<div align="center"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 18pt;"><strong><span class="bbc_u">On the Rocks</span></strong></span></div><br/><div class="floatleft">(https://i.imgur.com/siPDgO7.jpg)</div><strong>NAME:</strong>Albion<br/><strong>DAY:</strong>April 15th, 2021, 7:30 AM~<br/><strong>LOCATION:</strong>Albion's Flat<br/><strong>TAGGING:</strong>Nerissa<br/><strong>EXTRA:</strong>A new, groggy day... With complications<br/><strong>WEARING:</strong>As pictured, partially loose, minus tie<br/><br/><hr/><br/>"S-sorry... Just, not used to that kind of news." Albion sighed quietly, reaching forward to pet her head gently, helping to exercise his hand in the process from the lack of articulation throughout the night. This was far from the kind of news he expected to wake up to, and he reacted as negatively to it as he imagined. He just couldn't imagine doing something like that and not having the decency to stop himself... But last night he was sure he'd drunk the most alcohol he ever did, and... Maybe that could result in that gross loss of control.<em>'Hardly what I would call justification though... Oh, Neri...'</em><br/><br/>"It's not that, it's just... Complicated. I'm not sure I'm really... You know, the person you should be showing that kind of affection to. Sleeping with you is..." He trailed off with a frown. He wanted to call it dangerous, as he was afraid of seeing her as... Well, his. Being made that vulnerable was a painful thing, and yet... It was too late. Was he really just fooling himself at this point? He knew it would be painful if she was taken out of his life... Whether he was or wasn't in a relationship.<br/><br/><em>'It's like she tells me all the time... People would be sad if I went. Even you...?'</em><br/><br/>"... No  Neri, not even close... There are a lot of reasons I would and probably should die for... But just to get out of children with you was never even on my mind." He shool hisbhead. If it had come to the point where he had children on the way... Then there really was no way he could bring it upon himself to seek ways to leave the world. However the choice of conversation topics Neri brought up left him red with embarrassment as he shook his head. "I don't... Think I needed those details..." He frowned, but given how he sat, it hid the fact that he started to swell a little bit from the envisioned imagery. A mess he made of her... It was wrong though...<br/><br/>She guided his hands to her shoulders, but whether it was to comfort him or her, he wasn't sure. "I'm... Not happy... But not because it's you, but... Because of how it happened. I was just drunk out of my mind and I did these things to you... How can I be happy about just having my drunken way with you?" He looked into her eyes once she pulled his hand away to look at her. It was... Strange, the words 'Look at me!' played in his mind as he looked upon her, and then she posed her question.<br/><br/>Was it a lie? That he told her he loved her? Was it a lie that he would take care of her and her children? He looked... Lost as he stares into those golden orbs. The scariest part of all of this was... This sounded plausible. For how hard he resisted getting back into a relationship, he craved the companionship, the stability that knowing he had someone he loved by his side to keep him from doing something foolish... Now he did- He<em>could</em>have this... Because he was a drunken fool. Yet now he had a chance to secure it that he was sober, even though Nerissa seemed frustrated with his indecisiveness. She was<em>counting</em>on him to keep to his word and care for her and her potential children.<br/><br/>She had given him the cold shoulder, facing away from him as he closed his eyes. This was his chance... To try and set things right, to let her know nothing he said was a lie. His life had been miserable since days long past, and Nerissa squeezing into his life brought back some much needed light. Now... Would he discard that for what was probably just a drunken fling? He swallowed his anxiety and leaned forward, pressing bis face against her back as his arms curled around her midsection to hug.<br/><br/>"I've... I've wronged you, Nerissa. For nearly three years, you've put up with me, shown me some of the best things in a life I thought I was ready to finish but was too afraid to. You showed me not to give up even when life let you face to face with misery... I helped pick you back up and gave you the footing to try again. I kept you from doing things you might regret... And despite all of that, I wronged you last night." He mumbled rubbing his face against her- technically his, t-shirt.<br/><br/>"It... Wasn't a lie, but I just wasn't ready to jump into that much responsibility yet. But I think... In my drunken stupor, part of me was tired of living that miserable life, expecting to die alone while encouraging you to find your happiness. I... Wanted that happiness too, and... I took it last night. I'm so sorry, Nerissa... But I'm all out of reasons to die now. You said I told you I loved you last night... You said I have children on the way... What man would I be to lie and deny all of that? What kind of fool would I be to die to escape that?" He closed his eyes, guiding his hands to her belly to rub gently.<br/><br/>"It... Might take a little bit for me to come to the realization that you're more than a friend to me, Neri, but... If it secures our happiness, I'll take the chance to prove everything I said last night was true."