Put in the context of everything that had happened to them — not just in the past few weeks, but over the entire course of the time they'd known each other — her apology would probably seem insignificant. It was far from the only mistake that they'd made, or even the only mistake that she'd made, and given what had happened afterwards there were probably a few that had a far greater impact on their current situation. Her decision, for instance, to go back to her parent's house before they'd had a chance to figure out what the next steps should even be.
Still, it meant a lot to him. After everything that had happened the night of the fourteenth, that had been the one that hurt the most in the moment, and it was the one that stung most to this day. He didn't blame her, really, for suggesting that they elope. She was panicking, and there were a lot of unknown variables about their situation that night, and things only seemed, from her perspective, to be spiraling farther out of control. If he was really trying to empathize with her and the mindset that she'd been in that night, it made sense. He couldn't hate her for that. He wasn't hurt that she'd tried to solve the problem she'd been presented with — only that her first move had been to remove him from the decision-making process entirely. She hadn't trusted him to help, or treated him as an equal partner whose life would be equally affected by whatever decision was made. He may not have had a very good track record, specifically when it came to her, but he thought he'd earned at least that, and the fact that it hadn't been granted to him didn't bode particularly well, he thought, for a marriage.
So her apology, in his mind, was more than just the words she said — it was a glimmer of hope for the future. A chance that maybe — maybe — they'd be able to see one another as partners someday after all.
And in the meantime, he thought as he watched her eyes filling with tears, this was going to really suck for both of them. "Hey," he said softly, scooting his chair around the side of the table towards hers. "Come here." He held out an arm, then when she didn't immediately take the hint reached out to wrap her in a tight hug. "We'll be alright," he mumbled into her hair. "It'll just take some time, that's all."
MJ made this <3
Still, it meant a lot to him. After everything that had happened the night of the fourteenth, that had been the one that hurt the most in the moment, and it was the one that stung most to this day. He didn't blame her, really, for suggesting that they elope. She was panicking, and there were a lot of unknown variables about their situation that night, and things only seemed, from her perspective, to be spiraling farther out of control. If he was really trying to empathize with her and the mindset that she'd been in that night, it made sense. He couldn't hate her for that. He wasn't hurt that she'd tried to solve the problem she'd been presented with — only that her first move had been to remove him from the decision-making process entirely. She hadn't trusted him to help, or treated him as an equal partner whose life would be equally affected by whatever decision was made. He may not have had a very good track record, specifically when it came to her, but he thought he'd earned at least that, and the fact that it hadn't been granted to him didn't bode particularly well, he thought, for a marriage.
So her apology, in his mind, was more than just the words she said — it was a glimmer of hope for the future. A chance that maybe — maybe — they'd be able to see one another as partners someday after all.
And in the meantime, he thought as he watched her eyes filling with tears, this was going to really suck for both of them. "Hey," he said softly, scooting his chair around the side of the table towards hers. "Come here." He held out an arm, then when she didn't immediately take the hint reached out to wrap her in a tight hug. "We'll be alright," he mumbled into her hair. "It'll just take some time, that's all."
MJ made this <3