Grouse Thicket all we know

Finally, she spoke and he tensed up, steadying himself for the inevitable words of disgust, hatred, pity. But, they never came. Instead, out of Aeronwyn's maw came words he'd never thought was possible, and immediately, he withdrew from her embrace just to look at her in the eye. His green ones were narrowed, yet twinkling with a strange emotion that one could not simply identify. Nico tilted his head, exhaled softly and narrowed his eyes, searching her face for anything that would tell him that this was nothing but a cruel joke, that she hadn't meant her words. Because really, who would fall for someone like him. Someone so....broken, someone who hid behind a mask of strength, but was simply a rubble of broken stones inside.

But there was no deceit, nor cruelty in the silver fae's countenance, and so, with a look of wonder, he relaxed, posture slumping, eyes dropping. Still, he didn't have a home anymore. He was too much a coward to return to Royal Fire Court, that much he knew, and though he was thoroughly ashamed of it, a part of him no longer cared. That place of happiness had given him a chance to look into the lives of those who chose to live in peace, and love, and light, and happiness, and it made him realise that someone like him would never belong. Nicolas had enjoyed that place, that home, when he had it, but he didn't regret leaving it. Though he did, in a way, regret not saying goodbye. 

Perhaps, one day, when he was no longer as broken, when he'd come to terms with himself, when he was no longer a coward. Maybe, just maybe, he would go back and apologise, to be the wolf he promised himself he would be, but had inevitably failed.

Now, Nico knew it was time to wander as a loner once more, and just as he was about to open his maw, she spoke and he raised his eyebrows, eyeing her curiously. "You still want me there?" he asked, his tone incredulous, his smile sardonic - not at her, but at himself. After all, who would want him there? "You know what I am, what I can be, but, you still want me in your home? You...still want me there?" his voice was hesitant; he wanted to believe, he wanted to hope, yet, he so desperately couldn't because he'd been let down so many times before that he no longer wanted to break himself anymore.

Because, then, there would be too much broken glass on the floor that blood would eventually spill from those who decided to step on it. And Nicolas deWinter wasn't sure he wanted that.

"You're sure?" his eyes glinted, "you deserve someone better, Aero." There was an underlying bitterness, but he couldn't care less. He was a broken monster, and while she might've been something similar before, she no longer was, and he still stood here, ill and dangerous. Nicolas, despite being infamously selfish when it came to those he cared about, knew he could not endanger her by being around.