お誕生日おめでとう~!

[sumarusfinest]

A day planner laid out on Katsuya's kitchen counter has a big red circle over the date.

October first.

The officer wipes his glasses clean with a cloth and removes the apron he'd been wearing until moments ago. Changes back into his suit and tie and resolves that his kitchen will just have to be cleaned when he gets home.

He has gifts for a very special someone to go deliver. He scoops up the cake box and his keys and leaves his apartment for the Nexus. A certain magi's tower in the Nexus, to be exact. He does have the courtesy to text her to let her know he's on his way.

Still feels weird to announce 'I'm here to see Miss Verity Willis' to a wall of solid crystal though. Would it still open if he spoke in Japanese? Experiments for another time.

"Verity?"

Comments

Much worse

[sumarusfinest]

See? So hard on herself. She's not the worst girlfriend. She's cuddly and sweet and positively adorable. Katsuya certainly thinks so.

"Because you're not dealing with it at all." He says gently. "Acting like everything is fine when it isn't won't work forever...and no one wants to see that other shoe fall. Especially if we're not there to help you when it happens." He doesn't let go of the closer pull, rubbing her shoulder while he talks and walks.

"As someone who has literally wasted years of their life doing exactly such....I'd hate to see you lie to yourself. Especially in your case." His voice is soothing, gentle.

And he's walking slowly in case this conversation justifies a change in plans to an isolated place in the park district instead of shopping.

So attentive.

[brave_heart_verity]

Wait, does letting her guard down mean all kinds of people can see how screwed up she is now? Have they been talking about her? Who's this "we" he's talking about?

...crap. He's right. Sort of.

She's going to be quiet for a while, letting him steer her wherever he wants to go while she thinks.

"I think it's because it hasn't happened yet. When it does I'll be. I'll probably." She sighs. How the fuck can she begin to imagine how she'll handle something on this scale? "That's when I'm going to need people to make sure I get up and eat and go outside sometimes. But everyone grieves in their own time and... it's not helpful when you make me feel like I'm doing it wrong. I know it's not going to be like this forever. I just said that. And I know I'm bad at talking about these things. So when I manage to, please listen."

[sumarusfinest]

"I'm not saying you're grieving wrong." Katsuya doesn't change his tone, nor does he change their destination yet. "I'm explaining why I've been loathe to push you. You tell me to insist on you doing thins when I listen, and when I insist, you tell me to listen."

No laughing, no edge to his voice. Just plainly explaining.

"All I want to do is do whatever will be best for you. I'm afraid I may make the wrong choice sometimes, or be unsure as to what to do. but I'll keep trying. it's the least I can do for you. I'll be here.'

[brave_heart_verity]

She sighs and stops walking, pulling him into a proper hug. "I'm sorry. I know I'm being difficult. I don't mean to be." It may be difficult to make that part out because she's got her face half buried in his shirt.

There will be more hugging while she tries to sort herself out. Feelings are hard and neither of them is very good at this so she wants to make sure she's doing it right. "You may be right that right now I'm trying to pretend everything's okay. I want to enjoy the first birthday I get to spend with real friends and the last one I'm ever likely to want to celebrate. I think it's like... when someone's told they've got a month to live and they go out and do all that crazy stuff they've always wanted to do. You do it because you know it's not going to last. I just. Right now I'm just trying to get through today, okay?"

[sumarusfinest]

"The difference is, you will live to see tomorrow. And the tomorrow after that." He pulls her close, holding her flush against his body.

She has to. He'll protect her form the world if he has to. Any world. Every world. It's selfish, and stupid and a million things but he's not going to just let this good thing be taken from him again. Katsuya Suou has learned his lesson there.

"You don't have to do it alone." He finally says, choking slightly on the words. There's a fire of determination in his eyes. Katsuya has Verity's back on this.

[brave_heart_verity]

She doesn't respond quickly. Or rather, her vocal response is delayed. Her arms tighten around him and she presses up close, and though she isn't crying yet her breath is ragged in that 'gonna cry soon' kind of way. "If you keep being perfect, I'm either going to cry or start kissing you."

Little does she know she's capable of doing both of those things at the same time.

[sumarusfinest]

"So far from perfect. So far." Katsuya fights back the lump in his throat. She has no idea how lost and awkward and worried he is about screwing this up somehow.

But he's doing his best.

"Look up for a minute please?"

[brave_heart_verity]

Oh, don't be so sure of that, Katsuya. She's feeling pretty damn lost these days too. "You need to learn to take a compliment."

She'll look up when he asks so nicely, blinking a few times because wow everything gets bright when your eyes are teary. "Hmm?"

[sumarusfinest]

"So do you."

Barely a sentence, more a breath against her cheeks as he tilts her chin up just a bit further and leans down to cover her lips briefly with his own.

"...Feel better?" When he pulls back, he's blushing, but he isn't ducking his head at all.

[brave_heart_verity]

She'd admit that yes, she has a lot of things she needs to work on. But then he's kissing her and she's not thinking about any of that anymore. Or much of anything other than the kiss, brief though it may be.

"Mm. I dunno. I think you may need to do that again." No, she's not going to pretend to be sad to get kisses. She's already looking considerably happier now. But a little teasing is okay, right?

[sumarusfinest]

It's so out of his comfort zone and they're in public and Katsuya isn't really this confident to do public displays of affection. But then she's smiling and teasing and it's suddenly worth it.

"If I concede, will it tide you over until we're done shopping?" He can't help but smiling around his words, trying to return her jests.

[brave_heart_verity]

Siiiiigh. She is so put-upon by that question. (It is legitimately disappointing for her. She's not as anti-PDA as he is.) But after a moment she'll nod her agreement. "Probably."

[sumarusfinest]

He chuckles, shaking his head. But he will lean down again, and there's a follow up kiss to match the first.

It's nearly impossible to say no to her. She will never have to worry about not being spoiled.

And not just with baked goods, apparently.

[brave_heart_verity]

There's this little sound she makes when he kisses her, somewhere between a hum and a moan, quiet and almost hiding in the back of her throat. It's unlikely anyone else can hear it. But he can hear it.

It's not spoiling if she deserves it.

"Thank you." After the kiss, she'll rest her forehead against his chest for a moment. "You are really good at that."

[sumarusfinest]

This time when she pulls back and leans her head against his chest, Katsuya flushes rather deeply and nods in thanks rather than saying anything.

Not sure he could do it in English at the moment.

It's good to have a natural gift at things, because it clearly is not experience talking in that kiss there. On the other hand, he's so earnest about things, even when he's being affectionate.

Shopping. Yes. That is a thing they need to do.

[brave_heart_verity]

In a minute. Honestly, she's starting to rethink this whole shopping idea. But when she looks up again and he's so flustered...

"You okay for shopping?"

[sumarusfinest]

He wasn't quite expecting her reaction to be so intimate, mostly. He's never had the chance to actively pursue a relationship before. It's weird to be here and kissing Verity instead of waist deep in her ending world fighting gods or undead or the like with her at his side even.

That's the sort of relationship he's used to. Getting to have something so ordinary as a date or a nap together. Time to be affectionate and physical. That he's not used to.

"We can yes. I would be equally as amenable to...uhm." He clears his throat. Translating, wording properly. Not hesitating exactly. "Skipping the trip and perhaps just enjoying each other's company?" Snuggling or cuddling are verbs that are escaping him yet at the moment, so he opts for the more general suggestion.

[brave_heart_verity]

Oh, gods, he's just so adorable when he gets like that. She's trying not to laugh, but it's hard to bite her lip and smile so much at the same time. There's nothing to be done about that sparkle in her eyes, he's just going to have to live with that. And with the way her arms tighten around him. Really, so much he's got to deal with with her.

"That sounds better," she agrees quietly. "My place or yours?"

If he ever meets her Loki, Katsuya will have to thank him for teaching Verity how to be affectionate. Clearly, there was no kissing, but the hand-holding and cuddling are mostly Loki's doing. That part's turned out pretty well.

[sumarusfinest]

Hers would be more convenient and close. But there's the...

"Would...would Naugus-san mind?" It doesn't matter if they're two fully grown adults. One does not walk into a racist grandpa magi's tower to get cuddly without permission. At least not if he doesn't want to cause a scene.

Potentially.

"Would it be better if we went to my apartment? Whichever you prefer."

[brave_heart_verity]

"He said you're allowed to visit, and he really doesn't spend a lot of time downstairs." If Naugus wants to cause a scene he'll find an excuse for it, but somehow she doubts it's going to be over cuddling. It's really much more likely to be about a muffin shortage.

He has his priorities.

"If it helps, I'm pretty sure he likes you. But if you'd rather go back to your apartment that's okay too. It's just. My place is closer..." which leaves more time for cuddling. And her bed is built for two, should it come to that.

[sumarusfinest]

Her home is closer and Katsuya hasn't forgotten the argument of cuddling somewhere where all the kitten fur isn't going to make him have to clean everything tomorrow.

"Lead the way then. Your place it is." He'll take her hand in his again and give it a gentle squeeze.

[brave_heart_verity]

Good choice, Katsuya. She'll lace her fingers with his as they walk, enjoying the nice weather and the promise of things to come.

They can make small talk on the way. There are so many things she wants to know about him. Who his partner is at work, what his favorite story was when he was a child, who these mysterious world-saving friends of his are, just all kinds of things.

She's never had a partner at work, but she'd tell him about her supervisor Tammy, who's always been nice to her and didn't care why she wanted to work from home; her favorite story was about her parent's honeymoon when they got lost and ended up at someone else's wedding for three days; and she might talk about Sigurd and Lorelei a bit. Loki wasn't her only friend.

Small talk makes me want to replay this game again hngg

[sumarusfinest]

His work is a complicated subject mmmostly because the whole world saving thing really screwed up Sumaru and his life in more than one way. He's still considered a Sergeant despite his years on the force, but that's leaving out the fact that he oughtn't to have the job at all anymore considering he was wanted by his own force on more than one occasion where rumors went awry and demonic influence and corruption seeded its way through Sumaru.

So, while his coworkers think highly of him, he still gets the short end of the stick when it comes to the higher ups at the department. He doesn't seem to mind too much though. He isn't aiming to be police chief or anything like that.

He'll talk about his brother's fascination with cars and machines even from a young age, and how Katsuya remembered all the different lines and voices for his brother's favorite storybook that sounds like a remarkable Thomas the Train ripoff.

He'll talk about the Joker case, Tatsuya Sudou, and how he met Maya Amano, Ulala Serizawa, and Baofu thanks to the events that unfolded at his brother's school: Seven Sisters Highschool in Rengedai, near the Araya shrine. The whole first dungeon introduction to the end of the world and meeting of his companions could last until they arrived at her home.

Is that so bad?

[brave_heart_verity]

She likes hearing about it all anyway, although the fact he doesn't even have his own favorite story makes her incredibly sad. He deserves a life as more than his brother's keeper. Maybe they'll write their new favorite stories together.

The whats and whys weren't what she was asking about, but if that's the story he wants to tell she'll listen. Someday she'll get to hear about who they are instead of what. She just needs to figure out the right way to ask.

At some point, when they're in a less public area, she'll pull his arm around her again, but she doesn't press for more until they're inside and the door is shut. That's when she turns to him with an expectant smile. "So. Here we are."

No, it just makes me sad that the remake for EP never got released in the US :(

[sumarusfinest]

Who they are is integral to what. Maya was there as an intrepid beginning reporter for a popular teen magazine. A vehemently positive thinking woman with a determined streak wide enough to change worlds. A terrible driver (no seriously the WORST) who caught hell all the time from her harpy of a boss. Wanting to follow her dreams but having to settle for the equivalent of US Weekly to work her way up.

Who they all were. Maya, Ulala, himself, Tatsuya. At that time. He will talk about. But he doesn't talk about Who Baofu is. He knows. He admits that he knows. But it's not his business to tell Baofu's story. The rumor monger prefers to be a what. The who died a long time ago, or so the cynical older man thinks. The truth is he's the closest thing to a best friend Katsuya has. And he only sees the other once a year, if that.

But by then they're inside and Katsuya nods.

"Yes. I've been here before." Twice even! He'll slip his shoes off dutifully and take a cursory look around. It's hard to get used to the solid crystal structure after only seeing it twice.