Broken Boulder with everything falling down around me, i'd like to believe

he smiles then, a genuine one -- he'd been worried their friendship had been hurt by the... well, the everything. even if he'd agreed to take a position of leadership (whatever that means here; he's learning, it's not much), even if he'd helped keep alarian from dying it was still a big ask. and he's still cursed. but maybe it'll be okay, especially once the kids are born and he stops feeling like a big blank spot on the earth.

except then alarian is leaving and it seems innocent enough but something in the abruptness of it makes delight's expression fold, startled. "o-oh," he says, unable to stop the slight wobble in his tone (he's always been an open book), "right, of course, um. do you want to -- maybe we could catch up, later?" nor can he quite help the note of hopefulness in his tone -- embarrassed and awkward he drops his gaze, anticipating rejection for some reason already.