He holds her while she cries and - its cathartic. Its cathartic for her, he knows - but he needs this too. Because he's not to the place that he can handle crying right now - but her sobs bleed some of the need for it off of him as well as he holds her and lets her take as long as she needs.
She's so young - so young. Even younger than any of the others and she's so competent and so mature and so ahead of everyone in some ways that its almost possible to forget that she's barely even into her teens yet. And yet - its always there, lingering in the back of his mind.
When she finally settles, starts to relax, he doesn't let go of her or unwrap his body from where he's curled it around hers. Not until she moves to indicate she wants it. Until then he's content to hold her. It's good for him too. Everyone's being so careful around him. It's nice - heart healing - to be able to cling and be clung to without having to drop his 'leadership' control.
He's so touch starved for hugs.
He hums his answer to her words when she finally speaks, low and long in his throat, vibrations as much as noise. Nods against the top of her head.
"I know." It's soft and he hugs her just a little tighter for a moment with his arm. He doesn't promise she won't. He'd like to - but they both know he can't make that promise and he doesn't want to tell her things she can't believe. So he just rubs the side of his chin against her hair and repeats a gentle:
no subject
She's so young - so young. Even younger than any of the others and she's so competent and so mature and so ahead of everyone in some ways that its almost possible to forget that she's barely even into her teens yet. And yet - its always there, lingering in the back of his mind.
When she finally settles, starts to relax, he doesn't let go of her or unwrap his body from where he's curled it around hers. Not until she moves to indicate she wants it. Until then he's content to hold her. It's good for him too. Everyone's being so careful around him. It's nice - heart healing - to be able to cling and be clung to without having to drop his 'leadership' control.
He's so touch starved for hugs.
He hums his answer to her words when she finally speaks, low and long in his throat, vibrations as much as noise. Nods against the top of her head.
"I know." It's soft and he hugs her just a little tighter for a moment with his arm. He doesn't promise she won't. He'd like to - but they both know he can't make that promise and he doesn't want to tell her things she can't believe. So he just rubs the side of his chin against her hair and repeats a gentle:
"I know."