[ It's the "please" that does it; Matthew pulls back just a little, enough to lift his eyes back up to Declan. There are tears on his face but he's stopped crying, and a shadow of anxiety is cast over his expression but coming up stronger than that is trust, the undying faith he has in his brother.
Declan will never hurt him, never leave him; they're family and Declan loves him, and whatever happened--
Matthew will wait for him to explain it. ]
Okay, [ he says quietly, with a single nod. And then, even more softly-- ]
You looks so different.
[ And not just older. He's taken such good care of Matthew but he's neglected himself. Still, Matthew never doubts for an instant who he is. ]
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Declan will never hurt him, never leave him; they're family and Declan loves him, and whatever happened--
Matthew will wait for him to explain it. ]
Okay, [ he says quietly, with a single nod. And then, even more softly-- ]
You looks so different.
[ And not just older. He's taken such good care of Matthew but he's neglected himself. Still, Matthew never doubts for an instant who he is. ]