[the way he describes it sends a pang of want through her entire body, and without realizing it comes through on the call, she sighs wistfully.]

That's exactly what she is.

[someone she loved. loves. someone she wants to protect, to give a better ending to, to usher into a better life than the one either of them came from. christ. it was love the whole time.]

Goddammit. I need to stop having these revelations. Can't believe how obvious all of this is to literally everyone else but me.