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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.]

[ He's trying. But the fact that Yuya can still cry is a good thing. For as much as Kano cries, in secret when he can, sometimes he can't really feel it anymore. He tries not to think about all those past time, never processed it because if he can't remember then there's nothing to process, but even he knows that talking about it can bring some sort of relief.

He looks down at the ground. Back up at Yuya. ]

Do you dream about it, sometimes?

... I don't know. [Yuya shrugs a shoulder as he sniffs.] I never really remember my dreams, or... I get nightmares almost every night. I always have, so maybe I just never learned to remember my dreams because of that.

[He rubs his shoulder.] But I remember it. It was... really hard to think about at first. They brought a therapist to the hospital, and I had one when I first came to Daybreak so I could work through it.

I hid the scars, too. [He reaches gently for Kano's hand, to rest his thumb over the marks on it.] Because I didn't want people to ask.

Edited (adds content) 2019-05-27 04:26 (UTC)

[ Nightmares... are a familiar thing to Kano too, who suffers through them and had decided that the way to deal with them is to not sleep at all at night, to get by through cat naps scattered throughout the day so he never really gets to REM sleep and staves off nightmares that way. It works. But it's also not recommended, so he looks back down at his hand, Yuya's resting over it, a small frown working its way onto his face.

In his case, he hid his scars not because he was ashamed about the way they looked, or thought people would pity him or be disgusted by them, but what Yuya says hits a little closer. He didn't want people to ask. Not because talking would dredge up bad memories, but because people are always looking to jump at who to blame, like how Yuya immediately wanted to fight whatever daemon Kano had made a Contract with, when he first found out. The person who caused all his hurt, who left all these scars, that's who he doesn't want to talk about, to bring blame to. ]

We don't have to talk about it, [ he mumbles, because he would feel obligated to talk about himself too, then, and he's exhausted. ] but I'm glad you were able to, before. A therapist... Did it help any?

I know. [He smiles faintly.] It's not that I don't trust you, but... I didn't want to tell someone and hear what they'd think about him if they knew. You understand, right?

[It's exactly that blame, even though Yuya thinks Kano's mother deserves it and Gongenzaka doesn't. It doesn't change that Kano still loved her, wouldn't hear her called a monster or anything else despite witnessing what she'd done.]

Therapy helped. I'd never felt anything like that before, and she was really nice and helped me understand it. She'd play with me, too, between physical therapy.

[And that helped keep his mind off the fragility of his body when he was recovering from months of being bedbound, of hearing doctors whisper to his mother that the nerve damage might be irreparable, that he might be paralyzed. Like he couldn't hear them. She was really nice, and for a moment he wonders if he should let her know how he's doing now.]

[ Aah, so Yuya's silence is to protect a person, like Kano had thought. If it had been a daemon, or an accident, there would be no reason to hide it. But he hadn't thought it was that bad, to need physical therapy too. And- Yuya must have been much younger, if the therapist had also been a playmate. ]

I said we don't have to talk about it, but I'm really curious now?? I'll keep all my opinions to myself, my lips are sealed!

[Yuya snorts, shifting on his feet and rubbing the back of his neck. He all but demanded Kano reveal his scars, after all.]

Uh, it's under my shirt. Do you... want to see them?

[He knows it sounds bad. It was bad, and it's going to look bad but. He won't hide it, he decides.]

Hmm... Yeah, okay, hand your shirt over, I'm going to need something to change into later, anyways.

Oh, so you're going to take a bath? I guess I don't have to worry about sharing the room after all.

[But okay. He turns in his heels to face his back to Kano before he unbuttons the shirt, sliding it off and holding it limply for Kano to take.

Shuuya had caught a brief glimpse, but now Kano gets as long and unobstructed of a view as he wants--long, thick, stretched, jagged claw marks from the base of his neck down to the hem of his pants. It would have been multiple deliberate swipes to cause them, not just a single catch against any beast.

It makes Yuya a little nervous, because staring was always what he didn't want but as long as he doesn't see it from Kano he can push it out of his mind. He stuffs his hands in his pockets.]

I'd been... at Gongenzaka's dojo to play. I was supposed to leave before the sun set, since it was a full moon.

[ He takes the shirt and stuffs it into his pocket, where he'll hopefully be able to retrieve it later amongst the other 234095468 things in there.

Seeing the scars tells him a lot. Yuya's words tells him the rest. Gongenzaka, a full moon, deep wounds only a monster would be capable of. Kano promised to keep his opinions to himself, so he does exactly that, taking the information in as it is and not allowing himself the opportunity to pick it all apart. More important than what he thinks, is what Yuya does. He loves Gongenzaka. Most likely, he's forgiven him. ]

What about the other way around? For Bonbon? What he feels...

[What Gongenzaka feels... it's really the part that still hurts between them. His shoulder's sink and his head drops, gaze steady on the floor.]

He won't say it, that he sees a monster in himself that he has to control. That's why he's so--so obsessed with it. That's why he obeys every rule to the letter and he spends all his time training and talks about responsibility like it's the only thing there is. Because he hasn't... even if I forgive him, he won't forgive himself.

[Yuya tilts his head, glancing over his shoulder.] It was my fault. We were kids and they told me about how dangerous it could be. I knew, I always agreed, and I ignored it and put myself in danger because of him. It's all my fault he's like that now, and I can't fix it. I can't make him happy like he was before.

[He can't give Gongenzaka that confidence in himself. That self-worth. He's so amazing, and Yuya tore him down being so selfish and that will always be the part that hurts the worst.]

[ How many years has it been? He wants to ask, but he won't. The feeling of wanting to be friends with somebody, the feeling of loving somebody, the knowledge that you're a monster and will only hurt them, and so the best thing to do is to stay away. Those are things he understands; weren't they the same sorts of things he was talking about earlier? But Gon did the opposite of what Kano does, taking full responsibility and becoming steadfast in everything that he does, in fear that even a single slip would cause pain to everybody around him. Not like Kano who gave up on morals because he's going to hurt people anyways, he'd already convinced himself of it. ]

It's hard to forgive yourself, when you hurt the people you love most. Even- [ Even his mother, he thinks, was crying the last time he saw her. She was screaming something he couldn't hear. He wants to believe it was his name, but he can't presume and it's only foolish hope in the end. ]

...forgiving other people is easy. Forgiving yourself is hard. And with that sort of personality... hmm... [ He lets out a breath, and reaches forward to pat Yuya on the head. ] But you're super stubborn! So I think you should keep trying to get through to him!

[There's a moment before Yuya puts his hand over Kano's, pulling it from his head just so he can hold it... at kind of an awkward angle, admittedly.]

I won't leave his side unless he gets rid of me. And I can't tell him my real feelings until I can make up for how much I hurt him. He deserves the best, you know.

[Even if it's not him. He deserves someone that makes him truly happy and safe, in himself and in them.]

[ Yuya's kind of like Maverick in that sense, and it makes the corners of Kano's lips lift just the slightest, as he pulls his hand down so Yuya can hold it more comfortably in his lap. ]

And he'll get it. Don't you leave his side even if he tries to get rid of you~ I couldn't shake you off, after all, so try double hard for him. As for hurting him... You really believe it's something you need to make up for?

I think... [Yuya looks down at their hands, his fingers curling gently.] I think I have to overcome it. If I took that happiness away, then I should be able to give it back. If I can't--then I shouldn't be in the way of someone who can.

[It's different for him, who's known Gon so long that he's seen the before and after, that he knows deeply the breaks in his stability that he caused. It's easier for him to see the pain Gongenzaka continues to go through, as much as Yuya hides the scars from him, too. They've never forgotten that night.]

Hm...

[ Kano looks away, eyes trailing around the empty walls of the room. ]

Something like happiness isn't provided by just one person, though, right? You give some of the happiness back, and I'll do my best to give him happiness too. Though I'm not sure he likes me at all!! But even that is fine, 'cause isn't that what friends are for?

[ And Gon has lots of friends. Yuya has lots of friends. Kano, somehow, has lots of friends. Everybody in the school is supposed to be together. ]

This isn't something you have to do all by yourself, after all.

Edited 2019-05-27 06:17 (UTC)

... Maybe. [Yuya looks up, staring at the ceiling.] No, I know--I want other people to make him happy. It doesn't have to just be me. No matter what, as long as he's happy I will be too.

[Or he'll make himself be, even if Gongenzaka loves someone else and Yuya will die with these feelings. That's fine. Yuya's always been by his side as a friend, and that won't change.]

I want everyone to have every bit of happiness we can get. I want to make memories worth something.

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