[For all of the bravado that Oscar had worn during this entire affair, the frustrations of maintaining such a front in the face of the unknown was starting to wear on him. He had said and done things that he regretted, even though it would still be a lie to admit that he was sorry for his actions.

He wasn't. He would do it again.

But the strain of carrying that burden along with the rest of his responsibilities was only obvious when he stepped into the artificially lit greenhouse and breathed. Shoulders dropping, he took a moment to just appreciate the smell of clean dirt while he listened to Paul's words.]

... You don't need to apologize, [he cut in quickly, dropping all of his acts and just being... Himself. An ordinary farmhand who liked the ordinary things in life.]

I should have said something to you. But... I panicked.

It's never good when anyone panics.

[Seeing Paul's curious hands, he picked off a sprig of basil for the other teen to investigate and appreciate.]

Before everything happened and hit the road to find Ruby, I was helping my Aunt with the family farm. Gardening helps me feel better when things are going wrong.

[Bushing his fingers over his herbs and the tiny green tomatoes that were no bigger than marbles, he added:]

I lost all this when the dream collapsed, but I managed to store a lot of the seeds away. When we found this house again, it was nice to find out that the seeds were still viable after everything.