Just kidding... CAN YOU IMAGINE. But no--he takes it, or more accurately, lets Eunhyuk put it down on his lap before he slowly, carefully, eases it open. Not so much because the items inside are delicate, but because the stiffness and tension within him haven't fully eased up, even though he knows he's safe from sudden pain for at least a little while. It's not the first time he's been in this situation, but he can't help the paranoia. Not when he's already so frustrated about failing to keep this episode hidden from Eunhyuk, which had been the entire goal of slipping away to Arpechele so early in the morning.
The thought makes him hesitate, devotion warring with his innate desire to run, to hide--things he won't be able to do anymore, if he goes through with this. With any luck, it won't be a problem much longer, but after today's failures, Luke is not optimistic. It doesn't matter that he has multiple failsafes in place, that barring a catastrophic anomaly, he has more than one way to guarantee his life won't end as abruptly as it did on the ship. It's willingly showing any weakness, any pain and suffering at all, that he's struggling to accept.
Perhaps it's appropriate that the box on his lap doesn't feel like a gift, or even an apology, when it wasn't meant for Eunhyuk in the first place. But if it can't be those things, then maybe it can be... atonement, for today, and a promise for tomorrow. He wants Eunhyuk to see the truth of him even less than he did when they were strangers--but he can't bear the thought of pushing him away with his lies, even if they both know they're well-intentioned.
He takes an unsteady breath, and finally sets the lid aside. Inside the box is a bracelet, along with a small device--like a tablet, only much more compact. Quietly, he reaches in and snaps the bracelet on his own wrist; it fits perfectly, clearly already adjusted, or perhaps specifically made.
With that done, he reaches back inside, and turns the device on; as it flickers to life, the screen reads syncing. Luke presses it into Eunhyuk's hands before he can change his mind and backtrack out of this.]
...It's a health monitor. It'll let you track my physical condition, even when we're apart. [He pauses, pressing his lips together. Admits--] This one was supposed to be for Aaron. I wanted to give you... a modified one. After... [...] After this was over.
[A show of trust and love--not only in Eunhyuk, but in his own health, after the sickness plaguing him was finally eradicated. But a half-lie, in its own way; he'd only wanted Eunhyuk to have this once there was nothing frightening or depressing to see on that screen.
This, though... even if it's awful and terrifying, it also feels like the right thing to do. Like the only possible thing he can offer in response to Eunhyuk's gentle I want to. If he can't promise truth in words, he can at least offer this--data and science, the very things he's counting on to survive.]
no subject
Just kidding... CAN YOU IMAGINE. But no--he takes it, or more accurately, lets Eunhyuk put it down on his lap before he slowly, carefully, eases it open. Not so much because the items inside are delicate, but because the stiffness and tension within him haven't fully eased up, even though he knows he's safe from sudden pain for at least a little while. It's not the first time he's been in this situation, but he can't help the paranoia. Not when he's already so frustrated about failing to keep this episode hidden from Eunhyuk, which had been the entire goal of slipping away to Arpechele so early in the morning.
The thought makes him hesitate, devotion warring with his innate desire to run, to hide--things he won't be able to do anymore, if he goes through with this. With any luck, it won't be a problem much longer, but after today's failures, Luke is not optimistic. It doesn't matter that he has multiple failsafes in place, that barring a catastrophic anomaly, he has more than one way to guarantee his life won't end as abruptly as it did on the ship. It's willingly showing any weakness, any pain and suffering at all, that he's struggling to accept.
Perhaps it's appropriate that the box on his lap doesn't feel like a gift, or even an apology, when it wasn't meant for Eunhyuk in the first place. But if it can't be those things, then maybe it can be... atonement, for today, and a promise for tomorrow. He wants Eunhyuk to see the truth of him even less than he did when they were strangers--but he can't bear the thought of pushing him away with his lies, even if they both know they're well-intentioned.
He takes an unsteady breath, and finally sets the lid aside. Inside the box is a bracelet, along with a small device--like a tablet, only much more compact. Quietly, he reaches in and snaps the bracelet on his own wrist; it fits perfectly, clearly already adjusted, or perhaps specifically made.
With that done, he reaches back inside, and turns the device on; as it flickers to life, the screen reads syncing. Luke presses it into Eunhyuk's hands before he can change his mind and backtrack out of this.]
...It's a health monitor. It'll let you track my physical condition, even when we're apart. [He pauses, pressing his lips together. Admits--] This one was supposed to be for Aaron. I wanted to give you... a modified one. After... [...] After this was over.
[A show of trust and love--not only in Eunhyuk, but in his own health, after the sickness plaguing him was finally eradicated. But a half-lie, in its own way; he'd only wanted Eunhyuk to have this once there was nothing frightening or depressing to see on that screen.
This, though... even if it's awful and terrifying, it also feels like the right thing to do. Like the only possible thing he can offer in response to Eunhyuk's gentle I want to. If he can't promise truth in words, he can at least offer this--data and science, the very things he's counting on to survive.]