Tal was just quietly glad when Alys didn't pull away, allowing him to feel her warmth and weight against him, alive and well, even if she was no less traumatized than he was. He wasn't alone in his fears, or in the lingering power they still held over him, and for now it was enough to have a friend at his side who understood what he was going through.
Because she had been through the same thing, or at least something very similar.
Her voice broke and so did his heart to hear it. He squeezed her shoulder, wishing he could offer something more than just his presence. And when she reached up he opened his fingers, welcoming hers and the extra point of contact between them as he nodded at her fierce reassurance. "Yeah. Yeah, we are. An' we're gonna stay that way," he promised, hoping they had the strength to follow through on it.
He swallowed hard, morbid curiosity twisting the lingering fear in his stomach with agile claws, and finally gave up on his tea, setting it down on the low table in front of them. "...Y'don't have t'answer now or... ever, really, if y'don't want to," he began, with his usual awkward hesitancy. "But if it'd help t'get it out... was it... did y'see th'flowers drownin' me, too?"
Because she had been through the same thing, or at least something very similar.
Her voice broke and so did his heart to hear it. He squeezed her shoulder, wishing he could offer something more than just his presence. And when she reached up he opened his fingers, welcoming hers and the extra point of contact between them as he nodded at her fierce reassurance. "Yeah. Yeah, we are. An' we're gonna stay that way," he promised, hoping they had the strength to follow through on it.
He swallowed hard, morbid curiosity twisting the lingering fear in his stomach with agile claws, and finally gave up on his tea, setting it down on the low table in front of them. "...Y'don't have t'answer now or... ever, really, if y'don't want to," he began, with his usual awkward hesitancy. "But if it'd help t'get it out... was it... did y'see th'flowers drownin' me, too?"
