He hated feeling weak too. But he lifted his arms and carefully wrapped them around her, keeping his eyes still shut as he listened to her. “..I want to look after you, too..” he whispered quietly. “It, it’s just how I want to be. I want.. want to be so strong for you t-that you wouldn’t be afraid of anything but.. but I’m not strong. I’m not.. I’m not super or… smart. I’m just… I’m just a painter. N-nothing fancy, nothing th-that’ll scare them…”
Jack turned his head so his forehead gently pressed against her cheek, being as careful as he could. “B-but I want. I want you to be h-happy too I don’t… I don’t want to stop you f-from doing anything y-you want t-t-to do. Th-that’s not h-how my parents raised m-me. They ta-taught me to re-respect my friends ch-choices even i-if I don’t like them so i…. if you want to do anything you want, I. I’ll be here. I’ll always b-be here and support you… b-because I love you and w-want you happy…”
“I want you to be happy too though,” she argued back softly, closing her own eyes at feeling his forehead on her cheek. “And what would make me happy is not to worry you. All I want is to be able to be with you, without the threat of Psycho Delic looming over our heads.”
She leaned back to cup his cheeks tenderly in her hands, looking into your eyes. “But Jack…please don’t say you’re not strong. You are..You are! You were brave enough to save me that day. You were brave enough and caring enough to come looking for me after the accident. Brave enough to love me despite how messed up I am, brave enough to be with me everyday, supporting me and being yourself. You give me bravery. You are my strength and I want to be yours. You told me to never argue about how you think I’m beautiful.”
She smiled at him. “Well this works both ways, except I don’t want you thinking you’re not strong and brave when you are.”
He didn’t know if just coming here every day counted as bravery. He came here because he adored her, because he loved talking to her and seeing her get better every day. Maybe he had fallen super hard but he didn’t feel bad about it, why would he? But only now, hearing all she wanted to do, reminded him how weak he was.
But he wasn’t going to go on about that. Not in front of her. It was wrong to do that. Keep the insecurities inside. Deep, deep inside. They can’t hurt her then.
“…o-okay.” he mumbled quietly. “I’m sorry if, if I upset you…’
Jack Maple 