[ Gansey listens to all of that, first with a smile that hints at amusement, and then self-deprecation - and then, as Billy goes on, genuine surprise bordering on disbelief.

He'd had no idea that Billy - that anyone around him, really - thought so highly of him. What's even more strange is that Billy isn't telling him what he wants him to be, or what he thinks he is. He's saying what he sees, and Gansey feels known, like he had when Henry brought him to a hole in the ground and talked about testing his mettle.

But it's not only about feeling known. He feels known and liked, more than liked, maybe. This is a step beyond casual observance. At the end of it, he's very quiet, and his eyes are a little wide. His fingers are fiddling with something, warping it; a mint leaf, on close inspection. ]

I...don't know what to say. To any of that, I...

Didn't know you felt that way. Or thought, any of those things. I think you're more sure of me than I am. I'd like to be that boy.

[ Gansey's not a fool. This is an idealised image of him. If it's really what Billy sees, then he's either not seeing, or not speaking of, the faults that go along with it. ]

I think you're better to me than I deserve. Thank you, for being my friend.