Akito was momentarily stunned, uncertain at first whether she had heard him correctly. She would have expected the question from he, from Shigure, that was–but coming from Kureno it was odd.
They could and would deny it, but Kureno felt the changes coming. Like the world was tilting, ever so slightly, the wrong way. He knew that it was inevitable as it was necessary -- that, held in stasis, no single family member would survive for much longer. They need to embrace the shattering to come, and he’ll have to do the right thing regardless of the fact that he still had no idea what that was yet.
It comes as a shock that it terrifies him.
He let his head drop, the angle obscuring his gaze. Kureno hadn’t meant to say the last out loud -- hadn’t meant to insert himself as part of the equation. It had been a mental measuring stick; will he continue to protect you? will he hurt you like I have? will he be better or worse?
His voice was even when he repeated his question, “I need to know. Does he love you?”