He finally stops talking. He flat-out stops talking and looks at Jason with wide eyes as his brain flips into panic-mode. No way. No way, he's not allowed to just walk away, not when Hiro just risked a lot to find him.
'When I find out you died, I won't give a damn.'
It's a harsh ultimatum and it's a direct hit. He doesn't respond at all. All the fight and all the arrogance sort of dissipates from him and he's left staring at the top of his sneakers instead of at Jason directly.
He doesn't like it. He doesn't like being proven that he's wrong, nor does he like admitting to himself that Jason's right. He can't actually protect himself here. He doesn't know enough to really get himself out of everything in a clean fashion. He's been finding loop holes since day one because he's good at it, but if he's being honest he's going to find the wrong loop hole and walk right into a trap.
There's a small sniff and he settles for the smallest of nods, still not verbally agreeing to anything but making it very obvious that he doesn't really want that. It's not going to stop him from thinking he still has a point (and later down the line when he realizes Jason was right all along, he's going to feel worse), but for now he concedes.
And that should have been the end of it. But...]
I just need to get to spire 10 and then I'm off your hands. [The words are barely above a low whisper, but solid. If he's in the spire, Jason doesn't have to worry about if he's dead or alive. That's the point he's getting at.] I'm only going to leave the spire when I have to until things settle down. Fair?
[This whole conversation, while necessary, was starting to prove to be too much for him to mentally and emotionally handle. He lost. He has to deal with it.]
no subject
He finally stops talking. He flat-out stops talking and looks at Jason with wide eyes as his brain flips into panic-mode. No way. No way, he's not allowed to just walk away, not when Hiro just risked a lot to find him.
'When I find out you died, I won't give a damn.'
It's a harsh ultimatum and it's a direct hit. He doesn't respond at all. All the fight and all the arrogance sort of dissipates from him and he's left staring at the top of his sneakers instead of at Jason directly.
He doesn't like it. He doesn't like being proven that he's wrong, nor does he like admitting to himself that Jason's right. He can't actually protect himself here. He doesn't know enough to really get himself out of everything in a clean fashion. He's been finding loop holes since day one because he's good at it, but if he's being honest he's going to find the wrong loop hole and walk right into a trap.
There's a small sniff and he settles for the smallest of nods, still not verbally agreeing to anything but making it very obvious that he doesn't really want that. It's not going to stop him from thinking he still has a point (and later down the line when he realizes Jason was right all along, he's going to feel worse), but for now he concedes.
And that should have been the end of it. But...]
I just need to get to spire 10 and then I'm off your hands. [The words are barely above a low whisper, but solid. If he's in the spire, Jason doesn't have to worry about if he's dead or alive. That's the point he's getting at.] I'm only going to leave the spire when I have to until things settle down. Fair?
[This whole conversation, while necessary, was starting to prove to be too much for him to mentally and emotionally handle. He lost. He has to deal with it.]