[ He'd meant it, and that he'd meant it is enough to tinge Sylvain's smile with those same feelings he'd seen appear earlier with the compliments. Compliments Claude's no stranger to giving for various reasons, but it feels different to give them to Sylvain even as the other man almost always tries to shake them off or leave them there without acknowledging what was really being said. Or perhaps looks a little too pleased in with that too while trying to hide how much they're enjoyed - though those are usually in a rather different aspect than here and now.

Those reactions are all ones Claude's carefully cataloged over the months, and he watches the one now with a different kind of smile overlaid within the one on his face, something quieter and what would be to himself if it weren't for the fact he's not alone. Something appreciative, something else on top of everything since he'd walked into the loft tonight, something that almost feels like - ]

I wouldn't have minded if it was too much. It'd be close then to the nights I brewed a pot and forgot about it while I got distracted by this map or that one so it steeped for far too long. [ During the war particularly there'd been plenty of times he'd gone to take an absent sip of said tea and found it far more bracing than intended, but Claude figures mentioning studying maps will cover that enough. ] If you're planning on tinkering with it some more, I'm happy to provide any input. And taste test it, though hopefully that part goes without saying and will make the variety of input I'll have worth it.