[He keeps the petting motion in Nick's hair, soft but present, something he hopes is grounding as well as soothing and locks the tops of the wings close to block out as much of the ambient light of the Down out other than what filters in from below.]

You're getting through it right now. Doing this, talking, feeling, it hurts but that's cause you're letting it bleed. Sometimes that's what's gotta happen to feel better.

I bottled something up for three years once...it blew up in my face and the faces of everyone I loved and I yelled at them. They didn't deserve it, but I'd let it get bad. I did think about running away then.