[His hands start to warm more quickly as she clutches them tightly, her emotions flooding through enough for him to distinguish them from his. It's powerful, as if they'd been held back so long; a mourning of her own. Her words are simplistic and direct, and shouldn't it be more complicated than that? Just to be with Connie for however long he had left, that had been the only thing Marco desperately wanted for himself. It was presumptuous of him not to consider it's what mattered to Connie too. Living without him, or dying alone, would have hurt her terribly; the same excruciating sharp-edged knife that twists now in his very being. It transcends every instance of pain Marco had ever felt, and he's felt so much of it. But this...
He doesn't realise Alex is crying, lost in his own upsurge of despondency and torment, until he can feel her tears damp on his hand. And that's what stops him from being pulled under. She's not crying only for herself, she's upset for him. He slides one hand out of her grip, and gently cups her jaw to turn her gaze back to him. Running his thumb along her cheek to wipe away tears, his response is needlessly contrite, but that tends to come automatically for him.]
I'm sorry I'm making you cry.
[He can't do it himself. Tears have built up in the corners of his eyes, but they won't crest. If he starts crying now, he won't be able to stop, and Alex doesn't need to deal with that.]
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He doesn't realise Alex is crying, lost in his own upsurge of despondency and torment, until he can feel her tears damp on his hand. And that's what stops him from being pulled under. She's not crying only for herself, she's upset for him. He slides one hand out of her grip, and gently cups her jaw to turn her gaze back to him. Running his thumb along her cheek to wipe away tears, his response is needlessly contrite, but that tends to come automatically for him.]
I'm sorry I'm making you cry.
[He can't do it himself. Tears have built up in the corners of his eyes, but they won't crest. If he starts crying now, he won't be able to stop, and Alex doesn't need to deal with that.]