[ Tim had known the outline of this story, but not the details. There's so many wrong conclusions in it, so much misplaced blame and internalized - what, shame? Some of it sounds disturbingly close to his own sense of dirtiness and guilt, things he's working past but that never truly go away. The rest...the excuses for Aegon, the idea that it's sex that makes a man and not his character, the presumption that he should be afraid when Aemond more than anyone has aided him to combat his fears, the fact that it sounds like an apology - they make his heart feel sick and heavy, force him to bite his tongue and let Aemond finish, rather than push back with an interruption for each objectionable thing on the list.

What's worst is that he kneels as if he's confessing a sin, when it's he who has been sinned against. Slowly, Tim pulls his fingers from Aemond's mouth, tucks them underneath his chin, to tilt it up towards him. There's sorrow in his eyes amidst the tenderness, his features creasing into seriousness. ]

Listen to me. It is not a weakness for you to not want something you'd been forced into, when you were young and scared. I don't want you to do anything you don't want to do.

[ Words mimicked from Hawk, years ago, still repeated when he needs it. Paid forward now. ]

I want you to feel safe with me. That's far, far more important to me than any sex act. You understand that?