Asta listened to him quietly, curling even closer to him and letting out a small sigh. "Ethan, can I- Can I tell you something really personal?" She asked quietly, holding him a bit tighter.

he tilted his head slightly. "Of course you can." He narrowed his eyes, suspiciously, wondering why now was a time for personal questions. Although why not tell the guy who might die your secrets. He mentally shrugged or something.

Asta let out a small sigh and glanced at him. "I'm tired. I don't- I don't want to have to fix anything anymore. I don't want to be the one who salvages my family. I've done that for as long as I can remember. I love my siblings so much, but I'm exhausted. I can't deal with Alex anymore." She whimpered slightly, sounding very... Un-Asta-like. She pressed her head into the crook of his neck amd let a few tears slip out. Those tears turned into a full on cry into his shoulder.

He really just looked at her, but his heart sank. His family was in there too. He wrapped his arm around her. He put his chin onher head lightly. "Its okay, love." He gently rubbed her back. He wanted to fix everything, how was he supposed to just let Alex kill off his home. Take the dragons. He clenched his jaw. Zeus. He shut his eyes. He missed Zeus so much.

It was a short lived cry before she tentatively pulled herself together, leaning inti his hand and sniffling. "I love you." She said softly, procrastinating before she knew she would have to go fight for her cause.

"I love you to the moon and back darling." He said in a very quiet and intimate voice. Kissing the top of her head. He was on the verge of praying for her, though he had decided nobody was upstairs at the moment, out of desperation. He loved his family but he really couldn't think of what he'd do. It had been such a short time that they were together but it was- it was so blissful. He didn't want it to end.

Asta sighed and curled a little closer into him, closing her eyes and melting into him that much farther when he spoke. "I love you more." She said softly, almost teasingly. The idea she had to leave with no idea as to when she would see him again was... catastrophic to her already torn brain. How could she rectify this situation? Nothing, in the entirety of her life and experience, had she ever come across such an important thing as this. And yet all She wanted to do was hide. Stay there, by a fire, with her love, and forget that there was a problem. But she couldn't do that. "I have to go." She muttered weakly, but there was no force behind it. There wasn't even much of an attempt to move.

Ethan laughed breathlessly. "Impossible." He murmured into her ear. His hin rested on the top of her head. Breathing evenly. His body stayed put, merely breathing. He really did want her to stay, to keep him company. It hurt when he remembered she might not come back. His chest tightened, as djd his grip on her shirt.

"I know you don't want it." He whispered. "After this is over it'll be okay. I promise. No matter what." His hesrt wrenched, promising like that. But he would do anything in his ..probably diminishing power to keep it.he relaxed slightly, his hand repositioned slightly.

(I don't know why I just wanted to)

Asta smiled faintly at his whispered comment, gently rubbing his back as she hugged him. She let his fingers clutch at her shirt and felt her heart wrench slightly at his desperation. She pressed a small kiss to his throat, essentially the only place she could reach.

She winced faintly at his somewhat empty promise. "Don't promise me that. Please, please don't promise me that. You're not a liar, and I don't want to potentially make you one." She murmured, speaking quietly against his neck. She needed to stand up and start walking off soon; otherwise she might never leave. But she couldn't manage to pull herself out of his grasp for even a moment.

Ethan shifted his weight between his feet when she kissed him. "I wouldn't lie to you, I believe it. Everything is gonna be alright darling." He murmured, running his hand up the back of her neck into her hair as he stepped away from her.

It took a lot to pull away from her, physically too. He forced himself steady, if she saw him waver she'd never go. He pulled his hand down to her waist as they parted. Looking delicately into her pretty eyes with a gentle smile. His face looked rather like it was saying I love you.