He would go to war with her and for her after all they had been through together, weathering emotional storms that would have cracked each of them alone. A little light arson was the least he would help her with when it came down to it, and while he figured she probably knew that, he wanted to make sure of it.
But as eager as he was to prove it, he oddly found himself not wanting to need to. The realization sat, oddly-shaped and light, in his chest as he folded down beside her, not knowing what was wrong but knowing that he'd be there beside her to help her through it, as they'd helped each other so many times before and after the War.
Except...
It wasn't the words she deserved. Later, he'd kick himself for letting them slip out, but in the shock of the moment his scrambling brain could think of nothing more coherent except for confusion and denial and a slow, dark chasm opening in his heart.
Those were all the words that came to him, at least. After that he fell into silence that Ru moved to fill, and his pale eyes never left hers until she looked away. Even then he watched her, a frozen statue of a courier, as the words spilled forth, blood and myrrh and chamomile poured into the air between them.
He hadn't known a heart could break so gently before.
Lips parted, but instead of words he drew in a breath, sharp and jagged, as his body sought for the air he hadn't dared to breathe all while she had been speaking. The tea cup in his fingers trembled, hot liquid dancing as time lurched and began to move again, and Talyson shook his head, short and jerky, as he tried to make sense of so many revelations at once.
He would have been less surprised if the Palace had cracked and melted overnight, than for Ru to announce she was leaving Halo.
Leaving him.
Except...
"Only been able t'blossom because I've had you," he said, all gruffness gone in the plaintive voice of a much younger man. "Without you, I..." He flinched as hot liquid spilled onto his fingers, looking down at his teacup as if surprised to see he was still holding it. After only a moment's hesitation he pushed it onto the side table and then reached out to his best friend, not quite touching, a plea in his eyes as he opened his arms but waited for her to allow the hug or not - careful, too, of her own cup still in hand. "Fuckin' hail, Ru. I'm gonna miss you so much."
But as eager as he was to prove it, he oddly found himself not wanting to need to. The realization sat, oddly-shaped and light, in his chest as he folded down beside her, not knowing what was wrong but knowing that he'd be there beside her to help her through it, as they'd helped each other so many times before and after the War.
Except...
It wasn't the words she deserved. Later, he'd kick himself for letting them slip out, but in the shock of the moment his scrambling brain could think of nothing more coherent except for confusion and denial and a slow, dark chasm opening in his heart.
Those were all the words that came to him, at least. After that he fell into silence that Ru moved to fill, and his pale eyes never left hers until she looked away. Even then he watched her, a frozen statue of a courier, as the words spilled forth, blood and myrrh and chamomile poured into the air between them.
He hadn't known a heart could break so gently before.
Lips parted, but instead of words he drew in a breath, sharp and jagged, as his body sought for the air he hadn't dared to breathe all while she had been speaking. The tea cup in his fingers trembled, hot liquid dancing as time lurched and began to move again, and Talyson shook his head, short and jerky, as he tried to make sense of so many revelations at once.
He would have been less surprised if the Palace had cracked and melted overnight, than for Ru to announce she was leaving Halo.
Leaving him.
Except...
"Only been able t'blossom because I've had you," he said, all gruffness gone in the plaintive voice of a much younger man. "Without you, I..." He flinched as hot liquid spilled onto his fingers, looking down at his teacup as if surprised to see he was still holding it. After only a moment's hesitation he pushed it onto the side table and then reached out to his best friend, not quite touching, a plea in his eyes as he opened his arms but waited for her to allow the hug or not - careful, too, of her own cup still in hand. "Fuckin' hail, Ru. I'm gonna miss you so much."
