No point in waiting to rip the bandaid off. The longer they let it sit and stew the harder it would be to find an opening to start, Tal figured, so he jumped in feet first. It didn't make him feel better about making his partner uncomfortable, though.
He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly at the look on her face, knowing she was struggling to say something and having a pretty good idea of what. He didn't know what to do about it, but he took a deep breath and chose the ginger, plopping the bag into his dry mug while they waited for the water before raising his head to meet her eyes. Which lasted... well, surprisingly long given the compliments that he was usually so allergic to. When they came from Alys, though, he found them a lot easier to accept - and he wasn't about to argue with his partner about that when the real reason for their conversation was still coming. Instead he smiled back, a little lopsided and a little sad at the worry in her eyes.
Knowing that he was the cause of it.
"I don't want you t'lose me, either," he said, voice soft and utterly serious. He stepped up to close the distance between them, reaching for her hands to fold them into his and running his thumbs over the backs of her knuckles. "It ain't selfish t'worry about someone, love. An' someday y'will be strong enough t'do th'same boneheaded stuff I do. T'gether. As a family." His lips twitched again towards a rueful smile as he gazed down at her with adoration. "An', hail, no one's exactly been beatin' down our door lookin' t'turn me into a soldier yet..." He trailed off with a wince at his unfortunate words, his joke falling flat. He drew a breath to steady the ache in his heart, eyes flicking subconsciously towards the window that had been repaired. "... 'cept mebbe th'Void itself."
He turned his eyes back to her, serious again as he swallowed past the lump of lingering guilt in his throat. "But that's why I gotta do somethin' t'help. So somethin' like that... it doesn't happen t'us again. Not us, an' not anyone else, neither. Is that.. is that okay? Can y'forgive me for runnin' off like a damn fool into danger without you?" His hands trembled a little around hers, knowing damn well that he was asking the far harder sacrifice from her, and for very little in the way of repayment.
He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly at the look on her face, knowing she was struggling to say something and having a pretty good idea of what. He didn't know what to do about it, but he took a deep breath and chose the ginger, plopping the bag into his dry mug while they waited for the water before raising his head to meet her eyes. Which lasted... well, surprisingly long given the compliments that he was usually so allergic to. When they came from Alys, though, he found them a lot easier to accept - and he wasn't about to argue with his partner about that when the real reason for their conversation was still coming. Instead he smiled back, a little lopsided and a little sad at the worry in her eyes.
Knowing that he was the cause of it.
"I don't want you t'lose me, either," he said, voice soft and utterly serious. He stepped up to close the distance between them, reaching for her hands to fold them into his and running his thumbs over the backs of her knuckles. "It ain't selfish t'worry about someone, love. An' someday y'will be strong enough t'do th'same boneheaded stuff I do. T'gether. As a family." His lips twitched again towards a rueful smile as he gazed down at her with adoration. "An', hail, no one's exactly been beatin' down our door lookin' t'turn me into a soldier yet..." He trailed off with a wince at his unfortunate words, his joke falling flat. He drew a breath to steady the ache in his heart, eyes flicking subconsciously towards the window that had been repaired. "... 'cept mebbe th'Void itself."
He turned his eyes back to her, serious again as he swallowed past the lump of lingering guilt in his throat. "But that's why I gotta do somethin' t'help. So somethin' like that... it doesn't happen t'us again. Not us, an' not anyone else, neither. Is that.. is that okay? Can y'forgive me for runnin' off like a damn fool into danger without you?" His hands trembled a little around hers, knowing damn well that he was asking the far harder sacrifice from her, and for very little in the way of repayment.
