this song is my confession

Oh, how I've tried to get you out of my head
And I lie broken in words I said

Liam had once been firmly in the bottle it up and hope it goes away camp, so he nodded in understanding. It was something that he’d striven to work at, once upon a time, and now he felt more confident that at least his own emotions wouldn’t eat him alive. He still didn’t talk about himself as much as he should, perhaps - something that Maea had no doubt noticed about him by now - but any improvement, however slight, had to be something worth celebrating, didn’t it?

In any case, the Ancient offered her thanks, and he smiled warmly at her. ”And I appreciate that,” he said. ”I have no doubt that I’ll take advantage at some point.” And hadn’t he already, what with his drunk escapades and whatnot?

Then they rounded a bend in the path, and Maea pointed off to the side. Following her gesture, Liam saw a crack in the cavern wall, filled with blackish-green stones that glimmered in the light of Maea’s fire. Liam grinned, reaching out impulsively to wrap an arm around Maea’s shoulders briefly. ”Those are perfect,” he said, then released her to get to work. This was easier than gathering the iron, and he broke off an emerald the size of his palm to create the pommel of his new sword, knowing that some of the material would be lost in the forging process.

”I think that’s everything,” he said finally, glancing back at Maea. ”Now I can get a move on with the rest of the quest.”

Never thought I'd walk on this street again
Standing where it all began

Liam

// I tried to scream but my head was underwater //

"I'll look forward to it," she replied with a little grin. Not him being in need of help, of course, but being relied upon. Wanted. It was silly and probably presumptuous and it would absolutely go to her head, but the way he smiled at her made her want to believe he really did trust her.

The sudden arm slung across her shoulders caught Maea off guard. Squished firmly against Liam's side for a second, she swayed on her feet once he let her go, and she was left to stare at his back while he gathered up the gemstones, an arm still raised to - to do what? Brace herself? Hug him back? Why did it always stagger her to be reached for? It was like she'd forgotten what it was like, that it was a possibility, an option still available. It wasn't even that she minded - quite the opposite - she was just... tender, somehow. Hypersensitive. Letting her arm drop, she rubbed it with her other hand, digging her fingers into the muscle as if finding sore spots might keep the echo of connection from overwhelming her. It was just a hug, after all. Nothing to get emotional about.

Liam turned back with emeralds glistening in his hand. The slender woman nodded, let her bag slip from the shoulders and handed it to him. "That's great. Can you take this for a bit? I'll range ahead for a bit, just to make sure nothing is lurking." Melting into the form if the molten tiger, her pale eyes blinked slowly at the soldier with feline affection, and padded off along the tunnel. Droplets of molten steel glowed faintly on the cavern floor where she passed, rippling with heat for a while before cooling down into metallic blobs. It was an easy trail to follow, and she would be back before long, to make sure nothing and no one would impede their way back home.

Maea

// They called me weak, like I'm not just somebody's daughter //

Oh, how I've tried to get you out of my head
And I lie broken in words I said

Oblivious to Maea's uncertainty behind him, Liam gathered up the emerald he would need. By the time he turned back to the Ancient, she was seemingly just as she had been moments before. She handed him her bag, and he took it without question. "Of course."

It felt strange, to allow her to range ahead, to keep an eye out for danger rather than to face it at her side. He wouldn't go so far as to say that she needed his protection - on the contrary, he knew well enough that she could hold her own, against him or anyone else - but he wasn't used to bringing up the rear, relying on someone else to keep him safe. If anything, his days as a Dragoon had trained him to be a part of a unit, and to be looked after was something that was just... odd.

Still, if there was anyone he would willingly follow, it would be Maea, and as she shifted to pad off along the tunnel, he watched her go affectionately. Then, once the drips of molten steel solidified upon the floor, he began to follow her trail, pleased by not only the day's haul in his bag but by the company he'd kept along the way.

fin

Never thought I'd walk on this street again
Standing where it all began

Liam