[Jack gingerly pats Enma on the back again, frame relaxing another incremental bit after he takes another breath, a bit of a startled but warm smile creeping onto his features as the surprise continues its steady ebb away.]
[ he gives a small pat in return-- albeit not like he was touching glass, but . . . it was light. like he just now saw what he did. he intakes air, making his chest expand as the arms that are around the other's back loosens and falls to his sides, taking a step back.
he's looking at the ground, but sure enough-- his eyes are up. ]
I'm just-- [ the smile jack was giving was . . . in its own alleviating. ]
I'm . . . glad you're okay. [ the i'm sorry goes on forever, and if you let him, it'll just keep going. ]
[The hug falls away, at length--as hugs are supposed to do, as Jack reminds himself, before he starts missing the novel warmth of it too much--and Jack draws back a step himself in turn, awkwardly letting a more casual looseness seep back into his posture as he shoulders his staff again.]
[The smile that had slipped into place earlier refuses to leave now, though--and widens a bit, if anything, as Enma glances up from the ground at length and goes on to say that.]
[Far better than yet another apology, though somehow Jack finds he can pick up the strains of one in there anyway--and so he finds himself determined to dispel that, somehow, take care of this particular thing first and foremost.]
[He steps forward, and puts a free hand on Enma's shoulder--probably cold on contact, same as the rest of him probably was with the hug, but Jack hopes it manages to come off as bracing somehow anyway.]
...Hey. I know I might not look it, but I promise, it'll take a lot more than something like that to keep a guy like me down for too long. Okay? [He tilts his head a bit, smile turning a bit wry in a sad sort of way.] --That wasn't you back there, I know. You're not like that. And the way you're going out of your way to--check up, on me, like this--
[Jack pauses, breaks the sentence with a slight laugh as he glances down to the ground himself for a moment.]
--Actually, nobody's--ever asked me if I were okay, like you did, just then. In that message. ...I really appreciate that. But that's just the kind of guy you are, and even when we were talking then--with all the fires--I think you were fighting it even then, weren't you? And it helped. And now things are okay.
[...Man, did that even make any sense...Jack's honestly not sure, but then again, it's still an eternal thing in practice. Being able to directly assure people like this. But he squeezes Enma's shoulder a bit anyway, to emphasize that last bit, searching out whatever eye contact he can manage.] You don't need to keep beating yourself up over it, alright?
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...Guess I should figure that's a yes?
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he's looking at the ground, but sure enough-- his eyes are up. ]
I'm just-- [ the smile jack was giving was . . . in its own alleviating. ]
I'm . . . glad you're okay. [ the i'm sorry goes on forever, and if you let him, it'll just keep going. ]
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[The smile that had slipped into place earlier refuses to leave now, though--and widens a bit, if anything, as Enma glances up from the ground at length and goes on to say that.]
[Far better than yet another apology, though somehow Jack finds he can pick up the strains of one in there anyway--and so he finds himself determined to dispel that, somehow, take care of this particular thing first and foremost.]
[He steps forward, and puts a free hand on Enma's shoulder--probably cold on contact, same as the rest of him probably was with the hug, but Jack hopes it manages to come off as bracing somehow anyway.]
...Hey. I know I might not look it, but I promise, it'll take a lot more than something like that to keep a guy like me down for too long. Okay? [He tilts his head a bit, smile turning a bit wry in a sad sort of way.] --That wasn't you back there, I know. You're not like that. And the way you're going out of your way to--check up, on me, like this--
[Jack pauses, breaks the sentence with a slight laugh as he glances down to the ground himself for a moment.]
--Actually, nobody's--ever asked me if I were okay, like you did, just then. In that message. ...I really appreciate that. But that's just the kind of guy you are, and even when we were talking then--with all the fires--I think you were fighting it even then, weren't you? And it helped. And now things are okay.
[...Man, did that even make any sense...Jack's honestly not sure, but then again, it's still an eternal thing in practice. Being able to directly assure people like this. But he squeezes Enma's shoulder a bit anyway, to emphasize that last bit, searching out whatever eye contact he can manage.] You don't need to keep beating yourself up over it, alright?