She knew the way he would shift his hip as soon as he settled onto the cushion, just as he knew the way her knees would bend to pull her feet up, bringing her weight and warmth pressing into his side for a second until she shifted back just far enough to find her balance and a position of comfort against his shoulder. He wrapped his arm around her, giving her shoulders a gentle squeeze before he tore the bread, giving them both something to eat.
A chance to gather thoughts, for Ru to change her mind if she needed to. It worried him, deep in his chest, to see how she passively accepted the food and nibbled it in the way she had after the War. There was a hurt in her that would never heal, but it had scabbed over and he'd thought she might be past the worst...
He stroked her shoulder with his thumb, a slow, steady motion to soothe and reassure while he waited, in no rush to fill the silence. The bread was still warm and it took the edge of his hunger until it was reduced to a few crumbs in his lap. Boreal watched them from the hearth, eyes expressive beneath her brow ridges as she caught the currents of emotion in the room, but she stayed where she was as the humans cuddled together on a couch that was too small for her to easily join them.
He listened, considering the strength of that particular group. But the lamplighters were one hazard he had managed to avoid, and he was grateful for it as she continued. Some things should never be relived, not in the waking world. But for Hotaru...
Tal didn't say anything. He just wrapped his other arm around her as well, pulling her against his chest and heedless of the bread still in her hands. He pressed his cheek against her hair, drawing in her scent in a breath that had to fight past the tightness in his throat.
He knew what it was, to feel like he didn't measure up to those around him. To fall short, and to let everyone - but especially himself - down. But for Ru...
"They may've been through fire'n hail," he murmured gruffly, "but they haven't lost what you have." A son. Children, she'd told him. The ones he'd never met, from years before. And Enzo, still so recent and sharp as naked obsidian. "It doesn't compare."
A chance to gather thoughts, for Ru to change her mind if she needed to. It worried him, deep in his chest, to see how she passively accepted the food and nibbled it in the way she had after the War. There was a hurt in her that would never heal, but it had scabbed over and he'd thought she might be past the worst...
He stroked her shoulder with his thumb, a slow, steady motion to soothe and reassure while he waited, in no rush to fill the silence. The bread was still warm and it took the edge of his hunger until it was reduced to a few crumbs in his lap. Boreal watched them from the hearth, eyes expressive beneath her brow ridges as she caught the currents of emotion in the room, but she stayed where she was as the humans cuddled together on a couch that was too small for her to easily join them.
He listened, considering the strength of that particular group. But the lamplighters were one hazard he had managed to avoid, and he was grateful for it as she continued. Some things should never be relived, not in the waking world. But for Hotaru...
Tal didn't say anything. He just wrapped his other arm around her as well, pulling her against his chest and heedless of the bread still in her hands. He pressed his cheek against her hair, drawing in her scent in a breath that had to fight past the tightness in his throat.
He knew what it was, to feel like he didn't measure up to those around him. To fall short, and to let everyone - but especially himself - down. But for Ru...
"They may've been through fire'n hail," he murmured gruffly, "but they haven't lost what you have." A son. Children, she'd told him. The ones he'd never met, from years before. And Enzo, still so recent and sharp as naked obsidian. "It doesn't compare."
