#OAIJWEIALK

[dnangelic]

her hand rests upon his amidst the exchanging vows of acceptance , and the great phantom thief's expression immediately softens . behind his gaze , his other's ; the open stretch of his palm shrinks while the size of kate's remains the same .

hopeless , yes , maybe , but never so helpless that the overwhelming confidence they kept in their occupation turned into a lie . he could have boldly hushed her , put a finger to the space of where any other girl's lips would have been , and told her gently not to fret , never over him . yet instead he only smiles a little --- lopsided , making him seem both sly and awkward in a way that lingers even after the features of his face have rounded out again , his heart pounding if not at her words then her hand's squeeze .

' if it's troubling , then we won't . but , for the sake of it ... ' his grounded determinations remains even beneath the timid-seeming words . ' when this is all over , kate --- when the mansion belongs to you again and is your home , can i take you to azumano ? to see mine ? ' he flushes , and though his words suddenly fast-hurry , they still manage to be said . ' n-not for any weird reason or anything ! i mean , i just think that dark and i will be in here so much , by the time everything's finished , i'll have memorized this place like the back of my hand . meanwhile , even though we're friends , it'd be a little weird and unfair if you didn't get to visit my house too , right ? '

even after being offered just about anything , even after being told that she wouldn't have accepted a decline , was something like this really alright ? ( ... if we were someone else , an offer like that would have been seriously dangerous . ) the niwa isn't sure why he needs so many reasons , either --- he spins them on plates in his mind , juggling odd-thoughts on his feet . ' i'm sure there'll be lots to do even after you've taken back the manor ... but there might be a time where you'd need or want a breath of fresh air and someplace to rest or walk , too . in that case , dark and i --- ' wanting for little if nothing else , ' we'd ... like that the most . it feels like it's been a really long time that i didn't become everyone's enemy and actually made a new friend , and i already promised i'd show you my art , so ... ' she could worry about him , but wouldn't he worry just as much over her ?

' you too --- please be careful . ' for just a moment , freedert flashes through his mind . ' i ... i don't want to lose someone who believes in me again . not before i've even shown them what it's like someplace else . '

ㅤㅤIN an instant, the sudden declaration had dispelled her rising anxieties and she found herself lifting her head towards his face, lips parting in surprise to witness such a bold smile from this meek self. No matter what she told them, warned them of the dangers of being involved of her, neither of their resolve had faltered because from the very beginning, they couldn't bring themselves to leave her alone.

ㅤㅤAh, she felt foolish. She should've known that was the sort of people they were if she took into account their kindness from the start but it was because they were so kind that she didn't want to take advantage of them without leaving them a choice. But in the end, they were the foolish ones; so utterly reckless and so hopelessly kind.

ㅤㅤBut as if to dissuade any more of her piling worries, Dark himself had stepped forward to say his piece; eager to showcase his determination, their loyalty to her from this moment on. " ... I would be troubled if you stole me away. " Was her first response, relief seeping into her smiling words. " ... You two are hopeless, aren't you ? Still determined to involve yourself in such a mess even after learning of the dangers of it all and without a thing to gain for yourselves ... all for my sake. " She slowly unfurled her fingers from the hem dress to cross her hands against her heart, as if take in the warmth within while she gazed upon Dark's candid expression.

ㅤㅤ" ... If you're truly confident that you won't get caught then, I'll put my faith in you. " She finally reached out to take his hand, gently curling her fingers into his own as she drew a step forward with the decision to entrust herself to their promise. " But if you end up doing something horribly reckless, I won't let either of you off easy. After all, I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if something happened to you two. " She squeezed Dark's hand. " ... If there's a chance that I can do something -- anything to repay you for your kindness then I would like to do what I can for the both of you. It wouldn't sit right with me if I couldn't do anything in return so ... you have my promise as well. I won't take no for an answer. "