*slowly fits arms around his waist, fixing his around her shoulders, and pours all the strength and sympathy she can find into him* Please. Just … let it go. Lean on me for just a minute, please.
*Tony hangs his head a little, unsure of himself and how to respond, but he does what she’s asked.*
Thanks…
Shhh, no. This is what I do. I don’t need thanking. This is what I’m for. If you feel even a little bit better, than it’s right.
*Tony chokes out a laugh*
No, you… you get my thanks. Not many in my life would do as much as you have.
Hah. You don’t even know my name. No. No; this is what I do. Don’t thank me. *presses a hand to the middle of his back, then lets go* You don’t have to be so strong all the time.
Ahh… You’re right. I don’t. I’m sorry. *he cringes a little at having opened up so much to someone unfamiliar to him, but it had helped.*
*sighs a little* I offered, remember? /This is what I do./ Don’t apologise for something you needed so badly. Is there aught else I can do?
*slowly fits arms around his waist, fixing his around her shoulders, and pours all the strength and sympathy she can find into him* Please. Just … let it go. Lean on me for just a minute, please.
*Tony hangs his head a little, unsure of himself and how to respond, but he does what she’s asked.*
Thanks…
Shhh, no. This is what I do. I don’t need thanking. This is what I’m for. If you feel even a little bit better, than it’s right.
*Tony chokes out a laugh*
No, you… you get my thanks. Not many in my life would do as much as you have.
Hah. You don’t even know my name. No. No; this is what I do. Don’t thank me. *presses a hand to the middle of his back, then lets go* You don’t have to be so strong all the time.
I truly, honestly, don’t know anything bad of you. *gently projects sincerity and sympathy* Please, can I — will you let me hug you?
…
I… uh. If you want to.
*slowly fits arms around his waist, fixing his around her shoulders, and pours all the strength and sympathy she can find into him* Please. Just … let it go. Lean on me for just a minute, please.
*Tony hangs his head a little, unsure of himself and how to respond, but he does what she’s asked.*
Thanks…
Shhh, no. This is what I do. I don’t need thanking. This is what I’m for. If you feel even a little bit better, than it’s right.
*softly* It’s a high standard. I don’t know enough … you don’t believe you’ve done anything good in your life? Is it not heroic to keep trying to be good after everything?
I… I’m not saying I’ve not done good things. But the bad weighs more heavily. The bad is what gets remembered.
I truly, honestly, don’t know anything bad of you. *gently projects sincerity and sympathy* Please, can I — will you let me hug you?
…
I… uh. If you want to.
*slowly fits arms around his waist, fixing his around her shoulders, and pours all the strength and sympathy she can find into him* Please. Just … let it go. Lean on me for just a minute, please.
You won’t cry for your pain. I can’t help it. It’s … you’re hurting so much, and I can’t help but hear it, share it. What is a hero anyway? A person who is willing to give up their life for others?
Yinsen knew who I was. He could have let me die for what I’d done, and what I’d put him and his family through. He could have used me to escape. But he didn’t.
Someone that selfless… That good is a hero.
I’m nowhere near that.
You ask anyone on the team and they’ll tell you the same.
*softly* It’s a high standard. I don’t know enough … you don’t believe you’ve done anything good in your life? Is it not heroic to keep trying to be good after everything?
I… I’m not saying I’ve not done good things. But the bad weighs more heavily. The bad is what gets remembered.
I truly, honestly, don’t know anything bad of you. *gently projects sincerity and sympathy* Please, can I — will you let me hug you?
*closes her eyes and a tear slides down her face* So much pain. You just … /so/ much. Why so /much/? As if no good thing you ever did could be set against it. Such a terrible shadow.
You who saved us all … and this is how you repay yourself.
Please. Don’t cry for me. I am not a hero. No one understands that.
Yinsen. He was a hero.
You won’t cry for your pain. I can’t help it. It’s … you’re hurting so much, and I can’t help but hear it, share it. What is a hero anyway? A person who is willing to give up their life for others?
Yinsen knew who I was. He could have let me die for what I’d done, and what I’d put him and his family through. He could have used me to escape. But he didn’t.
Someone that selfless… That good is a hero.
I’m nowhere near that.
You ask anyone on the team and they’ll tell you the same.
*softly* It’s a high standard. I don’t know enough … you don’t believe you’ve done anything good in your life? Is it not heroic to keep trying to be good after everything?
It sounds like the kind of person the world needs more of. *tips head to the side, looking up at Tony* And now … you don’t let yourself trust at all? Everyone wants something of you, no one is simply good?
It is a rare situation when I trust someone fully without at least questioning their motives. Or myself.
And I think those closest to me can sense it.
Why would you question yourself? You don’t deserve good things anymore? Endless punishment, for a simple mistake?
Why not punish myself? I’m not the hero, I’ve been quite the opposite.
I just… I don’t know. Okay?
God I need another drink.
*closes her eyes and a tear slides down her face* So much pain. You just … /so/ much. Why so /much/? As if no good thing you ever did could be set against it. Such a terrible shadow.
You who saved us all … and this is how you repay yourself.
Please. Don’t cry for me. I am not a hero. No one understands that.
Yinsen. He was a hero.
You won’t cry for your pain. I can’t help it. It’s … you’re hurting so much, and I can’t help but hear it, share it. What is a hero anyway? A person who is willing to give up their life for others?
It sounds like the kind of person the world needs more of. *tips head to the side, looking up at Tony* And now … you don’t let yourself trust at all? Everyone wants something of you, no one is simply good?
It is a rare situation when I trust someone fully without at least questioning their motives. Or myself.
And I think those closest to me can sense it.
Why would you question yourself? You don’t deserve good things anymore? Endless punishment, for a simple mistake?
Why not punish myself? I’m not the hero, I’ve been quite the opposite.
I just… I don’t know. Okay?
God I need another drink.
*closes her eyes and a tear slides down her face* So much pain. You just … /so/ much. Why so /much/? As if no good thing you ever did could be set against it. Such a terrible shadow.
You who saved us all … and this is how you repay yourself.
*touches his arm lightly* It’s not given to us to know the count of the living.
If I hadn’t been so naive… Jesus.
If you hadn’t believed people were good? If you hadn’t counted them by the weight of your own heart? If you hadn’t been someone who could trust?
…
More or less… As bad as that sounds.
It sounds like the kind of person the world needs more of. *tips head to the side, looking up at Tony* And now … you don’t let yourself trust at all? Everyone wants something of you, no one is simply good?
It is a rare situation when I trust someone fully without at least questioning their motives. Or myself.
And I think those closest to me can sense it.
Why would you question yourself? You don’t deserve good things anymore? Endless punishment, for a simple mistake?
*touches his arm lightly* It’s not given to us to know the count of the living.
If I hadn’t been so naive… Jesus.
If you hadn’t believed people were good? If you hadn’t counted them by the weight of your own heart? If you hadn’t been someone who could trust?
…
More or less… As bad as that sounds.
It sounds like the kind of person the world needs more of. *tips head to the side, looking up at Tony* And now … you don’t let yourself trust at all? Everyone wants something of you, no one is simply good?
