[ it's a joke, or at least he tells himself that it is, smiles like it is, and casually dismisses it as if that little worry isn't burrowing its way into the back of his mind. he'll ponder it later, because he doesn't have the time to watch it fester right now, not in the face of this other looming crisis that he thinks he's already handling poorly. ]

I just don't want you to be blindsided, is all.

[ his voice drops, hating his matter-of-fact tone like he's discussing the weather and not an injustice of monumental proportions. he hates that he has to think about this at all. alina's defensiveness is misplaced but he understands it all the same, trying to think of a way to diffuse this before either of them can possibly feel any worse. ]

I know how it feels to have something incredibly personal taken away and made a mockery of. [ the dark blanket of the sky surrounds them now, stars winking into existence, reflected in the steady waters. he keeps his gaze on the sliver of moon rippling gently over the surface. ] It's true that there's likely nothing we can do to stop it from eventually happening. But I'll be there for you when it does, if — if that's what you want.