❝... ❞ a pause . there’s a WEIGHTED PAUSE that sits on his shoulders && pushes him down like gravity . it’s heavy . suffocating . five considers for a moment a biting response . it would be easier . it’s after all , what he’s used to . five let his eyes flicker for a second before then he spoke as evenly as he could . though it was so DIFFICULT . because every part of him wanted to do the opposite . torn into three parts ; to bite back with sarcasm . to approach it evenly like the adult . && then the third . something DEEPER than both those reactions . something that even he couldn’t touch . something that ached .
❝ i know THAT , ❞ came the reply with silent steadiness . unusually still . voice under pressure . he never felt older than he did right now . ❝ but i don’t need to do that , ❞ he added . his expression turned sterner . ❝ i’m not being strong all the time , that would be IMPOSSIBLE . ❞ && he wouldn’t expect it from anyone else . but ... but there was a difference . he wasn’t pretending to be strong . he wasn’t pretending not to be hurt . a breakdown from him solved nothing . so , five closed his fingers into his palms && shook his head . || @mythcloud