dreadinquisitor | Fade Rift IC: Inbox

The fact that he had found a room at all was something special in its own right - he typically just fell asleep wherever he found himself, but he'd spend the last two nights worrying so deeply and working so hard that he was exhausted and needed a full nights rest. Luckily, he hadn't yet actually gone to sleep - was just stripping out of his armour and oiling it when he heard the knock.

"Hello?" He called, looking up curiously. "Come in--"

"Gavin?"

He eased open the door, enough to peek in, then smiled and widened it further.

"Surprise. Open to a little company tonight?"

"As long as you don't mind that I may just fall asleep on you," Gavin said, giving him a sheepish smile as he set down the half-oiled armour.

"I am more than happy for it."

His smile widened and he slipped into the small room, closing the door behind him as he'd made the tail of his leathers had made it through.

"That sounds perfect to me," he said. "I've missed you."

He stood up, stepping over to pull Maxwell into a warm, tight, hug.

"Well we'll have to solve that," He teased quietly. And then, a little more seriously, and with a strange note of sadness in it: "I've missed you, too."

His arms came around Gavin without hesitation, holding firm. With the elf's hair against his cheek and the feel of him warm against him, he let out a long breath he hadn't known he'd been holding.

It was a long moment before he pulled back enough to look at him.

"Are you - have you been alright?"

"I'm fine," Gavin said, giving Maxwell a half smile that was just a little shamed, if anything.

"I am perfectly fine. It's everyone else that keeps running off and getting hurt."

"I spoke with Zevran," Maxwell said quietly. "And I heard about your clanmate."

His fingers flexed against Gavin's back, and slowly curled into his shirt.

"I'm sorry, Gavin."

"I should have been there," Gavin whispered quietly. Miserably.

"I should have been there, but I wasn't, and I let everyone down again."

"Gavin." He pulled back enough to be able to look down at him. "This isn't your fault. You can't be everywhere at once. And even if you had been--"

He thought of the Ashara that had been with Zevran during the attack - he one that had almost died - and he pulled Gavin back to him again.

"There's no saying it would have been different."

Gavin just let himself be pulled in, pressing his face to Maxwell's shoulder, his arms hanging limply at his side.

"I'm never there for anyone," he mumbled into the fabric of Maxwell's shirt. "Beleth knew that. She didn't even expect any different, and nor did Zevran. Because why would I help anyone?"

"Never is an impossibility," Maxwell murmured, head turning enough to rest his cheek against the elf's hair. "Maybe-- maybe that's the way it was, but that doesn't mean it will always be."

He touched the back of Gavin's neck, cupped the base of his head and kneaded gently.

"You're here."

He didn't reply immediately, just stood there, leaning against him, slumped, with his ears hanging low.

"... Yeah." There was another long pause. "I just - I don't want to disappoint you, Maxwell," he said quietly. "But I end up disappointing everyone, in the end."

His eyes closed and he held Gavin firmly for a long moment, his heart thudding between them.

"You've already taken the biggest, Gavin. Recognizing a problem, and wanting to change it. Next--" He pulled back again, his thumb circling at the base of Gavin's head as he looked down at him. "We work on it together. Patience and understanding and trying."

Recognizing the problem.

Oh, he recognized the problem, all right. But what did he do when the problem was him?

"... Yeah. Sorry, Maxwell."

"Gavin, don't apologize." And he was firmer then, the movement of his thumb stopping and he moved instead to cup his chin and ease him up to look at him. "Just be with me. Here with me."

He let out a long breath, raising his eyes to meet Maxwell's and forcing a sheepish smile to his lips. No more sulking. He'd promised Zevran.

"I'm here."

Both hands lifted to cup Gavin's face, a gentle smile taking up Maxwell's mouth.

"And I'm so glad." He brushed his cheeks with his thumbs and leaned in to touch his lips lightly to Gavin's forehead.

Fade Rift IC: Inbox

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