Ryan tries not to outwardly show how much it crushes him to see her face fall at his answer. This is why he never tells anyone anything. Not that he thinks Z should react any other way, but the idea of wiping the beautiful smile from her face is too much to bear.
"Draught is code for whiskey, right?" he asks, attempting a little bit of humor to bring her smile back. Even if it doesn't quite reach his eyes.
As he watches her work with the tea, he can't help but think of all the ways she's managed to wiggle through his numbness. For most things and people, it's like he's watching from the outside but not actually a part of it. But not with her.
Ryan's content to watch her work, admiring the sun that occasionally peeks through and illuminates her when she's not looking, when she's suddenly in front of him with a mug. Taking it, his eyes don't move from her as she looks at him, though he can't seem to figure out what to say. How to begin even. "I don't-" he starts at the same time Z did, though they both falter and trail off without finishing. It makes him smile a little.
It doesn't take any prompting for him to follow, though he nods at her words anyway. Making his way to the bed after her, Ryan takes a seat. Raising the mug to his lips slowly, he tries to figure out how to start, though there's really no way to ease into it.
"My dad..." he begins, but has to pause. He's never actually said these words out loud to anyone besides Chris. "He hits me...among other things." Raising the mug slowly, he lets it sink in as his eyes seem far away.
no subject
"Draught is code for whiskey, right?" he asks, attempting a little bit of humor to bring her smile back. Even if it doesn't quite reach his eyes.
As he watches her work with the tea, he can't help but think of all the ways she's managed to wiggle through his numbness. For most things and people, it's like he's watching from the outside but not actually a part of it. But not with her.
Ryan's content to watch her work, admiring the sun that occasionally peeks through and illuminates her when she's not looking, when she's suddenly in front of him with a mug. Taking it, his eyes don't move from her as she looks at him, though he can't seem to figure out what to say. How to begin even. "I don't-" he starts at the same time Z did, though they both falter and trail off without finishing. It makes him smile a little.
It doesn't take any prompting for him to follow, though he nods at her words anyway. Making his way to the bed after her, Ryan takes a seat. Raising the mug to his lips slowly, he tries to figure out how to start, though there's really no way to ease into it.
"My dad..." he begins, but has to pause. He's never actually said these words out loud to anyone besides Chris. "He hits me...among other things." Raising the mug slowly, he lets it sink in as his eyes seem far away.