Claudius is two steps away from telling Grantaire I love you, and he can't even articulate to himself why that would be a bad idea. He just has the vague, instinctive sense that they're not there yet, without the slightest idea of what would bring them there. Perhaps it would be a fitting subject for philosophical debate. Perhaps not. "I'll let you catch up with your other admirers," he says instead. "Bourbon is best shared, I believe."