Corvin Estate, New Thessalonica, Planet Yuma, Coronado
evening of 11 Sept. 824 A.S.
Erik felt her hand gripping his own in a soft embrace. He stared at their interlocked palms for what felt like ages, his mind tuning out almost everything else. She was tense; that much was clear, as he could feel the blood in her hand flow back and forth. He raised his sight towards her face again, seeing a mix of perplexity and sadness that came as a shock. He had never seen her quite like this, so his own confusion grew as well. From behind his glasses, his eyes fidgeted, focusing all over her face.
The answer to his question came as a murmur that broke what felt like complete silence. "I don't know" Her words were anything but empty. He couldn't know what was wrong or why... But he understood that asking her to explain, pushing her to voice her woes, would only alienate her. And he didn't want that, not just out of politeness, but because he wished for the exact opposite. Both his brain and heart were telling him the same thing, that he cares for her and he should show it.
He slowly took off his glasses with his other hand, his eyes still locked on her face, then replied on a tender tone "It's ok. I'm here."
