[ Her kindness and her continued care for his well-being still feels like something foreign to him. Not undeserved, because he does deserve it, so far as he's concerned, but it's... unexpected. It always is, because so long as he can remember, that's always been something rare.
The earliest memories he has (even though he knows they technically aren't his at all) are absent of it, and as he'd worked for Hyperion, it was more of the same. So he knew how to deal with the lack. Hell, even his wives, his girlfriends, they weren't exactly kind people. Because, really? He didn't know what to do with it when it's given. Just a few days earlier, he had wondered about her kindness, wondered if it was something to draw him closer just to betray him, and in a way?
He was right. He was always right.
But he listens, still patient, still quiet. He's taking in her words, and the beginning there, that's difficult. That's something... he doesn't think they'll reconcile. Hell, he's barely had time to reconcile the fact that his Angel hated it enough to kill herself, if Rhys is to be believed. That's difficult and painful to think on for even a moment, so for now, he doesn't. His anger and hurt at Elizabeth staring him down like he was some kind of monster is fresh in his mind, and that's bitter enough that this is something that he has to truly weigh with himself.
Jack shifts again, standing even after the effort it took to sit down. Goddamn he hates this shit. Just need a friggin' vending machine nearby to at least fix the gashes, then it wouldn't suck quite so bad. But he's making the effort here, because even despite his own doubts about Elizabeth and where this is going, Jack is quite a bit more sentimental than he appears to be. He takes a half step forward, and carefully (for his own sake more than hers), he wraps the undamaged arm around Elizabeth and pulls her into as tight of a hug as he can manage.
Because, when he weighs it now, when he's not so blinded by his anger? He could use her help. If nothing else, that's simple, logical. He may not know how to deal with her kindness, but he can see a practical value enough to put his anger aside. ]
Well, we've sure as hell got that in common. You and me? We've both got targets on our backs. We could both ruin each other, yeah. But that's why we can do this. Because-- Okay, well, I've got waaay more to go off of here, admittedly, but for the purposes of this conversation-- We're the only two damn people who know we're not infected. You don't have to sling guns or be an action hero. It's just about being smart. Clever. And, hell, I've seen that you're plenty of both. It's possible. Hard. But it's possible, otherwise I wouldn't be trying to do it.
[ He gives her a squeeze, though it's brief. ]
I'm not worried about getting "ruined," Liz. Only person that can ruin me is me.
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momijizukamori
no subject
Date: 2016-07-18 09:53 pm (UTC)The earliest memories he has (even though he knows they technically aren't his at all) are absent of it, and as he'd worked for Hyperion, it was more of the same. So he knew how to deal with the lack. Hell, even his wives, his girlfriends, they weren't exactly kind people. Because, really? He didn't know what to do with it when it's given. Just a few days earlier, he had wondered about her kindness, wondered if it was something to draw him closer just to betray him, and in a way?
He was right. He was always right.
But he listens, still patient, still quiet. He's taking in her words, and the beginning there, that's difficult. That's something... he doesn't think they'll reconcile. Hell, he's barely had time to reconcile the fact that his Angel hated it enough to kill herself, if Rhys is to be believed. That's difficult and painful to think on for even a moment, so for now, he doesn't. His anger and hurt at Elizabeth staring him down like he was some kind of monster is fresh in his mind, and that's bitter enough that this is something that he has to truly weigh with himself.
Jack shifts again, standing even after the effort it took to sit down. Goddamn he hates this shit. Just need a friggin' vending machine nearby to at least fix the gashes, then it wouldn't suck quite so bad. But he's making the effort here, because even despite his own doubts about Elizabeth and where this is going, Jack is quite a bit more sentimental than he appears to be. He takes a half step forward, and carefully (for his own sake more than hers), he wraps the undamaged arm around Elizabeth and pulls her into as tight of a hug as he can manage.
Because, when he weighs it now, when he's not so blinded by his anger? He could use her help. If nothing else, that's simple, logical. He may not know how to deal with her kindness, but he can see a practical value enough to put his anger aside. ]
Well, we've sure as hell got that in common. You and me? We've both got targets on our backs. We could both ruin each other, yeah. But that's why we can do this. Because-- Okay, well, I've got waaay more to go off of here, admittedly, but for the purposes of this conversation-- We're the only two damn people who know we're not infected. You don't have to sling guns or be an action hero. It's just about being smart. Clever. And, hell, I've seen that you're plenty of both. It's possible. Hard. But it's possible, otherwise I wouldn't be trying to do it.
[ He gives her a squeeze, though it's brief. ]
I'm not worried about getting "ruined," Liz. Only person that can ruin me is me.