[ Takeshi goes slack, slumps back against the trunk of the tree, utters one last nail into the coffin of the day's tragedies, and Stephen does everything he can to keep the sting of it off his face. Another truth he's unable to do anything about. He lingers for a moment more, holding onto the sense memory of seconds ago when his hand between bark and skull had marked a chance to prize him up and away.
No longer. Takeshi won't fight him, it seems, but he's not going to help him either. So after a moment Stephen hangs his head, prizes his hand carefully free (gentle, gentle with the head he rests back against the tree, not so much with the hand he scrapes over bark to do it), leans back to adjust his balance and shifts, twists so he too can slump somewhat gracelessly against the trunk. Enough space left for Takeshi that he can pretend Stephen isn't there if he wants to badly enough, if he doesn't turn his head too far to the side. Close enough that he'll know he's there regardless, emitting all the subtle traces of another beating heart.
No more words. There isn't anything he can say. He decides he'll wait it out until the time comes that one or other of them have had enough of sitting in the hush left behind. By then, he hopes, he'll have decided whether to take Takeshi home or leave him alone. Or have already given in to the urge to reach across the forest floor to find his hand, take it, squeeze. ]
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No longer. Takeshi won't fight him, it seems, but he's not going to help him either. So after a moment Stephen hangs his head, prizes his hand carefully free (gentle, gentle with the head he rests back against the tree, not so much with the hand he scrapes over bark to do it), leans back to adjust his balance and shifts, twists so he too can slump somewhat gracelessly against the trunk. Enough space left for Takeshi that he can pretend Stephen isn't there if he wants to badly enough, if he doesn't turn his head too far to the side. Close enough that he'll know he's there regardless, emitting all the subtle traces of another beating heart.
No more words. There isn't anything he can say. He decides he'll wait it out until the time comes that one or other of them have had enough of sitting in the hush left behind. By then, he hopes, he'll have decided whether to take Takeshi home or leave him alone. Or have already given in to the urge to reach across the forest floor to find his hand, take it, squeeze. ]