<span style="font-size: 15px"><span style="font-family:Open Sans">“It's just hair. It's me. You <i>know</i> now it's me.” Eivind didn't think it mattered so much what he looked like underneath the beard. He understood how he'd frightened him, but why couldn't it go back to normal then? Eivind wanted to touch Blue, and to run fingers over him like he usually did. He wanted to spread kisses all over his body in apology, and he wanted Blue to touch his face so that he was certain. He crawled over, begging Blue to let him. Blue was seeing him, but he wasn't moved by Eivind's supplication. He was saying something about a signal, and saying that Eivind couldn't do that again. Eivind was <i>trying</i> to understand how to prevent it. He was saying more then, and Eivind flinched as if Blue had kicked him instead. <br/>
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His mate's words cut Eivind to the bone. Why wouldn't he be there? Did Blue not believe that he was capable of protecting him? He'd told him time and time again that nothing was going to happen. Eivind had shown him what he was willing to do to keep him safe, what he <i>wouldn't</i> allow. He'd killed for Blue right after laying eyes on him. He'd do it again a hundred times over. <br/>
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“I'll be there, when you need me. I won't..” <i>I won't fuck up again</i>. Not where it really counted anyway. Not when it came to someone hurting Blue. He didn't say it out loud. The words caught in his throat, threatening to choke him and he just stopped. Blue was telling him to get up, and Eivind was looking at him again. Had that been the wrong choice? Should he have done something different? Eivind didn't know, and Blue locked himself in the bathroom, leaving Eivind to try to process everything that had just happened. He reached to touch his own face, wishing that he could take it all back. <br/>
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Eivind had taken the time while Blue was in the bathroom to get dressed. He didn't know what else to do, but being naked didn't seem appropriate. He brushed his still damp hair back from his face, but didn't bother with actually combing it. The last thing he was actually thinking about right then was meeting Blue's parents. <br/>
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He body language was more neutral when Blue came into the doorway, but that was because he was carefully keeping it that way. He wanted to touch Blue, deeply, but he knew better. He'd asked before, and his lack of answer had been as good as a denial, so he wouldn't press his luck then. He didn't want to touch Blue if he didn't want to be touched by him. That was exactly the point of the conversation, and Eivind didn't want to be compared to one of them again like he'd been before. Blue had composed himself, but to Eivind, he still seemed upset. Perhaps not as angry, but he wasn't entirely certain. Human body language was difficult for him, deceitful even, but he'd thought he'd been doing well reading Blue. His mate asked if he was hungry. <br/>
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“Oh. Sure,” Eivind told him. He wasn't as hungry as he was before, more concerned, but he could eat. He could always eat. He let Blue get dressed, remaining on the bed, but not sneaking peeks, or blatantly watching like he might have under normal circumstances. They went downstairs together. It was early for breakfast. They were just putting things out, but it also meant they were the only ones there. Eivind was a little thankful for that. He didn't want to deal with anyone else at that moment. He was careful again, perhaps more so than the first time Blue had scolded him over doing something wrong. He wasn't talkative. Eivind didn't know what to say, but he tried to proceed normally. He piled his plate high as usual. The food gave him something to do, rather than sitting there, looking guilty, but it was tasteless. <br/>
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Eivind should have been used to the feeling of fucking up. He'd not cared so much when he'd let others down, but for whatever reason, he'd decided he was going to put forth all his effort into getting things right with Blue. His small successes didn't mean so much to him when he turned around and did something so incredibly insensitive. Blue's words rang in his ears, of how his senses made him feel. Eivind should have known. He should have asked, and better anticipated how to meet Blue's needs. He should have gone out of his way to make sure not to cut Blue off from the senses that were strongest to him. Eivind didn't want him to feel panicked. As his mate, it was his job to make him feel secure, not to invoke a fear response.</span></span>