"You are so perceptive, Lucy... On a much deeper level... It's quite amazing and I wonder... how?"
Beginning to express aloud, Freddie's soft eyes noted Lucy's poise as he took a tentative step towards her, experimenting with closing the space between them.
"I like it, Lucy," he continued. "Because you see me. And I want you to see me..."
Freddie stepped forward once again. "I'm sorry I pulled away..."
Seeking permission, he continued to bridge the gap he'd created between them, receiving encouragement from Lucy's compassionate gaze in response to his endeavors.
A still skittish Freddie bit his lip and wondered if Lucy could hear the deafening thunder of his heartbeat in his chest as he tried to choose his words.
Receptive to his longing to open up, Lucy minded his resistance to revealing himself. She elected to share her own anecdote to answer his question first, and build a safe comfort zone for him to proceed.
"Some people feel ignored and unheard in their lives. And it's very painful, you know? At a core level."
Freddie fell into immediate resonance with her words, finding a soothing sense of peace as she spoke to him.
"And well... many others think Alpha Team is about 'fighting bad guys.' But the people we oppose have many scars on their soul, just like me. Often times, Freddie... those that I come up against have had people in their life they loved, trusted, or depended on completely abandon them, betray them, or taken away from them... leaving them powerless. To fill those voids and take their power back, they feel the need to hold hostages, blow things up, or destroy entire countries. My job is to stop those consequences from hurting others and help them make different decisions if I can."
Yearning to hold her hand, Freddie desperately ached to break their touch barrier as he marveled at her insights.
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"In every single situation, Freddie... I must listen deeply. Far past the surface level. It's not only about what people say or do. To me, it's about listening to what people really mean. Caring about how they're feeling."
"I can't hide from you, can I?" Freddie jested with a smile.
"Do you want to?" Lucy redirected softly.
"I don't. I don't, Lucy. I don't want to hide from you."
Taking a deep breath after testing the waters, Freddie decided to dive into the deep end.
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