He didn’t seem to focus on her, his brows furrowed as he watched the ground, evidently deep in thought.
He looked over suddenly, his gaze alert. He calmed immediately, though, and looked back down, his brow furrowed.
They walked in silence for a moment before he sighed. “Sorry. I guess I’m still pretty... you know... tense.”
"No," she replied. "Don't push yourself, please. I was patient before and I can do it again." She tried to have a light-hearted tone to ease the tension. "It's okay."
“It’s not the same as last time, though,” he said, his voice sounding deeply concerned. “Before, I was able to rationalize it. I can’t do that now.”
He was quiet for a long time. “Tez, I loved you,” he said after a while. “But I don’t want you to spend your life waiting on someone who might... you know... someone who might not be able to hug you, or even get close to you. You deserve more than that, and you shouldn’t be restrained because of some elf’s messed up brain.”
She glanced at him. "I don't care about all that. It's just a perk. It's you. It's always been you. Not just being near, but knowing you."
He didn’t say anything, but she would be able to tell that he was desolate, his brows furrowing in worry.
