Dancing On Ice

Rebuilding Reality

Perry had no reply for that.

He couldn't relate to the pain she was feeling.

He had never hurt in such a way.

He hadn't felt his heart shatter in an instant.

He had never faced the reality that he could never, ever compare to someone else.

He couldn't compete on the same level as Dalton at the moment because he couldn't be himself, he was playing Human, it wasn't the same as competing as himself in his true form. But there was nothing to make him believe he couldn't compare to Dalton – in his true form or not.

Aeralie... had just witnessed first-hand that she couldn't compare.

And it ached to see her anger and pain in the harsh moonlight and know there was nothing he could do to change it.

"I... Aeralie, I know you loved him but—"

"I didn't love him!" Aeralie snarled, making him stop. "Don't you get it? That's the point! I was never in love with him! I was in love with a dream and they're so much harder to let go of because there's never a flaw in them!"

Perry winced at the honesty of it all.

Not only had she faced a broken heart, she was facing the reality of her own foolishness.

He didn't know what to say.

For a second, he honestly wished one of his parents was sat in his place instead of him. They would know what to say. They had witnessed the same shattering dream of their own daughter. Well, maybe not his father, he was too extreme, but his mother... what would she say?

He had no idea.

He couldn't think of the words that could comfort.

He looked down at the freezing water that brushed against his legs.

Aeralie sat in front of him, trying to compose herself.

Without thinking, he reached forwards and slid his arms around her, pulling her forwards and into a hug.

"I'm sorry," he muttered and her surprise stopped her from fighting him.

He gathered her closer, looking up at the sky, brow furrowing before he squeezed tightly and pressed his face to her hair.

"I'm sorry," he said again, "I'm sorry you feel this way. I'm sorry I can't help you. I'm sorry you met with such a harsh reality and I'm sorry Kazimir isn't the one here for you because I think you would welcome him more than me. I know I'm just an outsider and for that I am sorry... because I can't make this better... I can't fix this."

Aeralie knelt in his arms for as moment, her lips pressed to his collarbone, staring over the top of his shoulder.

She slowly blinked.

Once.

Twice.

Then looked at him out of the corner of her eyes.

She was still for a moment, then reached up and settled her arms around him, closing her eyes.

"It's alright," she muttered, her tone reassuring, tilting her head to the side to lean against him. "It's alright; you don't need to be sorry for anything. I'm sorry for screaming at you, for showing you this... mess."

Perry shook his head and held her tighter.

Aeralie fell quiet for a while, her rolling heart slowly settling in his arms.