#that realisation i just had when the tag for him didn't proc that i've never actually written him before xDD

[worldly-diversity]

@armycfones​ ○ 𝕝𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥𝕟𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕒𝕤𝕜𝕖𝕕 𝕙𝕠𝕡𝕖 ○

          ⤷  『  ❝  i know you’ve always got my back.  ❞  』

He might not always feel exactly like he's up to the task, but the words still mean a lot, especially coming from someone like Lightning, who he admires and looks up to and who had gone out of her way to give him some guidance when he'd needed it, even if she'd been struggling a lot herself at the time and it had coloured the advice she'd given him.

Nevertheless, he'd taken the life lessons to heart and while he was still scared most of the time with all the crazy things going on around them all, having everyone there to watch out for each other and being able to return the favour had a lot more value than someone just standing by and watching might think. He's an active participant and not just some victim of circumstance, and there's power in that. Uh, somehow, anyway.

"Uh, yeah. Of course, Light. And… Thanks for always having mine, too."

Sure, he can't wait to see the back end of this particular nightmare, but nevertheless he still wouldn't want to give up all the experiences he's had and the friends he's made or the things he's learned in exchange from that kind of pain-free existence he'd known before.

Does that mean he doesn't wish he could go back sometimes? Of course not. He misses his mother dearly and everything's complicated and everyone is hurting one way or another, but he can't turn back time or find some way to bring her back to life, so this is what he's got and he'll do his best with that.

It'll have to be enough, it's all he's got after all.

.