Perhaps Aoba had a fortunate advantage in this way: this world wasn’t his own. He may have learned the words for the different kinds of Guardians and had a rough idea of each’s role, but he had no innate assumptions. Declan was quiet compared to many, sure, and especially so in comparison to people Aoba had seen around him like Mac and Cayde-6, but never would Aoba dismiss his kindness, thoughtfulness, and generosity for it.
So Declan spoke and Aoba listened, patient as the big Guardian pieced together some surprisingly poetic imagery with his unpracticed words…even if he had trouble imagining his pale, statuesque benefactor anything like angry. Two weeks from their meeting, and even if most of their interactions had been over those video calls, Aoba had yet to see anything that made him think the man deserved to be called ‘Decker’.
At the offer to lock the Heart away, which seemed to Aoba to run counter to everything he’d just been advised, he put his hand out and over Declan’s wrist again.
“You don’t have to put it away, Declan. It’s not like I’m…afraid of it or anything.”
“Aoba-”
“No, Ren,” he cut off his Allmate again, though this time he softened the words by stroking between Ren’s ears with his free hand. “I mean, sure, it’s all really confusing and, honestly, kind of upsetting to suddenly learn there’s a part of me I don’t even know, and that Granny never told me about, but….”
Aoba fumbles briefly, trying to piece it all together. He can look at the Heart again if he really wants to, maybe, but as much as he finds himself resisting the suggestion of locking it away from himself, the argument against it that he settles on ends up being something far less complicated.
“…You brought that back for me, Declan. I want to be able to see it in my collection along with all the other pieces, too.”
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So Declan spoke and Aoba listened, patient as the big Guardian pieced together some surprisingly poetic imagery with his unpracticed words…even if he had trouble imagining his pale, statuesque benefactor anything like angry. Two weeks from their meeting, and even if most of their interactions had been over those video calls, Aoba had yet to see anything that made him think the man deserved to be called ‘Decker’.
At the offer to lock the Heart away, which seemed to Aoba to run counter to everything he’d just been advised, he put his hand out and over Declan’s wrist again.
“You don’t have to put it away, Declan. It’s not like I’m…afraid of it or anything.”
“Aoba-”
“No, Ren,” he cut off his Allmate again, though this time he softened the words by stroking between Ren’s ears with his free hand. “I mean, sure, it’s all really confusing and, honestly, kind of upsetting to suddenly learn there’s a part of me I don’t even know, and that Granny never told me about, but….”
Aoba fumbles briefly, trying to piece it all together. He can look at the Heart again if he really wants to, maybe, but as much as he finds himself resisting the suggestion of locking it away from himself, the argument against it that he settles on ends up being something far less complicated.
“…You brought that back for me, Declan. I want to be able to see it in my collection along with all the other pieces, too.”