[ Her names spills out with the sound of protest behind it, because- no, believe it or not, he doesn't want them to grieve him again. Not again. Emma's done it enough, and it's part of the reason why he feels guilty for even dying in the first place. Back in Neverland, she made it clear how she felt about letting him back in just to lose him again, made it clear she couldn't. It's clear that every time he resurfaces in her life she comes a little closer to pushing out everything she feels for him entirely, because unlike her parents there's no...
He shakes his head, dismissing the line of thought entirely. He had time to accept his death. He had time back in the enchanted forrest, he had time while he was searching for his father, he had time in those last few moments in her arms. Everything in him says he should be dead right now, and it's not that he doesn't want to live. It's not that he doesn't want to come back with them, to be in Emma's life, to be Henry's father, it's just-
He just doesn't think it's possible, and he thinks fighting for it is only gonna bring Emma more pain. If fighting for her, if fighting for life means putting Emma through the ringer again when they inevitably find out it's impossible, he doesn't want to do it.
He's just so sick of disappointing her. He's so sick of being a disappointment.
But he's still so damn happy to see her, and there's a selfish part of him that desperately wants to believe that it's possible. A selfish part of him wants to think that this is just the climactic struggle toward his happy ending, because where he's from people who try hard enough eventually earn that.
So the protest dies on his lips before he can start an argument, and he bites his tongue. ]
Alright.
[ He says finally, quietly, hands coming up in surrender. ]
Okay. But first we need to focus on where we are. Find out who took us, figure out how this is possible, and then how to get you back. Then we'll see about... raising the dead or whatever, alright?
no subject
[ Her names spills out with the sound of protest behind it, because- no, believe it or not, he doesn't want them to grieve him again. Not again. Emma's done it enough, and it's part of the reason why he feels guilty for even dying in the first place. Back in Neverland, she made it clear how she felt about letting him back in just to lose him again, made it clear she couldn't. It's clear that every time he resurfaces in her life she comes a little closer to pushing out everything she feels for him entirely, because unlike her parents there's no...
He shakes his head, dismissing the line of thought entirely. He had time to accept his death. He had time back in the enchanted forrest, he had time while he was searching for his father, he had time in those last few moments in her arms. Everything in him says he should be dead right now, and it's not that he doesn't want to live. It's not that he doesn't want to come back with them, to be in Emma's life, to be Henry's father, it's just-
He just doesn't think it's possible, and he thinks fighting for it is only gonna bring Emma more pain. If fighting for her, if fighting for life means putting Emma through the ringer again when they inevitably find out it's impossible, he doesn't want to do it.
He's just so sick of disappointing her. He's so sick of being a disappointment.
But he's still so damn happy to see her, and there's a selfish part of him that desperately wants to believe that it's possible. A selfish part of him wants to think that this is just the climactic struggle toward his happy ending, because where he's from people who try hard enough eventually earn that.
So the protest dies on his lips before he can start an argument, and he bites his tongue. ]
Alright.
[ He says finally, quietly, hands coming up in surrender. ]
Okay. But first we need to focus on where we are. Find out who took us, figure out how this is possible, and then how to get you back. Then we'll see about... raising the dead or whatever, alright?