Into every life, a little rain must fall

[Aqua]

"I don't know," Emily gave a forced smile. "I think I might go back to my room and lock myself in there." If Jarod didn't find her first, she reminded herself.

[Pietro Maximoff]

"Will that help?" ::Pietro asked. It was not a challenge, merely an attempt to understand how she functioned. He, himself, could not sulk without letting loose his emotions in an intense burst.::

[Aqua]

"I don't know," Emily said, "sometimes I feel better hiding. Not right now, but it won't last long."

[Pietro Maximoff]

"If you remain hidden for more than two days, I will seek you," ::Pietro said, not a trace of humor in his tone.::

[Aqua]

"Please do," Emily nodded, being as serious as he was. Three days barely without food, sulking in her room, seemed enough; if she didn't get a grip on herself eventually, she most probably risked getting sick. She knew her little depressed state would pass eventually, like it always had, she just never knew how long it would last.

[Pietro Maximoff]

"I will," ::Pietro gave his word. Should he not see her, he would knock on her door, and make camp, if necessary.::

[Aqua]

Emily closed her eyes for a second, allowing her emotions form a small smile on her lips. It always felt so good when people cared. Didn't happen often, though. As far as she could remember her being here, the only people that actually cared more than was politely necessary had been Pietro and Jarod. And she felt drawn towards both of them. She asked herself if, had it been a hundred people, she would have been drawn towards the entire hundred, and found no answer, but the question itself - the fact that it had to be asked - was already worrying her. She wondered how she would continue bearing it, being attracted towards both guys at once.

There had to be some way to solve it, but she couldn't think of a diplomatic way of doing it, and it felt like she would just be putting her foot in her mouth if she found courage to ask something relevant. Therefore she just forced herself to limit her words to a simple "Thank you."

[Pietro Maximoff]

::The pause between Pietro's promise and Emily's gratitude had been long, even when his perception of time had been factored. Her own thoughts no doubt raced as well, and he ould not pry into them. He was a private person, and paid others the same courtesy he expected. He meant his next words, because he felt a connection to Emily, a desire to protect her.:: "You're welcome."

[Aqua]

It sounded like their conversation was reaching its logical end. Emily knew she had to solve the matter that had been bothering her, but didn't know whether she had enough courage to do so. She and Pietro had a comparatively close relationship - by her standards, at least; he seemed to always help and ready be there for her, but her question would have to be more personal than that, and she had no idea whether she had the right to ask. Still, something told her that he wouldn't deny her an answer.

"I needed to talk to you," she said finally, a noncommittal alternative to what she was going to ask. "But I guess I'm probably not ready for that kind of talk yet."

[Pietro Maximoff]

::Pietro shifted his gaze from the lake downward to her eyes. It was a particularly round-about statement, a manner of speaking he had not heard from Emily before.:: "Are you not ready, or are you afraid I will bite?"

[Aqua]

"I'm not ready," Emily said. "I need to formulate it all in my head first properly. I don't want to just blurt out something I will later regret, as it often happens."

[Pietro Maximoff]

::Pietro nodded one, accepting that. He had no wish to drag words from her, when he did not appreciate being forced.:: "When you are ready, we can speak."

[Aqua]

Emily nodded as well. "Then, it seems, it will be me who will seek you," she said.

[Pietro Maximoff]

"Unless I do not see you in two days," ::Pietro corrected her. If that were to happen, he would not press for her to speak on that topic. Instead, he would make certain she survived.::

[Aqua]

Emily fixed her eyes on his face. She felt the strongest urge to hug him, just for saying this. His words did make her feel protected, even though now the only kind of protection she needed at the moment was protection from herself. But she didn't dare, having never been the one to initiate any kind of physical contact, friendly hugs included. She had to compensate that urge by speaking. "That alone makes me feel better," she admitted aloud. "I guess I'll survive on this knowledge."