"What's afflicting me is something you can't - or won't - fix," Edmund muttered. He knew Al was trying to be kind, was being as protective as he thought right, but it was hard to think rationally about it when every thread of his body felt pulled in the alpha's direction.
"That...doesn't surprise me." He sounded resigned this time, when Al told him to leave. Edmund touched the spot of blood on his lip with his tongue. Something in him urged him to stay and fight, to not give up so easily; something else, some stronger instinct, told him to listen to his alpha. Not mine, he corrected himself. But the important one. "I shouldn't be around you, you mean." He cut through close to the truth. It hurt, more than he'd expected it could still hurt.
"I don't agree," he said at last, warring emotions in his eyes, "but I will respect your wishes." Edmund pushed himself off the table, and it was like ripping out his heart all over again to realize that Al wouldn't even be his friend and advisor, when he needed those things the most.
He glanced back, and gestured at the empty plates. "I'll make sure provisions are sent up to your room." There were regular meals in the Great Hall, but Edmund could well picture Al avoiding them for his sake. "And I'll still cheer for you. Even just to myself."
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2018-07-21 01:57 am (UTC)"That...doesn't surprise me." He sounded resigned this time, when Al told him to leave. Edmund touched the spot of blood on his lip with his tongue. Something in him urged him to stay and fight, to not give up so easily; something else, some stronger instinct, told him to listen to his alpha. Not mine, he corrected himself. But the important one. "I shouldn't be around you, you mean." He cut through close to the truth. It hurt, more than he'd expected it could still hurt.
"I don't agree," he said at last, warring emotions in his eyes, "but I will respect your wishes." Edmund pushed himself off the table, and it was like ripping out his heart all over again to realize that Al wouldn't even be his friend and advisor, when he needed those things the most.
He glanced back, and gestured at the empty plates. "I'll make sure provisions are sent up to your room." There were regular meals in the Great Hall, but Edmund could well picture Al avoiding them for his sake. "And I'll still cheer for you. Even just to myself."