[ (Sorry, Korra. In many ways, he's still just an obtuse dude.) ]
[ Her words don't erase his anxieties. But they do swamp him with an absurd nostalgia, almost like loneliness. Each time, he's reminded of how much he missed even this, the intimacy of her exasperation, the acoustics of the livingroom with its pale blond wood paneling, and the house itself, small and warm and human. Nothing like the outsize plastiglas and steel and chrome environs of the Enterprise, or the dimly-lit bunk he'd occupied with a stunning view of the stars, but with a perpetual current of coldness in the air that always leeched the warmth from him. When he'd been here, he was always the odd one out, the loose end and wild card. But with the disasters of the Water Tribe war, and the Red Lotus, and Kuvira's army, he'd been part of something in a way he never was in the Enterprise. Sure, they let him play the role of an extra pair of hands. But save for Chekov, none of them was fond of him, none of them really gave a shit. ]
[ Korra on the other hand... Her feelings on his arrival may still change. But right now, they are as immutable as sunset; she demonstrates it in her small unforgettable ways, reminding him, everytime he doubts it, that he has value, and is part of what she defends, her world. ]
[ In the circle of his arms, he feels the strong beating of her heart. Murmurs, his tone of quiet gratitude scalloped with an intrinsic skepticism. ]
I'm glad ... you're still here for me. Just know that if you change your mind, you're free to go. Just like you said, back in the City.
[ I will be the one to end things. He hasn't forgotten that clause of their arrangement. Other stipulations have shifted and reshaped and dissolved entirely. But that still holds true, because as possessive and cruel as Hei is, he can't keep someone he loves against their will. He couldn't with Pai, either. ]
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Date: 2014-12-31 05:36 am (UTC)[ Her words don't erase his anxieties. But they do swamp him with an absurd nostalgia, almost like loneliness. Each time, he's reminded of how much he missed even this, the intimacy of her exasperation, the acoustics of the livingroom with its pale blond wood paneling, and the house itself, small and warm and human. Nothing like the outsize plastiglas and steel and chrome environs of the Enterprise, or the dimly-lit bunk he'd occupied with a stunning view of the stars, but with a perpetual current of coldness in the air that always leeched the warmth from him. When he'd been here, he was always the odd one out, the loose end and wild card. But with the disasters of the Water Tribe war, and the Red Lotus, and Kuvira's army, he'd been part of something in a way he never was in the Enterprise. Sure, they let him play the role of an extra pair of hands. But save for Chekov, none of them was fond of him, none of them really gave a shit. ]
[ Korra on the other hand... Her feelings on his arrival may still change. But right now, they are as immutable as sunset; she demonstrates it in her small unforgettable ways, reminding him, everytime he doubts it, that he has value, and is part of what she defends, her world. ]
[ In the circle of his arms, he feels the strong beating of her heart. Murmurs, his tone of quiet gratitude scalloped with an intrinsic skepticism. ]
I'm glad ... you're still here for me. Just know that if you change your mind, you're free to go. Just like you said, back in the City.
[ I will be the one to end things. He hasn't forgotten that clause of their arrangement. Other stipulations have shifted and reshaped and dissolved entirely. But that still holds true, because as possessive and cruel as Hei is, he can't keep someone he loves against their will. He couldn't with Pai, either. ]