[He watches for a moment as Zelos settles down on the bed again--and follows to sit down on the edge himself, right next to the guy, in a surprisingly normal semblance of posture; frame folds in, staff gets laid across his knees with both hands curled around the middle. Hopefully Zelos doesn't mind the chilly proximity...]
[He sits, and he listens, as Zelos sets down the surprisingly honest confession. Never had a relationship...Jack's not entirely sure whether to feel surprised about that or not. Because Zelos does command the fluid ease and confidence of a guy that gets around, no doubt about it--but then again, that isn't exactly the same thing anyway, now is it...? So Zelos confirms himself, moments after the fact, and Jack flicks a glance sideways at him as he then goes on to say that fragmented bit, and press a hand to his face...]
[He goes on to say that last bit, and Jack turns his head to get a well and proper look at him, with a very real frown now in place. Because it does click, now, and it does make a bit more sense, but--geez--]
...That's gotta be one of the most terrible plans I've ever heard of. And I've heard a lot of really bad plans. [So the words finally rise up, at length, and if there's a fleck of reprimand in there, well--maybe that's not entirely incidental.] The world would not be better off, and your sister--
[A bit of a break, then, as he glances away and stares down at the staff across his knees again, for a moment.]
--That's a terrible thing to do to your sister. Don't do that to your sister.
[And his hands tighten around his staff, and there's a certain sort of tightness to his voice, right there--]
[But no, now's not the time to let his own feelings seep into something that's still not--really any of his business. And he almost regrets saying that already, but that had been past memories speaking out, centuries spent defending the happiness of small children of the elder-and-younger sibling variety and otherwise, and the poignant image of feeling the ground crack, fall away, with his one last sight being the look on her face--]
[It's just a moment's pause--an inhale and an exhale--and with that, the tenseness drains away. Another moment, and then Jack leans over very slightly, just enough to bump a shoulder with the latter and simply leave it at that for now. Because he feels like it, and he'd always wondered what it might be like, seeing other people do it.]
[...It's warm. The kind of warm that stays and sinks, and doesn't pass through and ring hollow. And now his own eyes are set forward, looking at nothing in particular.]
Doesn't matter anyway, I guess. Tried to run away all you could, but here you are now. S'what really counts in the end, doesn't it?
[He's quiet again for a few moments, after that.]
I just...it's kind of crazy. Well, to me. I've--gone around for a long time, and it's everywhere, always, doesn't matter what might be going on or how bad things are. ...There's always been people together. But a guy like me, though...I. Figured it'd be something I'd never reach, y'know? So I never...
[He trails off, then. Because the words run out, and finding the rest of them is still more harder than not, all things considered...but if Zelos is going to put in the effort for this, Jack figures he might as well too.]
no subject
[He sits, and he listens, as Zelos sets down the surprisingly honest confession. Never had a relationship...Jack's not entirely sure whether to feel surprised about that or not. Because Zelos does command the fluid ease and confidence of a guy that gets around, no doubt about it--but then again, that isn't exactly the same thing anyway, now is it...? So Zelos confirms himself, moments after the fact, and Jack flicks a glance sideways at him as he then goes on to say that fragmented bit, and press a hand to his face...]
[He goes on to say that last bit, and Jack turns his head to get a well and proper look at him, with a very real frown now in place. Because it does click, now, and it does make a bit more sense, but--geez--]
...That's gotta be one of the most terrible plans I've ever heard of. And I've heard a lot of really bad plans. [So the words finally rise up, at length, and if there's a fleck of reprimand in there, well--maybe that's not entirely incidental.] The world would not be better off, and your sister--
[A bit of a break, then, as he glances away and stares down at the staff across his knees again, for a moment.]
--That's a terrible thing to do to your sister. Don't do that to your sister.
[And his hands tighten around his staff, and there's a certain sort of tightness to his voice, right there--]
[But no, now's not the time to let his own feelings seep into something that's still not--really any of his business. And he almost regrets saying that already, but that had been past memories speaking out, centuries spent defending the happiness of small children of the elder-and-younger sibling variety and otherwise, and the poignant image of feeling the ground crack, fall away, with his one last sight being the look on her face--]
[It's just a moment's pause--an inhale and an exhale--and with that, the tenseness drains away. Another moment, and then Jack leans over very slightly, just enough to bump a shoulder with the latter and simply leave it at that for now. Because he feels like it, and he'd always wondered what it might be like, seeing other people do it.]
[...It's warm. The kind of warm that stays and sinks, and doesn't pass through and ring hollow. And now his own eyes are set forward, looking at nothing in particular.]
Doesn't matter anyway, I guess. Tried to run away all you could, but here you are now. S'what really counts in the end, doesn't it?
[He's quiet again for a few moments, after that.]
I just...it's kind of crazy. Well, to me. I've--gone around for a long time, and it's everywhere, always, doesn't matter what might be going on or how bad things are. ...There's always been people together. But a guy like me, though...I. Figured it'd be something I'd never reach, y'know? So I never...
[He trails off, then. Because the words run out, and finding the rest of them is still more harder than not, all things considered...but if Zelos is going to put in the effort for this, Jack figures he might as well too.]
[Easier said than done, but well.]