there's light at the edge of the darkness
”I know.” It came out quietly, and Loren gazed at Maea with sad and understanding eyes. ”You don’t have to tell me the dangers of either brutal honesty or alcohol.” He released the cloth as she took it, then sighed as she dumped it and ran a hand through his hair.
Smiling faintly, he reached out to take her hand, gently and not at all insistently. ”Well I’m asking now.” As she coughed, though, he frowned and healed her through their grip, though he had the presence of mind to dampen its glow, leave it undetectable.
As she started speaking again, he rose to his feet. Hesitantly, he sat on the edge of the bed next to her, and slid an arm across her shoulders. Astra grumbled, but moved to the other side of the bed and rested her head on the Loreseeker’s knee. ”If bed hopping is what you want to do, then do it.” Giving her a gentle squeeze, he shifted slightly so he could see her face better.
”You don’t have to pretend to be anything you’re not around me.” Though he spoke softly, there was a firmness in his voice that belied the truth in that statement. Then he hit his lip. ”But you seemed excited at the prospect of being a full time Loreseeker one day. Has that...really changed?”
Smiling faintly, he reached out to take her hand, gently and not at all insistently. ”Well I’m asking now.” As she coughed, though, he frowned and healed her through their grip, though he had the presence of mind to dampen its glow, leave it undetectable.
As she started speaking again, he rose to his feet. Hesitantly, he sat on the edge of the bed next to her, and slid an arm across her shoulders. Astra grumbled, but moved to the other side of the bed and rested her head on the Loreseeker’s knee. ”If bed hopping is what you want to do, then do it.” Giving her a gentle squeeze, he shifted slightly so he could see her face better.
”You don’t have to pretend to be anything you’re not around me.” Though he spoke softly, there was a firmness in his voice that belied the truth in that statement. Then he hit his lip. ”But you seemed excited at the prospect of being a full time Loreseeker one day. Has that...really changed?”
loren
