Emberwood Walking and the sky keeps falling down

He felt her press herself into him. She was one of the most powerful women he had ever met. Gently placing his head atop hers, he held her as she let herself go at last. Part of him felt good for being able to finally pay forward what Luna had been able to do for him. This was different, though. Takiyok didn't know how to do this. He saw in her strength, but he also saw pain. It was disappointment and anguish she had been holding onto for a long time, and he knew exactly what that felt like. As Taikon felt the tears run slowly to the skin from his fur, he shut his eyes, and knew that a part of this catharsis was him seeing himself in pain for the first time. He couldn't hold it, or didn't want to, and he cried silently with her.
Breathless, she tried to apologize, and he breathed an ironic laugh, pulling her close to him as though she might slip away. If this was their nightmare, then in that moment he worried he might awaken from it. We gotta to stop apologizing to each other, he joked, his voice almost weak and shuddering as hers was. He appeared almost a mirror of her. He wanted Stag to realize that he was losing out by following that woman, and to see how much his mother loved him and cherished his company.
Finally, he relaxed a bit, but would only release when she did.