[ Glimmer's heart squeezes into itself, flips over as she feels Ellie's hands in hers. It is warm and terrifying and exhilarating all at once. She can feel the now-familiar mingling of emotions that aren't hers and yet are hers at the same time. She squeezes tight and does her best just to listen.

"I want to," Ellie says and her heart soars for a brief moment before she realizes she can hear the 'but' in the other's voice. There's a feeling of sinking downwards, embarrassment mingling with an awkward feeling of having overstepped her boundaries. It becomes clearer in the tangled pieces of memory that accompany Ellie's words. Another relationship, someone else that Ellie loved. A child, maybe even Ellie's? Does it matter, with how much Glimmer can feel the emptiness that his absence has left in Ellie's heart. So she squeezes Ellie's hands and fights down her own selfish feelings; fights down her disappointment and the heartache of puppy love denied a chance to flower in the moment. She has to focus on Ellie--and supporting her. ]

I--

[ Her voice catches a little in return, because it does sting no matter the reason. Rejection is not fun or easy but she understands and wants to be a good friend to Ellie, no matter what is happening. ]

I understand. I don't--I wouldn't want you to rush into anything especially if it would just hurt you more. And it's not like I'm going anywhere, right?

[ She laughs because she has to find some way of letting herself vent. It's a bit of amusement at her own stupid joke about being stuck here but also bit of pain finding solace in self-directed mockery. At the least she is out of tears, so she can't make an embarrassment of herself by crying all over Ellie's shoulder about being rejected. ]

I still, um... Can we still keep being friends? I get it if--if I made things too weird and you need space, though.

[ Even if it stings. ]