no subject

[He looks down at Mark's hand on his arm and listens. He honestly wasn't sure what he'd been expecting at the end of this - he's not sure what he'd been expecting at all, except for bringing someone who'd been stranded back to civilization - but he'd never considered this to be an option. A meal and a talk. Compassion and help, from someone who wasn't expecting anything of him. A lifeline.]

[Deep down, some small, neglected part of him unfurls and starts to warm, and another part curls protectively around it. He can't trust anyone like that - not anymore, or maybe just not yet - but maybe this is a start.]

[And he really does need someone to talk with.]

[He meets Mark's smile with one of his own, small and achingly genuine.]

Thanks. That sounds great.

[A beat, and then:]

I should probably get you off this roof first, huh.