A memorial of sorts

[sumarusfinest]

The resident Nexus police officer looks a lot less formal than he usually is. He's missing the usual suit and tie, dressed in all black--button up and slacks.

He sets a vase of lilies down on a table gently.

"Has anyone been able to determine the full extent of the damage and...casualties here in the Nexus?"

He's been cleaning up in Sumaru since the attack, and feels bad he's only now checking in.

Comments

[sumarusfinest]

"Mourning." Katsuya's eyes go a bit wide. It had happened. Oh, oh shit. Oh no. Did she have time to--oh shit ohnoohno...how is she functional right now?! Katsuya almost jumps out of his seat he's so startled.

I mean he knew it was happening but like, not...sixty people dead in the Nexus and Verity's whole world is gone. He's not hungry anymore. He feels sick.

"You can always tell me stories if it makes you happy. Verity. I...I didn't..realize..So soon.." He swallows thickly.

[brave_heart_verity]

She sighs softly. This is not helping, Katsuya. She's bending herself backward trying to take care of you and you're making her feel so much worse.

"No. It hasn't yet. Please, calm down. It's okay." She should not have to be doing this. What kind of a lousy boyfriend is he? She sits back again, her unwelcome hand retreating into her lap. "It's like knowing someone's going to die of cancer or something. Except... nevermind. You have enough to worry about."

[sumarusfinest]

"...No, I...I understand." He thinks. Sometimes he wonders if he ever understands what's going on with Verity. He wonders if she feels the same about him. Communication does not come easily to either of them.

He is going to have to work on that, because this dance they're accidentally doing now is gong to kill both of them at this rate.

"I thought...I mean.." It was obvious what he thought. He's a moron. "...Please tell me about Loki.' He tries again. He means it. He'll break the cycle of apologizing, start over. Just to see her smile again.

[brave_heart_verity]

She shakes her head, not looking up. "Not right now. Maybe later."

He's right about how this is going to kill them. She has no idea what's going on with him most of the time. Maybe it's what she deserves, to be pushed away by everyone she tries to trust. Maybe it's what she's earned, her karmic debt for walking away.

"Do you regret what you said the other day? It's okay if you want to take it back, I wouldn't blame you." She really wouldn't.

[sumarusfinest]

Okay well that didn't work either. What is he doing wrong?

"Do I..." What was there to regret? I mean aside form all the misunderstandings that made Verity cry. He regrets those a lot. Okay. You can do this, Katsuya.


"The only thing I regret is ever causing you distress. Which I have, on several occasions. And those I regret." He cannot be more clear than that. "However, I do not regret promising to be there for you, offering you a safe place in my home. That I didn't mind caring for you. You would have known had I not been sincere."

[brave_heart_verity]

Oh Katsuya, you beautiful cinnamon roll.

She gives a little nod. There's a lot there she wants to discuss, but there's something else she needs to know first.

"You said something in Japanese. Hontōni daisuki, I think?" She peeks up at him, scared but needing to know. If he regrets that, there's not much point to the rest of the conversation. "Sometimes... people change their minds..."

[sumarusfinest]

Even though she's just parroting back something he'd said to her, he flushes to the tips of his ears.

Clears his throat.

Again.

"Yes, I believe I did. N-no...I do not regret that either."

[brave_heart_verity]

That's a relief. An obvious one. "Good. That would be a terrible thing for either of us to regret."

She won't press the point while he's blushing and uncomfortable, but now he knows.

[sumarusfinest]

He flushes even harder, if possible. Oh god, she knew what that meant. Oh god, she--Wait.

He might have short circuited there.

"You...you too?"

[brave_heart_verity]

Now it's her turn to blush, but it's not an unhappy expression. "I do. I'm not sure what kind of love it is exactly, not yet. It's hard for me to figure these things out right now, and I don't want to rush. But I know that I've never felt this way about anyone before."

[sumarusfinest]

Katsuya hears all of this. He was listening. But the admission keeps getting stuck in his head. Her too.

He looks kind of dazed. It's probably best to assume he's stunned, rather than the internal monologue racing around in his head at the moment.

I have no idea what I'm doing and suddenly there's an awful lot to fuck up and lose. Stop smiling like an idiot. Say something. No, not 'uhm'.

"That...that's certainly reasonable." There we go. Words.

[brave_heart_verity]

Very sensible words that she appreciates. Definitely better than "uhm".

"So... we can figure it out together?" Because yes, she's that scared of rejection, even now.

[sumarusfinest]

"Yes!" He clears his throat again, nods. "Yes. Of course."

Stop nodding, you sap.

"I...I think now's as good as time as any to admit I have no idea what I'm doing."

[brave_heart_verity]

"That's okay. Neither do I." Please don't take this giggling the wrong way, but she's giggling now. She is just so relieved. Something is going well, finally.

"Next time you have something important to tell me, please don't make it so hard to figure out?"

[sumarusfinest]

It's fine. The pause gives him a moment to ground himself. To try thinking rationally again.

"Yes...Sorry. I was...afraid to be forthcoming." It's a quiet murmur. He fidgets with his glasses.

[brave_heart_verity]

She's quiet for a moment, giving his admission some thought while she catches her breath again.

"Please don't ever be afraid to tell me the truth." This is the most important thing, so it's first. "Why were you afraid to tell me?"

[sumarusfinest]

"Rejection. Adding another concern to your towering pile. ...Taking advantage of your friendship." There's a small sigh as he lists items off.

"Historically, nothing good has ever come from my admitting something of the sort. I didn't want to end up losing another friend because of my feelings."

[brave_heart_verity]

The rejection she can understand. The other two are more confusing, even if she's guilty of very much the same thing.

"I am an extremely difficult friend to get rid of," she admits with a little smile. "That is truly the very last thing you need to worry about with me. Even if it's something I don't want to hear, I'd rather know the truth than have you try to gaslight me."

[sumarusfinest]

There's a small nod from Katsuya. It's not going to be easy given how used to bottling up and hiding things he feels.

"If you...will have patience with me, I can promise to try my best to be more...open."

[brave_heart_verity]

It's not going to be easy for either of them, but isn't the idea of a "them" worth fighting for?

"Deal." Patience is not a virtue she's much in possession of. But he's worth the effort. "You see? That wasn't so hard." She hopes.

[sumarusfinest]

Nothing worth fighting for is ever easy.

Katsuya doesn't seem quite so tired anymore. Maybe its realizing he's not alone. Not just among friends but, well. At all, anymore. He's forgotten what that feels like.

"I'll have to do some reading up on American customs." He gives a small half chuckle. "My cultural differences have caused their fair share of misunderstandings in the past." definitely learned some things from those past mistakes.

[brave_heart_verity]

She's glad to see him looking better. He so deserves to have some hope in his life.

"We'll learn about each other." This is something she can be sure of. "And hopefully, we'll be able to laugh about the mistakes we make anyway. Or at least forgive." She would so like to hold his hand right now, but she's not sure if he's ready for that, so she'll set her hand on the table where he can take it or not.

[sumarusfinest]

He'd say the same about her.

He's a grown man, hand holding isn't some social faux paux that's going to shatter his sensibilities. He does get up to go and discard their lunch trash, but when he sits back down he'll scoop her hand into his and go back to watching the Nexus.

"I need to come up with a design for a plaque to be created. For those who perished in the demon attack. I have Jesse's word that there will be help to put it together, but...he wants me to design it." Katsuya looks serious once more, back on the topic of why he's here today.

But with an important addition. Verity is included in this task, suddenly. And he isn't letting go of her hand unless she tries to pull away.

[brave_heart_verity]

She murmurs her thanks when he gathers up the trash, but is much more grateful when he takes her hand. It's good to have a little bit of that physical contact they both go so long without. Her fingers lace into his, and she's not planning to let go anytime soon.

"He's been talking about it for a while now." Which means she's been thinking about it. "It should be on a plinth so people can see it. With flowers around the base?" She takes her inclusion in this very seriously, but she's not sure what the problem is. It's a plaque. There's not a lot to decide there, she wouldn't think.