He asked so he gets the answer he doesn't fully understand, but he likes hearing about it. Likes seeing Carmy thinking about it, even though it feels as though he's watching a man negotiate a migraine every time, like something inside Carmy is suppurating and painful and the only way he can deal with it is to spit out these ideas. But Richie eats his steak and nods along, then when Carmy looks up with those big blue eyes it's like getting punched in the chest a little bit, and he can't help but think he should be doing this with Mikey.

To try and get rid of that he takes a hasty swallow of wine while Carmy's hunting out his sketches, has to cough and choke it back down to try and appear fucking normal.

"That's great," he says, as soon as his gaze lands on the page. It is. And so is Carmy sitting so close. Obeying that hot and stupid impulse before he can think otherwise, Richie lifts his free hand and puts it square on Carmy's thigh, big and warm, and tries to keep looking at the sketchbook like his heart isn't going a mile a minute.

"That's great, look at that. With the.. the little. What's that on the side?"