[Now the weight of emotion pulls back in William's direction, and Albert can feel how conflicted his brother is. He does love him, deeply and dearly, more than he's ever loved another. Probably more than he ever will love someone else. But Albert is trying so desperately hard to be the man he ought to be, upright and true, instead of the man that their time necessitated.
He knows, somewhere in his heart, that he'll kill again. He hates that he knows this, that he'll never be able to close that book entirely. That he will always have spilled blood, deserved or not. That he will always have taken in equal measure to giving.
As much as he's glad to hear William give him this, it makes his chest ache. Surely this is what William wants, too, isn't it? Peace? Some chance to change things from a different vantage point?
He runs his fingertips along William's cheek, knowing he's said the wrong thing again in invoking another man in his presence after begging a favor. He's taken too much. He ought to be giving William the world, after William delivered it to Louis and himself... no matter what Albert himself did to mar that ending.
His hand curves gently along William's cheek, then slips under his chin to tip his head up.]
Don't speak with such resignation. I missed your fire just as much.
[Kissing him gently on the lips, Albert tries to seal things more kindly.]
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He knows, somewhere in his heart, that he'll kill again. He hates that he knows this, that he'll never be able to close that book entirely. That he will always have spilled blood, deserved or not. That he will always have taken in equal measure to giving.
As much as he's glad to hear William give him this, it makes his chest ache. Surely this is what William wants, too, isn't it? Peace? Some chance to change things from a different vantage point?
He runs his fingertips along William's cheek, knowing he's said the wrong thing again in invoking another man in his presence after begging a favor. He's taken too much. He ought to be giving William the world, after William delivered it to Louis and himself... no matter what Albert himself did to mar that ending.
His hand curves gently along William's cheek, then slips under his chin to tip his head up.]
Don't speak with such resignation. I missed your fire just as much.
[Kissing him gently on the lips, Albert tries to seal things more kindly.]