[Rean does in fact have to back Crow right into the wall. On a better day he'd sidestep that and crack a joke, but today he just freezes up, going blank to avoid looking like he's scared of Rean.

He's not, of course. He's just afraid of his own desire to give in to him, and the fear of that "gap" inside of him that's growing and growing until it sucks the breath right out of his lungs.

For real. He's so upset he can't breathe. So he doesn't say anything, he just shakes his head, eyes trained on the floor and hands clenching into fists to fight the urge to reach out and cling. He won't talk. If he gives voice to his fears they'll all come true and he'll find himself nothing and noone and nowhere at all.

He's fine. This is just what happens when you press your trauma down so hard it turns into a pressure cooker of anxiety and explodes.]