forgetting

[willrememberthat]

[Ben]

[Don't think Clementine doesn't see you talking to Ellie, Ben. It wasn't too long ago that Ben had mentioned he had a thing with her, and Clementine is far from stupid--she knows what this means. Ellie probably left, came back, and now Ben's just... what? Going to play along?

She can't really fault him for that, but she's pretty sure he doesn't have a lot of people to talk to about this. Even if he did, he wouldn't. Ben doesn't really ever talk about things unless backed into a corner.

So, Clem makes the first move.]

Ben? Are you okay?

Comments

[willrememberthat]

There are rules, though. One being that you have to say something if you're sad.

[indirectcause]

[Noooooo his precious brooding.]

...Really?

[willrememberthat]

Really. There's no reason for you to be alone in anything.

[indirectcause]

Sometimes, I prefer it that way.

[Not that it's even marginally healthy for him, mind.]

[willrememberthat]

Why?

[He can't REALLY like it, could he?]

[indirectcause]

I like having time to my thoughts.

[willrememberthat]

[She could ask and get a more direct answer, but she decides to be kind.]

My thoughts aren't very good when I'm alone.

[indirectcause]

[How good of her.]

...No, I guess not.

[willrememberthat]

They're not as bad when I have someone around, like you or Lee. I'm sure it's the same for you, right?

[indirectcause]

[Except when the crushing guilt threatens to consume him.]

...Yeah, sometimes.

[willrememberthat]

Then talk about the bad stuff. I'm not going to judge you.

[indirectcause]

There's some bad stuff I don't want to talk about.

[He never wants to know how he gave up, completely and totally. How much he was ready to accept and even welcome death. There are some things she doesn't need to know.]

[willrememberthat]

Why?

[She just wants to help.]

[indirectcause]

Because I don't want to worry anyone.

[willrememberthat]

I'm more worried when you don't say anything.

[indirectcause]

...I'm sorry about that. [Hey at least that much is true.]

[willrememberthat]

I don't think there's anything you can tell me that would scare me, Ben. Or worry me too much.

I notice what you do more than you think. [How many friends did he have outside of Ellie?]

[indirectcause]

That wouldn't surprise me. [Not many, that's for sure. The hard lesson he leaned was that he had to be careful who he let his guard own around. That doesn't do much for making friends.]

And I know, but I still try to avoid it. [Because she's younger than him, maybe. More that she reminds him of his own little sister, and he'd never chance hurting her in a million years, the same applies to Clementine.]

[willrememberthat]

[Clementine looks a little frustrated, but just sighs.]

It's not an offer that's going to go away, you know.

[indirectcause]

[Captain Avoidance avoids once more!]

Yeah, I figured that would be the case.