"You need not worry about slowing the pace for my sake," Joshua says with confidence.

The thought occurs to him, feeling the delicate tingle of Cid's chilly thumb gliding along his lip, that if he kisses this man now, he will have given up the chance to share his first kiss with Dion. But the idea of disappointing Dion with a clumsy kiss because he turned down an opportunity to learn from experience while he could is unacceptable, and so the choice is clear.

He leans forward himself to meet that kiss halfway, curling his wings to hold Cid just a little closer.