Hushed Willows furnace

He'd never done this before; but then again Buchanan had never felt like this about anyone before. The Officer had turned him into less of an individual to the point where wanting things like this was lost to him under his command. If he'd ever thought about a picket fence life with a wife and kids, full of love and laughter it had long been crushed and tossed into the oblivion. Then again, he'd been taken by The Officer very young when girls had still had icky cooties. Despite this, Buchanan wasn't entirely blind to the lives that “normal” wolves lived: he'd seen it plenty of times over with each pack he infiltrated for The Officer. In a world where there was only the mission and the mission that would soon follow Buchanan didn't stop to miss what he hadn't and had known (at the time) that he'd never have. The endless possibilities of his future were a bit overwhelming for him at times and he tended to keep himself in the present because of it.

The present where Banner was telling him not to apologize, telling him that he hadn't been too forward though her startled voice didn't exactly reassure him. Though, he understood. He'd kind of dropped that bombshell, and kind of all at once let her know how he felt about her. He wasn't ashamed. No, because even if it would have been too forward at least it would have been out in the open. It was easy to accept that he didn't want to lose Banner: not in general and not to another man because Buchanan wasn't sure that seeing her with someone else wouldn't cause him pain. He was pretty sure that it would hurt. He wanted to assure her that she didn't have to be scared but how could he when he was scared himself? The Officer had been concise when he explained that “love” was a useful weapon. It could be exploited and though Buchanan had discovered that he very much enjoyed being a philanthropist that didn't mean that someone wouldn't hurt her to get to him. It put her in the crosshairs, too.

“I understand,” He spoke thickly when she admitted that her anger issues were why she didn't let anyone in. “I told you about how certain things will trigger me and I'll have flashbacks where I can't tell what's real, what's present and what is memory.” So, though, they suffered from different things he thought that it made them somewhat alike. He understood in the way that he knew how and he certainly wouldn't ever hold it against her. It was out of her control, just like his triggers, just like the flashbacks. His heart nearly skipped a beat when she admitted quietly that she thought he could handle her. “I think I can handle you, too.” He agreed in a quiet murmur of his own.