Maea
give me shelter, or show me heart
This time she saw him reach for her. Was ready for it, and did not flinch. There was a small hesitation though, some stubborn desire to cling on to her guilt and drag this out, keep delving deeper into that darkness, that awfulness... because it was alluring. Very comfortably shadowed and obscure, a place where you did not have to look at your weaknesses and try.
But... that would mean breaking something that was still very fragile. And Maea couldn't do that. Wouldn't allow herself to, when he was trying so hard to keep it whole, even when he was hurting and weary and only just brought back from the brink of a too-early grave.
So she swallowed hard a final time and came to him. Climbed very carefully into the cot beside him and eased herself down to let him hold her, with Haai on the other side. She didn't need to know his words to understand the will to be close, to offer comfort, because it's what Maea used to do for him. Ah, she never knew how hard it was to accept such kindness.
"You'd be... just fine. A little drunk, and in some other bed... but alright." It was meant as a joke, but came out wrong. A little too realistic. "Sorry, I... Thank you, for being alright." It was so very hard to say the right things. But she placed her hand on his chest, to feel his heartbeat against her palm. That, if nothing else, would convince her that she hadn't failed him.
But... that would mean breaking something that was still very fragile. And Maea couldn't do that. Wouldn't allow herself to, when he was trying so hard to keep it whole, even when he was hurting and weary and only just brought back from the brink of a too-early grave.
So she swallowed hard a final time and came to him. Climbed very carefully into the cot beside him and eased herself down to let him hold her, with Haai on the other side. She didn't need to know his words to understand the will to be close, to offer comfort, because it's what Maea used to do for him. Ah, she never knew how hard it was to accept such kindness.
"You'd be... just fine. A little drunk, and in some other bed... but alright." It was meant as a joke, but came out wrong. A little too realistic. "Sorry, I... Thank you, for being alright." It was so very hard to say the right things. But she placed her hand on his chest, to feel his heartbeat against her palm. That, if nothing else, would convince her that she hadn't failed him.
watch me fall apart
and I'll be yours to keep
and I'll be yours to keep
