Archer doesn't say anything at first, giving himself a long moment to take all that in. He's surprised when the anger doesn't return. The frustration is still there of course, but it's no longer entirely aimed at Kimblee. He's not sure what it was about the explanation, but something in it has calmed him down enough to think rationally. He understands that he has every right to be upset and to be hurt, but Kimblee's made it quite clear that Archer's interpretation of things was entirely different. Archer stares at the ocean for quite some time, trying to find something to say in response to that. He normally doesn't have this much trouble with words - but this isn't exactly a normal situation.
"I'm sorry."
The apology is soft and Archer sounds more exhausted than anything. It's genuine though, and he elaborates, "I expected things to go back to the status quo and when they didn't... I wasn't sure how to react. I thought pleasing you would keep you from leaving.
"I know you said you wouldn't leave unless you had a good reason. But you have to understand, Kimblee, I don't always know what qualifies as a 'good reason' for you. Yes, the incident at the Masquerade made sense, but that was only after I sat down and analyzed the entire thing. It took me far more time than it should have. Yes, this past time makes sense as well, but as you said, I needed a third party to explain it to me because I couldn't look past my own reasons for doing it."
Archer falls silent again, moving to run his free hand through his hair. This is way harder than it should be.
"I apologize if this sounds like I'm merely making excuses. I want you to understand that this isn't easy for me either, Kimblee. You're... You're one of the few people I actually care about here and I hate upsetting you. I know it keeps happening but--!"
The rage flickers out just as quickly as it appeared though, and Archer shakes his head. "It's my own fault, I know."
Kimblee's last statement is something Archer knew, yes, but it's strange to hear him admit to it. Kimblee, admitting to his own faults? It would be amusing if the situation were any different. It does express just how grave the situation is though; Kimblee wouldn't be saying such things unless he had a damn good reason for admitting to them.
"Again, I apologize. I thought it would be better to try to keep the status quo regardless of how I felt at the moment. Obviously that was a terrible idea." Just look how well it's turned out. "I... would like to try to make this work."
That's very hesitant once it's out there, and Archer is suddenly staring at the ocean again. He hates feeling vulnerable like this - he's never been able to open himself up very easily, and leaving himself wide-open like this agitates him more than it probably should. It's Kimblee, after all. Kimblee has never intentionally hurt him. Archer still can't help but feel that there's a first time for everything, especially now.
no subject
"I'm sorry."
The apology is soft and Archer sounds more exhausted than anything. It's genuine though, and he elaborates, "I expected things to go back to the status quo and when they didn't... I wasn't sure how to react. I thought pleasing you would keep you from leaving.
"I know you said you wouldn't leave unless you had a good reason. But you have to understand, Kimblee, I don't always know what qualifies as a 'good reason' for you. Yes, the incident at the Masquerade made sense, but that was only after I sat down and analyzed the entire thing. It took me far more time than it should have. Yes, this past time makes sense as well, but as you said, I needed a third party to explain it to me because I couldn't look past my own reasons for doing it."
Archer falls silent again, moving to run his free hand through his hair. This is way harder than it should be.
"I apologize if this sounds like I'm merely making excuses. I want you to understand that this isn't easy for me either, Kimblee. You're... You're one of the few people I actually care about here and I hate upsetting you. I know it keeps happening but--!"
The rage flickers out just as quickly as it appeared though, and Archer shakes his head. "It's my own fault, I know."
Kimblee's last statement is something Archer knew, yes, but it's strange to hear him admit to it. Kimblee, admitting to his own faults? It would be amusing if the situation were any different. It does express just how grave the situation is though; Kimblee wouldn't be saying such things unless he had a damn good reason for admitting to them.
"Again, I apologize. I thought it would be better to try to keep the status quo regardless of how I felt at the moment. Obviously that was a terrible idea." Just look how well it's turned out. "I... would like to try to make this work."
That's very hesitant once it's out there, and Archer is suddenly staring at the ocean again. He hates feeling vulnerable like this - he's never been able to open himself up very easily, and leaving himself wide-open like this agitates him more than it probably should. It's Kimblee, after all. Kimblee has never intentionally hurt him. Archer still can't help but feel that there's a first time for everything, especially now.