[Things they've learned about each other in the span of a day: Jake is great for parlour tricks, Eddie is as affectionate as moody pre-teen bags of hormones come. He doesn't move to pull away when Eddie punctuates his words by squeezing his hand. Whatever the 1950s have to say about such displays, Jake doesn't give a shit.
Eddie's not a mind reader--he can't know that it means a lot. A lot, for the boy behind the shine to be seen as worth protecting instead of the shine around the boy.
Even if Eddie's gone a bit too far the other way with the declaration to fall on his sword. Jake squeezes the hand in his grip and shakes his head. His "tone," if one call the echo of a voice that, is calm enough, but insistent.]
(Don't, okay? It's my turn to say you shouldn't promise that. Enough people have died because of me.)
[And before he can follow that thought too far--]
(Yeah. Once you get to hug level it's almost a given.)[He puts on a smile for the here and now, for the boy very much alive and real in front of him.](Then it's okay, if it's for a friend. We can talk like this anytime.)
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Eddie's not a mind reader--he can't know that it means a lot. A lot, for the boy behind the shine to be seen as worth protecting instead of the shine around the boy.
Even if Eddie's gone a bit too far the other way with the declaration to fall on his sword. Jake squeezes the hand in his grip and shakes his head. His "tone," if one call the echo of a voice that, is calm enough, but insistent.]
( Don't, okay? It's my turn to say you shouldn't promise that. Enough people have died because of me. )
[And before he can follow that thought too far--]
( Yeah. Once you get to hug level it's almost a given. ) [He puts on a smile for the here and now, for the boy very much alive and real in front of him.] ( Then it's okay, if it's for a friend. We can talk like this anytime. )