Broken Boulder she's got silver bullets on her tongue

---

his apology was sincere, quiet and bare. she accepted with a dip of her head, reply cut off by a flash of his anxious smile and a joky that may have offended her, once - but it hardly mattered anymore. she blinked, once, before a wild grin cracked the solemnity of her features, lasting a quick moment before he lapsed back into seriousness. 

there was a moment of blankness when the male claimed to be gay, the word not in her vocabulary, but it's meaning guessed at fairly easily. of course, the specifics, the hows and questions, had no place now. for a brief moment, she almost defended him - he didn't mean to hurt you, only me - but she could only stretch so far, and bridging the gap between alarian and herself was far enough.

"you were right, though - I started this mess." at least, this specific mess. other messes hadn't been entirely her fault, or out of her control entirely. "I forgive you - I understand now, I think." quiet, solemn, the lightness of forgiveness still fresh. she wasn't sure when it had happened during their conversation, exactly - "your sorry state may have helped." a grin crinkled her gaze, fleeting. 

at his last words, she dipped her muzzle again, mirth fading. "ideally, so would I." not true. through the hurt and the pain, she still loved him, wanted him, and she doubted that would ever fade completely. "if your offer of alliance still stands; I'd like to accept."