@vhenast: || MOVED FROM HERE
merilin’s brows draw together, contemplative as she looks upon him in silence. the man is too ashamed to admit these sins to her without shaking, even after commending her for being kind and trusting. there is no mistaking the significance of this confession.
her chest aches at the sight of his pain, and finds herself at a loss of words for a short while. orsino was born into a world where he was considered an aberration, with every breath he took being a sin upon the maker’s name. when his and others’ lives were in certain danger, he made a difficult choice. while she can’t claim to know what he went through, merilin is no stranger to desperate circumstances.
it gives merilin further pause to wonder what she would do in such a scenario. could she claim she would not have taken the forbidden option if it meant a chance at survival? the uneasiness that follows the thought is her answer.
❝ …i’m so sorry you had to go through that, ❞ she swallows, her gaze now visibly saddened by his display of vulnerability. ❝ you were protecting those mages, and the templars forced your hand. i understand. ❞
to prove her words are genuine, that her heart is truly with him, merilin takes one step closer toward orsino, then gently places a hand on his trembling shoulder.
There were many things that he expected. FEAR, disgust, and anger were a few as example. Yet, did he not know her? Orsino had just admitted he saw her as a soft-hearted individual. He knew, truly knew, that it was not likely for her to feel much resentment towards him. Truthfully, it was a part of why he confessed his messiest secret to her.
But people were not always predictable.
History had taught him that not everyone are who they seem to be.
Today was not one of those lessons. After the silence grew long enough to begin to cause pain, Merilin answered. Her words were like a dream, Orsino could hardly believe he heard them. An intense imagination born from what he wanted to hear. No, it was real. Her simple acceptance was real and it caused a surge of emotion he could not have foreseen. Warm relief and uncomplicated happiness.
The hand on his shoulder, the comforting touch, was all it took to finally break down his walls. The pressure felt like an invasion, his shoulder wanted to jerk away, but it had good intentions. All the right parts of him knew that and allowed what was desperately needed.
Glassy and stinging eyes finally let go of his tears. Free, they ran down his face as he gulped down a sob. Crying so openly was bad enough, he would not make even more of a scene by wailing away his sorrows. His hand laid over the one settled on his shoulder.
“Sorry, I---” a struggling inhale was sucked in, “sorry.”
