Stone Circle I just want to talk to you for a minute, well, make that 30 seconds...

 

Stark was happy once he saw Banner start to relax a bit, his own comfort mostly road on the way that Banner felt. Maybe he was too dependent on his sister but after finding her to be the only one he could trust for so long - well. Could he really be blamed? Maybe he could. He probably should be. He couldn't help the brief laugh when Valette teased him back, shrugging wolfishly at her response. "Still," He hummed out. "Our mother raised us with manners." He said with a wink - and that was true. While he didn't had much (any) respect for his father he was exceptionally proud of his mother and her memory. 

His face shifted, a frown coming to his lips when she explained that her mate had died. He'd been right - she had taken up with Steady but that wasn't that long ago and they had already lost one another. It was disappointing. "I'm so sorry to hear that." Maybe later he'd talk about what happened with Octavia, but, he wasn't ready for that. Especially not on Val's borders and not in front of Banner because she'd heard too much about it anyways and he didn't need to break down in front of her again. Stark tried not to let himself get too caught up in what pains he'd gone through in the past and focused on what Val said. When she offered a space in her pack he almost wanted to leap on it - it was a generous offer, but he didn't know if that was what the two wanted and he cut his eyes to Banner. 

"You know we're both experienced and can pull our weights, but, we really just came to see how you were doing." Stark admitted candidly as he looked back to Valette. "Do you want to stay, B? I'm good either way." He wouldn't begrudge Banner the chance to put her roots down or to keep going if she didn't want to be back in the Wilds for too long - but they were so far from the Keep and the ghosts that haunted them, and Stark thought that with all that, maybe they could start over for awhile. They'd lived a decent life out on their own but facing winter was different. He'd just be glad it didn't come with all the tribulations of the previous year.