He clutches Watson tighter to him, though he's not sure how he manages to do that because he's already holding onto him fairly tightly. The intensity of what's going on between them is a little startling, seems to go beyond words and toward something far more desperate, far more... intense. He closes his eyes at the touch to his ear, so gentle and intimate and ridiculous but just now it seems to define their whole relationship because he's more metaphorical when he's ill, apparently.

"I promise," he manages, breathless from it all, and he squeezes his eyes shut tighter. "Letting go of each other seems very -- very -- ill-advised. Worst idea I've ever heard."