Hushed Willows Gentle on My Mind

Dante hadn't thought he'd pledged his heart enough to someone to let them break it, but in that moment- as Lumiya's guard shattered before his very eyes- Dante was certain a piece of his heart had been chipped right off. He suppressed a whine that threatened to spill high from his throat and he held his companion tighter to him, turning his neck so he could press his nose to the top of her head if she would allow it, breathing softly into her fur as she spilled out from behind her shield. 

He listened intently to her words, taking in the information she provided diligently, nodding softly against her as she explained the significance of her lineage. His chest burned with something not so gentle or kind at the notion that the woman thought in some way she was wrong. Someone had made her feel that way- that she was somehow broken or incorrect and he couldn't fucking- Lumiya was the most right thing that had ever happened to him. He had no idea what kind of insolent- but this wasn't about him or his anger, and he refocused quickly, simply holding holding her closer and squeezing his eyes shut. 

As her final words were gasped out, Dante pulled back to watch her once again, quietly murmuring Hey, hey, Lumi, hey, his gaze flicked between her eyes as he began to speak, Hey love, breathe with me, okay? Just for a moment,he whispered softly, taking in a few deep breaths and hoping Lumiya would follow- though even if she didn't they were helpful for the boy himself, who had found himself with a fire stirring inside him at what the kind soul afore him had had to endure.

Lumiya. You are not, and will never be, anything cruel. You are not an unkindness unto the world, even if figures of your past may have been, and you are not responsible for their wrongdoings. Do you- the boy's voice cracked then, and he stopped momentarily, blinking hard before meeting her gaze once more. Lumiya you are good. I don't believe I've ever met someone as good as you. And you are not wrong. You- you're he huffed shortly, frustrated with himself for lacking the words needed to describe the beautiful anomaly before him. I was lost you- Lumi, you have created a shelter for...for so many lost and misguided. You have put so much good into the world. Do not doubt for a second that you are the furthest thing from cruel that a person could possibly be, his words came out in a rush, and he worried immediately after that he'd not done well enough to express to the other just what he'd meant.