[It's not that he didn't know it would be awful, whatever it was. Armin had hinted that it would be, when he'd asked if Steven would have let his sister trade places with him during those five years of darkness in Arcadia, when he said that Jack would have traded Angel to save his own skin. And Steven had known, then, that Armin was right. As much as Jack liked to play the hero, as much as Steven indulged him in it, Steven knew that they weren't heroes. Would never be heroes.
And this... he could see how Jack would justify it to himself. Sacrifice his beloved daughter for the greater good. Isn't that what heroes did? Make those sacrifices? He knows, now, after all these weeks, how Jack thinks, as well as anyone else in this world does. He can see all the ways Jack could love Angel and poison her and not see the contradiction in that.
Agamemnon and Iphigenia, he thinks, looking down at his hands. No wonder Jack hadn't wanted to tell him how Angel died.]
You're right, [he says finally.] I can't apologize for him for this. And given what he did to you, Angel, you have every right to suspect the worst of me.
[If Steven had any illusions left as to what kind of man Jack was, what kind of man he himself was... this would have shattered them. As it is, everything that Angel says fills him with a certain weariness. His boyfriend, the man he's going to marry someday, would sacrifice his own daughter for his goals. Would certainly sacrifice Steven himself if need be.
He'd known this on some level. Angel's words... are merely explicit confirmation.
He looks back up at her.]
But I won't apologize for trying to make him happy, either.
You're a good person, Angel. It's... very tempting for you to hope that people get what they deserve. That the people who hurt us will someday get hurt in return. They just... rarely do.
And I'm selfish enough not to give up what happiness I've built in this world in order to make Jack as miserable as he no-doubt deserves.
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[It's not that he didn't know it would be awful, whatever it was. Armin had hinted that it would be, when he'd asked if Steven would have let his sister trade places with him during those five years of darkness in Arcadia, when he said that Jack would have traded Angel to save his own skin. And Steven had known, then, that Armin was right. As much as Jack liked to play the hero, as much as Steven indulged him in it, Steven knew that they weren't heroes. Would never be heroes.
And this... he could see how Jack would justify it to himself. Sacrifice his beloved daughter for the greater good. Isn't that what heroes did? Make those sacrifices? He knows, now, after all these weeks, how Jack thinks, as well as anyone else in this world does. He can see all the ways Jack could love Angel and poison her and not see the contradiction in that.
Agamemnon and Iphigenia, he thinks, looking down at his hands. No wonder Jack hadn't wanted to tell him how Angel died.]
You're right, [he says finally.] I can't apologize for him for this. And given what he did to you, Angel, you have every right to suspect the worst of me.
[If Steven had any illusions left as to what kind of man Jack was, what kind of man he himself was... this would have shattered them. As it is, everything that Angel says fills him with a certain weariness. His boyfriend, the man he's going to marry someday, would sacrifice his own daughter for his goals. Would certainly sacrifice Steven himself if need be.
He'd known this on some level. Angel's words... are merely explicit confirmation.
He looks back up at her.]
But I won't apologize for trying to make him happy, either.
You're a good person, Angel. It's... very tempting for you to hope that people get what they deserve. That the people who hurt us will someday get hurt in return. They just... rarely do.
And I'm selfish enough not to give up what happiness I've built in this world in order to make Jack as miserable as he no-doubt deserves.