Daniel doesn't quite let go just yet. The hold might not be super tight, especially at this point, but it's still there. Even as Daniel's arm shifts, moving up a little higher, until he's ruffling the hair on the back of Robby's head more than having his arm around the boy's back.
"Don't apologize," he says, though it's nothing stern or intense. It's gentle, reassuring. "You didn't do anything wrong."
Not right now, he means, but-- hell, not in general either. Daniel doesn't blame Robby for a single thing, not when people have talked often enough how hard corruption is to fight once it sets in. Sure, it might use feelings you already have, but it twists them so far that you're hardly yourself anymore. Daniel could know, because Robby isn't what he was during his corruption. He's not someone who just wants to hurt others.
"I just want you to know that everything is alright." Daniel pauses, followed by a slight 'hm?' sound, moving his head like he's trying to catch the boy's gaze, if not just so he can show him that Daniel is smiling. That he isn't mad, or even worried.
Robby is just still recovering, even if he's at its tail end now. But that just means Daniel has to keep being there for him.
"You know I love you, right?"
There's not even a strangeness to saying that, despite their conversation that lead to all of this. Daniel is aware they both know what kind of love he means. That he loves Robby like a kid-- that he loves him just like he loves Sam and Anthony, that he wants to do this to show Robby that he's truly his son.
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"Don't apologize," he says, though it's nothing stern or intense. It's gentle, reassuring. "You didn't do anything wrong."
Not right now, he means, but-- hell, not in general either. Daniel doesn't blame Robby for a single thing, not when people have talked often enough how hard corruption is to fight once it sets in. Sure, it might use feelings you already have, but it twists them so far that you're hardly yourself anymore. Daniel could know, because Robby isn't what he was during his corruption. He's not someone who just wants to hurt others.
"I just want you to know that everything is alright." Daniel pauses, followed by a slight 'hm?' sound, moving his head like he's trying to catch the boy's gaze, if not just so he can show him that Daniel is smiling. That he isn't mad, or even worried.
Robby is just still recovering, even if he's at its tail end now. But that just means Daniel has to keep being there for him.
"You know I love you, right?"
There's not even a strangeness to saying that, despite their conversation that lead to all of this. Daniel is aware they both know what kind of love he means. That he loves Robby like a kid-- that he loves him just like he loves Sam and Anthony, that he wants to do this to show Robby that he's truly his son.