Fox's Glade My silent lips

When she pulled back, it was all too soon. She left him exposed, standing before her with the weight of life itself on his shoulders. Would she listen? Did he want her to know his demons, to know what he wished even he did not? He shrunk back and averted his gaze before pinching his eyes shut, willing it all away—but it would not leave because he could not forget, just as he could no longer shoulder the burden on his own for a moment longer.

“Indra, I—” This is a bad idea. “I…” Don’t do it. “Bad things happened, Indra. I…” Stop. Shut up. Don’t say anything. He stopped and tried to compose himself, but there were no more footings to grasp at—he was done. “I don’t want to leave anymore, I—I want you to know.” Know what? Where was he supposed to begin, when the start of it all was so long ago and everything in between was… it just was.

“I’m sorry,” he finally said, redirecting. “I’m sorry for everything—everything I did to you, to Laurel, to the kids… I didn’t want… I didn’t—” His ears fell flat against his broken crown and his head hung, defeated. He just wanted to start over.