Vervain
Squeezing his hand back, Vai frowned off over the side of the cliff as he began to speak, hearing him out, keenly feeling the hurt of not being there for either of them. Ronin and Remi had made it through by leaning on each other, scarring each other, and she didn’t - couldn’t - blame them for it. But it didn’t mean she could be dragged along in the wake of their selfishness.
”No,” she agreed softly, ”you didn’t.” Letting out a long, deep sigh, she leant in and pressed a soft, motherly kiss to his cheek. ”I love you like I raised you myself,” she told him, her smile warm with affection. ”I always will. Nothing will change that. I’ll be here for you for as long as you need me. But I can’t protect you from yourself, especially when I get burned for it.”
”No,” she agreed softly, ”you didn’t.” Letting out a long, deep sigh, she leant in and pressed a soft, motherly kiss to his cheek. ”I love you like I raised you myself,” she told him, her smile warm with affection. ”I always will. Nothing will change that. I’ll be here for you for as long as you need me. But I can’t protect you from yourself, especially when I get burned for it.”
