Marie coming up beside him was completely unexpected, and his thoughts were so clouded at the moment, it was only his quick reflexes that kept him from striking out. As it was, he jerked a little, making the table tilt a little before steadying. "Christ!" he exclaimed, quietly, but vehemently. "Give a guy a little warning next time!"
Shit. Shit, she was just trying to help, and he'd snapped at her, and his great day was beginning to look like a nightmare again. He put the table down and kept it steady with one hand, while he reached up with the other and scrubbed at his face. "I'm--so sorry. Just-- I was angry at something else, and you startled me. I didn't--" want to hurt you, he didn't say. "I didn't see you come up beside me. Sorry."
He almost told her he could manage the table by himself, he didn't need help. It wasn't that he didn't appreciate the gesture, but his current anger combined with his natural stubbornness wanted to balk at the idea of needing help.
But this was Marie. She was just trying to be nice, and at least she wouldn't outright ask about what was going on between them. Which apparently, according to anyone with eyes, there was something going on.
Sighing, Steve tried to push his anger away. He could deal with it later, when he was alone. Right now he had to worry about just being a regular guy who couldn't lift half a ton of weight over his head without breaking a sweat. "Thank you, for the offer." He tried to put as much sincerity and gratitude into his voice as he could, willing her to understand. "I'd appreciate the help."
Yay? Lol (Steve is a little ball of PTSD at the moment, too)
Shit. Shit, she was just trying to help, and he'd snapped at her, and his great day was beginning to look like a nightmare again. He put the table down and kept it steady with one hand, while he reached up with the other and scrubbed at his face. "I'm--so sorry. Just-- I was angry at something else, and you startled me. I didn't--" want to hurt you, he didn't say. "I didn't see you come up beside me. Sorry."
He almost told her he could manage the table by himself, he didn't need help. It wasn't that he didn't appreciate the gesture, but his current anger combined with his natural stubbornness wanted to balk at the idea of needing help.
But this was Marie. She was just trying to be nice, and at least she wouldn't outright ask about what was going on between them. Which apparently, according to anyone with eyes, there was something going on.
Sighing, Steve tried to push his anger away. He could deal with it later, when he was alone. Right now he had to worry about just being a regular guy who couldn't lift half a ton of weight over his head without breaking a sweat. "Thank you, for the offer." He tried to put as much sincerity and gratitude into his voice as he could, willing her to understand. "I'd appreciate the help."