Boreal's reaction had not been to Hotaru's suggestion but rather to her assumption and the conflicting emotions that had swept through the courier in response to it; but the dragon couldn't explain and the man was given no chance to when the Valkyrie continued in a welter of words that tangled and twisted into Talyson's heart in a conclusion that he refused to accept - though in the end that caused even more misunderstandings between them.
It was, perhaps, the comparisons she drew that continued to confuse him, and all he could do was shake his head in negation at what she said about Noah, but he was given no time to answer or explain before another question followed on its heels--
And before he could even try to answer that she cut him down where he stood and left him bleeding in the snow. Pale eyes stared at her in shock, confusion warring with betrayal at how quickly she twisted his words. The box with its cake dropped from nerveless fingers to land at their feet, and whatever grudging good intentions had gone into the gift earlier in the day, Evie would be understandably challenged to find anything salvageable from it now.
"You were th'one who said knowin' Evie longer meant he'd honor her 'bove other loyalties," he retorted, voice choked with hurt as he took a half step back from her. "More recent ones. Like me, sure, but I'm not th'only thing he hasn't known as long as her. I heard th'implication loud'n clear, an' I was the one who couldn't believe Deimos'd do that t'Halo. But fuckin' hail." His hands were free of the weight of the gift and he wrapped them around his chest as if to hold closed the reopened injuries both old and new that had been left there. Deimos. Delia. And now Hotaru.
He met her eyes, walking wounded but not walking away from her in spite of the damage her words inflicted. He hadn't walked away from Deimos, either. It had been the Sword who had walked away from him, those many months ago. Hotaru knew better than anyone how much deeper the knife wielded by a loved one could go compared to any mere enemy's blade. And for all his many faults and weaknesses perhaps the greatest was how deeply he loved those few he had given his heart to.
Hotaru among the foremost of them.
"I'm not th'one jumpin' t'question a friend's character." he rasped, fighting to keep the betrayal out of his voice and not entirely succeeding. He wore his heart on his sleeve even when he tried to emulate Deimos's stoicness, and even two years back among regular human contact hadn't taught him to hold a better poker face. "Thought - hoped - you knew me better'n that, Ru."
It was, perhaps, the comparisons she drew that continued to confuse him, and all he could do was shake his head in negation at what she said about Noah, but he was given no time to answer or explain before another question followed on its heels--
And before he could even try to answer that she cut him down where he stood and left him bleeding in the snow. Pale eyes stared at her in shock, confusion warring with betrayal at how quickly she twisted his words. The box with its cake dropped from nerveless fingers to land at their feet, and whatever grudging good intentions had gone into the gift earlier in the day, Evie would be understandably challenged to find anything salvageable from it now.
"You were th'one who said knowin' Evie longer meant he'd honor her 'bove other loyalties," he retorted, voice choked with hurt as he took a half step back from her. "More recent ones. Like me, sure, but I'm not th'only thing he hasn't known as long as her. I heard th'implication loud'n clear, an' I was the one who couldn't believe Deimos'd do that t'Halo. But fuckin' hail." His hands were free of the weight of the gift and he wrapped them around his chest as if to hold closed the reopened injuries both old and new that had been left there. Deimos. Delia. And now Hotaru.
He met her eyes, walking wounded but not walking away from her in spite of the damage her words inflicted. He hadn't walked away from Deimos, either. It had been the Sword who had walked away from him, those many months ago. Hotaru knew better than anyone how much deeper the knife wielded by a loved one could go compared to any mere enemy's blade. And for all his many faults and weaknesses perhaps the greatest was how deeply he loved those few he had given his heart to.
Hotaru among the foremost of them.
"I'm not th'one jumpin' t'question a friend's character." he rasped, fighting to keep the betrayal out of his voice and not entirely succeeding. He wore his heart on his sleeve even when he tried to emulate Deimos's stoicness, and even two years back among regular human contact hadn't taught him to hold a better poker face. "Thought - hoped - you knew me better'n that, Ru."
