|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2026 7:46 am
Takes place after: Want You Here
The stairwell was quiet. The electric chair mounted along the wall sat unused, folded neatly against the rail. Riker glanced at it out of habit, then kept going. His ribs still ached, but the magic item Énna had given him had done its work well enough. He could handle the climb.
Each step felt heavier than it should have. Not from pain, but from the weight of everything he hadn’t yet seen. He slowed near the top, letting himself breathe, adjusting his grip on the cup of soup so it wouldn’t slosh. He didn’t want to announce himself too loudly. He didn’t want to startle Julian, or intrude, or make him feel like he was being watched.
When he reached the door to their room, Riker stopped.
The door wasn’t usually closed all the way, and it wasn’t this time either. Maxim was a welcome guest there, so of course he needed access. Either way, Riker listened first. For movement. For breathing. For any sound that might tell him how Julian was doing without forcing him to speak.
After a moment, when all he could hear was the quiet background noise of a television that seemed to be rarely turned off, he knocked gently. Just enough to be heard if Julian was awake.
“Hey, Jules,” Riker said through the partially open door, voice low and careful. “It’s me.”
He dared to peek around the edge. “Just wanted to check on you. Evan made soup. And sandwiches. But if you don’t feel like talking, that’s okay,” he said gently.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2026 7:47 am
The television, as it often was, had been turned on to the nature channel. The volume was low, whispering in the background. The room was dark but sunlight filtered through the curtains, enough to see Julian curled on the bed.
His hair was loose but didn’t spill freely around him. Two blankets covered him, and he held the heated blanket folded and pressed to his chest. It had been off for a while. At some point, he’d changed into his pajamas, and was wearing an oversized hoodie that he’d become fond of in the colder months. The sleeves were several inches too long and he usually rolled them up to his wrists while he slept.
Right now, he was lying on his side, with his back to the room while he watched the wall; the sleeve completely enveloped one hand, which was pressed to his mouth. A gel pack had long since thawed, but he held it in place.
The trashcan had been moved close to the bed; there was an empty container of applesauce, discarded atop some bloodied gauze that had been folded up and mostly hidden. The rest of the roll was on the bedside table, alongside some ibuprofen and an empty bottle of water. A second bottle was half finished. There were a few other snacks on the table–nonperishable, from the stash they kept in the bedroom, but none had been touched.
Usually, Julian was aware of someone on the footsteps well before they arrived, and he could often tell who it was based on their footsteps. He didn’t move until Riker spoke, and when he did it was as if he were blinking out of a stupor. He sat up, still holding the gel pack; his droopy sleeve covered most of it, and his swollen cheeks.
There were dark circles under his eyes, which were already red and dry. He blinked a few times, like he was just waking up. Only, he didn’t look like he’d slept at all.
“Riker?” he asked, brows furrowed just slightly. He spoke, but carefully, and slowly, and barely more than a whisper. “What are you doing here?”
The corner of his eye crinkled but he forced it to relax. There was a brief pause; he swallowed gently, and then asked, “I thought you were spending the night at Énna’s?”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2026 7:48 am
Riker’s shoulders eased the moment Julian sat up. Not because he looked okay (he very clearly didn’t), but because he was awake.
“Hey,” Riker said again, softly, immediately lowering the plate and cup a little. He didn’t want to make it seem like an obligation to accept. He glanced around the room to do a quick intake of everything. The gel pack, the gauze, the trash can pulled close… but he didn’t comment on any of it. At least not yet. He didn’t want to make Julian feel like he was being cornered.
“I did,” he answered gently. “I stayed the night. But it’s… it’s almost noon now.” His voice lowered a little, apologetic. “I came back as soon as I could.”
He lingered by the door instead of moving all the way in, giving Julian space to decide how close was okay. “Evan sent food up with me,” he added quietly. “Only if you want it. If not, that’s fine too.”
There was a small pause, then, softer still, “How are you feeling?”
Not are you okay — he knew better than that.
“Do you need anything?” he asked. “Ice, heat, quiet… company. I can sit. Or I can just… leave this here and go. Whatever you feel like.”
He finally let himself lift his eyes to Julian’s face, expression earnest. “And… if you want to talk about anything. Or if you don’t. I’m here for both.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2026 7:48 am
For a few seconds, Julian just stared blankly at Riker. He listened attentively, but it still took him a few seconds to catch up.
Then, his eyes darted to the curtains, and then back to Riker.
His voice was less of a whisper, though he was still careful while speaking. “Oh. Sorry, that’s right. I must have slept in. I was tired.”
He adjusted the gel pack a little, like he wasn’t sure what to do with it. His hand didn’t leave his face, but he moved it to his other cheek.
“I’m, um.” He paused and let his gaze fall to the bedspread, not out of avoidance, but in thought. “I’m okay,” he decided, as if he would have ever said anything but that. “How are you? And Énna?” he asked, eyes flicking up again.
He made space for Riker on the bed, smoothing out the blankets as he tried to straighten up a bit. Once, he glanced at the trashbin, and then away, like if he ignored it then Riker would too.
“Sorry, you said some other things. I was listening,” he insisted. “I’m not ignoring you. I just. Sorry, I’m still waking up. Can you please say them again?”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2026 7:48 am
Riker didn’t look frustrated. If anything, his expression softened further, like Julian asking him to repeat himself was proof that he was doing his best.
“Hey— no, you’re okay,” he said quietly. “You don’t have to apologize.”
He shifted his grip on the plate and cup, then repeated himself slowly, carefully, like he was trying to keep things verbally organized for Julian to sort through.
“I stayed the night at Énna’s,” he said again. “But that was last night. It’s almost noon now. I came back not too long ago. Énna’s okay. Shaken and tired, but he’s alive thanks to you. He was really worried about you. Wanted me to make sure you were okay when I got back.”
When Julian made space on the bed, Riker hesitated only for a moment before stepping completely inside the room and setting the plate and cup down within easy reach. But he did move closer to sit down on the edge of their bed, but he was conscientious about taking up too much space.
“And the other things I said,” he continued softly, meeting Julian’s eyes again, patient and fond. “I asked how you were feeling — to which you said you were okay. And if you needed anything. Food, quiet, company. Or space.”
He paused, and then continued quieter, more personal.
“I also said I’m here whether you want to talk about last night… or not at all,” he said, his gaze lingering on Julian, warm and fond. “You went through a lot, Jules. You don’t have to be fully awake or fully okay for me to be here.”
As for Riker…
“But I’m good,” he said casually, although his voice remained soft, because there was no point in making a fuss over him when he didn’t even do much the night before. “That weird bone thing helped a lot, so I barely feel more than sore.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2026 7:48 am
“Oh, right. Right,” he said, with more certainty, and even nodded a little. “Thank you. I think–I might have zoned out a little. But I’m here now.”
Mostly. Trying to be. Still catching up.
Finally, he lowered the gel pack, but tipped his head slightly so his hair would cover some of the puffiness in his cheeks. It wasn’t so bad, but it was still a little obvious. He placed the pack on the bedside table, and picked up the cup of soup.
It was warm, which seemed to please him; he rolled up his sleeves to the wrists and held it between both hands. His nails were split, a little bloodied still, and his fingertips were bruised. “Thank you,” he said again, and then also repeated, “I’m okay.”
The silence felt neither short nor long, just there. Julian raised the cup to his cheek and sighed contentedly. He held it with both hands, certain not to drop it. He seemed a bit more confident with half his face covered, too.
“I’m glad Énna is okay. And you. I meant to text this morning, I just–”
Lost track of time.
He’d texted when he got home but that had been the last of it.
“I didn’t–I didn’t go through that much last night,” he said, but realized quickly that it sounded more dismissive than he meant. “I mean, I came home and laid down. My mouth is a little sore but it’s already much better.”
Julian did not open his mouth to prove it; it stayed hidden behind one hand while he spoke. He spoke with his eyes sometimes, like now, when he glanced at the water and applesauce, as if to say he had planned out some method of self-care for the day.
“I don’t know what to say about last night. I don’t usually talk about–” His voice trailed off and his brows knitted together, like the words he’d been stringing together had suddenly drifted just out of reach.
He blinked, and shook his head. “I don’t know, is there anything to say? I’m glad everyone is okay. You guys had it much worse than I did, didn’t you?”
His starseed stayed in place. He hadn’t broken, or dislocated anything. He hadn’t needed any healing magic. He just needed to come home, go to bed, and–
Whatever else happened after that.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2026 7:48 am
Riker watched Julian for a long moment. Long enough that it might have been noticeable if Julian had been looking at him instead of the cup in his hands, or the water, or the applesauce.
When he spoke, his voice was still gentle, but it was a little firmer now.
“Jules,” he said quietly. It wasn’t sharp, it was just to make sure Julian’s attention was with him. “I’m not trying to make you relive anything… but I don’t think we’re going to pretend last night was nothing.”
He shifted a little closer on the bed. Not to crowd, and not touching unless invited, but close enough that Julian couldn’t just find a distraction and change the subject.
“You asked if the rest of us had it worse than you, and I know why you’re asking that,” he said, but there was no accusation in his voice. Just the observation of someone he’d grown familiar with.
“But the General didn’t pick you because you were the least important person in the room. He picked you because I think he knew you’d be the last to break. Because you’d listen, and because you’d try to save everyone, no matter the cost.”
Riker’s gaze didn’t leave Julian now. It was still soft and warm, but unwavering.
“You were forced to believe you had to kill your friends. You were made responsible for something no one should ever have to worry about. And you still figured out how to outthink him while he was threatening all of us,” he said before intentionally pausing. He wasn’t trying to rush Julian, but he also wasn’t going to let him escape into the nothingness he wanted.
“I’m not asking you to cry or to explain how it felt,” he said after a moment, his voice softening a little because it wasn’t his intention to make Julian think he was mad at him or anything like that. “I’m just asking you to stay here with me for a minute and know that what you went through was as real as what the rest of us went through.”
His hand rested on the bed between them now. Close, but not touching. Although the invitation was there.
“You don’t have to shoulder this alone,” Riker said quietly. “But you also don’t get to pretend it didn’t hurt just so the rest of us don’t worry. I’m here. I’m not leaving. We’re not going to overlook what you did for the rest of us.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2026 7:49 am
For a long moment, Julian fell back into comfortable silence. He moved the cup of soup from his left cheek to his right, still cradling it with both hands. Still hiding behind it.
“Oh,” he said, so Riker wouldn’t think he wasn’t paying attention. He didn’t shrink under the gaze, nor pull away at the tone. Riker had always been an anchor, and when Julian found his thoughts wandering, Riker was there to reel him back in. It felt like a safety net.
If he’d been alone, he wouldn’t have tried to keep his thoughts so organized, but Riker was here, so he had to try.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to pretend. But, um–you don’t have to make a big deal about it. I mean, what I did. I don’t think I should get that much credit. Anyone would have done it. I just thought–mm,” he paused for a minute, rubbing the warm cup along his cheek.
When he continued, it was a little slower. “I didn’t outthink him. Everyone–when something, um, bad happens, everyone has–you know, a place that they let their mind go, right? I just thought…I didn’t want them to get hurt. The starseeds, I mean. I wished they had somewhere safe to go, like that. And then I…”
Julian shrugged. His eyes fell to the bed and searched, settling when they landed on his phone.
“I just wanted to protect them. It’s what any of you would have done,” he said, like there hadn’t been any other option anyway.
“It wasn’t so bad. I mean, I bit my own cheeks. All he did was put them–you know, put them in my mouth.”
He moved the cup again, slowly, across his lips and back to the other cheek. He watched his phone like he was waiting for it to light up.
“I don’t think he picked me for any particular reason. Except I did take the starseeds from the basement. I don’t think I stand out much. So it was probably just…that I was there. But...I’m glad I was. I’m glad it was–” he winced, subtle as it was, and finished much softer. “Glad it was me.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2026 7:49 am
Riker didn’t move right away. He let Julian finish, and let the silence settle.
Then Riker let out a breath, slow and deliberate, and shook his head. Not out of anger or disbelief. Just… refusing.
“No,” he said gently, but with a certainty that didn’t leave room to argue. “Jules. No… not ‘anyone’.”
He kept his eyes on Julian’s face. On the way he kept the cup between himself and the rest of the world like a shield, on the way he glanced at his phone as if it might rescue him.
“You don’t have to be sorry,” Riker added, quieter now. “I’m not mad. I just—... I need you to hear me.”
He shifted closer, enough that he was there, present, available, but still careful to give Julian the choice to move away if he needed more space.
“I watched you do it,” Riker reminded him. “I heard it. I saw his knee on your chest. I saw you bleeding. And I—” His voice hitched, and then steadied again. “I thought they were dead. I thought it was over. I was already saying goodbye in my head.”
He paused for a moment, watching Julian’s face as he continued.
“And then you saved them,” he said, firmer now. “You saved all of us.”
Riker shook his head again, but softer this time, like he was trying to undo whatever Julian had convinced himself was the truth.
“Putting them in your subspace? That’s not ‘anyone.’ That’s you, thinking while terrified. While you had others to keep safe,” he said, leaning in just a fraction. “And the jaw thing — you shouldn’t downplay that. The sound sold it. You made it convincing enough that he believed you. I believed you.”
His expression tightened a bit. Protective, yet almost fierce in its gentleness.
“There’s no way I could have done what you did. Or Effie. Or Lyon. Or Lisse. None of us,” he insisted, his voice dropping just a little. “Not because we don’t care, or because we wouldn’t have wanted the others to be saved. But because you were the only one who could do it — and you did.”
He paused, searching Julian’s face like he was trying to find the part of him that was still hiding behind ‘it wasn’t so bad.’
“And I’m really glad it was you, too,” he said, soft and honest. “But I don’t want you to have to be glad it was you. Not alone anyway. If you’re going to carry that, then you’re not carrying it by yourself.”
He took a careful breath.
“So… here’s what I need from you.” It wasn’t a demand, just a request. Something simple. “Stop calling it nothing. Stop saying it didn’t count. And stop saying you didn’t get hurt.”
Riker’s voice softened again at the end, not letting Julian take the chance to escape, but rather giving him a place to just… rest.
“You don’t have to tell me how it felt,” he repeated. “But you do have to let me say the truth out loud — you were brave as hell, and you saved our friends’ lives. And I’m proud of you.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2026 7:49 am
Julian listened without interruption. Occasionally, he’d look up to meet Riker’s gaze, but never for long, and his attention always settled back to the untouched phone on the bed. He wanted Riker to know he was paying attention. He wasn’t trying to disappear, wasn’t ignoring him.
He was listening.
And, when Riker stopped talking, he sighed. Light, airy. Like the tension in his shoulders had simply squeezed out the air in his lungs. At the end of it, he nodded.
“It didn’t feel brave,” he mumbled. “I didn’t even know if it was going to work. I wish I could have told you I didn’t hurt them. I didn’t mean to scare everyone. I just didn’t want to upset him. I thought he’d leave if he got what he wanted.”
His words felt tired, heavy.
“I won’t call it nothing. But we don’t have to make a big deal out of it. I don’t know what to say when you…say all that. Do you say thank you?” That felt wrong, like accepting praise you hadn’t earned. Like being told ‘good job’ for an accident, like taking credit you didn’t work for.
“I just…I guess I’m not good with the–I don’t need the attention. I don’t know what to do with it. It kind of…” Almost helplessly, his shoulders drooped. “Makes me worry about what happens when I let you down next time. I–” he fumbled over his words, and every time he stringed together a few, the rest of the sentence just fell away.
“I don’t mean to sound ungrateful, I’m not. I’m really glad, really glad, you’re all still here. And I mean–yes, it did hurt, um. I mean, not that much, but…I mean, it’s just sore. I’m already healing. I’ll even–I’ll be ready for school on Monday. No one will ever know. It wasn’t that bad. But,” he had to pause, and this time he closed his eyes and drew in a long, steadying breath. He needed a moment to focus himself.
When he opened his eyes again, he wasn’t looking at his phone, but he wasn't really looking at much of anything. He glanced up at Riker, but like before it was quick. The weight of Riker’s eyes wasn’t unfriendly or unwelcome, but Julian didn’t know what to do with the weight that came with being seen.
“I’m sorry, I’m working on it. I’m not really good at this. But I’m trying. I hope that’s okay.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2026 7:49 am
Riker’s expression softened at the sigh.
“Yeah,” he said quietly. “I know it didn’t feel brave.”
He shifted just a little closer again, enough that Julian could feel the warmth of him without being too crowded. His voice stayed calm and steady, not wanting to overwhelm Julian with everything.
“That’s kind of how it is, Jules. Bravery doesn’t usually feel like courage in the moment. It feels like… panic. Or like you’re out of options. Or like you’re just doing the only thing left because you can’t not do it.” He paused for a moment. “If it felt confident or heroic, that’d be something else.”
He watched Julian’s face, attentive, but not in a way that seemed demanding.
“You didn’t know if it would work,” Riker continued. “You were scared. You were in pain. And you still chose to protect everyone anyway. That’s not an accident. That was a decision you made, knowing the risks.”
Riker shook his head gently when Julian mentioned saying thank you.
“No. You don’t have to say thank you. I’m not telling you this because I want something back,” he said, voice sincere. “And I’m not trying to put you on display or anything. I just don’t want you to erase yourself from it.”
His voice softened again, more intimate now.
“You don’t have to be perfect. You’re allowed to try. That’s all I’m asking you to do — and you are. I can see that.”
He hesitated, reading Julian’s posture, the way his shoulders drooped. He didn’t seem like he was shutting down… just tired.
“...Hey,” Riker added gently. “Trying is enough for me. It really is.”
His hand lifted, slow, giving Julian time to pull away if he wanted. When he didn’t, Riker closed the distance and wrapped his arms around him — firm but careful, like he was holding something precious instead of something fragile. He didn’t rush, just held him. Ready to pull back if Julian seemed uncomfortable.
“You didn’t let anyone down,” he murmured, close enough to whisper. “And if there ever comes a day when things don’t go the way you want… I’ll still be here. And you know our friends will have your back, too. That part won’t ever change.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2026 7:50 am
Relaxation didn’t come easily, and it was almost a full minute later that Julian eased enough to lean into the space Riker shared. He had neither tensed nor eased when Riker first made contact, and it was only now that his body seemed to have settled on how to respond.
The warmth was nice. The closeness was nice.
Riker had already said it earlier–he’d seen what Cahir had done. It would have come as no surprise to learn that Julian’s chest ached, inside and out, but Julian only remembered it in the closeness.
He kept the warm cup pressed to his face but adjusted his position slightly so he could gather the heated blanket to his chest. It took him an awkward moment to fumble for the controller, but he pressed a few buttons until he’d selected a medium temperature.
Julian was tired.
Dark circles were etched under his eyes, and his eyes were red like he’d kept them open for too long. Even now, he was blinking slowly, with long gaps, like his body forgot it was something it was supposed to do. He’d noticed, and was forcing his eyes shut for a few seconds at a time.
Not too long, though. He didn’t want to trick himself into falling asleep.
Julian didn’t know how to answer, but he didn’t announce it. He let the words settle in his mind and leaned into Riker’s embrace, mindful of the soup but unwilling to put it down.
“I’ve never felt brave. Even in hindsight. I think there’s probably a different word for it, for me,” Julian said, and then inhaled sharply and stiffened.
“Sorry,” he said quickly, “Sorry, I bit my cheek. I don’t know what I was thinking. It’s fine.” But, he was quiet for a moment, waiting to make sure it was fine, and then nodded to convey this.
He exhaled once more, this time more exasperated than tired. All his efforts to keep the cup to his face were dashed; he leaned over, not enough to draw away from Riker, but only enough to reach the bedside table. He swapped the cup of soup for the bottle of water, uncapped it, and then tipped his head back.
Barely parting his lips at all, he pressed the bottle close to his mouth and poured slowly. He tipped his head from left to right a few times, swallowed, repeated, and then lowered the bottle.
He leaned into Riker’s arms more heavily as he settled back into place.
“I appreciate you saying all that. That’s what I meant to say. You’re always so good to me.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2026 7:50 am
Riker tightened his hold just a little when Julian leaned back into him. It was instinctive and careful all at once. One arm stayed firm around Julian’s shoulders, while the other shifted just enough to give him space to maneuver the bottle without bumping into him or the cup.
“It’s okay,” Riker murmured immediately when Julian apologized, his voice calm and purposefully unalarmed. He didn’t pull back or fuss, just gently rubbed Julian’s back as he drank the water and eased the pain in his mouth. “You’re okay. You didn’t do anything wrong.”
He waited until Julian finished drinking, watching the careful way he moved. Once the bottle was back on the table and Julian was settled again, Riker adjusted with him, making sure the blanket stayed tucked in and didn’t fall down.
His hand came up for a moment, gently soothing Julian’s hair back from his face. Not lingering in a way that might draw attention to it, just to help ground him if he needed it. Riker needed it. Then he pressed a soft kiss into Julian’s hair. It was familiar and quiet and didn’t demand anything in return.
“You don’t have to figure out the right word for it,” Riker said softly. “You don’t owe anyone a label.” He shifted again so Julian could rest more comfortably against him, careful of his jaw, careful of everything.
“All I care about is that you’re here. And you’re safe. And you don’t have to hold yourself together alone. And hey,” he added quietly, fond but sincere. “You don’t have to be good at this. You don’t have to have the perfect thing to respond with. Just letting me be here with you is enough.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2026 7:50 am
Julian stilled while Riker adjusted his hair, like he was waiting for something else to come of it. Riker was always gentle with him, always careful. Julian never expected any trouble. His body hadn’t quite gotten the memo, but he slowly eased again.
Finally, he nodded, and managed to flash a tiny smile. His attention was elsewhere, for the better. Riker had a tendency to look deeply, and Julian didn’t think it was necessary to invite that attention right now.
“I don’t mind,” he said, after another too-long pause.
Julian hugged the heated-blanket to his chest, brushing his thumb across it absently. The warmth was slight, but already soothing.
“Taking care of myself, I mean. I’m not always so good at it when someone else is around. It’s, um.”
He looked at the bedside table, where he’d laid out everything he might have needed for the night. He’d put a lot of thought into it, without really having to think about it at all. Going through the motions was easy.
“I know what to do when I’m by myself,” he explained, pausing every few seconds to swallow. “But I’m not really sure when it’s not just me. I hope you didn’t worry about me last night. I was okay. I came home and I did all the things you’re supposed to do.”
He uncurled his legs from under the comforter and tried to stretch out. It felt wrong, so he tucked them close again. “But I'm glad you’re here now. I’m sorry, I know I’m all over the place. I wish I knew how to say what I mean. Everything’s kind of all jumbled right now. My head feels really stuffy. I’m probably just tired.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2026 7:50 am
Riker didn’t pull away when Julian shifted or tucked himself back in. He stayed exactly where he was, hoping to give Julian something solid to ground himself with.
“I did worry,” he said gently. There was no apology in his voice, nor was there any defensiveness. “Not because I don’t think you can take care of yourself. I know you can.”
His hand moved in a slow, grounding motion against Julian’s back. “I worried because I wasn’t here. Because if you had needed someone…” He paused to let out a breath. “That’s on me, though. Not you. And yeah, being tired makes sense. After everything, I’d be more surprised if you weren’t exhausted.”
When he spoke again, it was still gentle, but less like he was offering Julian an exit and more like holding the door open and waiting.
“You don’t sound all over the place,” Riker said. “You sound like someone whose head hasn’t caught up to what their body went through yet. I don’t need you to untangle it for me. I’m not asking for a big explanation.” He hesitated, choosing his words carefully.
“But… can you tell me what your thoughts keep circling back to?” he asked quietly. “Even if it’s messy. Or doesn’t make sense yet.”
Riker tilted his head just enough that Julian would know he was listening but not trying to crowd him.
“And if the answer is just ‘everything is too loud’ or ‘I don’t know,’ that’s okay too,” he added. “I just don’t want you to feel like you have to keep it bottled up.”
His voice softened a little at the end. “I’m here. Not to fix things. Just to sit with you while you figure out what’s keeping you unsettled.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
