Kankri's heels slammed into Cronus' shins, and his arms flailed until Cronus dropped him and backed off. He spun around, prepared to continue screaming, until he realised the seadweller was crouching back slightly, fins folded and hands raised. "I'm sure you are."

"Hey, is it really so hard to beliewve I might care that my friend is hurt?"

"Yes." Kankri straightened his sweater; it came down below mid-thigh. "I'd believe you actually cared if it was anything but this and you hadn't been trying to seduce me for weeks - yes, I noticed."

"Kankri, please..." Cronus extended a hand, which Kankri ignored. "Look, vwhaddya say we go talk to Aranea? She can fix it nowv, and maybe she'll shut up about howv great it vwas back home if-"

"I can't tell her!" Kankri said, twisting away and gripping the hem of his sweater protectively. "I... I can't." Tears leaked from his eyes. "I want to but I can't, every time I try I just dry up and I can't bear to say anything."

"Sorry. So, uh, that's a trigger?"

"Aheh. Yes."

"Then I vwon't talk about it," Cronus said, picking up Kankri's leggings and offering them to him. "If it upsets ya that much, I promise I'll nevwer mention pailin' or anyfin related in front of you again." At Kankri's expression of surprise, he chuckled drily. "Not like I got much to brag about there anyvways. Look, I didn't evwen vwanna admit it but you're important to me, 'kay? I vwant you to be okay."

"Well!" Kankri said, sniffed hard, and re-dressed himself, hiding his secret again. "Well, thank you. I don't think it's necessary to go that far. Though I admit that if circumstances in which you need advice on that topic come up I probably won't be of much help, but you can certainly tell me you need advice and I'll find someone who can."

"Hey, you're admittin' you don't knowv evweryfin! I am good for ya. Okay, chief, I'll tell ya vwhat vwe're gonna do," Cronus said. He eased Kankri back onto the couch and gently rested his hands on the small troll's shoulders. "You're gonna vwait here vwhile I build a pile, then vwe're gonna sit in it, and since vwe're dead and vwe don't gotta get up to eat vwe can stay there as long as it takes till you beliewve me vwhen I say I care about you."

Kankri smiled weakly. "I thought you weren't my moirail? In fact, I thought you didn't want one?"

"Yeah, vwell." Cronus shrugged. "Vwe're dumb enough to listen to each other."