[There's a split-second where she worries that it's distraction. Derek deliberately evading what she's saying, avoiding the offer of help, support. She knows how hard he finds it to share burdens. She knows how important it's been to be there when he needs to.
But his expression's softer than that. No defensiveness in his eyes. She can't hear him anymore, but she knows him. That this is just them, tentative in feeling these things out, finding their way back to what they had.]
Yeah. [Plain, direct. True.] You should.
[A beat, and a touch more hesitation even as she pushes herself to say it:]
[ in some ways, derek had relied heavily on tyke being able to hear his thoughts, on having allowed her that and even projected them to her in some cases. puzzling out their interactions without that crutch is difficult, and that makes it all the more rewarding when they do get it right. ]
Okay.
[ just a response, without allowing himself hedge or backpedal. ]
[The smile she gives him is bright and wide for a moment. Fleeting, like all of her smiles are, but no less genuine for it. She feels like pressing in closer to him, kissing him, but she stays put, just her hand still resting on his arm.]
Let's get dinner first.
[The whole evening routine they'd do the nights he came over earlier, working out and eating and sleeping. She hadn't really realised how much she'd missed it, swept up in the general ache of just missing him.]
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action.
But his expression's softer than that. No defensiveness in his eyes. She can't hear him anymore, but she knows him. That this is just them, tentative in feeling these things out, finding their way back to what they had.]
Yeah. [Plain, direct. True.] You should.
[A beat, and a touch more hesitation even as she pushes herself to say it:]
I want you to.
action.
Okay.
[ just a response, without allowing himself hedge or backpedal. ]
I'll stay tonight.
Re: action.
Let's get dinner first.
[The whole evening routine they'd do the nights he came over earlier, working out and eating and sleeping. She hadn't really realised how much she'd missed it, swept up in the general ache of just missing him.]