[Not sharp, but still firm, and she means to tell him that he has to stop being so hard on himself, has to stop doubting himself so much. He's better than he realizes, and he has to stop thinking of himself as some burden to be carried.
Any thought of saying that is swept away by what comes next, and she's moving back on auto-pilot, giving him space to stand up even as the rest of her thoughts are telling her to stop him.
She can't - won't - make him stay, if that's not what he wants, even if the thought of him leaving her alone is more terrifying than she'd like to admit. Anything she could say feels like it would be manipulating him, because she knows he'd do anything she asked.
Even stay feels wrong.]
Do you actually want to?
[Her voice stays steady, and she doesn't wrap her arms around herself despite the desire to.]
no subject
[Not sharp, but still firm, and she means to tell him that he has to stop being so hard on himself, has to stop doubting himself so much. He's better than he realizes, and he has to stop thinking of himself as some burden to be carried.
Any thought of saying that is swept away by what comes next, and she's moving back on auto-pilot, giving him space to stand up even as the rest of her thoughts are telling her to stop him.
She can't - won't - make him stay, if that's not what he wants, even if the thought of him leaving her alone is more terrifying than she'd like to admit. Anything she could say feels like it would be manipulating him, because she knows he'd do anything she asked.
Even stay feels wrong.]
Do you actually want to?
[Her voice stays steady, and she doesn't wrap her arms around herself despite the desire to.]