and I count my sins

LIAM

It's not that we don't talk

He hadn't meant to bring her back to the experience that she'd fought so hard against, and his hold tightened around her, the slow circles of his thumb stilling against Maea's stomach as he pressed his cheek to her temple. She'd found the perfect angle to lean against him, and it made it all the easier for him to wrap himself up in her, offering comfort in the only way that seemed to be worth offering in this particular moment.

Her thanks, while appreciated, took him by surprise. He'd have followed her anywhere, he realized; done anything she asked without even a moment's hesitation. It was trust, he realized then - that feeling that he couldn't shake, that unshakeable bond between them. Trust, and maybe more. "Thank you," he murmured in response. For not dying. For being with him - whatever that meant, now and in the future. "For bringing me with you."

He reached up with one hand, tucking a strand of hair tenderly behind Maea's ear before dropping his arm again. "What other experiences do you still have to seek out?" he asked, returning his attention to her quest. What were things that would make her happy? Uncomfortable? And how could he contribute to the former and minimize the latter?

It's just no one really listens and honesty fades