[Unfortunately, his focus is on Jill. Not Chris. It's not that he doesn't see what she means to him, nor what he means to her. He sees that, he gets that, but he can't imagine that Chris would want her to exist indefinitely in a reality without him and be expected to just stay stagnant. Stagnant and waiting, and lonely. Especially when all of this was so inconsequential to the world they'd all eventually return to... probably. Hell, he still isn't sure how all of this works, and he's not going to pretend to start, but... dammit.
When she pulls her hand away, his own fingers flex at his side, his tired and tender eyes staring down into her wide and worried ones. His impulse control is pretty much compromised at this point, with how his emotions are haywire, and with Jill so close... So he pulls her into a hug. A tight one, and even if it makes his body ache from the remnant bruises that are obscured by his clothes, it soothes his heart holding her like this.]
Jill—we're fine. I got upset, I worked it out of my system. I'm fine. [It's a lie, a fucking terrible one at that, but it's certainly what he's trying to push as reality. Even for himself.]
Look. I care about you—you. Not what I can get from ya, yeah? I—
[He sucks in a breath, closing his eyes as he tries to think on how to word this. How to go about it. There's so much he wants to say, but he's not sure how much would make sense, how much might upset her, and how much is even worth saying at all.]
Showing me that—what y'all went through. It's stupid, you—he... both of you shouldn't have had to deal with that shit, both of y'all should have been able to live good, decent lives. But ya couldn't. You didn't have the option. That's why—
[He knows she's gonna fight him on this. She's gonna try to reiterate what she showed him, what she's told him, and he doesn't need that. It's not that he doesn't understand, because he does. He gets it. But that doesn't mean he has to agree.]
That's why I don't give a fuck if it means we won't be together. That—this, all of it won't go no where. I just want you to start livin' for yourself. Doin' good by you, not by what you think you're obligated to, yeah?
That's no way to live. Bein' holed up inside yourself, alone and isolated 'cos you can't and won't let no one in... for whatever the reason. It ain't worth it, and anyone who gives half a damn about you the way you do them shouldn't want or expect that neither!
♥_♥
When she pulls her hand away, his own fingers flex at his side, his tired and tender eyes staring down into her wide and worried ones. His impulse control is pretty much compromised at this point, with how his emotions are haywire, and with Jill so close... So he pulls her into a hug. A tight one, and even if it makes his body ache from the remnant bruises that are obscured by his clothes, it soothes his heart holding her like this.]
Jill—we're fine. I got upset, I worked it out of my system. I'm fine. [It's a lie, a fucking terrible one at that, but it's certainly what he's trying to push as reality. Even for himself.]
Look. I care about you—you. Not what I can get from ya, yeah? I—
[He sucks in a breath, closing his eyes as he tries to think on how to word this. How to go about it. There's so much he wants to say, but he's not sure how much would make sense, how much might upset her, and how much is even worth saying at all.]
Showing me that—what y'all went through. It's stupid, you—he... both of you shouldn't have had to deal with that shit, both of y'all should have been able to live good, decent lives. But ya couldn't. You didn't have the option. That's why—
[He knows she's gonna fight him on this. She's gonna try to reiterate what she showed him, what she's told him, and he doesn't need that. It's not that he doesn't understand, because he does. He gets it. But that doesn't mean he has to agree.]
That's why I don't give a fuck if it means we won't be together. That—this, all of it won't go no where. I just want you to start livin' for yourself. Doin' good by you, not by what you think you're obligated to, yeah?
That's no way to live. Bein' holed up inside yourself, alone and isolated 'cos you can't and won't let no one in... for whatever the reason. It ain't worth it, and anyone who gives half a damn about you the way you do them shouldn't want or expect that neither!