[It's surprising, him reaching around her hand to hold it. She isn't expecting it, and she's not sure how to feel about it, and so she says nothing at all. Nor does she move to pull away—not yet, anyway—and allows him to do so, her fingers locking gently with his. Loose enough that she can slip out of his grasp if she needs to. And as he starts to doze off, his breathing evening out and all of his muscles drooping with exhaustion, she watches him, still combing back his hair in idle motions without much thought to them anymore.
When he finally yields to the sleep that comes for him is when Benedikta finally pulls her hand free, and as she continues to stare down at him, she sighs.]
I hope you know how stupid you can be, you old man...
[It's said gently, quietly, beneath her breath. It's only as she's absolutely certain that he is fast asleep that she brushes her fingers along his jaw, frowning again at how long he's let his beard grow, up beneath his eyes where the dark circles reside, over his forehead where the wrinkles have grown deep from his concentration, and then one more brush back of his hair.]
... You'd rather go back to her, wouldn't you?
[She can understand why he would be torn up about it. Having to choose a life here with her, or a life back in Valisthea with Midadol. Why he would choose this one with her when he has a daughter back home as well as all those people—his causes that he cared enough about to leave her the first time—she has no idea. She would be lying if she said she wasn't upset about it, though. Paired with him pushing her away, questioning her reasons for even being here...
... He would leave her again, wouldn't he?
Perhaps it's better that she does leave. That she leaves him to his own devices to handle this on his own, as he claimed he could. Surely there are others better suited to take care of him that aren't her? People who know him better for the man that he is now, people who know how to empathize, how to care for someone... Someone that isn't her.
She should go. She's at least managed this much and surely she can leave the rest to his proper family? To his proper crew?
Benedikta makes her way to the door, even gets as far as turning off the lights, her hand just about to reach the handle when she stops, as if her feet refuse to carry her any further to the threshold of his workshop. She glances back to the bedroom, then around...]
...
Fuck.
[A low curse as she turns on her heel and stalks back into the workshop.
Whenever Cid does wake up, he won't find Benedikta at his side where he had left her, but a glance around even his room will tell her that she had been through it. Tidied it up. Reorganized his things until they were where she thought they should be.
A further look will reveal a blonde head of hair at the opposite end of the bed, where Benedikta has found a spot on the floor... and dozed off herself...]
no subject
When he finally yields to the sleep that comes for him is when Benedikta finally pulls her hand free, and as she continues to stare down at him, she sighs.]
I hope you know how stupid you can be, you old man...
[It's said gently, quietly, beneath her breath. It's only as she's absolutely certain that he is fast asleep that she brushes her fingers along his jaw, frowning again at how long he's let his beard grow, up beneath his eyes where the dark circles reside, over his forehead where the wrinkles have grown deep from his concentration, and then one more brush back of his hair.]
... You'd rather go back to her, wouldn't you?
[She can understand why he would be torn up about it. Having to choose a life here with her, or a life back in Valisthea with Midadol. Why he would choose this one with her when he has a daughter back home as well as all those people—his causes that he cared enough about to leave her the first time—she has no idea. She would be lying if she said she wasn't upset about it, though. Paired with him pushing her away, questioning her reasons for even being here...
... He would leave her again, wouldn't he?
Perhaps it's better that she does leave. That she leaves him to his own devices to handle this on his own, as he claimed he could. Surely there are others better suited to take care of him that aren't her? People who know him better for the man that he is now, people who know how to empathize, how to care for someone... Someone that isn't her.
She should go. She's at least managed this much and surely she can leave the rest to his proper family? To his proper crew?
Benedikta makes her way to the door, even gets as far as turning off the lights, her hand just about to reach the handle when she stops, as if her feet refuse to carry her any further to the threshold of his workshop. She glances back to the bedroom, then around...]
...
Fuck.
[A low curse as she turns on her heel and stalks back into the workshop.
Whenever Cid does wake up, he won't find Benedikta at his side where he had left her, but a glance around even his room will tell her that she had been through it. Tidied it up. Reorganized his things until they were where she thought they should be.
A further look will reveal a blonde head of hair at the opposite end of the bed, where Benedikta has found a spot on the floor... and dozed off herself...]