Redhawk Caldera Jet Song

Try it, bub, she thought wryly.  But when he said it, despite herself, she couldn't stop the flicker of a smile that appeared.

It faded pretty quick when he launched into a very, very careful deep dive of everything.  She bit her cheek so she wouldn't be tempted to interrupt, though internally she did scream once or twice because he was just so careful.  Initially it made her feel like he thought she was crazy, about to go off loose just because he got one thing wrong, and it didn't help with the ever-present irritation.  (Funny enough, this kinda proved the point had merit?)  But as he went, she stopped paying attention to that because she was noting all of the things he was saying.

The trip she could dismiss offhand.  She'd been pissed about it at first, but when it came down to it, the stupid coconut had been what incited her to run.  She was glad he knew it now, and glad she'd managed to say it, but regardless it was over and done.  He hadn't thought to ask, but maybe next time he would.

The den was harder.  Nothing he said was a surprise to her, and she took it completely in stride because it was what she'd already assumed.  She'd apparently known before he did that it would be a problem.  She just hadn't known how severe that problem would be, and instead had allowed herself to get her hopes up.  Maybe that was why it hurt so much when it hadn't gone over nearly the way she planned.  While he started going into how much of an idiot he was, and laughing at himself (thankfully he could at least do that), Fennec smiled a little more genuinely, but distantly.  She probably owed one more explanation, then.

I figured you would be.  Well, I guessed.  She felt this weird sadness as she thought back on it.  Leta was probably well moved in now.  You didn't get to see it, but the ceiling was stone, so there was no way it'd collapse.  And I dug it way bigger, and way deeper, than the other one.  I got as close to feeling like it wasn't underground as I could.  The tension left her shoulders and Fennec sat down.  I've never given anyone a gift before, and honestly, I shoulda suspected I'd be shit at them.  That's what it was supposed to be.  I was pretty upset when you couldn't even look at it.  I figured it wasn't your fault, but... no, I didn't go after you.

Maybe he was right in being mad about that, but she didn't know if even knowing that, she'd have been able to.  He'd been wrapped up in dealing with his own shit, but in doing so, he hadn't really taken into account how his shit had made her feel.  And as much as she'd love to be a big enough person to toss her own issues aside and run to help with his, that was definitely not her.

Guess that makes both of us stupid though, she said finally, with a light huff.  Because when I came back, and the thing was gone?  I figured you'd had enough fuck-ups.  She hadn't been able to think of any other rational reason why he would have taken back something he'd given her.  There'd been other factors, sure, but that was the main reason she'd left.  She'd come there because of him, and if he had been through with her, she didn't want to stay.  She didn't think she could handle staying.  Is it stupid that I really wish you still had it?  

Much as she insisted she hadn't asked for it, and would have rather had the trip, thinking about it being lost in the river made her extremely sad.  It had been a really neat find, and she could have really used it.