Sportacus smiled slightly as a steaming hot mug of coffee was placed on the table in front of him. Looking up he uttered a quiet 'thank you' before picking it up and taking a cautious sip.
"Don't worry; there isn't any sugar in it. No matter what's happened between us I wouldn't do that to you." He heard Robyn say.
Turning his head to look at Robyn, who he'd noticed had seated herself on entirely the other end of the sofa, he couldn't conceal the slight look of surprise that had registered on his face. He almost asked her how she knew what thought had flitted across his mind before he'd sipped the coffee but shook his head. He already knew the answer and admonished himself for thinking that she could have laced his drink with sugar and brought on a sugar meltdown. He also knew better than try to explain his thought by telling her he just wondered if there was a possibility she could have mixed up their cups and given him hers, knowing that she took sugar.
She already knew what he'd thought and why.
Realising that she was probably still reading his thoughts he decided to change the subject, "What did you want to talk about?"
Robyn took in a deep, shaky breath. "I've done and said a lot of bad things to you recently. Things that can't be forgiven and can never been taken back. I wanted to apologise to you for my part in things, it doesn't mean I can forgive you but I'm so tired of fighting with you and being angry with you. I'm just so tired..."
Sportacus looked on as Robyn trailed off and sobs racked her body. She'd brought her hands up to her face and bent over so far her arms rested on her legs. She was suffering and he couldn't resist the urge to reach over and place his hand on her shoulder.
At the sudden physical contact Robyn flinched violently and seemed to move herself even further from him on the sofa which he thought was almost impossible.
"Don't touch me," she gasped, "I don't think I'm ready for that yet."
"That's ok," Sportacus nodded, understanding. "I've done some terrible things to you as well, things I can never take back and I wish I could change or done differently. I can't expect or ask you to forgive me for what I've done. What you've done to me could never match up to what I've put you through and even though it still hurts I forgive you."
Robyn sniffed and looked at her father for the first time since he'd caused her to flinch. She could see in his eyes that he was truly sincere and had truly found the strength to forgive her for everything she had done to him. She could also see that he held no expectation for her to forgive him and it both confused and relieved her.
Taking a chance, Sportacus edged slightly closer to Robyn. She didn't attempt to move away from him and feeling bolstered by this he decided to proceed with the thing he had come to town to do. Before the invite from Robyn to come and talk and the unexpected conversation he'd had with her, he'd felt sure that the offer he was going to make would be flatly refused but now he had hope that she'd accept.
Tentatively licking his lips, Sportacus took the plunge. "Why don't I take you out for dinner some time? We can go anywhere you like and I can pick you up and drop you back here. Maybe you could even see my new place? We could spend time together, just like old times."