Loner. Wanderer. Outsider. He was new to being leaned on. There were few enough he was close to who might have chosen it, and to almost all of them he was a younger sibling, by blood or otherwise. It was expected, unspoken but tacit, that he would lean on them and not the other way around. He had never questioned it, but when the world shattered and all that they had known was turned upside down he discovered that he had taken that support and stored it deep inside until he could return it to someone who needed it as much as he ever had.
And maybe it was a promise he had no business making, but he made it with a whole-hearted intensity that spoke of his own losses over the years. He wouldn't do to Hotaru what his parents had done to him. He would survive and come back to her.
As long as she did for him.
Probably longer, stubborn fuck that he was.
Tears slowed and resolved back into words and Tal drew in a shuddering breath of his own, nodding jerkily. "Yeah," he murmured, voice ragged and arms aching with how hard he had held on to her. His embrace gentled finally and he drew in a larger breath as the mundane needs of bodies and minds worn to burnt-out candle stubs intruded on the grieving needs of hearts. "Yeah," he repeated, and shifted his arms to support her as he reached for the door. "Can we stay here with you? Just... for tonight? Boreal an' me? In case you or Flora need anything?" In case her exhaustion finally forced her eyes to close, so there would be a guard at her door and a friend near at hand to wake her from the nightmares until her sleep was dreamless and healing.
And maybe it was a promise he had no business making, but he made it with a whole-hearted intensity that spoke of his own losses over the years. He wouldn't do to Hotaru what his parents had done to him. He would survive and come back to her.
As long as she did for him.
Probably longer, stubborn fuck that he was.
Tears slowed and resolved back into words and Tal drew in a shuddering breath of his own, nodding jerkily. "Yeah," he murmured, voice ragged and arms aching with how hard he had held on to her. His embrace gentled finally and he drew in a larger breath as the mundane needs of bodies and minds worn to burnt-out candle stubs intruded on the grieving needs of hearts. "Yeah," he repeated, and shifted his arms to support her as he reached for the door. "Can we stay here with you? Just... for tonight? Boreal an' me? In case you or Flora need anything?" In case her exhaustion finally forced her eyes to close, so there would be a guard at her door and a friend near at hand to wake her from the nightmares until her sleep was dreamless and healing.
