Alys just looked at him, and Tal's heart hammered in his chest, it's rhythm tapping out a growing anxiety that he'd said the wrong thing, insulted or offended her the way he'd ruined things before with others. He'd promised himself that he'd tuck his heart deep inside, safe and secure and away from the world, but with Alys...
It wasn't the same, right? He knew that things would never fall into the tired old fairy tale cliches with her. That things would never be as wild and stormy and overwhelming as his crushes had been, both past and recent. But then... maybe he was outgrowing those fierce and giddy passions. Or at least, he was ready for something a little more stable. Something built more on trust and less on competition. More on knowing someone and less on putting them on a pillar.
And maybe it was more than maybe. But if Alys didn't feel the same--
He didn't even complete the thought before the smile lit up her handsome features, capturing the glow of the moon and reflecting it back into his eyes in an expression that was dazzling. Her words brought an answering grin to the courier's own mouth, relieved and bright as he let out a soft sigh that was half prayer of gratitude to any deity listening that he hadn't fucked things up for once by opening his mouth.
He hesitated, then squeezed her hip lightly, unsure of whether he should hug her now or give her space, but the bubble of light in his chest needed some outlet and he had just taken a deep breath to ask permission--
Her nervousness hit like a dragon wing to the back of the head and he blinked in surprise. He opened his mouth, the first words of a fierce avowal on the tip of his tongue before he swallowed them back, making himself slow down. Breathe. Think about what he was saying. And turn his arm beneath her hand so that he could catch her fingers and wrap his own around them firmly.
Then he spoke. "I'm not... I'm not good at puttin' feelin's into words," he said slowly. "But yeah. What we've got right now is somethin' that feels right. An'... I dunno. Maybe nothin' stays th'same forever. But this is somethin' worth holdin' on to, long as we can." Alys was worth holding on to, in whatever way and however she'd let him. Friend and partner and someone he could trust with his bruised and foolish heart, if she was willing to take up that burden.
It wasn't the same, right? He knew that things would never fall into the tired old fairy tale cliches with her. That things would never be as wild and stormy and overwhelming as his crushes had been, both past and recent. But then... maybe he was outgrowing those fierce and giddy passions. Or at least, he was ready for something a little more stable. Something built more on trust and less on competition. More on knowing someone and less on putting them on a pillar.
And maybe it was more than maybe. But if Alys didn't feel the same--
He didn't even complete the thought before the smile lit up her handsome features, capturing the glow of the moon and reflecting it back into his eyes in an expression that was dazzling. Her words brought an answering grin to the courier's own mouth, relieved and bright as he let out a soft sigh that was half prayer of gratitude to any deity listening that he hadn't fucked things up for once by opening his mouth.
He hesitated, then squeezed her hip lightly, unsure of whether he should hug her now or give her space, but the bubble of light in his chest needed some outlet and he had just taken a deep breath to ask permission--
Her nervousness hit like a dragon wing to the back of the head and he blinked in surprise. He opened his mouth, the first words of a fierce avowal on the tip of his tongue before he swallowed them back, making himself slow down. Breathe. Think about what he was saying. And turn his arm beneath her hand so that he could catch her fingers and wrap his own around them firmly.
Then he spoke. "I'm not... I'm not good at puttin' feelin's into words," he said slowly. "But yeah. What we've got right now is somethin' that feels right. An'... I dunno. Maybe nothin' stays th'same forever. But this is somethin' worth holdin' on to, long as we can." Alys was worth holding on to, in whatever way and however she'd let him. Friend and partner and someone he could trust with his bruised and foolish heart, if she was willing to take up that burden.
