there’s familiarity in their position, their situation, familiarity most - welcomed when it comes to mercy. he may not be the best at comfort, though he tries. he may not be the best at offering advice, more of a ‘ do as i say, not as i do ’ type person, but he tries. he tries for her, because he can’t imagine anyone else he’d ever work so hard for. anyone else he considers close, they know all the gritty details. the truth behind his mannerisms and the logic behind his thinking. there’s no need to be any different around them.
then again, he wonders, as fingers comb carefully through her hair and he hopes he can provide some inkling of comfort — is he acting any different truly ? or is this simply another side of him, a side he once thought lost ? his head rests against the headboard, eyes on the ceiling as he listens to her speak.
he assumed this situation one in which he had to choose his words carefully. calculated, well-thought out, picked with precision. then he realized, if he chose his words in such a manner, then they wouldn’t be real. they wouldn’t convey the meaning they needed to. so, mercy finds himself taking a breath, eyes closing as he lets that last sentence she spoke, truly sink in. “ it’s not stupid, ” he begins slowly, arms a touch tighter around her. “ to assume anything you’re feeling, whether you think it warranted or not, is stupid … is assuming wrong, my darling. despite how things ended, you’re allowed to feel how you feel. nobody can tell you those feelings are stupid, or wrong, or ridiculous in any way. ”
the man’s eyes finally open, though they don’t stray from the particular spot he’s begun to fixate on. it’s easier to speak, in a moment such as this, when he isn’t looking at her directly. “ no one is incapable of love. not in its essence, really. love isn’t necessarily an act of romance, my darling. love comes in a million and one different forms. you are not incapable of love, not from what i’ve seen. the act of love, regardless of the circumstance or the meaning thereof, is not one that can be perfected. ”
at first, rei’s eyes are trained on him because even from this angle, he’s so...beautiful. while these were thoughts that she always had, they seemed to be more common lately. she’d always thought he was incredibly handsome but the offers to braid his hair had become little more than an excuse to touch him as time went on. out of habit, when he closed his eyes, she did, too and suddenly, a thought crossed her mind about the concept of mimicking the body language of the people you love. the idea hadn’t even had time to root itself before she shook it free from her mind, though. instead, she opened her eyes again simply to watch him and let the thoughts drift away from her mind until her head was empty from all but his words. Then, when her head is finally clear, he does that thing that always ruins her.
the words slip from his lips. ‘my darling’ and all at once, her chest begins to feel warm and every inch of her body that touches his begins to get this strange, tingly feeling. this unfamiliar sensation spreads while the place of it’s origin begins to feel like a field of sunflowers are sprouting just beneath her chin. it’s almost revolting how warm and fuzzy she feels at the uttering of those syllables from his lips. her cheeks threaten to flush and she feels it coming so she does as usual and places her palms over her face pretending to be overwhelmed by his words. in actuality, it’s his presence that staggering her ability to fully function.
she sighs out and her next words leave in a whisper, ❝ How do you always do that? It’s like you know just what to say. It’s never too...mushy or- You’re never too tough on me. It’s always...just right. Give me a real reason to make fun of you for once, huh? ❞ She shook her head chuckling a little as the warmth in her cheeks finally passed and she moved her hands from her own face to his. her hands squished his cheeks a little bit before she sat up straddling his lap.
she tucks a strand of his hair behind his ear and tilts her head whispering, ❝ Did you know that you’re my favourite person? I know it seems like an exaggeration but I never have to pretend with you... You’re always okay with who I am. That’s rare- ❞ She pouts a little before leaning forward and kissing his forehead softly. ❝ Thank you, Mer. I don’t know what I would do without you. I’d be kind of hopeless, really, ❞ She laughed and shook her head as she looked at him reaching out to boop his nose.