jaceconflagratio:
Jace let the questions pass him by, though he couldn’t have explained why, and truly, it didn’t even occur to him that he had. His attention had always been flighty and brief, and so it wasn’t too unusual for him. He frowned, and his shouldered squared slightly as she hid her face, arms encircling her more securely. The dragon pressed a kiss to her hair, staying there until she pulled back, and looked up at him, his hand brushing her hair back carefully to meet her eyes.
His own face was serious, now, not sad or overly agitated, but concerned and loving. He had left a true friend behind, and now she was hurting. He didn’t say anything for a moment, just his eyes looking into hers, and then he pulled her into his chest again, giving her some space to be upset without being observed. “Tell me everything.” He said, softly, and the levity and frivolity was gone from his voice. It carried a tone now which conveyed each of his almost a thousand years of life, of pain and love and experience. His hand gently stroked her hair, tucking her securely between his elbow and chest, calm and protective.
Eyes that missed little to nothing these days met Jace’s fully, soft and full of compassion. He could get away with the silence, for now. But if something was wrong, she would get it out of him eventually. For now though, she would tell him her own sad tale. And Qhuinn knew, by the tone of his voice and the look in those eyes, that he would not only understand, but not judge her for less than healthy actions. Even with that knowledge, her eyes lowered as she spoke, unable to stand just yet whatever she would see in his face.
“At the end of last summer, I..lost my entire pack. My Clay, and everyone else. My brothers, women..children. All of them were killed by hunters. My..whole family Jace. Gone in an instant, and I wasn’t there to help and fight by their side” Qhuinn had to stop then, swallowing hard. Even with the promise that she had made to Liam and the others, it was obvious that she hadn’t fully let go of that guilt yet. Maybe she never would, maybe it just wasn’t in her to try and learn from it. “I’m sorry, I just..need a minute” She mumbled, tears wetting the front of Jace’s shirt as she struggled to compose herself.
The words hit him, and while he might not have been an empath, he felt her pain. She wouldn’t look at him, and he understood. He’d been away for a while, perhaps longer than he remembered, and she had had to deal with all of this alone. To expose your pain like that to someone was hard, terrifying, even.
The dragon wrapped his arms around her, tightly, and cupped the back of her head, just holding her to him. There wasn’t anything he could do to take the pain away, but he had learned a lot over his years, and he knew of loss, kept each one of his friends, family and lovers he had outlived deep in his heart. The pain never really went away - it was why so many of his kind never ventured into the mortal realm. To lose someone who was a part of yourself was unspeakable.
He pressed a soft kiss to her forehead, slowing his breathing and heart rate deliberately. “It’s okay. Take your time. I’m here.” His voice had taken on a lower rumble, unlike his usual chirpy self, and he just held her, breathing into her hair, letting her unravel, if she needed it.
