[This time it's him who's missing a piece. Maybe he's said it too carelessly. Maybe this wasn't the right time at all. He doesn't know which is true. Watching Riley carefully, he notes her distress and feels it seep into his bones like disease. It could make him brittle enough to break if he let it, hating himself for making her sad.]
[Is he crazy for thinking she needs someone to lean on? That's what memory and instinct tell him. After a moment, he nods slowly, weighing everything.]
You don't have to agree. We don't have to talk about you right now, unless you want to. We can talk about something else. That other place, or the stupid details of what I just told you, or Maple, or nothing. We can just sit, or walk, or you can fly away.
It's up to you, Riley. The only thing you can't do is push me away again. [The ghost of that smile returns.] I'm a lot more stubborn than you realize.
no subject
[This time it's him who's missing a piece. Maybe he's said it too carelessly. Maybe this wasn't the right time at all. He doesn't know which is true. Watching Riley carefully, he notes her distress and feels it seep into his bones like disease. It could make him brittle enough to break if he let it, hating himself for making her sad.]
[Is he crazy for thinking she needs someone to lean on? That's what memory and instinct tell him. After a moment, he nods slowly, weighing everything.]
You don't have to agree. We don't have to talk about you right now, unless you want to. We can talk about something else. That other place, or the stupid details of what I just told you, or Maple, or nothing. We can just sit, or walk, or you can fly away.
It's up to you, Riley. The only thing you can't do is push me away again. [The ghost of that smile returns.] I'm a lot more stubborn than you realize.