[This time, Gai actually stops and pulls away, a look of genuine surprise on his face. He'd known she missed him; she hadn't made that any secret, not with the way she'd wept and clung to him when he returned. That part wasn't the surprise.
That it still affected her even now, and that she'd made such a vow... that's the part that does surprise him, because despite all of her reassurances, there's still a deep-seated insecurity that he is, ultimately, replaceable.]
Elizabeth...
[The sense of awe in his voice is audible. Awe, and reverence, and a note of something else that isn't quite identifiable right away.
September 26th - The Marathon
That it still affected her even now, and that she'd made such a vow... that's the part that does surprise him, because despite all of her reassurances, there's still a deep-seated insecurity that he is, ultimately, replaceable.]
Elizabeth...
[The sense of awe in his voice is audible. Awe, and reverence, and a note of something else that isn't quite identifiable right away.
He's truly, honestly touched by her words.]