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[alloutoflove]

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[rockyxiii]

[What he does is leap to his feet in a way she's probably seen before, lurch over to one of Willow's kitchen walls, wind up, and slam a brutally hard punch directly into it.

Sorry, Willow. It's brick, and he doesn't actually put a hole in it, but he does crack a couple of the bricks, not to mention the skin of his own knuckles.]

Shit . . . !

[alloutoflove]

Sa--Juzo--?!

[ She staggers a little when he slams to his feet, but when she has her balance again, she dives after him, grabbing for his arm before he can throw another punch and trying to pull him back. ]

What are you doing, you'll hurt yourself!

[rockyxiii]

[He already has, a little. That's part of the point. He does feel a tiny bit better, but he'd feel better with another few punches; his arm trembles under Chisa's hands.]

You're worried about that?

[alloutoflove]

Of course I am! Let me see!

[ She yanks harder at his arm, trying to crane her head to get a better look at his hand. ]

[rockyxiii]

[He lets her have it, balling his fist up hard enough to squeeze a few more drops of blood through the abraded skin and hissing.]

If you're worried about me for this, stop acting like what Enoshima did to you was the real Chisa!

[alloutoflove]

--eh--

[ She looks up at that, in the middle of tugging at his hand to better examine his knuckles. The expression on her face is startled, a bit wild-eyed, as off-balance as when he'd first lurched away. ]

But...

[rockyxiii]

But nothing! The Chisa you're talking about wouldn't have asked me and Kyousuke to stay with her forever. Not like you did. I don't care . . . I don't care if you're partially responsible.

[He looks down at their hands, flexing his in hers, relaxing it by inches.]

You think we're not all partially responsible for what happened? I pulled plenty of shit myself. You know what kinda things Kyousuke did.

[In fact, Juzo takes his hand back at that, grabbing the hem of his shirt and pulling it up his chest. There's his scar, right there in the middle, small and neat. Like a piece of expertly skewered and grilled meat. Ha.]

. . . All of us did this.

But Enoshima was behind all of it. Behind all of us! I'm not about to let her take you guys away from me again, so stop it.

[alloutoflove]

[ Chisa recoils a little at that, as if he'd hit her instead. As it is, it takes a few moments before she can actually tear her eyes away from his face to look... ah.

For a few seconds she just stares at that, and then she lifts a hand tentatively, the other pressed as a fist to her own chest, over her heart. At first, she moves like she wants to touch the scar itself, and then she moves to catch his shirt instead, tugging it to lower it again before she steps closer to him. ]

...You forgive us more than you should.

[ Her voice is quiet, her eyes downcast. Another step, and then she can lean her forehead against his chest. ]

It's not that I'm not grateful. It's just... it's hard.

[rockyxiii]

. . . He says the same things.

[Juzo lifts his hand to rest on the back of her head. Even though his hand is a little bloody. Sorry, Chisa.]

But I'm too selfish to push either of you away.

[alloutoflove]

[ This is definitely not the first time she's had blood in her hair, even before she died. ]

Is it really being selfish, when you're so determined to save us?

[rockyxiii]

Save you? Me?

[He shakes his head and laughs, low and quick and humorless. He can't even begin to think of himself that way.]

[alloutoflove]

Mmm.

I don't think... I don't know that I would have been brave enough to look for you two, if we hadn't run into each other. Not for a while. Even while we were sitting there and eating -- you were there. You heard the things I said.

And every time, you wouldn't let me.

[rockyxiii]

. . . If we finally have you again after we've wanted it for so long . . . we're not gonna let you go. . . . Chisa.

[alloutoflove]

[ She takes a deep breath and lets it out as a watery little laugh, shaking her head. She's still leaning against his chest, so it's probably a bit strange. ]

Even knowing everything, you still felt like that...

[rockyxiii]

[Not bad, though. He ruffles her hair, smiling down at the top of her head.]

Aah, of course we did.

[alloutoflove]

[ There's a pause before her arms very slowly lift, creeping around his waist. ]

I never thought of it with such a guarantee.

[rockyxiii]

Then I'm telling you now.

[He slips his own hand down to press between her shoulders so he can squeeze her closer.]

[alloutoflove]

I like to think I can learn, given time.

[ She takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly, then lets out a breath that's almost a laugh. ]

...I feel pretty lucky right now, you know?

[rockyxiii]

Yeah . . . I do. All of us are. It's almost stupid, isn't it? It's—a miracle. Since when do those ever happen?

[He's smiling into her hair, though, as he says it, the warmth touching his voice.]

[alloutoflove]

Aah, I don't know. We met in the first place, after all.

[ She pauses at that, as if embarrassed, then tugs a little at the back of his shirt. ]

After the past few years, I think we're due one of those.

[rockyxiii]

Right, right. I'll take it.

[He's quiet for a moment, and then, tentatively, he presses a kiss to the top of her head.]

[alloutoflove]

--ah.

[ It's a startled little squeak, small and half-muffled into his chest. Her fuzzy ears twitch a few times at that before she takes a deep breath and just -- squeezes him tighter. Yes, okay, that was definitely nice. ]

[rockyxiii]

[ . . .

He can't help it. Her ears are twitching, and so close, and he leans down to bite one gently. Just taking it lightly between his teeth. His tail is wagging as he does it, too.]

[alloutoflove]

[ She makes a very... interesting noise at that: part startled undignified and indignant squawk, part protesting whine, and part... something else. She yanks at his shirt again, instinctive, but doesn't actually pull back. ]

Wh! Juzo?!

[rockyxiii]

[He lets go, a little worried, but his tail is still going, so there's that.]

Sorry. That didn't hurt, did it? It was just right there. Animal instincts.