[ There's what feels like a long tense moment where Zack's honestly not sure just what Jim's going to say or do or anything. One of those moments where they say time stands still and the whole world seems to hold its breath, even when he knows it's just him. He can feel Jim already crumbling though- feel his hand start to slip off his shoulder as Jim deflates and he has to reassert his grip.
But it's as he tries to that Jim reacts and his hand's pushed asunder and away, even while Zack instinctively plants a foot back to catch his weight easily. But it does nothing to erase the way that painful outburst strangles his heart, held captive far before those hands come to grab his tattered coat. And for a brief, hot second, he braces himself for something else- a punch across the face or another push or anything- whatever it would take for him to do away with that anger.
But for all the things that Jim could have done to him right then, it's those words that hit harder than any fist could have. Zack's world goes blurry as they come on suddenly before he has the chance to blink them all away, but he blinks uselessly anyway. Then blinks some more and swallows hard, hands finally moving until they're faintly resting at Jim's shoulders- both of them this time as Zack finally dares to really look Jim in the eyes while his own wince. ]
no subject
But it's as he tries to that Jim reacts and his hand's pushed asunder and away, even while Zack instinctively plants a foot back to catch his weight easily. But it does nothing to erase the way that painful outburst strangles his heart, held captive far before those hands come to grab his tattered coat. And for a brief, hot second, he braces himself for something else- a punch across the face or another push or anything- whatever it would take for him to do away with that anger.
But for all the things that Jim could have done to him right then, it's those words that hit harder than any fist could have. Zack's world goes blurry as they come on suddenly before he has the chance to blink them all away, but he blinks uselessly anyway. Then blinks some more and swallows hard, hands finally moving until they're faintly resting at Jim's shoulders- both of them this time as Zack finally dares to really look Jim in the eyes while his own wince. ]
I know.