They really don't know much about each other. The downtime offered here (for now) will be interesting to explore but he's prepared to even if it scares him too. If there's anything he learned from his friends during the war, it's to push through his fear of accepting people into his life. Allow someone else to get to know him. And Rinoa already has a place past his defenses.

He senses that pause. Normally he'd just let it slide but it's Rinoa. It's not just about being her knight, he's her boyfriend too. He gets caught by a tentacle when he tries to move his hand, looks momentarily frustrated and resigned before cautiously holding his left hand out to her across the table, palm up. An attempt to be encouraging.

"Julia... right? Laguna used to watch her play every night." He looks miffed after. She knows that. They talked about that, didn't they? Not so much him as Selphie anyway. That girl loves talking about Laguna when she happens to take part in the dream of the past.