[While he doesn’t know the specific things she is going through, he does know she is going through something. There is no way he couldn’t know, having spent so long alive, so long watching without speaking, or speaking very little.
His ears are full of her heartbeat, her blood; it isn’t something he can turn off, only something he can now push into the background. The tension in her arm and also his her back under his hand, in her legs, reluctant to let him lead. The sound of her breath changes subtly. She won’t look at him, and it’s true he thinks it might be because he is half of something terrifying.
But even if it saddens him people are afraid of him in general, he doesn’t let it bother him. He wouldn’t make it this long if he did. She can keep her head down; he understands she at least seemed to not mind his company before.
When she pulls back, he easily lets her go as she’d like, refusing to keep her strung to him any longer than necessary.
All he can find to say really is,] You’re welcome, [politely, in his quiet voice. Then:]
no subject
His ears are full of her heartbeat, her blood; it isn’t something he can turn off, only something he can now push into the background. The tension in her arm and also his her back under his hand, in her legs, reluctant to let him lead. The sound of her breath changes subtly. She won’t look at him, and it’s true he thinks it might be because he is half of something terrifying.
But even if it saddens him people are afraid of him in general, he doesn’t let it bother him. He wouldn’t make it this long if he did. She can keep her head down; he understands she at least seemed to not mind his company before.
When she pulls back, he easily lets her go as she’d like, refusing to keep her strung to him any longer than necessary.
All he can find to say really is,] You’re welcome, [politely, in his quiet voice. Then:]
You’re not a bad dancer.