[ Tiny as she might be, Ai's stronger than she looks – dancing requires strength and stamina training, after all, and she's been pushing herself to be on top of her game for just shy of a decade. Even so, Brook's half-collapse into her is so sudden that she totters back a step or two. But then she forces herself to steel her legs and her arms, steady enough that Brook can put all his weight into her and she won't move an inch. If she needs to hold him up, that's fine.
She doesn't know what's happened, but right now she doesn't need to. All that matters is Brook's shuddering weight in her arms and the wetness of his tears seeping through her sleeve. What matters is that something is wrong and maybe Ai can't make it better, but being here keeps it from being worse. She can help him carry this. ]
We're both still here. I promise. [ She's so good at pretty sounding promises. This time, though, she means it. ] I'm not going anywhere. Okay?
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She doesn't know what's happened, but right now she doesn't need to. All that matters is Brook's shuddering weight in her arms and the wetness of his tears seeping through her sleeve. What matters is that something is wrong and maybe Ai can't make it better, but being here keeps it from being worse. She can help him carry this. ]
We're both still here. I promise. [ She's so good at pretty sounding promises. This time, though, she means it. ] I'm not going anywhere. Okay?