[ A pause. A wet, shuddering breath to try and get her tears under control. And finally; ]
. . . Okay. [ Again, as her fingers curl into his cloak. ] Okay.
[ She'd be more of a liar than she always is if she tried to say she wasn't scared. Giving up is easy. Giving up means you can't be disappointed. If he promises he can do this for her, then that means she has to hope again - and that hope could just as easily come crashing back down. She doesn't know what she'd do if it did.
Maybe it's because neither of them can lie here. But somehow... just this once, Ai wants to believe him. ]
no subject
. . . Okay. [ Again, as her fingers curl into his cloak. ] Okay.
[ She'd be more of a liar than she always is if she tried to say she wasn't scared. Giving up is easy. Giving up means you can't be disappointed. If he promises he can do this for her, then that means she has to hope again - and that hope could just as easily come crashing back down. She doesn't know what she'd do if it did.
Maybe it's because neither of them can lie here. But somehow... just this once, Ai wants to believe him. ]
Then it's a promise.