Zavien
Fear is pain arising from the anticipation of evil.
Scooping the ice, he set the cup aside as she wrapped her arms around him. It was the kind of greeting he always appreciated from her, a physical reminder of her safety beyond the beating pendant on his chest. He folded her into his grasp, enveloping their daughter safely between them where nothing could possibly get to her.
When Soh pulled away, Zavien could feel the warmth of where she'd been, the gently easing of his tensions, the calming of reality of her. As he turned to prepare their drinks, he ran a hand through his hair in response to her returned question. His first instinct was to dismiss the idea that he might be anything other than fine, but he didn't want to lie to Soh. He didn't want to have to pretend.
The smile came easier with her there, reassuringly warm when he glanced her way. "Rough night, but I'm okay." He wouldn't burden her with the details of it, with what images had plagued him or how long it had taken for the ice to cool his panic. It felt like enough to be honest without needing to worry her further.
Ice cracked as he filled the glasses with water. "Are you hungry? I was thinking about making some soup." And by 'making some soup,' he meant pouring a can into a pot and heating it up.
When Soh pulled away, Zavien could feel the warmth of where she'd been, the gently easing of his tensions, the calming of reality of her. As he turned to prepare their drinks, he ran a hand through his hair in response to her returned question. His first instinct was to dismiss the idea that he might be anything other than fine, but he didn't want to lie to Soh. He didn't want to have to pretend.
The smile came easier with her there, reassuringly warm when he glanced her way. "Rough night, but I'm okay." He wouldn't burden her with the details of it, with what images had plagued him or how long it had taken for the ice to cool his panic. It felt like enough to be honest without needing to worry her further.
Ice cracked as he filled the glasses with water. "Are you hungry? I was thinking about making some soup." And by 'making some soup,' he meant pouring a can into a pot and heating it up.
