"He's fine. Everyone's fine," Joel says and Coop says his face doesn't hurt, but Joel pushes his fingers into his pocket anyway and withdraws the potion, holding it out toward his friend. He knows he's capable of healing, but he has a feeling Coop would probably refuse most attempts at help, he's certain he's still blaming himself for his behaviour, and sees any pain he feels as something he deserves. Joel doesn't want him to think like that. He doesn't want to think something like this, something beyond their control, something done to them might actually hurt their friendship in any way. Perhaps it isn't the easiest thing to get over on the other side of things, Joel knows he feels guilty enough for having hit Coop at all, but he at least wants it to be obvious he isn't angry. He wants to at least leave the door open for things to get easier, for their friendship to be repaired.
It's funny, a year ago he might not have cared so much if he lost his friends, but now he's in this place and he does care. Quite a lot. Coop has given him a hard time for as long as they've known each other and years ago Joel would have said he'd be glad to be rid of him, because at least then he wouldn't have to deal with the come ons. But now he isn't sure what he'd do without Coop. He's consistently proven himself to be a good friend, supportive when it matters the most, and more than willing to put his own safety on the line in order to help people he cares about. That's the kind of person Joel wants in his life. That's the kind of person he wants his baby to know. He wants his child to be sure they can turn to Coop if they ever need something their fathers can't provide.
"Take it," he says, his voice soft as he gives the potion a little shake. "It'll help. No one's angry with you." And not only because it all worked out. He wants Coop to know that he wouldn't be angry either way. There's nothing to be done about it, they'd all been put under a spell and they'd all been playing the parts assigned to them. Joel's thought about it a lot, he's been wondering who might be responsible, he's been trying to figure out the intricacies of the magic involved because he knows it's complex and powerful. Right now there's only one witch in town he thinks might be capable of it and he hates that he's thinking it at all given how much Nerium has helped him.
But it's the sort of thing she would do. And it disappoints him so much to be thinking it.
no subject
It's funny, a year ago he might not have cared so much if he lost his friends, but now he's in this place and he does care. Quite a lot. Coop has given him a hard time for as long as they've known each other and years ago Joel would have said he'd be glad to be rid of him, because at least then he wouldn't have to deal with the come ons. But now he isn't sure what he'd do without Coop. He's consistently proven himself to be a good friend, supportive when it matters the most, and more than willing to put his own safety on the line in order to help people he cares about. That's the kind of person Joel wants in his life. That's the kind of person he wants his baby to know. He wants his child to be sure they can turn to Coop if they ever need something their fathers can't provide.
"Take it," he says, his voice soft as he gives the potion a little shake. "It'll help. No one's angry with you." And not only because it all worked out. He wants Coop to know that he wouldn't be angry either way. There's nothing to be done about it, they'd all been put under a spell and they'd all been playing the parts assigned to them. Joel's thought about it a lot, he's been wondering who might be responsible, he's been trying to figure out the intricacies of the magic involved because he knows it's complex and powerful. Right now there's only one witch in town he thinks might be capable of it and he hates that he's thinking it at all given how much Nerium has helped him.
But it's the sort of thing she would do. And it disappoints him so much to be thinking it.