[ Silently cursing himself for sticking his foot in it again, Sylvain hesitates a moment, but that expression on Kavehβs face has him moving. Shifting to angle himself towards the blond a little more, he wraps his arms around him and draws him in against his chest. ]
I donβt know. [ Itβs an honest answer, even if itβs not the one he wants to give. ] I havenβt seen or heard from him in a while, though. He might be. I can look into it for you?
[ But as often as heβd seen Tighnari in those first few weeks, followed abruptly byβ¦ nothing. Heβs pretty sure they both know the answer to that already. As much as he wishes he could give Kaveh a better one. ]
[ His smile is sad, and it falters even as he shakes his head, reaching to lay a hand across Sylvain's forearm. ]
No... no, you. You don't need to. He's not the sort to have stopped reaching out to me for any other reason, so...
[ A close of Kaveh's eyes as he swallows again, trying to process the news. He hates thisβ ]
I need to focus on the people who are here, don't I. If I keep thinking about the people who're gone, I'm gonna find myself in trouble. With my suit mark, or the statues, or something...
[ He keeps wrapped closely around the other man, pressing a kiss to the top of his head before resting his chin there, keeping Kaveh tucked warmly against his chest. His hand slides slowly up and down the manβs spine. ]
I know how hard that can be. But youβre not here alone. Just keep reminding yourself of that, okay? You might not have known us before you came here, but you do have people here who care about you. People you can reach out to, whenever you need us.
[ He reaches down, sliding a finger under Kavehβs chin and tipping his head up to meet his gaze, his own quietly earnest. ] Tell me youβll remember that?
[ Kaveh takes a breath, his expression soft as Sylvain first presses a kiss to his head, and then tucks his chin up to force the other to look at him. The earnestness in the redhead's gaze takes him aback a little, and for a moment he can only look at him before he, slowly, nods. ]
Y-yeah. I. I'll do my best to remember it. [ His smile is a little shaky. ] Historically, I'm not the greatest at reaching out to others when I need help. But... I really will try. I'll do my best. Is... that okay?
[ The sincerity in the other man's face makes him want to cry, but he holds himself together for now. ]
[ He gives him a warm smile as he tucks him close once more, seeing the waver in that smile, the way he struggles with his emotions. Sylvain can't do anything about the cause of that, but at least he can offer Kaveh a place to hide away for a bit - and to not feel alone for it. ]
I'll just have to make sure I'm pestering you with annoying frequency in the meantime, hmm? [ It's said with light teasing as he tugs on a wayward lock of blond hair.
Glancing around them, then down at the sampler before them, he thinks of something else. Or perhaps a way for this to be a little more comfortable for the other man. ] Why don't we take the tea back to one of our rooms? We can relax there for a while and visit, if you like? It might be a little more comfortable than here.
[ The laugh that finds Kaveh's lips comes surprisingly easy. The idea that the redhead might pester him to the point of being annoying is somewhat unbelievable, if only because he doesn't find Sylvain annoying. But it's a nice thought too, that someone might want to reach out to him, to look out for him enough that they would do that. He's even a little bashful as he runs fingers through his hair, smiling.
And to the other's suggestion, he nods. Being out of the public eye sounds nice, especially when it's with someone he knows he can trust. And with both of them having reasonable enough suites, he knows they'll be comfortable. ]
That sounds good, yeah. [ A pause, and then: ] Would it be okay to go to yours? Mine's... a bit of a mess right now.
[ If strewn, half-hidden bottles of wine count as a mess, anyway. ]
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I donβt know. [ Itβs an honest answer, even if itβs not the one he wants to give. ] I havenβt seen or heard from him in a while, though. He might be. I can look into it for you?
[ But as often as heβd seen Tighnari in those first few weeks, followed abruptly byβ¦ nothing. Heβs pretty sure they both know the answer to that already. As much as he wishes he could give Kaveh a better one. ]
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No... no, you. You don't need to. He's not the sort to have stopped reaching out to me for any other reason, so...
[ A close of Kaveh's eyes as he swallows again, trying to process the news. He hates thisβ ]
I need to focus on the people who are here, don't I. If I keep thinking about the people who're gone, I'm gonna find myself in trouble. With my suit mark, or the statues, or something...
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I know how hard that can be. But youβre not here alone. Just keep reminding yourself of that, okay? You might not have known us before you came here, but you do have people here who care about you. People you can reach out to, whenever you need us.
[ He reaches down, sliding a finger under Kavehβs chin and tipping his head up to meet his gaze, his own quietly earnest. ] Tell me youβll remember that?
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Y-yeah. I. I'll do my best to remember it. [ His smile is a little shaky. ] Historically, I'm not the greatest at reaching out to others when I need help. But... I really will try. I'll do my best. Is... that okay?
[ The sincerity in the other man's face makes him want to cry, but he holds himself together for now. ]
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[ He gives him a warm smile as he tucks him close once more, seeing the waver in that smile, the way he struggles with his emotions. Sylvain can't do anything about the cause of that, but at least he can offer Kaveh a place to hide away for a bit - and to not feel alone for it. ]
I'll just have to make sure I'm pestering you with annoying frequency in the meantime, hmm? [ It's said with light teasing as he tugs on a wayward lock of blond hair.
Glancing around them, then down at the sampler before them, he thinks of something else. Or perhaps a way for this to be a little more comfortable for the other man. ] Why don't we take the tea back to one of our rooms? We can relax there for a while and visit, if you like? It might be a little more comfortable than here.
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And to the other's suggestion, he nods. Being out of the public eye sounds nice, especially when it's with someone he knows he can trust. And with both of them having reasonable enough suites, he knows they'll be comfortable. ]
That sounds good, yeah. [ A pause, and then: ] Would it be okay to go to yours? Mine's... a bit of a mess right now.
[ If strewn, half-hidden bottles of wine count as a mess, anyway. ]
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But he just offers Kaveh a warm smile as he nods, and pushes out of the booth, offering Kaveh his hand. ]
Yeah, we can go to mine. It's not far. Come on.