[ She laughs, or something close to it - a breathy sort of exhale that vaguely resembles a chuckle - and ducks her head only slightly. ]
That's...incredibly flattering, but trust me when I say that even I tire of my company now and again.
[ Flattering and kind and she does not know what to do with such a statement. Does she wish to always be beside him? Does she wish he would be harder on her, more scrutinizing? Yes, yes to all of these and more. Neria is torn between wanting more of Cullen, wanting to tell him so much, bare everything to him...and knowing she does not deserve it. She is selfish, and she will take what he gives her, and decide later what to do with the rest.
She needs to fix this. She wants to be worthy of the way he looks at her, the admiration he holds, the care he blesses her with.
Neria looks up at him and tries for a smile, no matter how sad it might be at the very edges. ]
You and your feelings are not a burden to me, Cullen.
[ Not for a single moment. This is a journey they are taking together, for better or worse, and she cannot ask for anyone else who might understand her torment and guilt better. He has accepted her when others might not have. She will forever be in his debt.
Her smile strengthens as she looks on him. ]
If I can give that to you-- That is enough for me. You have made this journey worthwhile in every way. I cannot remember the last time I have felt...
[ Here, she hesitates. It shows in her eyes how she wrestles with what she wants to say and what it may mean, how it might change things between them. ]
That I've felt like I belong. As if this is where I am supposed to be.
no subject
That's...incredibly flattering, but trust me when I say that even I tire of my company now and again.
[ Flattering and kind and she does not know what to do with such a statement. Does she wish to always be beside him? Does she wish he would be harder on her, more scrutinizing? Yes, yes to all of these and more. Neria is torn between wanting more of Cullen, wanting to tell him so much, bare everything to him...and knowing she does not deserve it. She is selfish, and she will take what he gives her, and decide later what to do with the rest.
She needs to fix this. She wants to be worthy of the way he looks at her, the admiration he holds, the care he blesses her with.
Neria looks up at him and tries for a smile, no matter how sad it might be at the very edges. ]
You and your feelings are not a burden to me, Cullen.
[ Not for a single moment. This is a journey they are taking together, for better or worse, and she cannot ask for anyone else who might understand her torment and guilt better. He has accepted her when others might not have. She will forever be in his debt.
Her smile strengthens as she looks on him. ]
If I can give that to you-- That is enough for me. You have made this journey worthwhile in every way. I cannot remember the last time I have felt...
[ Here, she hesitates. It shows in her eyes how she wrestles with what she wants to say and what it may mean, how it might change things between them. ]
That I've felt like I belong. As if this is where I am supposed to be.