*looks at you for a moment, at the smudges beneath your eyes and the fine lines of exhaustion and stress, and the instinct to comfort surges to the fore as naturally as did the need to hide* *reaches out on a whim and touches her free fingertips to your chin, almost as she might do for a favored client at the club (but she loves you genuinely and that makes all the difference)*
*softly, a sweet smile brimming up in force* Ecthelion? You do get treated like dirt day in and day out. You choose to ignore it—or put up with it or whatever it is you do to cope—because it's less important to you than getting the job done. Right? *drops the fingers at your chin, her palm coming to rest atop the cradle of your hands (don't worry about me)* I choose to put up with things, too. And I'm okay with it.
I could protect you
*wavers for an instant, because she believes with all her heart that you would try your hardest to make good on that—but the instant passes and she knows once again that Gondolin may be the city you love, but some things are the same in every corner of the world* *shakes her head slowly, the smile lingering* I don't need protection, sir. But... but, thank you. *in a somewhat small, girlish voice* I'm sorry I didn't tell you. Before. It's just—it's not something I bring up. Obviously.