"I'm not being coy, here," she said flatly. "You are the only person who cares if I die, and you know that you need to prioritize this. That should translate to the understanding that I am expendable. This has been your life's work, Abel. You can't sacrifice taking action for a friendship! This is everything to you!"
"No it's not," he retorted. "I don't have to keep going. I don't have to blow up this factory." He crossed his arms. "This is not everything to me."
She scoffed, gesturing to the walls that they had spent weeks pouring over and planning. "What are we doing here, then, Abel?! If we're not willing to keep going, then what was the point of starting in the first place?" She shifted her weight onto her bad leg and winced, bracing herself against the wall, but she still spoke, her voice sounding a little bit frantic at this point. "If this isn't everything to you, then what is?!"
"You are!" he exclaimed, sounding exasperated. "God, Ophelia. I care about you do much." His hand pressed against the counter as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "I don't.. I don't want you to get hurt. I wish I hadn't dragged you into this."
She fell silent, watching him with wide eyes. "Abel..." She tried to move towards him, but her leg complained and she stumbled, bracing herself on the table. "Ow. *squee!*."
She recovered and straightened up, putting a hand on his chest and the other resting on his jaw, leaning against him slightly to keep her balance. "I would happily be dragged into anything with you," she told him, her voice soft and gentle and her face inches from his. Her hand on his jaw moved down and her thumb rested on the corner of his mouth. "You never have to feel badly about that."
She considered him for a moment, her gaze darting down to his mouth for a moment before flickering back up to his eyes. "We need to think of something," she replied quietly. "I just want us to keep our options open."
She leaned in, her forehead resting against his. "This discussion isn't over," she told him. "But I'm also really, really into you."
A pink flush crossed over the bridge of her nose and she laughed a little. "I don't even... I don't know what to say."
Her smile deepened and she rested her forehead against his again. "About saying something? Abel, that's not like you."
