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[Yuya just starts laughing, trying to shush Kano between giggles.] N-not in front of your guards, what will they think!

[Probably that they aren't paid enough for this.]

I think they should reassign some of the guards outside your room tonight~ For your own protection, you see? Who knows what I'll do?

[ And it'll get them off his back for a bit. A win-win situation. ]

I don't know, there's not a lot of space out there with Toki's guards... [And like, they definitely can't swing for that when Yuya's already established himself as willing to slip Kano out of their watch multiple times.]

I dunno, if you move some stuff around, I bet you can fit a guard or two inside the closet, a couple to camp out in the middle of the floor, another in the bathroom to make sure it doesn't flood overnight...

[ Like how his own bathroom is going to flood, presumably, thanks Yuya ]

[It's in the bathtub, unless he clogged that he's fine.]

No, that definitely couldn't work. [His tone is light even as his gaze drifts down to where the bloody spot is (was?)] Your room is more spacious, so of course they'll have to stay here.

[ I doubt it's clogged, seeing as it's never used. ]

Uhh, no way??? My room is occupied— Nightmare needs lots of space, so there's no room for anybody else! It's for their own safety, too!

No room for me, either? [His expression twists wryly, like he wasn't just threatening Kano with a showerhead.] Maybe I have a thick skin against shanking, now.

Nope, no room! Only in specially designated hours of eight at night to six in the morning, sleepover hours~ You'll have to bring your own snacks, though! And something leafy green for Nightmare.

Well, right now it's... [Yuya pack's his phone out of his pocket.] Nine-ten, so I guess I'm already within sleepover hours.

[ Kano holds out his hand. ]

And the entrance fee?

[ Where's his food, Yuya? He hasn't eaten in two or three days, it's hard to keep track of time. ]

[Yuya pauses, fishing through his pockets.

And then offers a half-crushed mint.]

Ohh, I've been running low on mints!

[ Kano accepts the mint and sticks it in his pocket-- which is another reason why Yuya can't just take it and wash it, he's not really sure he should unsew the bag of holding from it or if it can be washed or whether it'll just soak up all the soap and water and making washing impossible. ]

Alright, alright, you pass~ For the rest of you guys-- [ To the guards, as he places both hands on Yuya's back to walk him back into the room ] If you bring food, I might think about inviting you over!!

Bring Seven-Up please! [Yuya calls over his shoulder as he's led back in, like that's really going to happen.]

[ Kano shuts the door behind him and turns to Yuya. ]

I can't believe your drink of choice is Seven-Up. We might have to break up.

[Yuya puts his hands on his hips.] What do you think is better?

The superior drink is obviously apple juice??

[ He hasn't had apple juice in years. He's not really sure what it tastes like. ]

Apple juice is fine but it's not a soda. [These are totally different categories. As if they were talking about categories.]

Apple... cider?

[ Is a soda? But he doesn't like apple cider, or most sodas either. They're fizzy and hurt your throat, why would anybody drink them voluntarily?? ]

With cinnamon... [Make it spicier.] But it's kind of warm for that.

[His gaze drops down again, losing the conversation a moment.] Uh--hey, Kano. Is that...?

[He just said Yuya has such a hard time being dirext about 'this and that'. Yuya sucks in a breath and gestures to the blood.] Is that where the demon killed you?

[ That just makes Kano wrinkle his nose, because spicier means it hurts more, especially if it's also fizzy on top of that. But he looks down where Yuya is pointing, at the stain on his shirt that largely pools at the bottom before disappearing against black pants, but the blood starts higher, near his heart. ]

Hm... It must have been, yeah! It all happened so fast, and I barely had time to react. It really was a bad idea~

[Yuya bites his lip, willing himself to hold back the sinking feeling as he remembers it.]

Yeah. [His voice cracks, but he holds a smile as he closes his eyes.] Guess we're going to have matching scars.

[ Oh, hmm. Yuya's smile can't hide his feelings as well as Kano's can, and the smile on Kano's face drops for a moment. ]

This is the first time you've "died," isn't it? It gets easier... Aah, not that I'm saying you should make a habit of it!

[ But it's hard the first time. For Kano, facing death time after time, to the point that he sought it out, it gets easier and that's no good at all. ]

If you're scared, that's good. That way, you'd make sure you'll never be that sorta situation again.

[That's not even remotely reassuring. Yuya ducks his head, absently rubbing his arm.] I didn't just... I was racing Nana in the halls. I didn't know there was a daemon, or--and he just grabbed me too quickly so I couldn't...

[He covers his mouth, taking a deep breath. Even thinking about it still shakes him. He hadn't had any expectations there was danger. It was a normal day. It was supposed to be safe.]

[ ...He wants to ask if Yuya at least died happy, caught up in the excitement of the race and being there with his best friend in his last moments. But it couldn't have been an instantaneous death, and it couldn't have been painless, remembering how it was for himself when he'd set his bloodied hands on the sigil and the room became engulfed in darkness. He remembers Yuya crying back then too, distraught at having died and back then, Kano had looked away out of guilt and focused more on getting Yuya out of there, as if that would make up for it. ]

It doesn't make you weak, or a failure, or any of that, you know... The regrets you have, it's good to have them because it means you're still alive to have them, right? ...Would you feel better if you cried?

[ He is very bad at this comforting thing, but crying makes him feel better, so ??? ]

[He's kind of bad, but the genuine poor attempt makes Yuya laugh--which results in tears, because of course it does, but he wipes them away quickly.]

I-I'll probably cry about it again, until it stops... I can stop thinking about it so much. It's not the first time I've--almost died.

[It just blindsided him more, hurt worse when he had to watch Nana fight for her life while he was losing his. He thought that night was the worse thing he'd ever feel, but he was so wrong.]

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