"Yes, I do," he says, with what's meant to be a vaguely mysterious tone of voice, but he's unable to keep it up for long. Mysterious has never really been his strong suit, especially not around Ned, who already knows so much about him. Breaking into a smile, which he's glad to see Ned is returning in kind, he shrugs and comes into Ned's apartment, hands shoved in his pockets as usual.

"I want to go on a real date. I mean, I've said that before, and that's kind of bad phrasing, because it's not like our dates aren't real, but I mean, I want to go somewhere where I don't have to be afraid of being seen on a date with you. And I heard about some places we could maybe go, if you were interested in that. If you're not afraid of being seen in public with me, that is."

The self-deprecating tone is half-joking, but it's also half-serious. That's a real concern of his.