what will you do when the vultures come for you, run and hide?
Aisha didn't expect or particularly need an apology from him; she knew why he'd gone. She knew his leaving was what was best, even though at the time she'd been wracked with worry. In the middle of that goddamn sickness, and suddenly he was gone. How could she blame him though? She'd had her own shit to deal with at the time, there were no apologies required.
And yet the fact that he was apologizing to her still prodded at some old notions of him. Wherever it'd come from, this silly idea that he'd had all the answers; clarity over that distortion was brought with a hint of a smile. He was just a man after all. Her arms gave another tight squeeze, her own bulk not quite the caliber of his, but enough to get the point across. "Agh, I don't want your sorries, I'm just happy to see you."
He shared his story of where he'd been, of how he was general of Halo. The tundra realm was respite to many of those who'd left the grounds it seemed, and over these past months it'd begun to look rather tempting. She would've congratulated him on retaining his formidable title if not for the hurt she heard in his voice. Instead she just listened, letting him take his time and just offering her attentive cognizance.
...Getting better, he finished, pressing past the obvious pain that came with it to offer a soft grin. Aisha smiled back encouragingly, finally stepping back from the embrace to instead hold forearms with him. This gave her a better chance to look him up and down to see if he'd changed any physically, the leopard's golden eyes following his arms up to the lines of his face. He was still the same old Deimos in many ways, and that was comforting, "The grounds aren't the same. I don't go to the barracks much anymore, doesn't feel right training troops under big motherboard bitch's rule. I've mostly just been helping Oliver, doing my own training."
"I'm good, just in a shitty pessimistic way," she finished with a slight smirk.
And yet the fact that he was apologizing to her still prodded at some old notions of him. Wherever it'd come from, this silly idea that he'd had all the answers; clarity over that distortion was brought with a hint of a smile. He was just a man after all. Her arms gave another tight squeeze, her own bulk not quite the caliber of his, but enough to get the point across. "Agh, I don't want your sorries, I'm just happy to see you."
He shared his story of where he'd been, of how he was general of Halo. The tundra realm was respite to many of those who'd left the grounds it seemed, and over these past months it'd begun to look rather tempting. She would've congratulated him on retaining his formidable title if not for the hurt she heard in his voice. Instead she just listened, letting him take his time and just offering her attentive cognizance.
...Getting better, he finished, pressing past the obvious pain that came with it to offer a soft grin. Aisha smiled back encouragingly, finally stepping back from the embrace to instead hold forearms with him. This gave her a better chance to look him up and down to see if he'd changed any physically, the leopard's golden eyes following his arms up to the lines of his face. He was still the same old Deimos in many ways, and that was comforting, "The grounds aren't the same. I don't go to the barracks much anymore, doesn't feel right training troops under big motherboard bitch's rule. I've mostly just been helping Oliver, doing my own training."
"I'm good, just in a shitty pessimistic way," she finished with a slight smirk.
AISHA
