Noble moved his hand so that his arm was wrapped around Daff as she sobbed into his shoulder. It was a motion based entirely on instinct, and he already knew he was going to regret it. They were just playing at being past versions of themselves, now — nothing they accomplished today, in this conversation, was going to fix what was already broken. And besides that — Noble wasn't sure he wanted to fix it. He was never going to be able to provide her with the life she deserved; she ought to find someone else.

He couldn't tell her that, though. Not when she was already upset, and not when she probably already knew it. He gave her a squeeze with his arm. "You're alright," he said, "It's going to be alright. I promise."

Not with them, obviously. But she — she was going to be alright.

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