[Bruno presses a quick series of kisses to Polnareff's temple, forehead, and cheek. Quiet reassurances that Bruno is right here, that he doesn't need to feel shame over crying, and that Bruno loves him no matter what. He rubs his shoulder lightly. What he doesn't do is bother with telling Polnareff that it's not his fault. That's the sort of argument that Polnareff's probably had with himself and maybe others more than a few dozen times. It's likely so tired and worn that neither side holds much weight unless Polnareff's mood predisposes it to hold greater significance in that moment.]
[It's tempting though. It's incredibly tempting both because Bruno loves him and because he knows Polnareff to ultimately be a just and noble man. That he would ever intentionally put someone's life at risk is impossible to twist into sensible logic, and so, it seems unlikely that it's his fault in the sense he should carry guilt with him. Bruno also gets the feeling -- just from the scant mentions of Abdul in the past -- that Abdul wouldn't have been the sort of person who'd put his life at risk and regretted it. He'd be glad that Polnareff survived even if it meant that he, Abdul, didn't.]
[But Bruno's witnessed the aftermath of death enough times to know that even if reasoning can be changed, the emotions are so much more difficult. There really aren't words that one can use to counter those sorts of feelings for someone else, they have to learn to make their own peace with the circumstances. So, he rubs at Polnareff's shoulder and sits with him and his overwhelming feelings without judgment or real argument.]
Was your dream what happened or an exaggeration?
[Bruno tries to avoid, too, getting voyeuristic. There's a difference, he thinks, between Polnareff sharing what he's willing and Bruno asking for details. If that's not something Polnareff can talk about just yet, that's fine. Bruno can respect that because answering the question as it is would be enough to understand why he's so immediately upset in this moment. But the question also gives Polnareff space to talk about what happened and about Abdul. Not that either subject has ever been particularly taboo for Bruno, but he understands why there's been one for Polnareff.]
no subject
[It's tempting though. It's incredibly tempting both because Bruno loves him and because he knows Polnareff to ultimately be a just and noble man. That he would ever intentionally put someone's life at risk is impossible to twist into sensible logic, and so, it seems unlikely that it's his fault in the sense he should carry guilt with him. Bruno also gets the feeling -- just from the scant mentions of Abdul in the past -- that Abdul wouldn't have been the sort of person who'd put his life at risk and regretted it. He'd be glad that Polnareff survived even if it meant that he, Abdul, didn't.]
[But Bruno's witnessed the aftermath of death enough times to know that even if reasoning can be changed, the emotions are so much more difficult. There really aren't words that one can use to counter those sorts of feelings for someone else, they have to learn to make their own peace with the circumstances. So, he rubs at Polnareff's shoulder and sits with him and his overwhelming feelings without judgment or real argument.]
Was your dream what happened or an exaggeration?
[Bruno tries to avoid, too, getting voyeuristic. There's a difference, he thinks, between Polnareff sharing what he's willing and Bruno asking for details. If that's not something Polnareff can talk about just yet, that's fine. Bruno can respect that because answering the question as it is would be enough to understand why he's so immediately upset in this moment. But the question also gives Polnareff space to talk about what happened and about Abdul. Not that either subject has ever been particularly taboo for Bruno, but he understands why there's been one for Polnareff.]