[quote=@LePouvantail]
Barrel froze with his fork halfway to his mouth.

"You didn't!" he blurted out. "I'm...I mean...um..."

Barrel quickly shoved the bite in his mouth...
[/quote]

Agatha blinked and stared at him. [i]He[/i] was stuttering? Barrel didn't usually stutter when he was talking to her... She paused. Actually, now that she thought about it, he [i]did[/i] stutter when he was showing off his muscles. And he'd almost completely lost his cool when his siblings came in while he was talking about potions... But he was usually so collected when they were talking in the shop. What had changed?

Suddenly he got up and rushed out of the room. She didn't smell anything burning, but... Wait, was he [i]nervous[/i]? No, that wouldn't make any sense... What would he be nervous about?

He returned, his usual poised manner having been restored. 

Mostly. 

"So, um... I..."

Agatha perked up. Was he about to say what she thought he was?

"I guess... What I [i]meant[/i] to say is, I..."

Yes?!

Suddenly he swallowed and changed tracks. "I get it."

...Wait? Get...?

"I want this to go well, too."

The witch nearly swooned in her seat as he smiled at her. He wanted their date to go well! She wasn't even upset how much he struggled trying to say the words he clearly meant. Such a declaration would be out of his style, so of course he wouldn't be able to say it outright while staying true to his nature.

She beamed. "Oh, I'm glad! I feel the same way! It's so good to finally just... [i]confront[/i] it, rather than beating around the bush!"