[Reid glances at her, his face very difficult to read.] ...I never said I couldn't forgive. I might be able to. I don't know.
[He considers leaving it at that, since this is straying dangerously close to Extremely Personal territory, but... well, he feels compelled to at least give her a gist of it. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that Mio is carrying around a lot of guilt over something, so maybe a conversation about forgiveness is what she needs.
He looks away again, staring at the wall, and places his hands on his knees.] I told you that I graduated when I was twelve. A twelve-year-old prodigy isn't generally welcome in a Las Vegas public high school. I would have a very hard time forgiving the people who hurt me when they were old enough to understand how young I was compared to them. I would have a harder time forgiving the people who sat back and watched quietly when it was within their power to stop it.
[He pauses, then he adds,] I also have trouble forgiving my father for leaving my mother and me. [And Gideon for leaving him in much the same way, but that's a long story he's not getting into.
He looks back at Mio, his expression and body language surprisingly calm, considering the subject matter. This is one of those moments where he really and truly feels the age gap between them. Yes, he has issues. Yes, he still has trouble dealing with them. But he's experienced enough to know how to cope, and to know himself. He's already been through his hell.
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[He considers leaving it at that, since this is straying dangerously close to Extremely Personal territory, but... well, he feels compelled to at least give her a gist of it. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that Mio is carrying around a lot of guilt over something, so maybe a conversation about forgiveness is what she needs.
He looks away again, staring at the wall, and places his hands on his knees.] I told you that I graduated when I was twelve. A twelve-year-old prodigy isn't generally welcome in a Las Vegas public high school. I would have a very hard time forgiving the people who hurt me when they were old enough to understand how young I was compared to them. I would have a harder time forgiving the people who sat back and watched quietly when it was within their power to stop it.
[He pauses, then he adds,] I also have trouble forgiving my father for leaving my mother and me. [And Gideon for leaving him in much the same way, but that's a long story he's not getting into.
He looks back at Mio, his expression and body language surprisingly calm, considering the subject matter. This is one of those moments where he really and truly feels the age gap between them. Yes, he has issues. Yes, he still has trouble dealing with them. But he's experienced enough to know how to cope, and to know himself. He's already been through his hell.
Mio's still going through hers.]