Long Awaited Return [Henrex/Mirai]

"I wouldn't say that..." Mirai said, looking away from him and toward the floor. She wasn't one to tell him to not talk to her. She wanted to hear everything; she wanted his honesty. If they weren't being honest with one another, then she would have to beat him up and she can't. He's too fast... Unfairly so. She looked back to him to see his expression shift, and was a little confused by it. She tilted her head again, waiting for him to talk. What he brought up next... Well...

Kaminari? She didn't... Oh my god, did she? He's nervous... What did she say to him?!

Mirai had told a secret to Kaminari in the past. It helped that Kaminari was so honest with her she felt that her secrets were safe... until now, maybe?

Oh... my... god... She did. He knows. I didn't think she meant it when she said...

Surprisingly, Mirai didn't stiffen up or even blush. He seemed nervous enough for the both of them, and that gave her permission to relax, at least some. Mirai looked to her own hands as they laid in her lap and took a deep breath.

"If you're asking that question," Mirai said, a small smile on her face. "Something tells me my secret has been spilled, or at least hinted at, and knowing Kaminari... she was blunt. This is a matter I've never had the courage to speak about, and in the past you've either been with someone or not shown interest in me, so I assumed there was none." Mirai became nervous the more she spoke, the closer she got to the words he was asking about. Her heart was racing, breathing became quicker, and her voice became quieter. "B-But... w-well, I..." Mirai took a breath.

"Yuuto, I love you. I have for quite a few years now." Mirai stood up and pointed seriously at him. "And don't go asking those 'why' questions. It's hard enough to answer this honestly without tripping over my own face..." Mirai froze for two seconds and then slapped her hands over her cheeks, starting to pace and mutter on nervously. "I said it. Oh my gosh, I actually said it out loud. I really said it."

Just as her heart raced, his too shared in the heightened tempo, a drum that pounded at his chest as if it would shatter. Part of him had doubted what Kaminari told him, purely out of habit. He had grown so jaded, yet part of him still believed it. She had felt this way toward him for this long, yet he never noticed. Too many thoughts, too many questions roused in his mind at this.

For the first time in so long, he didn't know how he felt. He couldn't find the words to respond. Mirai was someone he had given a new chance at life in the Gotei, perhaps one of the closest friends and confidants he had, someone who knew secrets unknown to any other, ones he would take to his grave.

He cared for her, but loved her? He didn't know. His heart felt as if it were swelling in his chest, his arms lightly trembled, and his scarlet eyes glimmered in surprise and shock. He had felt a similar fondness toward Saiko, yet he still carried himself as merely a companion then -- wanting to spend time with her, help her grow, and eventually purge the demons that plagued her.

In spite of her wanting him not to ask those questions, he couldn't help it.

"...Why? Why me, of all people? There are countless men that are my better. I...I don't understand. For some reason, I just...I don't have the words."

There was no anger, annoyance, or malice in his voice. Merely a shaky, almost fearful, yet still gentle timber that Mirai knew better than any. Why was this the situation where words failed him, where his heart swelled and swayed, yet also felt so much petrifying fear?

The moment it was all out, Mirai felt a weight lifting from her. There was a freedom gained by telling him the truth, especially after such a long time. The only other worry was what he would say in return. She wanted to stop those specific questions. Why, why, why? But they came anyway. They came in that tone, that self-depreciating tone that she wished would lighten. She would never want him to become to egotistical asshat that thought he was god's gift to shinigami, but Yuuto deserved to understand he wasn't just some ordinary guy, filling out space.

"Do you have any clue how many times I've asked myself that same question over the years?" Mirai said and sat back down across from him. Her voice was warm and loving, a tone she rarely used, and when she did, it was only toward him. "Why... did you not arrest me the day we met? Or support me while I was at the academy? Why were you there for me when I kept failing my missions? Why did you make sure to push me in training every time you saw me resolve shake? I don't know those answers, but if you do... Yuuto, then you have part of the answer to yours."

"The other part..." Mirai hesitated. There was a few moments of silence where she stared off at nothing, her eyes unfocused as she collected her words. "...is that I disagree with you. There are not countless men that stand higher than you as a good man, a strong shinigami, and my best friend. Even if they, by some miracle, exist out there, they're not in my life. They're not in my mind or my heart. They don't have tea with me or train with me. They don't make me feel nervous or excited. They don't make my heart race. I don't get to watch them help newbies get stronger or fight for what they believe in. They're just random, faceless men. I watch you. You do all that. You're here. And I have no interest in changing that."

As she expressed how she wondered why he spared her, not arresting or killing her on the day they met, why he supported her in her studies, missions, and training, there was little reason for it. At first, it had been just naivety, him simply not wanting to ruin her life of something that wasn't her fault. He had seen potential in her, and he didn't want to give up on that.

At first, he had been worried that he would regret it, yet what had been forged out of that one act of mercy was a hard worker, and above all, an unparalleled friend. He was not a man who spoke highly of himself. He never liked to brag or to put himself above others, rather, he preferred lifting others in his arms, to help those who needed it, and see them grow.

Yet, to hear someone else speak of it was...a little embarrassing. His gaze shifted, finding a sudden interest in the floor as he rubbed his arm awkwardly, a light tinge of red coming to his face. He didn't know what to say, how do you respond to that?

"I...I don't know what to say. I don't have the words..."

He took a moment to pause, to think, and process. That devilish heart that beat in him surged with emotions. Part of him wanted to pull her close, to hold her, to never let go, to let the day wane. He cared for her, he wanted to keep her safe, yet he didn't know how to respond to something like that.

"Let's...not do anything drastic. Let's just...take things slowly, okay? Um...maybe, a couple of dates to feel things out? Something like that?"

Emotions would always be one of the most difficult things to discuss, especially among friends. Mirai was thankful he didn't just shut down on her. He still spoke and responded. He wasn't unmoving and silent. She wasn't sure she could handle this if he was. In truth, she did not expect an immediate answer. Even though Kaminari had planted the seed, Mirai was just watering it. Yuuto would be the one to nurture and let it grow... or even die, if that was what needed to happen.

Yuuto's actual reply was the most unexpected of it all. She thought he'd want some time to himself, to think and weigh his options. Instead, he offered a date. In fact, he offered a couple of dates. In hearing that, Mirai calcified. She forced herself to stay still, refusing to jump around like an excited teenage girl. She held herself together for her own sake, not wanting to embarrass herself, but also for his. His body language and the red cheeks gave his embarrassment away.

Yuuto was right though. Taking things slow was just smarter, and likely healthier for them both. Her soft smile grew more, hiding the welling joy within her. She put her arms behind her back, cupping her hands together, and then nodded. "O-Okay."