LIAM
It's not that we don't talk
Perhaps one would not expect someone born and raised in Stormbreak to be a strong swimmer, but Liam was surprisingly good at it. While he might not be very experienced at swimming in the ocean - what with the tides and the currents and the aquatic life - he'd spent a great deal of time in pools and hot springs when he was younger, and it was surprising how quickly old skills returned to him in a time of crisis.
They broke the surface, and Liam hauled Maea up, treading water carefully while trying to hoist her far enough that she'd be able to expel whatever water she'd inhaled. There was a horrible, terrifying moment in which Liam thought maybe he'd been too late - but then Maea was spluttering and coughing and shaking, and relief coursed through his veins even as she thrashed in his arms.
And then her arms were around his neck, and he held her with one strong arm as he used the other to strike out for shore. "It's okay," he murmured into her sopping hair. "I've got you." He wasn't sure what else he said, or if it even made sense as he pushed through the waves, tugging Maea along. But he knew that it was reassurance - for both of them - and that was enough for now.
They broke the surface, and Liam hauled Maea up, treading water carefully while trying to hoist her far enough that she'd be able to expel whatever water she'd inhaled. There was a horrible, terrifying moment in which Liam thought maybe he'd been too late - but then Maea was spluttering and coughing and shaking, and relief coursed through his veins even as she thrashed in his arms.
And then her arms were around his neck, and he held her with one strong arm as he used the other to strike out for shore. "It's okay," he murmured into her sopping hair. "I've got you." He wasn't sure what else he said, or if it even made sense as he pushed through the waves, tugging Maea along. But he knew that it was reassurance - for both of them - and that was enough for now.
It's just no one really listens and honesty fades
