The Tangle i laugh in the face of danger

He knew they would find someone else, one way or another. Ukko might not have considered Tavi when he'd been there but the fact she remained after his departure shows her dedication. He'd been too wrap up in his own shit that he couldn't see that, that she was the better choice all along. Maybe if things had panned out differently, she'd have taken the position entirely and he would serve her just as he had Reek and Saena. Ukko could have stepped down to make room for her, proven he wasn't ready for the job and acknowledging it. That was the bigger thing to do.

Of course, Ukko hadn't seen that at the time. Hindsight is 20/20 and it doesn't get him far enough.

For now, he sucks in a breath and accepts the damage he's done. If Tavi wants nothing more to do with him, he knows he has nothing left for him here. If he could change her mind, maybe it would be a different story, but he knows he can't. "You are," he tells her with a hint of a smile on his features, a wrinkle that doesn't make it all the way to his eyes. She wouldn't see it anyway.

The boy turns to leave then; Tavi doesn't want to see him anymore and the thought causes an ache in his heart he knows won't go away anytime soon.