[Her heart aches, and she's so tired, but she knows Scott truly would never do anything like that to a friend. Not even to somebody he doesn't know, not anymore; not since their conversation after the desert. Scott has a big heart and feels everything so deeply; it's why she'd wanted to push him away from anything serious all those months ago, but look at them now. At least she can try to support him, even if he did kill her friend.
No. He didn't kill Ryoji. She has to believe that.
She collapses a little atop him, giving him the chance to bury his face into her shoulder or her chest if he wants to. These glitches... she has to do something about them, if not for Scott's sake, but to prevent anyone else from getting hurt. Ryoji and Ange are already proof of how dangerous Phoenix can be if she comes out at the wrong moment. Kotone takes a deep breath and squeezes her eyes shut, holding Scott close.]
We'll figure something out. [Beneath the anger and the pain, there's that familiar steely determination. Maybe Dara knows something, or maybe Peter can do something, but-- there has to be a solution.] We will. I don't want to lose you again.
[As she falls on top of him, Scott pushes himself closer to her. Through the tears, the overwhelming guilt and pain, he knows he wants this. Maybe even needs it. He wants to be as close as possible and as he arranges himself, his glasses presses tightly against his face and angrily, he shuts his eyes tight before pulling them off. They're tossed almost haphazardly on the nearby table before he buries himself fully against her chest, arms coming up to tightly wound around her waist.
Maybe dangerous to have his sunglasses off, but he'll keep his eyes shut. He'd never hurt her. He can't, he won't. Maybe he shouldn't be doing something like, not when he can possibly glitch once more, but Scott doesn't think about that. He wants to press his vulnerable and uncovered eyes against the warmth of her body. It's nice to think that Kotone still trusts him too.
Being fully embraced like this and hearing the determination in her voice, the anger still there but not fully directed at him anymore, pushes against that complicated bubble of emotions until they completely burst and Scott isn't holding anything back as he cries. Just like how she comforted him almost a year ago at the casino, after the desert events, he breaks down against her.]
I-I don't want to change again. I-I just want to be myself, with you. With everyone else. [He wants to feel normal again, even if it's impossible. At least he can be with her. That won't change.
...Not as long as they're both here.] I-I don't want to hurt anyone...
[Her head turns sharply sideways at the crack of his glasses hitting the table, but she only wraps him up all the tighter, taking the gesture as it is. She trusts him not to hurt her; she trusts any Scott not to hurt her. Even the Scott she'd met, lost and confused and hurting as he was, wouldn't hurt her. She has to believe that Phoenix wouldn't, either. Not as long as she's part of Scott.
It's like a reversal of what had happened with Thanatos all those months ago. Now it's Scott who could glitch into someone who has an uncontrollable power within him that only wants to hurt. His sobs fracture something deep within her heart, making her gasp softly with her own emotion as she holds him close, tucking her chin in against his head and twining both hands into his hair. It's not fair that Scott is suffering like this. It's not fair for any of them, really, and there are so many people she'll have to check on. But Scott's her first priority.]
I don't want you to change either. I like you. [Exactly how he is. He doesn't have to be the leader of the X-Men or some cosmic force, but just Scott Summers. Whoever he decides to be for himself, that's enough for her. Her voice breaks a little with the quiet addition,] I love you. I wanna stay with you.
[If it happens again... hopefully she'll be there to stop him. If Phoenix was able to kill Ryoji, when Ryoji was so strong in his Gnosia form, she doesn't know how she could possibly stop Phoenix, but... well, she has to try. She has to be prepared for if it ever happens again.]
[When she's with him like this, it truly feels like nothing bad can ever happen again. Probably a childish thought, but it's one that Scott still keeps in his mind as a foundation, something to help stabilize his emotions to some extent even as tears continue to soak the shirt he's pressed against. If they're both safe, he won't transform. And... even if he somehow still glitches, if there's only these positive emotions, then Phoenix won't have anything to latch onto. Right?
Maybe it's just so easy to remember how much he loves her. He's always liked her since they first met, but over time, those feelings developed from a simple crush to something genuine. It's now to a point that he has a hard time thinking he'd ever feel this way towards anyone else. Not to mention that she loves him back. She doesn't care about all those extra things that have made his life more complicated, she still loves him. It means so much, now more than ever.]
I love you. [He says once, then repeats.] I love you, Kotone. I-I just want to be with you.
[He just wants to go on dates with her, eat at the diner, watch movies, return to something normal. For a while, after Ryoji pierced her chest, after he glitched into Phoenix, all of that felt impossible. Scott wants to hope that they can do those things once more after all this. He doesn't want to lose that part of their life together.]
[He doesn't have to say it for her to know exactly what he means by wanting to be with her. It's the same for her, after all; when they're together, even if everything around them is falling apart, they can pretend like they're normal. Like everything is going to be okay.
She can't be with him forever. But she wants to be with him until the end of her life. That's selfish, isn't it? But as her own chest heaves a bit with the force of her own emotions bubbling up from within, she's forced to admit that it's the truth. She squeezes her eyes tightly shut and keeps her grip on him as steady as she can, even if her hands are starting to shake.]
Me, too. [And her voice is a whisper, fiercely possessive. Everything feels too much, like her nerves have been rubbed raw, catching her breath in her lungs until it's hard to breathe. She doesn't want to be in Aldrip without Scott. When had that happened? People always leave eventually, she'd accepted that, over and over again, but she doesn't want to go through it all without him anymore.]
'M sorry.
[Another whisper, more ragged than before, and even if he asked, she doesn't think she could put into words all the things she's sorry for as tears gather behind closed eyelids. Sorry glitched into another Scott and couldn't save Ryoji. Sorry she couldn't protect either of them. Sorry she died. Sorry she'll die long before he will.]
[He first notices when her hands begin shaking, those minute tremors keenly felt while they're pressed together, but then there's the quietness in her voice with underlying emotion seeped into her words. Maybe it wouldn't be noticeable to others, but Scott hears it, and some of his own overwhelming thoughts fade because if there's anything or anyone that can draw him out of his own pain, it's Kotone. She doesn't allow herself to be open like this, not often, and maybe she benefits from the fact that he can't see her now.
But Scott doesn't let that stop him, pulling up from her chest with his eyes still closed. He's mostly facing towards her as she whispers her apologies, listening to the quietness of her voice with his heart clenching all the while. Perhaps humorously, he lightly bumps her cheek with his hand, but soon he's cupping her face with a gentle grip, a small frown tugging at the corner of his lips even as the occasional tear continues to slide down from his eyelids.]
I know-- it's not your fault. Nothing is. [Scott sounds a little more put together, although he's still choked up. It's not surprising to hear Kotone taking fault for what happened because she cares so much about people-- her friends. Of course she'd be taking this hard and that's not even touching the fact that she died just a couple of days ago. All of that sounds so difficult to touch upon or even start processing, so swipes his thumb across her cheek as he repeats himself.]
[At least he can't see her like this. Mean to think, maybe, but true. His hand bumps blindly against her face before cupping her cheek, and it's just such a sweet and tender gesture that it makes her breath catch her throat again in the start of a sob she tries to choke back. It's not her fault, she knows that, but it hurts...
She leans down and gently kisses away those tears as if that could somehow help her not cry herself. It doesn't really work, the visible reminder of how much Scott had suffered only making her lip tremble, but she does try, mirroring his gesture and cupping his cheek once again. She kisses the corner of his eye, his eyelids, his forehead, lingering there for a long moment and just trying to breathe.]
I don't wanna be here without you. [It bursts out in a rush as this time, she's the one to duck her head, pressing her nose into his shoulder and fighting to keep her tears from spilling.] I just wanna be with you...
[He hasn't stopped trembling, even though he's trying his best to support her too. She really is so warm and alive-- this is how he wants to remember Kotone. Even if he can't see her now, he can at least picture her smiling face and her more serious one that's laced with strength and determination to chase away that terrible memory from only two days ago. As Yu said, that lifeless corpse wasn't Kotone. With his eyes closed, he can truly memorize and pay attention to how she feels against him, his body shaking just a little more when her lips press against his sensitive eyelids.
She's so close to his powers like this, but she's safe. He can control them like this. Maybe it's silly to think that controlling his optic blasts is just shutting his eyes, but it's what stopping him from hurting her and what's allowing Kotone to be this close to him. It's a claim that he wants to make, especially after Phoenix took over-- after he's been glitching to other Scotts the past month. It's nice to have that power and agency.]
I promise, we will. W-we'll be together.
[There's the unspoken part, the stuff that doesn't need mentioning, how they'll only be together as long as they're both here. But Scott doesn't want to say that. He doesn't need to clarify it anyway, not to Kotone of all people. They don't need that harsh reminder.
Instead, he moves one hand from her cheek to the back of her head, lightly guiding his fingers through her hair.] ...You've been through so much, Kotone.
[She inhales another shuddering breath and just nods. They both know it's not forever, but there's no point saying it again. They've said it often enough that they both know it without needing to say it, and right now, she doesn't think she could bear the verbal reminder.
They'll be together as long as this place allows. She can only hope that Scott disappears first from this place; if her being gone for two days was already so hard for him, then her being gone for good might break him. But imagining the same without him hurts too much and brings fresh tears swimming into her eyes so that all she can do when Scott adds that last part is just let out a little uncertain noise.
Has she been through a lot? It feels like it. But lots of people have been through a lot, even more than she has, so why should she complain? It doesn't help anything to feel sorry for herself, she learned that a long time ago. But Scott will get mad if she tries to tell him, "it's okay," so she doesn't know what to do other than shrug helplessly, trusting him to feel the motion even if he can't see it.]
You, too, [she mumbles finally, still gently pressing her fingers near his eyes. There's so much power hidden beneath his eyelids that he has to live with, every day. That, and the glitches, and losing himself -- he's been through just as much, she thinks.] But... I meant it. What I told Morph. [And it seems like both a long time ago, and just a few days ago, when the Gnosia-infected mutant had attacked them.] People like us don't get to take breaks.
[He, of course, catches onto those light movements she makes, so attuned to every small shift with the aide of having his eyes closed. Unsurprisingly, there's a small frown to Scott even though his face is still wet with his tears, but he doesn't outwardly get mad at her. Maybe after being her boyfriend for months now or just having that maturity grow, he's able to be patient while he continues to run his fingers through her hair.
Getting overly upset or angry with people never worked out for him. He doesn't want to be upset with her anyway, especially not after something so horrific. Not after she just came back from the doors of death. Things must be hard on her. Dying, coming back...]
...Right now you can.
[Scott quietly says, tone reassuring and supportive. He moves his other hand closer to her eyes, movement slow that he doesn't accidentally extend too far or painfully bump her.]
Because I said so. [Scott smiles a little, but he's fully sincere.] I'm with you-- Kotone.
[As in, he doesn't care that she's the leader of SEES. That she saved the world through her sacrifice. Important traits, sure, but he's loved her long before learning any of those things about her.]
[In spite of it all, she manages to huff a laugh, as watery as it is, and leans her cheek into his hand. Her own eyes close in a mirror of his, and she turns her head just enough to press her lips to his thumb in a lingering kiss.]
Okay, Leader, [she mumbles, and even with his eyes closed, he'll be able to feel the way her lips curve into an only-slightly-shaky smile. If Scott says to take a break, if Scott says the infection is cured and they don't have to rush to the next crisis -- then okay. She'll believe him.] Can we just... stay here a little while longer? Together.
[She has to find her tablet, she has to message Ryoji, and Minato, and find out if Shinji is okay, and check in with everyone else and the general state of the town, but for now -- maybe just for now -- she can let her whole world narrow to just Scott.]
[Scott lightly laughs at the 'leader' comment, the sound genuine but fragile, like it wouldn't take much for him to crumble against her. It's relieving that he's still able to do that after everything, like Phoenix didn't permanently take something from him. Can he say that he's stronger than her? It's nice to think so.]
We can stay here for just a while longer. I'll keep track for us.
[He won't keep track at all, just wanting to stay in this position with her for as long as possible or for as long as she wants. Even knowing her immeasurable strength, Scott can tell she's affected and emotional too in her own subtle way. He's relied on her a lot and just in the past hour, so he hopes that she can take back some of his energy and strength in return. He brushes a thumb past the corner of her eyes, gently comforting and yet encouraging, as if silently telling her that's okay if she cries.]
...You know I'll always wait for you until you want to talk about things.
[She huffs another shaky laugh when he says he'll keep track; they both know he'll do no such thing. But it's such a normal thing to say that it makes things feel normal, like she really had just woken up from a long nap after a nightmare.
She'll be okay, in time. She'd like to say it's for both their sakes, but it's not quite true, is it? She can be vulnerable with Scott, and he can be vulnerable with her. She knows she can talk to some of her other friends about things like this, especially the other wildcards, but it's somehow become easier with Scott. Maybe it's because they're so different; he doesn't get things the way Yu or Akira or Minato does, but he works through it and tries to understand from her perspective instead of drawing on his own experiences.
She loves him so much.]
What if I never wanna talk about it? [A soft murmur against his skin, and he might feel a hint of wetness from the tears that have gathered in her eyes but have yet to truly start falling. Her lips curve into a little bit of a helpless smile and she shakes her head.] Would that be okay...?
[Scott gently but firmly responds, almost like he's reminding her of that evening on the rooftop, last year in October. Yeah, of course he remembers that day and nearly everything that happened. He started off so upset with her and he assumed a lot of things, but then he learned so much, and then they promised. From then on, they were dating and his life really became better (and sadder and harder) for the most part. He can't imagine not talking to her in the first place.
Being honest is important, right?
His thumb nearly stops in place when he feels the gathering of tears in her eye, clearly surprised, but he luckily doesn't snap his eyes open or try and grab his sunglasses to see her. He keeps in place, gently stroking along her eye with care. He knows that Kotone isn't the type to break, but he wants to be tender with her.]
I-I just don't want you to feel like you need to shoulder everything on your own. [She admitted that to him before, how she always had to be strong for SEES. How she always had to be, honestly. He'll never forget that.] I love you so much. I... I hate the thought of you feeling alone.
[Another soft noise at the reminder of their promise. She knows they'd made a promise to tell each other everything, even if they think it's stupid, but... she just doesn't want to have to think about it. She doesn't want to figure out how to put it into words so she can talk about it. It's not that she thinks it's stupid, it's just hard.]
...As long as you're here, I won't feel alone, [she mumbles quietly, keeping her eyes closed and leaning gently into his hand. As long as he's here, she can keep going, keep living and breathing and wanting to be alive.] You're the most important person here to me, so...
[And that's just it, isn't it? Her whole world, narrowed down to one person. She still loves (almost) everyone in town, she still wants to do her best for everyone, but Scott is the singular most important person right now.]
[He doesn't disbelieve her words and so something still unwinds in him, more than touched that Kotone not only genuinely feels that way but is comfortable telling him. She's gotten honest about that, hasn't she? And knowing that he's that special to her, just like she is to him, it would be impossible to remain completely unaffected by that sentiment. However, his stubborn nature remains, only amplified from his love towards her as he gently traces the sensitive skin that's now slightly wet from her tears.
Is it enough to just be here for her like this? To him, it doesn't feel enough, especially not when she's always so patient and supportive towards him. Even now, when he hurt one of her dear friends, she comforted him. If he kept all of his fears to himself, without Kotone saying anything to reassure him, he doesn't think he'd be this far along, as fragile as he feels still. The bubble of feelings just aren't as overwhelming.
...But he also remembers her not feeling things as deeply. That's always been the difference between them, hasn't it? But even with that, Scott knows that doesn't mean Kotone is unaffected. It just takes a little longer, which is why he's fine with waiting.]
I know. [Scott acknowledges, still pressing lightly against her face.] I... I just want to be here for you the same way you are for me.
[She says it so easily, so simply, as if it should be obvious. The corner of her lip twitches up into a brief smile beneath his hand, her head turning to press her nose against his palm. He's here, with her, and that's all she ever could want from him. That he wants to be there for her, not just physically, but in every other sense -- it means the world to her.
She couldn't imagine being here without him. She doesn't want to imagine being here without him.]
So just... stay here with me.
[She shifts a bit, wrapping herself more securely around him and burying her face between his shoulder and the couch again in a visible sign that she doesn't really want to say much more. She just wants to be here with him, for as long as they're allowed.]
[While it's clear that Scott isn't fully happy with her response, he relents, figuring that they'll come back to this later on. Maybe when everything is less raw, when she might feel a little more ready. Yeah, that's probably fine. As things are now, he doesn't want to spoil the mood, especially as she requests for him to just stay with her. He can do that, without question.
It seems like she really needs this. Maybe that's her own way of asking for help-- or comfort. He won't deny her that, he couldn't, really.
So, as she moves closer, he's already meeting her halfway, positioning his body against hers that's so natural at this point. He really doesn't need to have his eyes opened for that. His arms gently wrap around her, one around her waist, while the other returns to its place against the back of her hair, fingers gently running through red strands as he keeps her close. Not that Kotone needs protection, but he likes to think that he's securing her anyway. Just their moment, without any outside interference.]
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[Her heart aches, and she's so tired, but she knows Scott truly would never do anything like that to a friend. Not even to somebody he doesn't know, not anymore; not since their conversation after the desert. Scott has a big heart and feels everything so deeply; it's why she'd wanted to push him away from anything serious all those months ago, but look at them now. At least she can try to support him, even if he did kill her friend.
No. He didn't kill Ryoji. She has to believe that.
She collapses a little atop him, giving him the chance to bury his face into her shoulder or her chest if he wants to. These glitches... she has to do something about them, if not for Scott's sake, but to prevent anyone else from getting hurt. Ryoji and Ange are already proof of how dangerous Phoenix can be if she comes out at the wrong moment. Kotone takes a deep breath and squeezes her eyes shut, holding Scott close.]
We'll figure something out. [Beneath the anger and the pain, there's that familiar steely determination. Maybe Dara knows something, or maybe Peter can do something, but-- there has to be a solution.] We will. I don't want to lose you again.
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Maybe dangerous to have his sunglasses off, but he'll keep his eyes shut. He'd never hurt her. He can't, he won't. Maybe he shouldn't be doing something like, not when he can possibly glitch once more, but Scott doesn't think about that. He wants to press his vulnerable and uncovered eyes against the warmth of her body. It's nice to think that Kotone still trusts him too.
Being fully embraced like this and hearing the determination in her voice, the anger still there but not fully directed at him anymore, pushes against that complicated bubble of emotions until they completely burst and Scott isn't holding anything back as he cries. Just like how she comforted him almost a year ago at the casino, after the desert events, he breaks down against her.]
I-I don't want to change again. I-I just want to be myself, with you. With everyone else. [He wants to feel normal again, even if it's impossible. At least he can be with her. That won't change.
...Not as long as they're both here.] I-I don't want to hurt anyone...
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It's like a reversal of what had happened with Thanatos all those months ago. Now it's Scott who could glitch into someone who has an uncontrollable power within him that only wants to hurt. His sobs fracture something deep within her heart, making her gasp softly with her own emotion as she holds him close, tucking her chin in against his head and twining both hands into his hair. It's not fair that Scott is suffering like this. It's not fair for any of them, really, and there are so many people she'll have to check on. But Scott's her first priority.]
I don't want you to change either. I like you. [Exactly how he is. He doesn't have to be the leader of the X-Men or some cosmic force, but just Scott Summers. Whoever he decides to be for himself, that's enough for her. Her voice breaks a little with the quiet addition,] I love you. I wanna stay with you.
[If it happens again... hopefully she'll be there to stop him. If Phoenix was able to kill Ryoji, when Ryoji was so strong in his Gnosia form, she doesn't know how she could possibly stop Phoenix, but... well, she has to try. She has to be prepared for if it ever happens again.]
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Maybe it's just so easy to remember how much he loves her. He's always liked her since they first met, but over time, those feelings developed from a simple crush to something genuine. It's now to a point that he has a hard time thinking he'd ever feel this way towards anyone else. Not to mention that she loves him back. She doesn't care about all those extra things that have made his life more complicated, she still loves him. It means so much, now more than ever.]
I love you. [He says once, then repeats.] I love you, Kotone. I-I just want to be with you.
[He just wants to go on dates with her, eat at the diner, watch movies, return to something normal. For a while, after Ryoji pierced her chest, after he glitched into Phoenix, all of that felt impossible. Scott wants to hope that they can do those things once more after all this. He doesn't want to lose that part of their life together.]
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She can't be with him forever. But she wants to be with him until the end of her life. That's selfish, isn't it? But as her own chest heaves a bit with the force of her own emotions bubbling up from within, she's forced to admit that it's the truth. She squeezes her eyes tightly shut and keeps her grip on him as steady as she can, even if her hands are starting to shake.]
Me, too. [And her voice is a whisper, fiercely possessive. Everything feels too much, like her nerves have been rubbed raw, catching her breath in her lungs until it's hard to breathe. She doesn't want to be in Aldrip without Scott. When had that happened? People always leave eventually, she'd accepted that, over and over again, but she doesn't want to go through it all without him anymore.]
'M sorry.
[Another whisper, more ragged than before, and even if he asked, she doesn't think she could put into words all the things she's sorry for as tears gather behind closed eyelids. Sorry glitched into another Scott and couldn't save Ryoji. Sorry she couldn't protect either of them. Sorry she died. Sorry she'll die long before he will.]
Sorry...
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But Scott doesn't let that stop him, pulling up from her chest with his eyes still closed. He's mostly facing towards her as she whispers her apologies, listening to the quietness of her voice with his heart clenching all the while. Perhaps humorously, he lightly bumps her cheek with his hand, but soon he's cupping her face with a gentle grip, a small frown tugging at the corner of his lips even as the occasional tear continues to slide down from his eyelids.]
I know-- it's not your fault. Nothing is. [Scott sounds a little more put together, although he's still choked up. It's not surprising to hear Kotone taking fault for what happened because she cares so much about people-- her friends. Of course she'd be taking this hard and that's not even touching the fact that she died just a couple of days ago. All of that sounds so difficult to touch upon or even start processing, so swipes his thumb across her cheek as he repeats himself.]
It's okay. I'm here-- we're here.
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She leans down and gently kisses away those tears as if that could somehow help her not cry herself. It doesn't really work, the visible reminder of how much Scott had suffered only making her lip tremble, but she does try, mirroring his gesture and cupping his cheek once again. She kisses the corner of his eye, his eyelids, his forehead, lingering there for a long moment and just trying to breathe.]
I don't wanna be here without you. [It bursts out in a rush as this time, she's the one to duck her head, pressing her nose into his shoulder and fighting to keep her tears from spilling.] I just wanna be with you...
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She's so close to his powers like this, but she's safe. He can control them like this. Maybe it's silly to think that controlling his optic blasts is just shutting his eyes, but it's what stopping him from hurting her and what's allowing Kotone to be this close to him. It's a claim that he wants to make, especially after Phoenix took over-- after he's been glitching to other Scotts the past month. It's nice to have that power and agency.]
I promise, we will. W-we'll be together.
[There's the unspoken part, the stuff that doesn't need mentioning, how they'll only be together as long as they're both here. But Scott doesn't want to say that. He doesn't need to clarify it anyway, not to Kotone of all people. They don't need that harsh reminder.
Instead, he moves one hand from her cheek to the back of her head, lightly guiding his fingers through her hair.] ...You've been through so much, Kotone.
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They'll be together as long as this place allows. She can only hope that Scott disappears first from this place; if her being gone for two days was already so hard for him, then her being gone for good might break him. But imagining the same without him hurts too much and brings fresh tears swimming into her eyes so that all she can do when Scott adds that last part is just let out a little uncertain noise.
Has she been through a lot? It feels like it. But lots of people have been through a lot, even more than she has, so why should she complain? It doesn't help anything to feel sorry for herself, she learned that a long time ago. But Scott will get mad if she tries to tell him, "it's okay," so she doesn't know what to do other than shrug helplessly, trusting him to feel the motion even if he can't see it.]
You, too, [she mumbles finally, still gently pressing her fingers near his eyes. There's so much power hidden beneath his eyelids that he has to live with, every day. That, and the glitches, and losing himself -- he's been through just as much, she thinks.] But... I meant it. What I told Morph. [And it seems like both a long time ago, and just a few days ago, when the Gnosia-infected mutant had attacked them.] People like us don't get to take breaks.
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Getting overly upset or angry with people never worked out for him. He doesn't want to be upset with her anyway, especially not after something so horrific. Not after she just came back from the doors of death. Things must be hard on her. Dying, coming back...]
...Right now you can.
[Scott quietly says, tone reassuring and supportive. He moves his other hand closer to her eyes, movement slow that he doesn't accidentally extend too far or painfully bump her.]
Because I said so. [Scott smiles a little, but he's fully sincere.] I'm with you-- Kotone.
[As in, he doesn't care that she's the leader of SEES. That she saved the world through her sacrifice. Important traits, sure, but he's loved her long before learning any of those things about her.]
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Okay, Leader, [she mumbles, and even with his eyes closed, he'll be able to feel the way her lips curve into an only-slightly-shaky smile. If Scott says to take a break, if Scott says the infection is cured and they don't have to rush to the next crisis -- then okay. She'll believe him.] Can we just... stay here a little while longer? Together.
[She has to find her tablet, she has to message Ryoji, and Minato, and find out if Shinji is okay, and check in with everyone else and the general state of the town, but for now -- maybe just for now -- she can let her whole world narrow to just Scott.]
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We can stay here for just a while longer. I'll keep track for us.
[He won't keep track at all, just wanting to stay in this position with her for as long as possible or for as long as she wants. Even knowing her immeasurable strength, Scott can tell she's affected and emotional too in her own subtle way. He's relied on her a lot and just in the past hour, so he hopes that she can take back some of his energy and strength in return. He brushes a thumb past the corner of her eyes, gently comforting and yet encouraging, as if silently telling her that's okay if she cries.]
...You know I'll always wait for you until you want to talk about things.
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She'll be okay, in time. She'd like to say it's for both their sakes, but it's not quite true, is it? She can be vulnerable with Scott, and he can be vulnerable with her. She knows she can talk to some of her other friends about things like this, especially the other wildcards, but it's somehow become easier with Scott. Maybe it's because they're so different; he doesn't get things the way Yu or Akira or Minato does, but he works through it and tries to understand from her perspective instead of drawing on his own experiences.
She loves him so much.]
What if I never wanna talk about it? [A soft murmur against his skin, and he might feel a hint of wetness from the tears that have gathered in her eyes but have yet to truly start falling. Her lips curve into a little bit of a helpless smile and she shakes her head.] Would that be okay...?
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[Scott gently but firmly responds, almost like he's reminding her of that evening on the rooftop, last year in October. Yeah, of course he remembers that day and nearly everything that happened. He started off so upset with her and he assumed a lot of things, but then he learned so much, and then they promised. From then on, they were dating and his life really became better (and sadder and harder) for the most part. He can't imagine not talking to her in the first place.
Being honest is important, right?
His thumb nearly stops in place when he feels the gathering of tears in her eye, clearly surprised, but he luckily doesn't snap his eyes open or try and grab his sunglasses to see her. He keeps in place, gently stroking along her eye with care. He knows that Kotone isn't the type to break, but he wants to be tender with her.]
I-I just don't want you to feel like you need to shoulder everything on your own. [She admitted that to him before, how she always had to be strong for SEES. How she always had to be, honestly. He'll never forget that.] I love you so much. I... I hate the thought of you feeling alone.
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...As long as you're here, I won't feel alone, [she mumbles quietly, keeping her eyes closed and leaning gently into his hand. As long as he's here, she can keep going, keep living and breathing and wanting to be alive.] You're the most important person here to me, so...
[And that's just it, isn't it? Her whole world, narrowed down to one person. She still loves (almost) everyone in town, she still wants to do her best for everyone, but Scott is the singular most important person right now.]
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Is it enough to just be here for her like this? To him, it doesn't feel enough, especially not when she's always so patient and supportive towards him. Even now, when he hurt one of her dear friends, she comforted him. If he kept all of his fears to himself, without Kotone saying anything to reassure him, he doesn't think he'd be this far along, as fragile as he feels still. The bubble of feelings just aren't as overwhelming.
...But he also remembers her not feeling things as deeply. That's always been the difference between them, hasn't it? But even with that, Scott knows that doesn't mean Kotone is unaffected. It just takes a little longer, which is why he's fine with waiting.]
I know. [Scott acknowledges, still pressing lightly against her face.] I... I just want to be here for you the same way you are for me.
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[She says it so easily, so simply, as if it should be obvious. The corner of her lip twitches up into a brief smile beneath his hand, her head turning to press her nose against his palm. He's here, with her, and that's all she ever could want from him. That he wants to be there for her, not just physically, but in every other sense -- it means the world to her.
She couldn't imagine being here without him. She doesn't want to imagine being here without him.]
So just... stay here with me.
[She shifts a bit, wrapping herself more securely around him and burying her face between his shoulder and the couch again in a visible sign that she doesn't really want to say much more. She just wants to be here with him, for as long as they're allowed.]
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It seems like she really needs this. Maybe that's her own way of asking for help-- or comfort. He won't deny her that, he couldn't, really.
So, as she moves closer, he's already meeting her halfway, positioning his body against hers that's so natural at this point. He really doesn't need to have his eyes opened for that. His arms gently wrap around her, one around her waist, while the other returns to its place against the back of her hair, fingers gently running through red strands as he keeps her close. Not that Kotone needs protection, but he likes to think that he's securing her anyway. Just their moment, without any outside interference.]
...I'm here, always. Whenever you need me.
[They promised.]