"'Got caught'," he repeats in disbelief. Got caught? Like he was purposefully sneaking around behind her back? Like he was cheating on her? It's unthinkable.
"I wasn't trying to hide anything."
Maybe it's a relief that he doesn't have anything like Diego's empathy or Klaus' telepathy, to not feel— whatever it is that's bowling her over. To feel it any more than he already is, the sympathetic bruising ache and panic that he feels just looking at her, just hearing it, just hearing that sharpness in Allison's voice and knowing that she's furious at him and he's still struggling to follow why.
So he almost wishes for it, now. Those powers. To understand her better. Because this feels like it's slipping away from him, the thread of the conversation furiously unravelling and he can't hold it in place.
But the same boy who could unconsciously exclude Vanya from everything in the family, because she wasn't the Academy, was the same one who could unconsciously exclude his friends from his family and his family from his friends. The two groups weren't the same, and so weren't supposed to line up. Until now, like a bucket of cold water being thrown in his face.
"It doesn't fix it or make it better. But I want to fix it. I'll— look, I'll tell you whatever you want to know. I can try to open up more."
She's only person he'd fall all over himself to promise these things to; to try to be better for; to communicate better for, which isn't exactly a Hargreeves strength.
no subject
Like he was cheating on her?It's unthinkable."I wasn't trying to hide anything."
Maybe it's a relief that he doesn't have anything like Diego's empathy or Klaus' telepathy, to not feel— whatever it is that's bowling her over. To feel it any more than he already is, the sympathetic bruising ache and panic that he feels just looking at her, just hearing it, just hearing that sharpness in Allison's voice and knowing that she's furious at him and he's still struggling to follow why.
So he almost wishes for it, now. Those powers. To understand her better. Because this feels like it's slipping away from him, the thread of the conversation furiously unravelling and he can't hold it in place.
But the same boy who could unconsciously exclude Vanya from everything in the family, because she wasn't the Academy, was the same one who could unconsciously exclude his friends from his family and his family from his friends. The two groups weren't the same, and so weren't supposed to line up. Until now, like a bucket of cold water being thrown in his face.
"It doesn't fix it or make it better. But I want to fix it. I'll— look, I'll tell you whatever you want to know. I can try to open up more."
She's only person he'd fall all over himself to promise these things to; to try to be better for; to communicate better for, which isn't exactly a Hargreeves strength.