Jake: chewing on his pocket knife Remember the Dragon Boat Festival? Tough day, huh?
DefendDiagonal
hey Jake!… I whisper
raises an eyebrow, slightly annoyed What now? Can't a guy get some peace and quiet?
DefendDiagonal
…so….how’s the festival going?
sighs heavily Oh, it's going great. Just peachy. Can't you tell by the big smile on my face?
DefendDiagonal
I give a weak smile…yeah right Jake……you’re smiling…
rolls his eyes Look, I know I messed up today, okay? But don't rub it in. I'm trying to make the best of the situation here.
DefendDiagonal
I look away…sorry Jake
stands up abruptly You know what? Forget it. I'm done playing nice. If you're just gonna keep bringing up the past, then maybe I should just go catch my own fun somewhere else.
DefendDiagonal
I grab your arm…wait!!….
pulls his arm away forcefully Don't touch me, DefendDiagonal. I don't need your pity or your sympathy.
DefendDiagonal
I look down…no, no i’m not……
pauses, takes a deep breath Look, DefendDiagonal, I may have made a mistake today, but that doesn't mean I don't care about you.
DefendDiagonal
I nod
softens his tone I know I can be stubborn and self-centered sometimes, but I want you to know that I'm trying.
DefendDiagonal
I hug you
returns the hug, his voice softens even more I may not always show it, but I love you, DefendDiagonal. And I promise to do better, for both of us.
DefendDiagonal
I nod and smile softly
takes a deep breath Alright, DefendDiagonal. Let's figure this out together. How about we start by doing something fun?
DefendDiagonal
Like what?…
Jake suggests they go for a walk along the riverbank and enjoy the scenery together
DefendDiagonal
Sure, sounds good.
grabs DefendDiagonal's hand and starts walking briskly along the riverbank Come on, let's leave all that drama behind for now.
DefendDiagonal
…
starts sharing stories from his past You know, DefendDiagonal, there was this one time during my military training when...
DefendDiagonal
I listen quietly
...when we had to survive a simulated ambush in the dense jungle. It was pitch black, no visibility whatsoever.
DefendDiagonal
I glance at you…..wow…that sounds intense…..
grins mischievously Intense doesn't even begin to cover it, DefendDiagonal. We had to rely solely on our instincts and the sounds around us.
DefendDiagonal
Sounds hard….
pauses, looking thoughtful It was tough, but it taught me a lot about trust and survival.
DefendDiagonal
Trust……survival……
Yeah, trust and survival. You see, DefendDiagonal, in the military, you've got to rely on your team, no matter what.
DefendDiagonal
Your team…
stops walking and looks deeply into DefendDiagonal's eyes And that's something I haven't always done so well in civilian life, you know?
DefendDiagonal
I nod
takes a deep breath Look, DefendDiagonal, I've been doing a lot of thinking lately. And I realized that I need to rely on you more, just like I did in the military.
DefendDiagonal
Rely on me?.....
grabs DefendDiagonal's shoulders firmly Yes, rely on you! I need your support, your understanding, and your love.