Rat kind of undermines his own protestations when he screws up his face like that; it only endears him to Marius more. He beams at the other man around his own coffee, taking a long sip himself before remarking on it. "You're positively adorable," he assures Rat, with a nod and a knowing look in his mirthful eyes. "Or maybe precocious is the better word." He really hasn't ever had much of a nerve for teasing anyone like this, and Marius finds he rather enjoys it.

"And deprive me of coffee, in the mean time," he deploys his faux pout again. "Ooh. Coffee bees! Those could actually prove useful, even if painful!" In his thoughts, he wonders if, perhaps, he's been indulging in too many books of the science fiction and fantasy genres lately. He makes a mental note for his next book of choice to be something historical and less tempting to his vivid imagination.

"You almost sound fond of her," Marius observes, again teasing.