[david can't see it, but tension's growing inside kavinsky's armor. this is a bad fucking combination. another scan of david's vitals tells him that the technopath is on his last fucking legs.

and of course, they have to be talking about josh. with whom david's romance was doomed. is doomed? how can two extraordinarily like-minded and attractive boys be fucking around in their little do-gooder haven and not figure out how to bone it out into a proper functioning relationship? kavinsky doesn't understand. or maybe he doesn't want to understand.

and he's never been strong enough to give josh up.

more dust wafts down. pebbles. an armored limb goes up, blocking david's head again.

david needs to move.]

It's not what you think, with him and me, [he says, suddenly.] I talked to him the other night. We talked about everything. The beginning of Krakoa. We talked about him and me, and him and you. You know how he is, he tried to make it like the choice was mine-- the Tower or Krakoa. Him or Stark. But Stark's never wanted me that way. [there's no bitterness in his voice. his armored face is close; he wills david to believe it, as much because it's true as because it's necessary.]

I asked him who he'd choose. Push comes to shove. Assassination to assassination. Loyalty for loyalty. You or me.