[ How does he manage to say things so clearly and honestly when she still hesitated admitting it? She doesn't think too hard on the partners she has and cares for here— they all have folks they'd absolutely be more committed to if she wasn't here, after all. She accepts that.

Jakurai, too— has been making things work with Ramuda, and whenever he leaves he'll at least have whatever he does with him. It's why she knows he'll be alright when he returns—

When he goes to a world without her.

When did she start wanting to take him to hers, and selfishly make him adapt to a world not his own?

She feels her heart ache tightly at his words, wanting to believe them so badly— but she knows if she does, that will be it. And yet—

And yet, her heart wants to accept this. Accept him, and his words. Her hands move to cup his face in her hands even as her head stays lowered, before she meets his gaze at last when she lifts it. ]

You too. I don't want to think of parting with you right now. Or ever as long as we're here. I may have feelings of other sorts for others— but the fact that you still accepted me...

[ Even she would have not been as accepting before, and now— she moves in to press their mouths together, kissing him heatedly before he can reply, and her hands thread into his hair. ]

I'm scared of how much I love you, but I don't want this to stop if it doesn't have to. How selfish is that?