So there it is. He listens to Hawkeye's advice, just like he's done a hundred times since they both wound up at the 4077th, but that means pulling away from Dahlia. Maybe all the way, not even friends anymore, just back to her being his boss and him being her assistant. He stays with Dahlia, finally tells her he wants to go steady, but he can never talk about her to Hawkeye. Worse, he'll have to bear Hawkeye's disappointment; how he'll probably never look at Radar the same ever again, because Radar crossed this one line Hawkeye won't cross no matter what. It's not just the rotgut making his stomach hurt a little.

"Okay," he says in a bare whisper. He draws in a shaky breath. "Just..."

He's afraid to ask, but he's gotta.

"Are you gonna hate me if I stay with her?"