A Promising Dawn? [Yuuto/Saiko]

The grimness of the fading expressions Yuuto displayed was not lost on Saiko. She knew it was a struggle to contemplate the strength of your soul, to face an unknown future, and deal with the internal strife of a foreign beast wanting to enslave you. Yet, in spite of that grim reality, her smile remained as radiant as ever as the words of Yuuto conveyed that he did get that sense of reassurance in his own strength. And to that, Saiko gave him a gentle, warm hug as she gingerly moved her fingers through his head to feel, hold and get a sense of connection and bond to him.

"When in our darkest hour, having the light of another to guide the way can help us find that strength of courage within ourselves. Haha, I think it sounds a bit too dramatic or corny, but I feel there is truth to that, and I'm happy I could be a person who helps give you that encouragement to press ahead."

While there was a sense of playfulness in her tone as she tried not to take herself too seriously, it still remained ever-filled with tenderness, warmth, and devotion. It indicated that she sincerely wanted to be there for him and provide the support that a woman's instincts, intuition, and natural-born ability to nurture could provide.

Thus, after a moment of endearing silence, she continued speaking.

"So you are welcome, as you've given me that same comfort with my own battles. You are the reason I have my own new lease on life, so I'll be there for you in return, just as you were for me, Yuuto. You have my word on that."

Having someone to comfort him, bring him to reason, and try to make him slow down, rather than blitz through it all, was nice. As she held him, ran her fingers through his hair, he returned the embrace. He let out a quiet exhale, content with the warmth she gave.

"Dramatic? Yes. Corny? Maybe a little bit."

His voice had shifted from the grim tone he carried, to the gentle, lightly teasing and playful one that Saiko knew well by this point. Yet, there was still a sense of guilt that tugged faintly at his heart. The idea of receiving anything in return for what he did was completely nonsensical for him. He did what he did because it was right, because it was decent, it was kind.

And, for him...it made the world a little kinder. He didn't need anything in return. Knowing that they were well and safe was enough. For once, he didn't give her a long-winded answer in response. Simply, he continued to hold her as his voice lowered to a whisper.

"...Thank you."

Saiko's aqua gaze continued to linger on the embrace Yuuto gave her. It seemed they both understood that the two of them would be there for each other. And because of that bond, the grimness of Yuuto's expression washed away to break and give way to light, hope, and life in his eyes. So Saiko couldn't help but show a gentle smile in return because it made the woman happy to absolve that stress and strain from someone she cared about.

As they sat there holding each other, the woman longingly stroked his hair and spoke out.

"You're welcome. You can stay like this for however long you need as you've earned this rest."

There were a billion other things that could be said, but just being there was enough in the mind of Saiko. As her eyes started to close, she relished the moment of peace and closeness and let Yuuto take however much time he needed to rest with her. This slither of bliss is something this man more than deserved.