arms, but the urge is becoming less prominent. His chest becomes a little lighter, and he feels more...himself, more Caleb, when he looks up at Yussa again and doesn't look away.

He has agency here. He can express his thoughts without fear of reprisal. Yussa is not an unreasonable man; he clearly cares, and he will listen.

There's a little hopeful thrill when Yussa says that his interest hasn't changed. Caleb's hasn't either. If anything, Yussa's candid acknowledgement of the shift in power and how that might impact Caleb has reassured him that his interest isn't misplaced. He liked Yussa last night, and he likes him even more now, once the initial shock has faded.

"You are still welcome to use that number, if you would like," Caleb offers. "Based on our interactions so far, I trust that you would be fair and unbiased about my work, whether we...see one another outside these roles or not." He lifts his tea to his lips without putting anything in it, and it is intensely grassy, with a bitter aftertaste. It certainly does help to clear his mind. "I am very interested in...you," he admits. "But I understand if that is too complicated. I am not sure if there is etiquette regarding personal connections of this sort, or what it might be."