#i saw that pic by Ogata-Sensei a while back and my brain expanded

[hattersland]

A Quiet Moment

Soft NeroxKyrie? Soft NeroxKyrie. inspired by this image by Tomio Ogata-Sensei

Whenever Nero looks at Kyrie, he can always feel something in him calm.

She’s always had this effect on people, her very presence welcomed by even the grouchiest old man on Fortuna. There isn’t a soul on the island that dislikes her, and the sermons are always dead silent when she sings. He’d hear the people whisper about how blessed they all are to have such an angelic woman in their midst…

It often makes him wonder why the hell she chose to be with someone as coarse as him.

For as long as he can remember, he always had feelings for the auburn-haired girl. She was always there for him, even when the other kids shunned him. She didn’t care about the labels or names that followed him or his mother and always did her best to defend them despite hating confrontations.

It always made his chest warm to hear her defend them so earnestly, especially on the days when their words would worm their way into his head. A part of him was always jealous of the other kids who had their dad’s around, and whenever he’d feel all that anger at his own never bothering to show up, it was as if she knew and she’d always lend him her ear.

Despite her being a year older, she never once talked down to him and was always so understanding, even when he put his foot in his mouth. It’s something he loves about her, and that same question pops into his head again.

“Is everything okay, Nero?” she asks, putting her book down as he plays with the ends of his scarf. He shifts his head a bit on her shoulder, looking away.

“Just thinkin’...” he mutters as she reaches over to brush his bangs away from his eyes.

“Do you want to talk about it?” he frowns, embarrassed now that he thinks about it. “Nero?”

“It’s nothing important. It’s just…” she tilts her head, waiting patiently, just like she always does. “Sometimes I think… you can do better than me is all.” He admits lowly, feeling exposed now that he said it aloud. He’s about to tell her to forget it, but the sound of her book snapping shut makes him jump.

“Hmm… I don’t think I can,” she replies simply, setting her book down on her lap as she gently lifts his head from her shoulder, cupping the sides of his face as a sweet smile graces her lips. “Sometimes I wonder how you can be with someone like me. You’re so strong, and you know what you want and you always go for it… sometimes I wish I was a little more like you. I think I’m a bit too much of a pushover sometimes.” She laughs, and he can’t help but smile down at her, raising his left hand to rest on hers.

“You are strong, Kyrie,” he utters, giving it a light squeeze. “I’m too much of a muscle head to pick on some of the emotional stuff. Just like now.”

“Then I think we balance each other out just fine!” she grins, and he can’t help but laugh, pulling her close and resting his forehead against hers. He always complimented his eyes, but he can get lost in hers for hours. Beautiful swirls of brown with specks of green and gold that always seem to shift when the light hits them just right.

“We do, don’t we…” she smiles again, tilting her head to brush her lips against his in a gentle kiss. "I love you," she murmurs, and he can't help but smile against her lips.

"I love you too,"

She accepts him for who he is, and he’d gladly go to hell and back for her if he has to.

Always.