He was so unused to receiving genuine compliments or anything even remotely like a compliment, that it took him a long moment to process it as such, and a moment longer to actually believe it. "I-...thanks. I think you're the only person who's ever said something like that to me. Not that a lot of people know in the first place, but-" he shrugged, like it was nothing. It was absolutely not 'nothing'.

"I guess my best friend probably doesn't think the whole deal's horrible, but..." but again, Kavinsky didn't finish that thought. "That'd be me making assumptions." And the worst part was, going with that assumption didn't even make him feel any better.