Would you rather I called you an old man, Dohalim? I do still like to think of myself as relatively young, you know.

[amusement colors his words, and warm fingers draw up to knead the back of his head. He's gone through so much, even with others handling much of the physical... and more still weighs on him from before. It's no wonder that Dohalim is so hard on himself, he thinks.]

It's alright. You're not letting anyone down by taking respite. Well... not anyone viewing you in good faith. Your duties are different from ours, but your need to escape from time to time is the same.

[His other arm squeezes gently, holding Do to him as he is.]

... and, I suppose... I'm selfish. I want to lie with you, not the Lord of Menancia. I will carry the secret of this respite to the grave, if you so wish... I cannot overstate how much I would do for you, as yourself.

[hearing his troubles, Gepard truly does wish he could alleviate them, could find a way to covertly lift Do's burdens such that he can help carry them. His own traumas are many, but he's always been able to handle them within the solidarity of his unit...]