"You? You have never made me feel unwelcome," he reassured her gently, fond affection in his voice. "You have given me a home and a family, far more than I ever could have dreamed of having again. I regret nothing, least of all that I was brought here to you." Her smile, her laugh, her quiet silences, her anxious eyes, her spontaneous hugs, her teasing, her fears, her dreams... he loved them all, and cherished the connection they had forged in shared adventure, in joy and pain, and in the lives they had come to share.
"Isuma is a hard worker, never fear!" he teased back, momentarily distracted to laughter by Jyoti's antics as he tried to get a better look at the little flying whale and her star-spangled skin. He was fascinated by her, even as she slipped away again into hiding and left his laughter fading once more to quiet honesty and the truth that had gnawed holes in his heart.
Apology was met with apology, and he reached up to loosen his braid, slowly working the plaiting out to let his hair fall rumpled and wavy against his back. "Not your fault at all, dear one. I've seen how the Fae can hide among the trees, their illusions making them one with the forest. We had no chance, no way of knowing... They are a strong, fierce people with magics we've never seen before. No, I was a fool for not keeping us close together once Ianto mentioned that there were 'Fae' in the woods, but I am glad beyond words that I my mistakes were survivable." Tentatively, still learning how to reach out and initiate such contact, he shifted to wrap an arm around Amalia's shoulders and pull her gently against his side in a half-hug. "But you were here for two nights and days, held among these new people. Neighbors... whether they wish to be or not. Have you learned much of them? Or were you captive most of that time?"
"Isuma is a hard worker, never fear!" he teased back, momentarily distracted to laughter by Jyoti's antics as he tried to get a better look at the little flying whale and her star-spangled skin. He was fascinated by her, even as she slipped away again into hiding and left his laughter fading once more to quiet honesty and the truth that had gnawed holes in his heart.
Apology was met with apology, and he reached up to loosen his braid, slowly working the plaiting out to let his hair fall rumpled and wavy against his back. "Not your fault at all, dear one. I've seen how the Fae can hide among the trees, their illusions making them one with the forest. We had no chance, no way of knowing... They are a strong, fierce people with magics we've never seen before. No, I was a fool for not keeping us close together once Ianto mentioned that there were 'Fae' in the woods, but I am glad beyond words that I my mistakes were survivable." Tentatively, still learning how to reach out and initiate such contact, he shifted to wrap an arm around Amalia's shoulders and pull her gently against his side in a half-hug. "But you were here for two nights and days, held among these new people. Neighbors... whether they wish to be or not. Have you learned much of them? Or were you captive most of that time?"
