Maea
Oh, when the world is burning
Her smile faltered as reality struck her like a slap in the face. Any question of his infection became void when he dropped the name of a city he'd been done with just this season, and the nomer of the enemy they had sworn to fight together. Like it didn't betray everything they had been striving for these past two seasons. Like they'd just made a silly mistake and should fix it as soon as possible.
For the first time, Maea thought she understood why victims of abuse stayed with their significant others. Even though she knew she didn't want to become a Friend of the Family, even though every fiber of her being screamed at her to run, when Liam smiled at her like that, when his fingers braided into hers like he had no intention of letting go, it became nearly impossible to say what she knew she must. It would disappoint him. Maybe even hurt him, the way he was now. And it would hurt her to cause him distress, to the point where she found herself contemplating ways to accept without actually going through with the infection, just so she wouldn't have to tell him no. The worst part was, when he touched her like this, like that caress of her cheek, she really did stop caring about anything else.
"I... I don't know," she got out, alarmed at how difficult it was to say anything at all. Even the half-lies she resorted to, just to avoid antagonising him. Gods, it was painful - she'd never felt this close to crying over doing what needed to be done. "It's so sudden... It's not that I don't trust you, but... I need to think about it. Is that alright?"
Time. She needed time, to find a rose, to come up with a plan - yet every day she delayed curing Liam was a day she'd hate and regret, if it meant they would be apart.
For the first time, Maea thought she understood why victims of abuse stayed with their significant others. Even though she knew she didn't want to become a Friend of the Family, even though every fiber of her being screamed at her to run, when Liam smiled at her like that, when his fingers braided into hers like he had no intention of letting go, it became nearly impossible to say what she knew she must. It would disappoint him. Maybe even hurt him, the way he was now. And it would hurt her to cause him distress, to the point where she found herself contemplating ways to accept without actually going through with the infection, just so she wouldn't have to tell him no. The worst part was, when he touched her like this, like that caress of her cheek, she really did stop caring about anything else.
"I... I don't know," she got out, alarmed at how difficult it was to say anything at all. Even the half-lies she resorted to, just to avoid antagonising him. Gods, it was painful - she'd never felt this close to crying over doing what needed to be done. "It's so sudden... It's not that I don't trust you, but... I need to think about it. Is that alright?"
Time. She needed time, to find a rose, to come up with a plan - yet every day she delayed curing Liam was a day she'd hate and regret, if it meant they would be apart.
Don't walk away
