Finally Free

[awww_yeeeeeaaaah]

Who: Kaito Watari and YOU! Open of all the people
Where: The Cancer District
Summary: Kaito is finally feeling better and he's out wandering the town, but mainly in the Cancer district. Backdated to the 20th.
Warning: X-treeeeeeeeeeeeeeeme silliness



It was a little warmer, and Kaito was feeling less sick, so clearly this was his chance to go outside and get some fresh air. Yes.

This was clearly the best time to window shop in the Cancer district instead of going to, let's say, somewhere more outdoorsy. Like a park. How about it, Kaito? Feel like going to a park?

...No? Just going to press your face against the glass and stare at all the cool shit?

Alright then!

Comments

[drakenguard]

Yamato lifted his gaze, watching Kaito closely. He appeared extremely discomforted. Yamato almost winced. A massive misstep. But too late to take it back. Go with it.

"Is it a problem? I understand that homosexuality is regarded with disgust in society, as it is considered not the norm."

[awww_yeeeeeaaaah]

"Not, it's...not that, believe me, it's not." Kaito figured that out since like Wednesday or something. That's small potatoes!

[drakenguard]

"But there is a problem with it," Yamato said, for some reason feeling a bit...uncomfortable. He couldn't explain it, but it was almost like he had developed a stomach ulcer in the last few seconds and it was making itself known in the most obnoxious way possible.

[awww_yeeeeeaaaah]

"I'm...not sure, actually. Cuz, like..."

How to say this.

"You've been really stable so far and I'm just thankful for that, you know? That we can actually talk like this, or like have disagreements, but still be friends."

[drakenguard]

Yamato blinked in obvious confusion. Stable? What?

Oh. Was he referring to Yamato's minor freak out regarding Alcor when they first arrived here? Yes, that must've alarmed them, but Yamato had been certain it'd been established as a one time occurrence. Unless - well they came from different timelines. Had he done something in their time...?

"I'm afraid I don't follow," he said carefully, "Have I come across as unstable to you at some point in your world? We had a very aggressive fight in mine, this is true, but I conceded my defeat at your hands as per the agreement."

By getting crushed beneath Tsuutenkaku but whatever.

[awww_yeeeeeaaaah]

"Yeah, that conceding part didn't...happen."

Kaito almost looked...was it sad or scared? Hard to tell...

[drakenguard]

"What? Why didn't I..."

The gears in Yamato's mind spun rapidly. Well, considering they went with Alcor, perhaps the Yamato of that world felt concerned over the star's Septentrione's status? Perhaps? Other factors were possibly involved, so Yamato couldn't say for certain. He made a frustrated noise.

"I see."

He focused on Kaito's anxious expression then, suddenly feeling a bit agitated himself. Right, so his other self came across as highly unstable to Kaito, which in turn has made him wary of him, which... enlightened Yamato to several things but-

"Perhaps...but I am not him," Yamato said quietly. "Are you going to blame me for whatever he did?"

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"No! It's not even that, it's just...you tried to kill us. Or...not you you, obviously, but..."

...So. Scared, then.

[drakenguard]

Yamato abruptly leaned back in his seat, drumming his fingers on the table with an emotionless expression.

"I see."

His tone was utterly flat.

"You're scared of me."

It wasn't a question.

[awww_yeeeeeaaaah]

"Well...ah." He can't really answer that, can he?

"Not...as much as before. And whatever happened with you then obviously didn't happen with you..." God that was going to get so confusing.

"But..." Eventually, he nodded

[drakenguard]

Yamato was quiet for a long moment. He couldn't - he wasn't sure what to do. He felt frustrated. Not that he actually expected his feelings to be reciprocated, but the thought that one of the main reasons why he was being rejected was due to something beyond his control-!

He couldn't even smack his other self for doing this to him! He had no one to blame but himself, even if it was an alternative version! His frustration had no target and- Yamato shoved it down into a poisonous little ball. Ignore it. Deal with it never.

"...I understand," Yamato said dully. "Is there nothing I can do to change how you feel?"

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"I don't...know. Maybe I just need more time. I...do like hanging out like this, though. Even if we fight sometimes."

There's nothing you can really do to stop pants-wetting terror, bro.

[drakenguard]

"Fine."

Yamato's not looking at Kaito at his point, his posture stiff and bordering on formal. He hated feeling helpless. Leave it to time, huh? And what if it stayed the same after a lot of time...?

"Ha...hahah," Yamato suddenly chuckled, pressing a hand against his forehead. "Ah, it doesn't matter. I doubt you would have reciprocated anyway. It's no loss, I guess."

[awww_yeeeeeaaaah]

"...Don't say that. It's never a bad thing to be honest."

[drakenguard]

"I am being honest," Yamato lowered his hand. "What would I have done with it, anyway? I'm not suited for such things."

He still felt upset, but he kept it squashed into that tiny ball. He refused to touch it. He refused to even acknowledge it.

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Not suited? He didn't really believe that, and that showed on his face, but still...

"...If that's what you think." He wasn't going to argue, but it still sat wrong with him. Someone not suited for romance was such an alien concept to him that he didn't know how to process it or convince him otherwise.

[drakenguard]

"It is."

The more Yamato thought on it, the more he thought himself foolish for that brief flicker of hope he had held when confessing. He hadn't the slightest clue how romantic relationships even worked - and his forays into those things ended in disaster when he had been young and arrogant, dragging in his poor tutors and discarding them as easily as useless trash when it didn't live up to expectations. He'd have surely ruined whatever twisted form of romance this would've spawned.

Yamato just wasn't suited for it.

"This is for the best," he said calmly, and he pushed his coffee away with him. "Well. This chat was pleasant. It is always nice to catch up with you, Watari."

[awww_yeeeeeaaaah]

"...Wait." Was he leaving? Now? But their social link ranked up! he was finally opening up a little!

"You don't have to leave. Like, I'm sorry it got all weird, but you don't have to leave yet..."

[drakenguard]

Yamato paused, staring at his coffee cup. "Is there something else you needed to discuss with me?" he asked. His tone wasn't cold, but there was a notable distance in it - a sharp contrast to the subtle, warm familiarity he normally regarded Kaito.

[awww_yeeeeeaaaah]

"...N...Nooo, but that doesn't mean we can't hang out, right?"

You know, hanging out like normal people, experiencing ~~common life~~.

[drakenguard]

"..."

Yamato didn't really feel like 'hanging out', especially when he felt unpleasantly strange. It was like a very sharp rock was resting in his guts, and he wasn't entirely sure how to deal with it.

"It doesn't, but, I don't...feel like hanging out now," he said quietly, still staring at his cup. "I don't feel well."

[awww_yeeeeeaaaah]

"...Oh." He didn't ask further, seeming like he understood what this implied, and he nodded. "Alright. ...Feel better, okay?"

[drakenguard]

"Mm," Yamato rose to his feet, smoothing down his coat briefly. "Goodbye, Watari."

And then he strode away without another word, stiff-backed and shoulders tensed. Although they had parted on amiable terms, and prior to this, Yamato had been wishing selfishly to enjoy Kaito's company as much as possible without the heretic hanging about, right now he wished to stay as far away from Kaito as possible.

Guess he was right then. Time was the only solution for this.