Because she's right. Belief is hard. Belief is especially hard when Leon doesn't think he deserved any more than he got. He'd always rebelled against his father and the things he called him, the things he told him he was-- (worthless, a tool, a disappointment) --but failing to save Marian had, in a lot of ways, hammered home that Hugo had been right.
Hugo had been right about a lot of things.
He doesn't like it admit it, even as he can't deny it.
So he doesn't believe. He doesn't believe in what she's saying, and he doesn't believe that he deserves better. He doesn't believe, even, that she'll necessarily uphold her word, but that's because he's afraid to believe in that sort of thing. Afraid to believe when someone might just leave him behind. Afraid even more to believe when she might actually keep her word, and it might put her in danger instead, like Marian.
He turns away, and he starts to walk, but slowly enough for her to follow, because if he lets her die here... then all of this talk of belief and determination and not giving up will mean nothing. He doesn't know why he cares, exactly, but--he can't let that happen either.
He doesn't have a response to that.
But he does think that maybe... maybe if she does keep her word--maybe he won't entirely die alone, afraid and lonely and cold.
That... maybe that wouldn't be such a bad thing. So he'll lead, and she'll follow--at least until things go wrong, because really in the end, things can never be that simple.]
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Because she's right. Belief is hard. Belief is especially hard when Leon doesn't think he deserved any more than he got. He'd always rebelled against his father and the things he called him, the things he told him he was-- (worthless, a tool, a disappointment) --but failing to save Marian had, in a lot of ways, hammered home that Hugo had been right.
Hugo had been right about a lot of things.
He doesn't like it admit it, even as he can't deny it.
So he doesn't believe. He doesn't believe in what she's saying, and he doesn't believe that he deserves better. He doesn't believe, even, that she'll necessarily uphold her word, but that's because he's afraid to believe in that sort of thing. Afraid to believe when someone might just leave him behind. Afraid even more to believe when she might actually keep her word, and it might put her in danger instead, like Marian.
He turns away, and he starts to walk, but slowly enough for her to follow, because if he lets her die here... then all of this talk of belief and determination and not giving up will mean nothing. He doesn't know why he cares, exactly, but--he can't let that happen either.
He doesn't have a response to that.
But he does think that maybe... maybe if she does keep her word--maybe he won't entirely die alone, afraid and lonely and cold.
That... maybe that wouldn't be such a bad thing. So he'll lead, and she'll follow--at least until things go wrong, because really in the end, things can never be that simple.]