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[ What does it say about her that she doesn't expect him or anyone else to go to such lengths for her? Hibiki would do the same, but could never bring herself to ask for that act to be reciprocated. So going that far without a second thought, the moment he saw that her ring had been taken from her...

It's a little overwhelming.

Leaning forward, breaking the tenuous embrace that they share, the small blonde shifts. Moving her legs to the side, she turns herself toward Kaito before wrapping her arms around him. Her forehead rests on his chest as she viciously fights to stay composed. Keep it together; don't let all those feelings about what happened, what she's lost and now regained bubble up to the surface. ]

I know, but...

[ She would have done the same if the roles were reversed. She would have torn through that place if it meant returning something so precious to him, her own safety be damned. And that goes beyond being his soulmate or partner...

Or maybe even beyond being his friend. But that isn't anything she feels equipped to think about now. Or ever. ]

I don't know what I would've done if something happened to you. Doesn't matter how "valuable" it is, it isn't worth you getting hurt. Or worse.

[ Trying to keep those feelings bottled is a futile effort in general. Especially so against Kaito. His arms latch onto her back, reaching up so that scarred fingers can weave into her hair and massage her scalp.

He's going to destroy that shitty misconception of hers someday.

If anyone deserves his hardest efforts, it's Hibiki.

Lips press to the top of her head, ignoring the numbing sting that's been tingling his face ever since he made the ~~ill-advised~~ decision to start planting kisses on her. ]

...You're so stubborn, [ he murmurs, smiling into her hair. ] Just like me.

I'm not going to get myself killed. Not after spouting all that sentiment. But I'm also not going to let you lose something you care so much about. And you're just gonna have to deal with this middle ground.

And... all I ask is that you don't dare die on me. Don't sacrifice yourself. That's it. That's all. [ His hold tightens, and he whispers the same words that he had so desperately choked out when they had reunited after her vanishing act. ]

I can't afford to lose you.

[ It's because their Soulmates--in the practical, weirdly logical sense--that he's able to pierce through so many dense layers of doubt, guilt and self-loathing as easily as he does. He cheats of course, because Hibiki knows she can't hide much from an empath, but it's times like this that make her realize that there isn't much fight in her. Each time he presses his lips against her is disarming, like he's silently telling her not to fight for once.

Maybe it's okay to let some feelings stay above the surface, instead of pushing them deep into the earth.

A brief flutter of indignation telegraphed through their shared link as he calls her stubborn (like he's ruffled her feathers? how ironic), Hibiki shifts to rest the side of her head to his chest. Her cheeks still damp, the stinging in her eyes present but dying down, his words are punctuated by the sound of breathing and the subtle rise and fall with each breath. She can feel his words like this as he murmurs them softly into her hair.

D̶o̵n̷'̴t̶ ̸g̴e̷t̵ ̸u̷s̵e̶d̸ ̴t̴o̷ ̴t̷h̵i̷s̸,̴ ̶i̸t̴ ̴c̸o̸u̷l̷d̷ ̷a̷l̸l̸ ̶b̵e̴ ̴o̷v̵e̶r̸ ̷i̴n̵ ̵a̸n̴ ̶i̸n̸s̸t̶a̴n̴t̵ ̵i̷f̶ ̵y̴o̶u̸ ̴a̴r̸e̵n̵'̷t̴ ̸c̷a̸r̶e̵f̸u̶l̵.̶

Hibiki doesn't want to hear it... so she won't. Not right now. Curling into him as he embraces her tighter, whispering the same thing he had after reuniting in the Shadowlands, Hibiki closes her eyes. This horrible cheater. He knows the right thing to say in order to pierce through her defenses. ]

...Only if you promise you won't either. I need you here with me, Kaito. [ Hibiki hesitates, closing her eyes as she takes a breath. ]

I can't lose someone else I care about.

[ The truth hurts, girlfriend-to-be.

This is what happens when a Genre Savvy empath is the person you chose to be your partner and Soulmate. You have no one to blame but yourself!!!

Kaito nods into her hair, and the world around them suddenly shifts. Well, truthfully, he's just pulling her down so they can lay on their sides on the grass. All cuddled up. No blankets required.

A bit of jostling puts them face to face, and he smiles. ]

I don't make promises. Too easy to break.

...But I'll make an exception for you.

[ Blinking a few times as he repositions the both of them, Hibiki curls her legs up a little as Kaito turns to face her. For a split second, she's convinced that his refusal is the end of it, but he "begrudgingly" agrees to her request. Really, Kaito? That's how he's going to be?

With a smirk, she reaches her hand out toward his, hooking their pinkies together. Gives them a shake-- ]

The contract has been sealed. Again.

[ And she intends to keep her hand there loosely holding his, but a thought occurs to her, causing her to pull back. ]

Right, sorry. I probably shouldn't do that as much as I do. That can't feel good.

[ Hurts him more like. Honestly, she meant to apologize for being as touchy-feely as she was the night that they became soulmates, but there was so much more to focus on at that point. ]

[ Kaito's smile grows at that. Contract, huh.

Oddly, he yanks her hand back and holds it close to his face. Almost kisses it. ]

One of the few blessings of this world is that my powers seem to have been neutered a fair bit. That includes the painful feedback I normally receive. It still hurts a bit, mind you, but it's more of a throb compared to being stabbed—which is what I'm used to living with. Constantly.

...

[ After a beat, he focuses his gaze on her and smiles, bright and warm. ]

In other words, you don't have to let go this time.

[ She doesn't resist, but she looks a little surprised when he pulls her hand closer. He only has himself to blame as she turns her hand over, fingers lacing between his as he explains. Some Pain doesn't sound great, but he's the one that reached for her this time.

Blue-grays focused on golds, struck by how brightly he smiles at her (oh, oh no that's dangerous), the blonde meets it with a quiet grin of her own. ]

What about the next time? Or the time after that? That offer's not gonna suddenly expire, right?

[ She's joking of course, but there's still a small note of uncertainty. ]

[ Oh.

Oh, that is dangerous. He closes his eyes, partially to dodge that sunbeam but also to sneakily find her other hand and hold it. A slow breath allows him to recalibrate, to review everything that's happened since they fled the Gallows. In the end, he settles on one thought.

Her hands are so warm. ]

Is the contract not sealed? I'm not going anywhere, and neither is that offer.

I promise.

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