He was taken by surprise when Sky leapt up and wrapped her arms around him, so much so that he stiffened up and held still for a moment or two. He wasn’t just going to let her hang there, though, and so he cautiously hooked arm arm around her back, placing his palm against her shoulder bone. His brass eyes trailed down to the scattered papers, noticing the large red text printed over the sketches of plants and notes.
His brows knit a stitch at the implication, sympathetic agony twisting in his gut. He knew exactly what that felt like, and what he wished he could have had when he dealt with the pain alone. He pulled her into a reciprocated hug, pressing his jaw against the curve of her shoulder. “Oh, Sky. I’m sorry. This isn’t the end, I swear. You can get your case together again, and give it another shot.” He rubbed her back, staying above the waist for proper behavior.
“Just take a breath in,” he paused to take in a breath, then let it out in a sigh through his nose, “and let it back out.”
Sky relaxed slightly when she felt Jayce's arm around her and clung to him tighter. She normally wouldn't break down like this but the past week had been hell between her normal workload and preparing for the presentation that had resulted in all those papers. The worst part was that it wasn't over yet. There were another presentation coming up in a few days to discuss the ones marked 'Pending' and if she didn't come up with a way to convince the Council of the merit of her work then the rest of it would be rejected as well.
She tried to breathe as he asked and eventually she would manage it although she didn't let go of him yet, talking too much comfort in his arms. She did manage to speak eventually however.
"They barely looked at my research and I don't think they actually listened to a word i said. They were so interested in getting through my presentation so they could go to lunch that we didn't even get through all of it. There's another meeting in a few days to go through the rest of it." She said, sounding exhausted and defeated. She knew her work had value and that it would change lives for the better if she could just get even one project implemented.
