Her backing down did not give him a sliver of satisfaction; it pained him. "I see your intention; I do," he said. Leave him. Despite thinking something very similar a few moments ago, hearing it in her voice did not sit well with him at all. His other hand joined hers and he turned towards her. "I do not wish for that, I hope you understand that," he said. From the corner of his eyes, he saw the door from the library to the archway open. Someone was coming. He released her hand.
"I wish we could be alone with each other," he said.
Some time passed while he observed the person meandering down the path, infuriatingly slow.
"We need to go our separate ways now," he said finally. "There is no helping it."
He was right earlier; this had been an exercise in self-torment. If anything, he suspected that this run-in would heighten Themis' unease and worry. The look she had on her face now made something twist painfully inside of him. She looked paler and more fragile than she did the last time he saw her. He wished he could make her life easier, but could at the same time not bring himself to give her the closeness and love that would accomplish that -- he had it; he held it in his hands, not knowing what to do with it in her absence, and he was miserable about it. But it seemed impossible to veer off the course he had taken; it was too late to go back.
"I wish we could be alone with each other," he said.
Some time passed while he observed the person meandering down the path, infuriatingly slow.
"We need to go our separate ways now," he said finally. "There is no helping it."
He was right earlier; this had been an exercise in self-torment. If anything, he suspected that this run-in would heighten Themis' unease and worry. The look she had on her face now made something twist painfully inside of him. She looked paler and more fragile than she did the last time he saw her. He wished he could make her life easier, but could at the same time not bring himself to give her the closeness and love that would accomplish that -- he had it; he held it in his hands, not knowing what to do with it in her absence, and he was miserable about it. But it seemed impossible to veer off the course he had taken; it was too late to go back.
