[ Roxy cannot contain her affections. They are wild and untamed, and suppressing them would utterly destroy her. And it's not just overcompensation on her part-- as someone who drowns out her demons with booze-- but simply a matter of who she is at her very core.

Though, she most certainly does overcompensate from time to time. Some things are just too difficult to deal with and, unfortunately, her feelings for Dirk happen to be one of those things. He does the right thing when he decides against pressing his face into her hair. The simple act of him stroking her hair is enough to stir up feelings from the bottom of her well of emotions, which have been suppressed so much they are nothing but sediment at the bottom. Sediment sentiment, stirred to the top by his affections.

You see, giving affection is one thing, receiving it is another. She knows better, though. She won't misinterpret it, no matter how hopeful she'd been in the past that he'd wake up one day and change his mind about them. Nope. Noooope. Will not be going there right now or ever again, thank you very much?

Roxy pulls away, but she does not leave him completely, even if being close to him kills her sometimes. Regardless, she takes his hand and laces their fingers together. ]

That mean you're gonna stick around n' help me raise these damn ectokids?

[ She smiles despite herself. ]

Looks like we gonna have us some boibies to raise together after all, and on fish planet to boot.

[ OH GOD THE IRONY. ]