[ That's the last he'll say. With permission granted, Stephen makes a beeline once he's back in town. Goes by foot, unsure really if more time is cruel or kind but giving it to him anyway. It means that when he arrives, he knocks but doesn't wait before letting himself in - then stands in the doorway, almost a different man. No sign of shrinking, back straight, flawlessly presented, face clear of all the little tensions that had spoken to pain even when he'd tried to hide it.
He's fine. Or at least he's fine for now, which is close enough to the same thing that his body believes it too.
He watches Takeshi levelly. Asks firmly enough to make clear he wants a real answer: ]
Are you alright?
[ They don't have to do this now. Prolonged visitation. He won't mind. But he does need to see the cost of his own recovery, so he knows what work there is to do to compensate for hurt he can't uncause. ]
no subject
[ That's the last he'll say. With permission granted, Stephen makes a beeline once he's back in town. Goes by foot, unsure really if more time is cruel or kind but giving it to him anyway. It means that when he arrives, he knocks but doesn't wait before letting himself in - then stands in the doorway, almost a different man. No sign of shrinking, back straight, flawlessly presented, face clear of all the little tensions that had spoken to pain even when he'd tried to hide it.
He's fine. Or at least he's fine for now, which is close enough to the same thing that his body believes it too.
He watches Takeshi levelly. Asks firmly enough to make clear he wants a real answer: ]
Are you alright?
[ They don't have to do this now. Prolonged visitation. He won't mind. But he does need to see the cost of his own recovery, so he knows what work there is to do to compensate for hurt he can't uncause. ]