Yeah... something those people did while I was in federal custody, it really messed them up. [But she doesn't want to really think about it right now, which should be made clear by the way she presses herself closer to Mithos. Or at least she hadn't expected it to come up like this.]
[He squeezes her hand again, tighter than he means to, wishing he could demolish the humans (it's always humans) who did that to her. Before he can shape the anger into words, she shifts the focus to him. The way she presses against him - like he's her shelter - softens his rawness, and even through he wants to ask more questions, even he can tell she doesn't want to talk about it.]
Can you at least tell me what they look like? [No matter how many times someone described something to her, she liked to hear the affirmation that nothing had changed or, to be more accurate, she just liked to know.]
[He pauses to think a moment.] They're a little like stained glass...the feathers catch light the way crystals do. In this form, they're colored like a rainbow.
... That's beautiful. [She definitely remembered stained glass, and the fact that Mithos' wings had such variety made her oddly happy. She always did love color, after all.]
[...He still doesn't know what to say to that. He's never been complimented like that. Besides, isn't...beautiful...generally...a word that is applied to girls...? Or...? He remembers how, when she was a child, she'd told him his hair was pretty.] Ah...thank you.
[Now it was her turn to blush, given she had never been described that way by someone before, or at least not by someone who wasn't a flirt. 'Cute' she heard often enough, but beautiful?]
Thank you, Mithos... [Really, why can't she get this blush under control, and even more so, why was she feeling so pleased that he thought that way?]
[He's never given a compliment like that before either, and...it feels strangely good. Did it make her happy? He seems to be wondering this question more and more every day.]
It's just the truth. [Don't worry, his face is burning too and he doesn't know how to stop it either.]
[Well his face may just come to burn more, because in her happiness Kaori chooses to tackle Mithos onto the bed right then, still smiling happily and nuzzling into him.
Needless to say, she's rather quite happy even though this encounter had been completely unplanned. Or maybe it was because it was unplanned that she found herself feeling elated.]
[The assault of cuddles comes as completely unexpected. Only half aware of what's going on, he's pushed down onto his side, wings narrowly avoiding damage, with her pressing down on him.
He really doesn't know what to say now. His face is hot enough that he wonders if she can feel it without having to touch it. His heart too, hammering from the surprise. (Just the surprise, right?) But...he doesn't mind this at all.] ...Kaori?
Hm? [Already she's made herself quite comfortable, even if she's still blushing quite a bit. A part of her mind is well aware that this might be too close for Mithos' comfort, but she doesn't necessarily want to pull away either. So she just stays where she is, sliding her eyes closed and listening to his rather fast heartbeat.
It almost makes her want to laugh, the way he was reacting right now, but she keeps her silence instead.]
[This is new. This is very new. He quickly pushes away the link with that tense morning at the start of the year, and, infinitely worse, the confusing experiences of Valentines with Jeb.
This is real, and despite his awkwardness, he feels comfortable being like this with Kaori.] It's nothing.
[He has to wonder...if he did this with Martel, or Sayo, it would be weird, wouldn't it? He can't picture it. But with Kaori, it just feels natural.] ...I like this.
... I like it, too. [A part of this felt familiar to her, but she can't recall just why. After all, she hadn't been with any other people like this before, had she? And it didn't really matter anyway, because she wanted to keep her attention focused on Mithos.]
Can we... stay like this? [It did feel somewhat awkward, there was no doubt about that, but if he didn't mind...]
[He's suddenly very aware that his hand is resting on her hip, and, a little uncertainly, he slides his arm around her waist, so it's like he's hugging her against him.] I...wouldn't mind if we did. [He wonders why his heart hasn't calmed down yet...]
[Her response is a strong smile, followed by her making herself more comfortable against him by nuzzling closer, almost burying her face into his hair. In all honesty doing so almost tickled, but at least it hid the blush that had reappeared when he wrapped his arm around her.
Really, why was she reacting this way? They had held each other before.]
[He's struggling to grasp why this is so different from anything else he's felt. Then, as she smiles and snuggles up against him, the answer is clear. It's simple, isn't it? It's because she understands, like no one else has. She's the friend he never had before, the friend he'd always wanted. Someone he'd always needed.
Irreplaceable.
Everything with her feels new and different, like colors that nobody knew could exist before. It makes a little more sense... With his free hand, he lightly fingers a strand of her hair.]
[And he'll go do that, quickly returning. It isn't as much the thought of freedom as it is the promise of spending time with her that calls to him. They spend time together at home, but he knows this is s little more special. It's something she had wanted to do for a while. He's content to comply, and eager for a distraction.]
[Though she was used to people running their hands through her hair, and even enjoyed it when they did, something about Mithos being the one to do it made her shiver then blush faintly, though she didn't find herself minding it at all. Making a soft, content noise she nuzzles into him again, but not before reaching for one of the thinner blankets on her bed and pulling it over them.
After that she wraps an arm around him herself so they could be even closer than they already were while focusing on the hand in her hair.]
[It's hard to focus on just one thing - her content sigh, her arm around him, her body so close against his, the softness of her hair. He isn't whole. But right now, with her, he feels closer than he has in a long time. He keeps stroking her hair, knowing how comforting it was when the same was done to him.
A jacket...? [She trails off, watching him go. And just... stares at said jacket.] Oh!! Something to keep warm. How could I forget something like that? I'll get mine as well.
[She has a long one that fits over her kimono, an old piece similar to the ones from home (though she'd never known it to be exclusive). She smiles and quickly wraps their pre-cooked meal, letting it hang off her arm.
She's a liiiittle excited, and it bleeds into her voice.]
Do you know the way to the... Those things! What takes us to the beach.
[If Mithos had been expecting no reaction from touching behind her ear he was dead wrong; there's a sharp squeak quickly followed by a deep blush colouring her face while her eyes widened in shock, the rest of her suddenly clinging to him tightly while she struggled recover from the unanticipated gesture and the amount of warmth it had ignited within her.
Soon enough her tight hold is accompanied by shivering as she tries to calm herself down, and if Mithos were to look at her face he would clearly see the amount of confusion she held right now, as well as how flustered he had left her with that single touch.]
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