[That one little touch does wonders for soothing his nerves and instead of brooding over the why he tilts his head, eyes warm, gives her a weak little smile of thanks instead of leaning forward to kiss her like he wants to. At least they're good again, from the looks of it.
The warmth fades away over a few confused blinks as he takes apart that last sentence and puts it together again, and isn't sure if he gets it or not.]
Uh. Y'mean he won't believe it unless I let 'im call me family.
[Kids, how do they fucking work. He looks pretty damn horrified about that statement, though, and he's hoping he misinterpreted it.]
[The fact there's a but there is pretty obvious, really. It'd be a hell of a lot easier if he did, but no matter how hard Takeshi might want it there's no way Netherlands is going to be able to sell it.]
Just let him know how you feel. Once he gets that, the words aren't gonna matter so much.
[She'd know. And she'll do the heavy lifting, the words and the explaining. It'll work. It has to.]
[A grunt, and he shakes his head - no, he really doesn't think it'll be that easy, as much as he'd like to believe her. But if it looks like it's going to be either losing Takeshi or putting up with being called dad, the choice isn't even a choice.]
You didn't hear him. It - it matters. A lot. Don't think he understands what I am -
[Shit, his voice is sounding kind of ragged and he can't get that choked not fair out of his head. Focus, moron, find the goddamned kid and save the rest of the bitching for Lodewijk, after. So he clears his throat and gives her hand a squeeze of thanks, wonders for a second if he should tell her he's nervous or if it's written all over his face anyway - decides that it won't accomplish anything but wasting precious time and keeps his mouth shut.]
[That seems... obvious. She doesn't understand what he is either. Knows the theory, sees some of the ways it makes him different, how it weighs on him, but understanding? That's a big ask. Then again, it's not really the point.]
Probably not. But he knows you.
[Because they're two different things, as far as she can see, and the latter is infinitely more important. Looking at his face, the anxiety painted clear on it, she wants to do something - kiss him, tell him she's sorry for what she said - but there's really only one thing that's going to make them feel better.]
We're gonna fix this.
[An answering squeeze and then she loosens her fingers, starts to draw her hand back. We have to go, Netherlands.]
[But he knows you basically short-circuits whatever he was thinking of, and after blinking and knitting his brows and pursing his mouth before opening it only to snap it shut again, the rest of what she said filters in and he latches onto that instead.
He lets her hand go and shoves his into his pockets, sends another fretting look out the door. If she finds Takeshi first, maybe, because he's still not convinced he'll be able to do more than fuck everything up all over again without her around.
[Probably didn't need saying. There's something that does though, after all her shouting and accusing, so before she goes - already plotting out paths and an inventory - she raises her hand and presses it briefly over his heart before she turns and crosses into her own room.]
He spends a few wasted moments being sappy and rubbing his hand over his heart while looking after her as she goes.
That's actually very reassuring, so he nods to himself, looks around the room, and bucks up. Goes out on the hunt for one pain in the ass child who isn't even his but who should be.]
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The warmth fades away over a few confused blinks as he takes apart that last sentence and puts it together again, and isn't sure if he gets it or not.]
Uh. Y'mean he won't believe it unless I let 'im call me family.
[Kids, how do they fucking work. He looks pretty damn horrified about that statement, though, and he's hoping he misinterpreted it.]
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[The fact there's a but there is pretty obvious, really. It'd be a hell of a lot easier if he did, but no matter how hard Takeshi might want it there's no way Netherlands is going to be able to sell it.]
Just let him know how you feel. Once he gets that, the words aren't gonna matter so much.
[She'd know. And she'll do the heavy lifting, the words and the explaining. It'll work. It has to.]
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You didn't hear him. It - it matters. A lot. Don't think he understands what I am -
[Shit, his voice is sounding kind of ragged and he can't get that choked not fair out of his head. Focus, moron, find the goddamned kid and save the rest of the bitching for Lodewijk, after. So he clears his throat and gives her hand a squeeze of thanks, wonders for a second if he should tell her he's nervous or if it's written all over his face anyway - decides that it won't accomplish anything but wasting precious time and keeps his mouth shut.]
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Probably not. But he knows you.
[Because they're two different things, as far as she can see, and the latter is infinitely more important. Looking at his face, the anxiety painted clear on it, she wants to do something - kiss him, tell him she's sorry for what she said - but there's really only one thing that's going to make them feel better.]
We're gonna fix this.
[An answering squeeze and then she loosens her fingers, starts to draw her hand back. We have to go, Netherlands.]
no subject
He lets her hand go and shoves his into his pockets, sends another fretting look out the door. If she finds Takeshi first, maybe, because he's still not convinced he'll be able to do more than fuck everything up all over again without her around.
Something else to discuss with Lodewijk, then.]
Okay. Tell me if - y'know.
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[Probably didn't need saying. There's something that does though, after all her shouting and accusing, so before she goes - already plotting out paths and an inventory - she raises her hand and presses it briefly over his heart before she turns and crosses into her own room.]
no subject
He spends a few wasted moments being sappy and rubbing his hand over his heart while looking after her as she goes.
That's actually very reassuring, so he nods to himself, looks around the room, and bucks up. Goes out on the hunt for one pain in the ass child who isn't even his but who should be.]