[They feel the nod more than they see it, folded together as they are. A stirring against their shoulder, against their hand. Sensing it rather than observing it, almost like the echoes of one SOUL resonating off another. As close to melding together as they can get now.]

We can find some corner nobody else wanted and make it all our own. Maybe... if we can SAVE and ERASE, maybe we can create, too. Maybe we could even make emptiness home. I don't care where it is, as long as you're there.

[They... know it's childish, know it's impossible, know it's silly and embarrassing and immature, but they slip back towards naive escapism, the impossible kind of fantasy a kid dreams up as they're huddled in their closet.

Reality's... too much. Hurts too bad. Play pretend. It's the only comfort they can think of.]

We could take care of ourselves. I can cook, I can clean, I could...

[...Shoplift. That's not very reassuring or romantic.]

I could work. I already work at the diner here, so I've got experience. We could have a place in... in a forest somewhere, away from everyone. Nobody else would know where it was. We could grow flowers, and have shelves and shelves of books.