"Ah, he didn't, did he? But men are like that. Stubborn animals." Himself included. There's an odd feeling between them right now, and it doesn't come from him- and instinctively, something inside him reaches out, and he tries to soothe over her discomfort.
It doesn't take much to soothe her, not when he's talking evenly now, when those laughs are small and more like an amused exhale than anything else. The immediate danger seems to have passed and more than anything she's just glad he isn't upset anymore.
"I'll remember that," she promises, and she wishes that there was more light, that her eyes would adjust just a little more so she could see his face. And then, because she remembers how rough his voice had been, she moves one hand to her satchel and brings out a canister of water. "Here."
She finds his arm in the dark, follows it down until she reaches his hand, and presses the canister of water into it.
He wonders, for a flash, what she's doing-- until he feels the canister, and he makes a grateful little sound.
"Thank you," he says, for good measure, as he reaches between their stomachs to open the canister before taking a drink. He makes it a small swallow, before he searches out her hand again and hands it back to her.
She takes a drink too, careful to keep it small just in case they're in here for a long time, and then puts the canister right back where it goes. She won't risk losing it in the dark, even in such a small space.
"I have rolls, too, from breakfast," she admits, and it's easier than she expected it to be to tell him that. To make sure he knows the option of food is there if he wants it. "Just let me know if you get hungry."
He gives a fond little sound, and quickly, carefully reaches to squeeze her elbow. "I will," he says, and that's all that needs to be said about that. She doesn't need to feel self-conscious about this.
It's... she's not really sure, honestly, but he's reached for her so many times now and as his hand curves around her elbow, it's...
Welcome. Something she might cherish, if she were to put more thought into it. The thought of shaking him off seems impossible now, the last thing she would ever do. She's glad for that contact.
She's adjusted to being touched, but until now she had never wanted it. It's an odd thing to realize about herself, but not bad she supposes. Just... it's very different.
And distracting. She should probably say something else now.
"If I stay on my knees like this any longer I'll never be able to walk again. Do you think there's enough room for me to sit beside you?"
Someone who wasn't him had touched the woman that wasn't her just like that, gentle hands on her waist to guide her in close, and it's the weirdest sense of deja-vu as she gets settled in beside Tommy. There's not much room but she is endlessly glad to be seated now, the ache in her knees already starting to fade as she reaches a hand down to rub the rest of the pain out.
She isn't even put out about it, really. It was worth it, because Tommy is speaking to her instead of shaking and lost in horrible memories. She'd do it over again the exact same way, no hesitation.
"Thank you."
For helping her sit. He didn't have to do that and she knows it.
"It's hard to say. I had tried to time coming here so this wouldn't happen at all, so I don't know if there's any pattern to it."
She kind of feels a little like she's failed him, getting him stuck here with her. She should have known better, her desire to share what was bothering her could have waited. This is her fault and there's really no getting around that.
She wants to ask if he's okay now, but doesn't at the same time. What he went through is more complicated than that, the answer he might give her might be a simple yes, but that won't cover everything. How could it?
"It shouldn't be too much longer, though," she adds, even though she has nothing to base that on. She has to offer a little bit of hope.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2016-04-19 09:11 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2016-04-19 09:18 am (UTC)"I'll remember that," she promises, and she wishes that there was more light, that her eyes would adjust just a little more so she could see his face. And then, because she remembers how rough his voice had been, she moves one hand to her satchel and brings out a canister of water. "Here."
She finds his arm in the dark, follows it down until she reaches his hand, and presses the canister of water into it.
(no subject)
Date: 2016-04-19 09:22 am (UTC)"Thank you," he says, for good measure, as he reaches between their stomachs to open the canister before taking a drink. He makes it a small swallow, before he searches out her hand again and hands it back to her.
(no subject)
Date: 2016-04-19 09:29 am (UTC)"I have rolls, too, from breakfast," she admits, and it's easier than she expected it to be to tell him that. To make sure he knows the option of food is there if he wants it. "Just let me know if you get hungry."
(no subject)
Date: 2016-04-19 09:34 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2016-04-19 09:49 am (UTC)Welcome. Something she might cherish, if she were to put more thought into it. The thought of shaking him off seems impossible now, the last thing she would ever do. She's glad for that contact.
She's adjusted to being touched, but until now she had never wanted it. It's an odd thing to realize about herself, but not bad she supposes. Just... it's very different.
And distracting. She should probably say something else now.
"If I stay on my knees like this any longer I'll never be able to walk again. Do you think there's enough room for me to sit beside you?"
(no subject)
Date: 2016-04-19 06:10 pm (UTC)"Of course-- yeah, here." He shuffles over, puts his hands on her waist to help her up.
(no subject)
Date: 2016-04-19 06:37 pm (UTC)She isn't even put out about it, really. It was worth it, because Tommy is speaking to her instead of shaking and lost in horrible memories. She'd do it over again the exact same way, no hesitation.
"Thank you."
For helping her sit. He didn't have to do that and she knows it.
(no subject)
Date: 2016-04-20 02:10 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2016-04-20 05:02 pm (UTC)She kind of feels a little like she's failed him, getting him stuck here with her. She should have known better, her desire to share what was bothering her could have waited. This is her fault and there's really no getting around that.
She wants to ask if he's okay now, but doesn't at the same time. What he went through is more complicated than that, the answer he might give her might be a simple yes, but that won't cover everything. How could it?
"It shouldn't be too much longer, though," she adds, even though she has nothing to base that on. She has to offer a little bit of hope.