15strangers week 3 tuesday

[exequte]

CW: DR3 Spoilers

[She follows quietly with him to his room, keeping her hand in his but staying otherwise quiet and letting him process.

This motive had hit him hard, it was clear, even if she was largely untouched. But, if she could help him...]

Comments

[unpossibilities]

....

[He sighs, but he does understand what she's getting at.]

It's just--that, that's what frustrates some part of me deep down. I'm stuck as a bystander. I can't defeat the maniac, I can't save everyone--I'm just the bystander who can't lift the train off of the tracks and save the conductor, the hostages, or...or even the maniac.

I don't want people to die. Not again. Not my friends. Not my enemies. Not...anyone.

People don't have to die. They don't...

[exequte]

[She looks down, and after a moment begins weaving her fingers through his.]

I know.

[Her voice is soft.]

But... but for our purposes here, even if it's made to look like a trolley problem, it really isn't, is it?

[unpossibilities]

...well. Kind of.

There's one person - Maki - on the top track. Then everyone else - everyone here - on the bottom track.

But I...

[He sighs, gently squeezing her hand.]

I couldn't do that. You know me. I just...don't want Maki to be hurt...

[exequte]

I know. But that's not quite what I meant.

Maki, and the everybody else's precious people, are on one track, and one person from here, any of us, is on the other. But what about after the lever is pulled? After that, either the bystander or else the other 14 people die too.

[She looks up at him, then, her eyes wet.]

It's terrible. But... but it's not what Delta is trying to make it look like either.

[unpossibilities]

...Ah. Yeah. I get it now.

[He gently reaches his other hand out, wiping tears away from her eyes.]

He's--he knew, what would get to me. This was similar to one back in the first killing game I was in, too.

[A beat.]

I lost Grampa and Gramma then. Still wasn't as bad as the guy who had no one to lose, I guess.

[exequte]

[She turns her head into his hand, raising hers to cover his, holding it gently against her cheek.]

It's not your fault, though. You didn't start this.

[unpossibilities]

I know.

Thank you. For everything.

[He gently caresses her cheek.]

...I'm so lucky. No matter what anything else happens, I'm...I'm really lucky, for once.

[Because he has her.]

[exequte]

[She smiles at him, finally, and then presses up close and wraps her arms around him in a lingering hug, only pulling back eventually, slightly red, now, and suddenly shy.]

So... is there another reason you wanted to bring me back to your... empty... bedroom?

[unpossibilities]

[...His face heats up. Well. There are not many ways to take that.]

...I'll be honest, like, um.

Did you want there to be?

[which isn't, like, the most smooth guy thing to ask, but he's a gentleman first and foremost with this]

[exequte]

[She watches as he flushes and turns rigid and uncomfortable and earnest and honest and willing and painfully transparent and trusting and still respectful of her through it all and is hit by a sudden wave of almost unbearable fondness that pulls her body up and to his until she kisses him, arms coming up to rest around his neck.

The kiss is soft and gentle and chaste and full of all the fondness in her, as sweet as honey. When she finally pulls back, gently, and lets it break, she is truly blushing, but she's also smiling, though it seems shy.]

Um... it might be nice, if you wanted to hold me for a while....

[unpossibilities]

[And...it's perfect. Kaito's face continues to burn bright red - a mercy, considering all the cold - but he gently kisses her in return, and it's chaste, and gentle, and it feels so nice and so right that he'd be shocked to find out that despite them obviously coming from very different places...they had to be made for each other. They just had to be.

Once it breaks, his entire very being is warm. It's perfect. He has nothing in this entire world he could complain about.]

Of course. I'd love to.

[And so he does, gently holding her close.]

...Cuddling is almost necessary in this temperature, anyway. Heh.

[exequte]

[That makes her giggle, and pull him down with her onto his bed before she curls up in his arms, up against him, pressing gently against the warmth of him as she snuggles close.]

I'm pretty lucky too, I think.

[unpossibilities]

[He's tugged down with her, and he ends up laughing as well, holding her close.]

You think? There's plenty of--...no, no, wait, yeah, you are. I'm Kaito Momota, Luminary of the Stars! I'm better than any other guy because that's so!

[A beat.]

That's what a cool guy would say, right~? I'm right. It's true.

[He's obviously joking.]

[exequte]

[She looks up at him with bright eyes, still smiling, still blushing, pressed close against his warmth. Her eyes are almost sparkling at his words, and she giggles.]

Hmm... when you say it like that, I guess I'll have to say you're not cool at all.

[But then her expression softens into something like pleasure as she tucks herself a little better into his arms.]

You're better than that. You're warm. And I'm glad. I'm so glad.

1/2

[unpossibilities]

I'm--I'm not?

[she's right, but she was still so upfront about it...he's not cool...]

2/2

[unpossibilities]

[oh...oh wait. He gets it, and immediately smiles, softening again.]

Well...yeah, I guess the last thing we need is more coolness right now. Yeesh. Though you're pretty warm, too...guess y'should be, considerin' the jacket...

[That's as much hers as is it his now.]

...You deserve to be happy, though. Always.

[exequte]

I am happy. I'm happy right now.