Aoba made a mistake. He looked. But could it really be called a mistake, to dare a glance and see a warm, persistent smile on Declan’s face in exchange? Maybe the price of being tomato-red in the face wasn’t too much to pay after all.
“I don’t know how long it might take,” he somehow managed to continue, averting his eyes again but finding a smile of his own somewhere in it nonetheless. “It’s only two portals from Midorijima to here, but once I leave here…who knows how many it could be.”
Looked like he could say it now, at least: the admittance of having to go. If Declan had hesitated to wonder if Aoba could return, then perhaps in turn Aoba had worried he might not be welcome back if he went. Or something else ridiculous like that.
“But…if it’s at all possible…then I hope I’ll be able to come back to you.”
…well it’s a start I guess…
Right. And Aoba was going to die, right here, right now, face-first into the stew. Please tell him that choked little noise of surprise hadn’t come from Ren.
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“I don’t know how long it might take,” he somehow managed to continue, averting his eyes again but finding a smile of his own somewhere in it nonetheless. “It’s only two portals from Midorijima to here, but once I leave here…who knows how many it could be.”
Looked like he could say it now, at least: the admittance of having to go. If Declan had hesitated to wonder if Aoba could return, then perhaps in turn Aoba had worried he might not be welcome back if he went. Or something else ridiculous like that.
“But…if it’s at all possible…then I hope I’ll be able to come back to you.”
…well it’s a start I guess…
Right. And Aoba was going to die, right here, right now, face-first into the stew. Please tell him that choked little noise of surprise hadn’t come from Ren.