She leaned into his touch, the comment - an affectionate and almost teasing attempt to lighten the mood - that she'd intended to make about his failure to meet her on the observation deck dying on her lips when he continued.

"We've had this conversation before," she reminded him gently, placing her hand over the claws that still rested on her hair. "You can't always be there to protect me. I can't always be there to protect you. It difficult to deal with sometimes, but that's just the way the world works."

She raised her free hand to tilt his chin down and force him to meet her gaze.

"Don't even think about blaming yourself."