[What comes next is a gush of unwavering and unwanted emotion, overwhelming in capacity, enough to stun him into silence- Truly, a miraculous feat.

His heart has yearned for this form of affection for so very long, even this, the bare minimum. To simply be acknowledged, even by an individual who simply has no other options, is enough for Asher Millstone. Connor, unknowingly, has given the doughy ball of feelings hope for his return home, that maybe the kindness he's received here is not the result of some bizarre anomaly, and perhaps one day Annalise's chosen few will be able to truly work together as a real team.

Maybe there is a place for him at Middleton Law, one that is not lonely, or miserable, or...

Dark.]

That's okay.

[The reply comes out instantly, a typical bumble for a pushover like himself. Immediately, he corrects his mistake, even though it's clear that he is not used to doing so.]

Or well, it's not...

[He inhales sharply.]

I used to think that you all left me out of your little-

[Words escape him, and so he traces a circle in the air with a finger in a desperate attempt to portray the supposed closeness of the other four.]

Group thingy because you thought I was a loser... But maybe you were all just dealin' with your own stuff.

[understatement of the century]

So, don't worry about it.

[He utters the following without knowing how in this time and place his choice of speech defines him at his core-]

I forgive you.