Frederic's breath, halfway through an inhale, halted when she asked if he meant this as a proposal. He hadn't exactly meant it precisely as that (though he'd certainly been thinking about it someday), but now that he thought of it, it would be considered incredibly improper for them to live together unwed. When she said 'yes', his breathing, although now shaky, resumed. Frederic nodded, but then realized the way they were curled up together, she wouldn't be able to see that and so murmured, "Yes, of course." He felt as though most of his words had been stripped away and he didn't know what else to say. He closed his eyes and focused on his breathing. If he was this anxious right now, then how was Karen taking this? He felt his mind starting to swirl. She said 'yes', but surely that wasn't her only thought. God, if only he knew what she was thinking in this moment. Ironic, really- he'd sprinted here to aide Karen, and now he was the one in need of reassurance.