reveilation | IC INBOX

[ Terry snaps out of it eventually and when he does, he sees that Kido's trying to get out of his hold. He lowers her to the ground and catches all the grocery bags well enough so that nothing tears and spills. ]

Sorry, I... I was surprised. That really caught me off guard...

It- it's fine...

[ Kido doesn't have her hood to hide behind, so she'll just have to hunch over the keyhole and open the door before stomping over to the kitchen so she can help put things away before they head out again. ]

It's just some stupid western tradition, so I thought you might've known about it. It doesn't mean anything.

[ Terry quietly brings the bags over to the kitchen and organizes them before putting them away. He's definitely not aware of the tradition, even if it's western, but that would make sense...? It honestly hasn't even been a month since they confessed to each other and I want to say that Terry would did for Kido already, but circumstances around that are difficult in Hirajiro.

In any case, he won't take the words back that he said in the Velvet Room. Maybe it's a one-sided honeymoon phase. Terry can smile from his heart now, because he won't have to say that he loved her in past tense anymore. ]

It's gonna be really hard not to think about that, you know.

[ It's got something to do with protecting the wife from demons and Kido wouldn't be opposed to it in that one situation only, but otherwise she's just really embarrassed about everything all the time. Admitting feelings is still something that's difficult to get used to, because she never intended to do anything about it anyways and even remembering how she had to silently ask for a hug back at the hospital makes her want to just go to her room and never come out.

When will she ever get over this, I don't know. ]

Yeah, well... do your best.

[ Wipe the last five minutes from your mind, Terrence Nowell. Kido grabs the chicken and the fish to stuff into the fridge so she can continue not looking at him. ]

[ Terry will absolutely never forget this moment. He'll treasure it forever. He helps her out by putting the things in the fridge and cabinets since he organized them by group already. Done! ]

Though... I wouldn't have minded.

[ Avoiding eye contact is immediately futile when he says that and Kido whips her head around to look at him because she wants to scream at him "What part??" but then he might say something about getting married and then she'll have to scream for real. ]

That's- well... uhh... A way's off...

[ But she's not rejecting it... Wow she really wants to disappear on the spot, she's just going to turn around and head out the door and do just that. ]

[ He missed this. He really did. After shoving the plastic bags under the sink cabinet, he hurriedly follows after Kido. Don't think he noticed that Kido didn't outright reject it... but he won't push it any further for now. He'll wait forever like Hachiko. Rimi locks the door after he leaves and he goes to hold Kido's hand again. ]

Wanna go fast again?

No.

[ She's not an adrenaline junkie like Terry who gets a kick out of going fast, and if he carries her again while completely ignoring the conversation they just had, she's going to sock him in the stomach. ]

Let's just walk like this. I'll make it so nobody bothers us. It'll be like... we're the only two people in the world, and we can take our time.

[ On hindsight, she should have done this on the way to the store in the first place, making both her and Terry invisible so people wouldn't stare and whisper. ]

[ But he thought she wouldn't want to talk about it? Kido??? Anyway, he obliges to her request and doesn't do the roadrunner thing. ]

Wow, Kido...

[ He looks like he's in awe. ]

That sounded really romantic.

[ He got dokis and shit. I'm embarrassed by his existence. ]

Shut up!!

[ She turns to sock him in the stomach lmao as if he wouldn't see it coming for calling her out like that ]

[ Her punches no longer hurt, but the aftereffects still linger like how he won't be feeling hungry anytime soon... It's like a strange numb feeling. ]

Your punches are still strong as ever...

[ One day Kido's going to break one of his ribs but he won't be able to feel it, then we'll see who gets the last laugh ]

Of course they are. I won't hold back just because it's you.

[ I look forward to Kido almost killing him again. 8)

Despite just being punched, Terry gets back up quickly and keeps following Kido closely. ]

I won't hold back either!

[ Of being sappy and embarrassing. Probably. Definitely not the punching. ]

No, you can stand to hold back a little...

[ But she just marches for the door so she can drag him out to town and inevitably have to rely on him leading the way again because she doesn't know where any of the stores are. She needs a town map, the staple for any foreigner. ]

It's only fair if you won't either, right?

[ Even if they're completely different things. ]

Maybe it's different for you since it's been ten years without me, but I still love you.

[ He'd totally draw a crude town map for Kido if she asked... but at least he'd make it simple and easy to understand. Anyway, he's still walking with Kido's hand in his as he says that and he's a little embarrassed, but maybe it's better to have said it than not at all, because it was one of the things he regretted when Kido "died". ]

[ Hearing that is enough to make Kido's steps falter, because when it comes to it, Terry was always the one saying it clearly: "I like you" and "I love you" while Kido would rather die than say it to his face. She tried to show it in other ways, but even holding hands like this is something she had to muster up the courage for, when Terry does it so easily that she doesn't think it means as much to him as it does for her.

But it's not like she didn't love him, in those ten years where she admittedly never thought about him, outside of a vague sense of having somebody who would always always always have her back. But even if her families kept crumbling and falling apart, even if society kept rejecting her and made it hard to be around others, she never had the sense that she was alone in it all. Like Kano and like Seto, Terry was always there for her too, in those ten years she struggled through to get this this point. So seeing him again after a long time, it didn't feel like that at all, the feeling didn't really change, even as Kido's feet slow to a stop and she chews on her bottom lip because this is really sappy and she knows it, but she doesn't want Terry to think his feelings aren't reciprocated. ]

...Stupid. Why would it be different for me? Even if I did forget all about you, I'd just fall in love with you all over again.

[ It really is sappy. The only reason why Terry can say and get those sappy feelings out easily is because he feels no shame in expressing himself that way. He does genuinely feel a lot with each handholding, hug, bridal carries--everything that would suggest to be more couple-like, but...

It's very different when he has those actions reciprocated.

When Kido's steps come to a halt, he stops too, looking back at her. His eyes widen when she says that and he turns his head away, a bit red in the face but not as bad as before, and covering his mouth with his other hand. He feels so touched and yet, his heart also feels like it's going to explode. He eventually lowers his hand from his mouth though and looks back at Kido again with a small smile. ]

I'm really glad to hear that, Kido. I feel happy... and I hope I can keeping making you happy too.

[ "Keep making you happy" is a step up from last month's "All I do is make you anything but happy" but has Terry accomplished that? When will I get to use a smiling Kido icon again? Who knows. Even when he says stuff like this, Kido feels more embarrased than happy, though there's both. ]

You were laughing at me.

[ There's also some anger, because why else would Terry turn his face and cover his mouth? ]

No! I didn't know what to say at first because I didn't... expect...

[ nnnnnnnnnmmmchdjdndms

Terry's head is getting jumbled. ]

I didn't expect you to say something like that! I was so shocked but I was touched too! Hearing that really made me happy, but I was also embarrassed...!

It's... not like... I'll get to hear stuff like that from you often, so...

[ Damn right she won't, not with that sort of reaction. ]

Did you want to...?

[ Hear sappy things that make them both want to die?? ]

... Yeah...

[ His voice is quiet, making Terry actually seem shy for once in his life... lmao. ]

But you don't need to force it or anything.

[ If she kept doing that to him, he might not be able to live. ]

Alright. I'll never say something like that ever again.

[ She's surprised he actually admitted it. Then again, he doesn't have any problems saying that sort of thing, even though sometimes he's high or drunk for it to happen, and she can't tell if he even remembers those times. It's been ten years, but the longer Kido's back here, the more she remembers. ]

But I can say this: I love you.

[ She says it as "suki," like that one time in the hospital where Terry said it and Kido's immediate reaction was to run away. Like she wants to do right now, but being forced doesn't mean she doesn't mean it. ]

But I--

[ He'd like to hear it again!! But then Kido says "suki" and he's so easily embarrassed. Kido really improved in terms of speaking things out, is what Terry thinks, and it's honestly really refreshing. He likes it, but right now, it's not good for his heart. Getting told that by someone you love is... well, it's a nice experience. He really likes it. ]

... You got better at saying those kinds of things, Kido.

[ He smiles despite the slight redness in his face. ]

I love you too. C'mon, let's go before the shop closes!

[ For some reason, the praise makes her think of her sister, Rin, who said something like that too and patted Kido's head when she was finally able to say something as simple as "good morning" without stuttering the syllables. Like "I love you" is that easy to say, simple words but so difficult to get out because of all the weight behind it.

Kido decides to never say it again either. ]

Running away, huh? We might as well, seeing how much time we spent standing around.

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