Raleigh puts a hand up, to cover his face because he doesn't trust himself to look at her right now, doesn't know what's going to happen if he does. He just-- needs a minute to think.
If he didn't already feel like his dad, he feels like it right now for sure and it hurts just as much as the mistake he made.]
[ It's an important question, it's something she'd fantasized about, once upon a time. Raleigh coming home, returning back to her at long last. But her hands clench to fists in her lap and as much as he doesn't look at her, she can't bring herself to, either.
Raleigh's the only person she'd ever loved -- the only one, she things, she would ever come to love as deeply as she does him, and here he is, wanting to come back after two years.
Yes, she wants to say. Yes, please come home.
But what she says is: ]
I don't know. [ And she really doesn't. It's exhausting, this conversation -- too layered, too painful, old hurts renewed and she hasn't the faintest idea what to do with it. ] Are you -- back for Eleanor, or for the both of us?
[He stares down at his food for a moment longer before he picks his head up and makes himself look at her, even if she's not looking at him. He shouldn't say this into his stew anyway.
Because he's not that heartless at the end of the day. Raleigh might try to convince himself that he can hold a grudge and that he is still hurt by her but when it comes down to it, if he's got to make the choice, it's not something he has to think about at all.
Mako's the only thing he's cared about since his brother died, she's the reason he was able to walk from the club, and he could care less about the prison time: she gave him a reason to want to and he made a mistake in leaving two years ago and he's got to try and fix that.]
[ Mako looks up after a beat, after his confession. He's missed her, and Raleigh's never been good at lying. Her hands are folded in her lap now, and with it comes a surreal sense of calm, and the knowledge that if she says anything in this moment, she's just going to start crying.
And so she takes a few deep, silent breaths, heart aching in the presence of something so vulnerable, so raw. Raleigh's always been someone who wears his heart on his sleeve, his heart, so easily bruised -- and she swallows, her gaze finding his. She musters the briefest of smiles, there and gone so quickly that it could have been a trick of the light. ]
I missed you, too. [ beat. ] I never thought I'd see you here.
[It's maybe more of a testament of how well he knows her, that he can sit there and wait for her to say something and not feel any panic. Because he knows that she's prone to silences, that she needs time to collect her thoughts sometimes and he'd pretty much wait forever for her if he had to.
When she speaks, he smiles back at her, the same kind of smile that's fleeting, blink and it's gone.]
[ That's the cheesiest line she's ever heard in her entire life and it's so Raleigh that she cannot help but laugh, once -- and something loosens, just a little bit, in her chest.
They're still looking at the pieces of all there once was between them, but at least now, there's a little flicker of hope. ]
[ Not too far away from them, however, Eleanor starts to fuss, and Mako is already rising to her seat, moving towards her. ]
Eat. [ She tells him as she passes him. ] You haven't touched your food.
[ Hefting Eleanor from her cot before she can graduate to full-grown crying, she carries her back to the dining table, mildly apologetic. ] She's developed a bit of a separation anxiety habit.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
can they kiss and make up now :c
Raleigh puts a hand up, to cover his face because he doesn't trust himself to look at her right now, doesn't know what's going to happen if he does. He just-- needs a minute to think.
If he didn't already feel like his dad, he feels like it right now for sure and it hurts just as much as the mistake he made.]
Mako. I-- will you let me come back?
:< very soon
Raleigh's the only person she'd ever loved -- the only one, she things, she would ever come to love as deeply as she does him, and here he is, wanting to come back after two years.
Yes, she wants to say. Yes, please come home.
But what she says is: ]
I don't know. [ And she really doesn't. It's exhausting, this conversation -- too layered, too painful, old hurts renewed and she hasn't the faintest idea what to do with it. ] Are you -- back for Eleanor, or for the both of us?
aksbdfka now :c
Because he's not that heartless at the end of the day. Raleigh might try to convince himself that he can hold a grudge and that he is still hurt by her but when it comes down to it, if he's got to make the choice, it's not something he has to think about at all.
Mako's the only thing he's cared about since his brother died, she's the reason he was able to walk from the club, and he could care less about the prison time: she gave him a reason to want to and he made a mistake in leaving two years ago and he's got to try and fix that.]
I've missed you so much.
shhh baby enjoy the ride c:
And so she takes a few deep, silent breaths, heart aching in the presence of something so vulnerable, so raw. Raleigh's always been someone who wears his heart on his sleeve, his heart, so easily bruised -- and she swallows, her gaze finding his. She musters the briefest of smiles, there and gone so quickly that it could have been a trick of the light. ]
I missed you, too. [ beat. ] I never thought I'd see you here.
this ride hurts i want off
When she speaks, he smiles back at her, the same kind of smile that's fleeting, blink and it's gone.]
Maybe it's fate.
too late you're strapped in
They're still looking at the pieces of all there once was between them, but at least now, there's a little flicker of hope. ]
We'll sort this out, won't we?
c r i e s
Yeah. Course we will.
DON'T CRY
Eat. [ She tells him as she passes him. ] You haven't touched your food.
[ Hefting Eleanor from her cot before she can graduate to full-grown crying, she carries her back to the dining table, mildly apologetic. ] She's developed a bit of a separation anxiety habit.