It's easier to get angry sometimes. To let grief fall into rage and work from there. But sometimes- when it's too much to even reach for that, you gotta fall apart before you can move forward. York's never seen North this low before- not even when South Vanished. Then he was angry, then he was frustrated and frantic but this?

Taken and nothing on the other end of the line. Dead silence in his head. That's more than enough to make any man break. Yorks' hands continue their slow pass down North's back, curling around him as best he can. It won't make it better, but it will make it bearable.