[Charles swipes his hand over his eyes when they separate and grins, feeling a bit less hysterical as the reality of the situation finally starts to sink in. This isn't a dream, or a flood, or just some horrible practical joke, and already he's impatient to see what's next because it seems like the possibilities are basically endless.]
I am sometimes. Maybe if you listened to me a bit more often...
[But he's just teasing, especially considering it's not like there's been serious communication issues between the two of them in a very, very long time.
He laughs again, and this time it's lighter, less choked, because this is real and it's happening and:]
God, Erik, we can go home. [And it is we, because as much as he knows he was never really held captive here, he was. He absolutely was, and while there are still other obligations, other people to stick around for, they're free, they can go, they're not trapped by other people's omens and warnings about the future, and he spontaneously heads for the cookies, grabbing the plate and offering it to Erik.]
spam
I am sometimes. Maybe if you listened to me a bit more often...
[But he's just teasing, especially considering it's not like there's been serious communication issues between the two of them in a very, very long time.
He laughs again, and this time it's lighter, less choked, because this is real and it's happening and:]
God, Erik, we can go home. [And it is we, because as much as he knows he was never really held captive here, he was. He absolutely was, and while there are still other obligations, other people to stick around for, they're free, they can go, they're not trapped by other people's omens and warnings about the future, and he spontaneously heads for the cookies, grabbing the plate and offering it to Erik.]
Have one, they're actually quite good.