There had obviously been a risk in bringing up that word. Senji couldn't help himself. With how beautifully, how perfectly, they had just made love, his heart had dared to hope, perhaps too much. When those gorgeous silver eyes widened, when he saw the way his lover flinched, he knew right away that he had made a mistake. This was why it was too dangerous to open his heart to anyone, even Maverick.
After the flinch the crimson-eyed prince had prepared himself for rejection, as much as he could, but those words were like a knife to the chest, wrenching his beating heart and cutting it into little pieces. Pity? Of all the hurtful things Maverick could have said, that had to be near the top of the list.
Senji closed his eyes and shook his head slightly, it was all he could do not to completely break down into tears and, heaven forbid, sobs. Not in front of Maverick. He wouldn't give the bastard the satisfaction. He could imagine the smirk that would be on his lover's face, the taunting of his weakness, no, that would have killed him.
Pushing the other off him he jerked himself out of bed. His limbs felt numb and leaden, but he forced himself to begin dressing, keeping his back to Maverick. A few soft tremors shook him, but he forced them down. He didn't even want to look at the other man right now he was so disgusted. Though with himself or Maverick he wasn't entirely sure.