"The only person you've gotten hurt is you. And so long as I find you a proper guard, that won't be a problem." She'll find him the best. The quickest, the cleverest, the strongest. Her fingers smooth through his hair in soft, soothing passes. "I'll take care of it, max. Don't I always?"
"I have done that pretty spectacularly," he replies with a wry smile. It feels nice when she does that. A warm and friendly gesture. Nothing manipulative of expectant about it. "You do," he says, and maybe he's too trusting, but he's not been given any reason not to trust her. "You always take care of me."
"You're too pretty for me to ignore." The usual excuse and at one point? That had been all it was. But he's clever, is Max. Clever and kind and there's far, far too few people like that in her life. He grounds her. Reminds her that all the remaining world isn't like Monet. She sighs and tangles their legs, glad for the contact. For him. "I do not have so many friends that I would lose you gladly. I'm selfish that way."
Max snickers at that. He doesn't feel pretty right now, but it's a salve to his ego to hear it. "I am. I am absolutely the prettiest Onekid." Even with the bruises and cracked ribs.
He tilts his head, looks over at her. "That's not selfish, Adele. That's just being human. We need friends. We cling to them because they make us real."
"Shh." It hits a little too close to home, that. Enough to have her murmuring soft, sweet nothings as she strokes his cheek. "Rest. Mm? I'll be here when you wake up."
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Day 204, Action, Evening
Day 204, Action, Evening
Day 204, Action, Evening
Day 204, Action, Evening
He tilts his head, looks over at her. "That's not selfish, Adele. That's just being human. We need friends. We cling to them because they make us real."
Day 204, Action, Evening
Day 204, Action, Evening
Hs up against her, closing his eyes.