"I still feel like your brother. And much as I know it hurts you. Much as I know you don't ever want to admit whats happened. I hope you still see me that way too. It doesn't mean I'm going to be who I was. Can you deal with that? How much will it hurt you to consider?"
It doesn’t matter, she realized - it doesn’t matter if she can or can’t deal with it, if she’d be hurting or not. Because if she turned her back on him, there would be no bringing him back. He was offering more than he probably realized he was, by leaving the door open for her like that - because if he were really gone for good, lost, he wouldn’t have wanted anything to do with her. Which meant there was still a chance, maybe.
She’d brought Zekk back from the dark. She’d been brought back, herself. She can bring him back, too. It happens.
She didn’t respond, just sort of offered a watery smile and a slight shrug and a tiny nod, an unspoken that’s good enough for meeven though it isn’t, it’s not good enough at all because he’s Jacen, he’s supposed to be....
He put his arms out, clearly inviting her in for a hug, and she hesitated for a second, then offered another smile and moved in. The plan was to go in for a brief hug, but only brief, because if it went too long she’d break down, she knows she would. The plan was to hold together until she could be alone, close herself off enough that he won’t know she’s falling apart. Except that didn’t happen, because as soon as she was there she just sort of buried her face against his chest (so at least he wouldn’t see that she’s crying, even though he would know and he’d be able to feel it, both through their bond and the way her tears soak into his shirt) and held on like he was going to pull away and disappear, and steal half of her away when he did.