Destroying Castles In The Sky

She doesn't find the silence uncomfortable in the way one might expect. Not initially, until that little voice in the back of her head sneered See? Modesty pushed it down, shoved it back, barely flicking an eye as Gilgamesh slid down onto his elbows beside her. She couldn't help the way her body tensed as he laid his head across her shoulder, the touch just below her ear. He said the words she needed to hear but the uncertainty in his voice was a knife twisting in her gut, bile burning the back of her throat as she did her best to appear unaffected. Relaxed. She did a poor job of it, pregnancy hormones offering little in the way of assistance.

She'd always been prone to bouts of depression when she was pregnant, when she was trapped looking after them in those vital first few weeks. She didn't enjoy it the way other mothers seemed to, whatever happened to her was the opposite of a pregnant glow. Just another of her shortcomings. Another reason he shouldn't love her. Couldn't possibly.

But he saw her, like she'd been speaking aloud the whole time. Suspicion. Despite the sincerity in his tone, she knew better than to trust the words he said. She wouldn't trust them if they'd come from her own tongue, and then came the guilt. He'd almost died, and here she was, complaining that he wasn't the same. She hadn't been the same after almost drowning, hadn't been the same after being cooped up for months, struggling to breathe. How could she expect more from him? She really was the worst.

Allowing a sigh to escape her she finally leaned back into Gilgamesh gently, mindful of his injuries, tipping her muzzle enough to expose a hint of throat, silent confirmation that she trusted, believed him. She'd keep her traitorous mouth shut and allow herself a moment of reprieve with him.

"speech"