Naggar Residence, New Thessalonica, Planet Yuma, Coronado
12 Sept. 824 A.S.
Doreen went on and on... providing a story that she had probably bottled up for what must've felt like forever. As she kept opening up and explaining further, Erik's face - which was fixed towards her - just kept transfiguring. Empathetic half-smiles and concerned looks kept appearing one after the other as she spoke through her tears. Hearing about her time as a slave... about Ben's conception and heritage... it broke him inside. He lost any smile he might have still had, unable to even come close to comprehending what she must have felt at the time... He felt sorry for her, because someone as... lovely as her... had to endure such misfortunes in life, no matter the reasons or mistakes she might have made.
His body, on the other hand, didn't flinch during the entire speech. He kept still as he allowed her to continue at a sluggish pace due to her tears getting the better of her. "I I'm falling in love with you." - he heard faintly - "....and I don't know how to handle it." And this was when he broke that pose. A gentle beam of compassion conquered his earlier facial expressions and he started to walk towards Doreen, slowly.
"You're wrong..." he whispered, but loud enough for her to hear. He kept coming closer. "You are a fighter." he continued in the same tone, approaching her step by step. A moment later, he was right in front of her. Looking downward, at her scarred hand, he grasped it in both his hands and held it up. "I saw it the first time we met... when you so easily jumped to offer help to our injured soldiers, when you weren't even part of our nation yet."
Caressing her hand, while his eyes were slowly rising, but not yet meeting her sight, he went on "You are a soldier. Your weapons are just different. Instead of guns and tactical skills, you use medical equipment and knowledge of the human body. Your enemy, instead of people, is death itself."
He continued to hold her hand just in his left palm. He used his right hand to tenderly touch her chin and tilt her head, raising her eyes to match his. He looked deeply into her hazel eyes, keeping quiet for a second. "And everything you've told me now... It must've taken great strength to go through it all... and enormous courage to admit it all now." - he was fully smiling now - "That's what makes a warrior ... one that I'm happy to admit I've fallen in love with as well."
