"I understand." Perhaps not in the exact same way - Ned isn't really the guardian of anyone's secrets but his own. But individual components of the feeling Ginsberg is expressing do ring true: the sense that many people - most people - reveal more than they think they do. The feeling that if he started spilling secrets, he might not stop. Most of all, the fear of the power he has in him to hurt. To ruin lives.

He leans forward, dips his head to rest his forehead against Ginsberg's and runs his hands through the other man's hair, gently, reassuringly. The initial panic and fear over their discovery is ebbing away, and Ned knows that they'll deal with this. They'll get through it. But he can imagine what it's going to be like for Ginsberg, for the next few days. With Bob and Peggy and the weight of it between them. He'd felt it himself, after Ginsberg found out what he could do. Even though he was certain Ginsberg wouldn't go spilling his secret, at least not just yet, he was hyper-aware of every interaction, looking always for signs of disgust, of fear, of invasive curiosity. It had never gone away entirely, but it was much more muted, now. Possible to ignore, most of the time.

"You gonna be okay?" he murmurs.