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[protegge]

[the chorus of blondie's CALL ME, sung extremely poorly but with great enthusiasm]

( text | voice | video | action )

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[hxppythxughts]

[It's a funny feeling for Sayori. Homesickness, that is. It's a feeling she falls just short of understanding, some crooked thing adjacent to a feeling that she does know. What's it called when you're homesick for something that was never real? For something you can't go back to, because you never had it in the first place?

She doesn't know. It doesn't matter. What matters is that pang of feeling she gets from Mista, and his contemplative silence, and the way he looks at her after he's absorbed what's in the box. She huffs a fond breath of laughter through her nose and shifts her weight on the blanket, already scooting in. The way he asks— it's just the fact that he asks when he's more than welcome to kiss her anytime he likes. It takes the end of one of her heartstrings and tugs her closer to him, ever so gently.] Ehehe.

Well, since you asked so nicely.

[She's already halfway up to him by the time she's done speaking. A little tilt of her chin and she closes the rest of the gap to press her lips to his, soft and yearning, like he's the only place she's ever been homesick for.]

[protegge]

[God, he loves the way she does that — tips her chin up and leans into him, making his path a little easier. It's such a sweet, expectant gesture that every single time he falls in love with her all over again. He doesn't even get the chance to move, and she's already there.]

[The way she kisses him is so much. Feels so much. Breathes life into him in a way that feels like seeing in a new color. He reaches to cup her cheek, his kiss fervent but soft, gentle, easy as breathing. When it's done, he kisses her forehead, because he can't just stop kissing cold turkey.]

This is . . . I mean, you know already.

[How much it means. His smile's soft, aching.]

Split one with me? I want you to try it.

[hxppythxughts]

[Warmth rises into her face to meet his hand, the corner of her mouth pressing to his palm as she can't help but grin wide. There's some satisfaction in it, but mainly she's just— happy. She's happy she could bring him some joy this way, even though it's a bit complicated. Maybe especially because it's complicated.

Her hand settles atop his to hold it in place as she angles her face to kiss his palm, just as soft.] Sure. [Gently, with a teasing edge:] You can even have the bigger half.

[protegge]

[God. She's so cute, his body is on the verge of collapsing in on itself.]

No kidding? You're feeling generous today, huh?

[Probably because of the anniversary, or whatever. Who can say. Regardless, his response is the same: to brush his fingers under the curve of her jaw, boop her nose with his thumb, and then extricate himself to reach for a cookie. When he splits it, the pieces come apart with a noise that delicately balances itself between gooey and crispy. The smaller piece, which is only slightly smaller, gets handed to Sayori.]

. . . I think I remember most things now. I definitely remember how back home, there's a restaurant on every corner and a bakery every couple streets. I used to get these when I was a kid 'cause they were cheap and I liked how they came apart.

[Uncharacteristically, he eats his half-cookie one bite at a time, taking care to really taste it. The whole time, he's wearing a smile that he doesn't seem completely aware of.]

[hxppythxughts]

[The nose boop... He's turned it back around on her! There's a slow, dopey sort of fondness that follows the gesture as he breaks the cookie in half. She takes her half and very nearly pops the whole thing in her mouth, but— halfway to her gaping maw, she sees the way Mista takes a bite of his and slows down. Maybe in another show of generosity, in a manner of speaking.

She respectfully takes a smaller bite instead. It's just as good that way, the crispy outside and chewy inside. In excitement and some surprise:] Oh! They're soft inside!

[She didn't expect this! Life is an adventure!!

Another respectfully small bite and a pulse of fondness as she studies his nostalgic smile, hoping to commit it to memory. Hopefully, if she just keeps looking at him, she can etch it so deeply that even some weird glitch of the universe can't take it away. It's not like he's particularly guarded around her, but this — it's so subtle, it still feels a little bit like witnessing some kind of secret moment.

Her weight rests on the hand closest to him, her head lolling slightly as she smiles, all dumb and smitten.] You know... I never got mad at Bender, since I know it was just his programming that made him act funny. [And like, boy, does she relate to that!] But I was actually pretty upset when he messed these up. You were—

[I'd do anything for you.

She chews at the corner of her mouth and huffs out a breath of laughter, cheeks faintly pink.] You were a really good friend to me! So I wanted to do something nice for you, since I knew you really missed your home. But instead I got those crummy sawdust cookies, ahaha.

I was kinda hoping Natsuki and I could eventually figure out how to make them... [And then they all ended up on this island with amnesia and not much way to bake things, which is the part that goes unsaid.] Hopefully Mr. Squid will give me the recipe so I can make them myself sometime. Even though we could just buy them— it'd be nice to make them for you at least once!

[protegge]

[He doesn't realize she's following his lead until he notices her startle at the soft, chewy inside. He doesn't say it, but the reason he realizes is because usually, talking around food makes her almost impossible to understand, so the fact that he understands must mean her mouth is less full than usual. They look at each other, an echo chamber of fondness, and he thinks about how much he aches with joy at being able to taste home one more time, but that it really isn't much in comparison to the ache he feels looking at her.]

[But then she explains, and he discovers that one more time, forever, he can learn to love her just that little bit more.]

[She leaves him awed, just like usual. Her cheeks are pink by the time she's done, but at least they match the darkness of his eyes, the heat of flush at the tips of his ears. No one has ever made him feel loved like this. No one has ever cared for him so deeply and earnestly that they'd work this hard for something so small.]

. . . Sayori.

[He lays his hand over hers between them. Presses his forehead against hers, too.]

Thank you. You're really good to me. I don't think you even know how good. So, you know, thanks — for always thinking of me.

[hxppythxughts]

[Like the ripple of a pebble falling into a pond, the nostalgic ache of love radiates from him until it makes land upon the shore of her soul, and it pulls up a soft, lopsided smile as he leans in once more to be closer to her. She closes the last small amount of space between them to steal the lingering dusting of powdered sugar off of his lips, quick and gentle, and then grins.]

You don't have to thank me for that, silly. That's how it is when someone's important to you, you know?

[That's why she adorned her hat the way she did when she first joined the Bureau, in the colors that reminded her of the Literature Club. That's why she always wears her necklaces, her bracelets, the omamori on her adventuring pouch and the yarn on her pinky. Why she writes with the fancy pens that are honestly way too fancy for her. They're all from her important friends, and she wants to think of all of them — every day, always.

Especially Mista, who's become more important to her than she ever could have imagined. Who's asserted himself into a part of her soul the same way that he asserted himself into the chair across from her on the first day that they met.

It's not something she goes out of her way to do. It's just how it is. She thinks of him, always.]

And you're really important to me. So I'm gonna keep thinking about you all the time.

...Especially since I can tell when you're super hungry and stuff, ehehe~