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[ Cute. She's a little embarrassed, but she reaches up to brush some of his bangs away from his eyes. Then, she lowers her hand so it curls up near his chest, also trying to be mindful of space he may need. ]

It does.

[ She chuckles softly. ]

I don't know if I'll be able to log out anytime soon. I'll be thinking about you all day tomorrow, you know.

[Gasp, forehead reveal... Levi's smile widens as she does it, watching her with adoring eyes all the while. This truly is like going down the perfect route of a dating sim, and yet it's real.]

Good thing you'll be able to text me until we meet back up in-game. I'll even wait to log in for the day until you're ready. I think...I'd probably just end up sitting around waiting for you anyway.

[The thought of wanting to spend more time IRL is almost unbelievable, and yet it's how he feels. He wants to be where Kara is.]

I feel you about not wanting to log out, though. I'm usually on late anyway, but even night owls like me gotta sleep sometime. [He lets out a small sigh.] Too bad sleeping in-game doesn't actually make us feel rested IRL.

Hey, you're allowed to have fun without me.

[ She's teasing, but the sentiment is still really sweet. ]

Heh, that'd be pretty nice. Then I wouldn't need to make the drive out just to, you know...spend the night or something.

[ Ah, she's become such a sap. Thanks, Levi!!! ]

I wouldn't mind doing that though, don't get me wrong. ... Meeting you for real would make it worth it.

I know, but it's just...gonna be hard to focus. I probably shouldn't run dailies while distracted.

[He takes an arrow to the knee because he's too busy thinking about his...friend...girlfriend...?

Okay that's it he's going red as a tomato, both from wondering what their relationship status is and from the idea of Kara actually coming to see him IRL. He thinks his heart is going to beat out of his chest any moment.]

I- I would like that a lot. It's just... [He screws his eyes shut in embarrassment. But he needs to be real.] I'm...I'm not this fit IRL. And I can't drive. And I don't have a lot of money. I don't wanna make you miserable, s-so...if those are dealbreakers, I'd get it.

...Why would they be?

[ Contrary to how she presents herself, when it really counts, Kara isn't concerned with that kind of stuff. Money can be something they can deal with later, driving isn't an issue, and body stuff hardly matters. ]

None of that bothers me. For what it's worth, I'm not rich, either. I'm a college kid just trying to make enough for rent and necessities, you know? So don't worry about any of those things.

[ ... ]

I...since we're being honest, I can tell you with honesty that the Kara you've been talking to is genuine – I'm not kidding about my feelings for you. But...I haven't been so honest with other people. I don't trust very easily, and I...

[ She frowns deeply, closes her eyes. ]

I've been used, and instead of being gracious about it, I've used people in return. I'm starting to regret all of it, but I was pretty much a mess before I joined this MMO. So...I'll say the same thing to you, then.

If any of that's a deal breaker, I get it. If you walked out right now, I'd be in no position to blame you.

Edited 2023-08-23 03:17 (UTC)

[Levi's eyes go wide when they flutter back open.]

I...! [He catches the volume in his voice and quashes it before he can continue. When he tries again, it's lower, but no less shocked.] I wasn't trying to imply anything, obviously... I just know that those qualities can make me a burden. I don't...wanna be a burden to you.

[At this point, the idea that he might have a an issue or two with self-esteem probably isn't very far-fetched.]

But I'm really glad they aren't gonna be an issue.

[It's then Kara's turn to say her piece, and Levi listens quietly all the while.

...

Once she's done, there's a moment of silence before she'll feel Levi's lips against her cheek.]

I'm not going anywhere.

Trusting people is hard, especially if you've been burned bad in the past. But I really do believe you when you say you've been real with me. I always want you to be real with me, through the good and the bad.

[ Although she hasn't gone into many specifics, she doesn't think she needs to, unless he asks. She was ironically truthful about being dishonest, told him about her behavior and how heavily it's weighing on her. She was expecting him to decide she wasn't for him, that he might have lost trust in her, or that she'd ruined her image that she's so used to carefully crafting.

Then, she feels his lips touch her cheek. He says he's not going anywhere. That's what gets her eyes to shoot open, and she looks at him, absolutely bewildered. ]

...You're...you're serious? You – you still want to...

[ She trails off, because she has to bite down on her lower lip. She has to keep herself from crying, because that'd be so embarrassing, wouldn't it?

It's no use, though. She feels tears stinging her eyes, and one of them falls from the corner of her eye and streaks down her cheek. ]

...Oh... [ She hurriedly wipes at her eyes and ducks her head. ] A-ah, sorry, I'm just... I'm so relieved.

You'll never be a burden, Levi. If anything I – I should be the one worried about being one for you.

Kara...

[Levi's alarmed by her reaction. He didn't mean to make her cry, and he doesn't know what to do to help. His brothers don't come to him for comfort, so he doesn't have much practice with it. All he can do is act and pray he's doing it right.

With a shift, he pulls her closer to him so she can hide her face away for as long as she needs to. One hand keeps steady against her back while the other shifts up to thread through her hair.]

Then you're not gonna be one either.

[He murmurs back to her.]

We've come this far, haven't we? We've both said it ourselves: that should've been like, turbo impossible mode for both of us. That's gotta mean something, right?

Y-yeah. You're...you're right. It means a lot, actually.

[ She sniffles in between words, and her face is definitely deeply buried in his shoulder. If she could put into words how grateful she is for Levi, she would, but it doesn't seem like anything she could say would ever be good enough. She knew she'd been craving this, affection and genuine love and care, but she didn't think it'd be this good.

This is more than just a craving, though. This is a miracle, Kara thinks. A lot of things needed to happen for them to get to this point in the time that they did, and she's so, so happy they did. Levi is truly the best thing that's ever happened to her.

After a moment, Kara lifts her head and reaches for the hand on her back. Gently, she guides it to her lips, where she presses a soft kiss to his knuckles. She pulls back slightly, closes her eyes again but keeps his hand in both of hers, and holds it with care. ]

I don't even know where to begin with how much I like you, Levi. I'm going to do my best to do this right.

[ "This" meaning...whatever this is. Whatever's happening between them, because it's good. ]

[Levi breathes a gentle sigh of relief as he continues to stroke her hair. His words seem to have come across how he hoped they would.

Though surprised, he allows her to move his hand...and his lip quivers ever so slightly over how tenderly she kisses it- how she holds it as though it were a treasure. It really does feel like a miracle. He can't believe he'd ever meet someone who would care for him this much outside of his family. He cares about this same person in equal measure, and a desire to protect the happiness she thought she'd never have again takes root within his heart.

He curls his fingers against Kara's hand.]

What you're doing says more than enough to me. Words are hard, anyway. Signed, the shut-in with crippling social anxiety.

[Kara really broke through those barriers, though. Almost expertly, Levi would argue.

That's just one of many things he loves about her already.]

No. Signed...the best person I know.

[ She means that, with all her heart. She leans forward and places her forehead on his shoulder. She breathes in quietly, gently brushes her thumbs over the back of his hand, and squeezes it. ]

I'm really happy, you know.

[ She looks up at him and presses her lips to his cheek, like he'd done for her earlier. ]

Being with you -- um...here, with you, I mean... It means more to me than I can ever say.

Kara... [Levi laughs, though he almost sounds a little choked up.] Y-You're gonna make me blush...

["Going to", like he isn't blushing already. Deeply, at that.

He nuzzles up to her after she goes in for that sweet little kiss.]

There's nowhere I'd rather be. Seriously, there isn't. [He doesn't seem to have caught that change of phrase. For now, at least.] No time spent watching anime or gaming could top this.

[He may as well be spouting utter blasphemy as an otaku for saying something like that. This is, by all accounts, supreme normie activity. But boy is he ever glad he couldn't care less.]

Edited 2023-08-23 06:30 (UTC)

Heh, really? That's high praise, coming from you...

[ She nuzzles him right on back and brushes her nose against his. She gently brushes her hand along his back, looks at him with the most affection she can manage. ]

Nothing beats this, though. You're right.

[ Kara leans in for another kiss, chaste and sweet. She closes her eyes and leans into it ever so slightly, and when she pulls away, she gives him an extra kiss to his nose. ]

Heheh. [He puts a prideful little spin on that chuckle.] I know. It's true, though!

[And if it's this good in a hyper-realistic VR game, he seriously can't wait to experience the real thing. He'll never complain about the 3D world again.

He eagerly returns her kiss, reaching over to cup her cheek with the hand that was in her hair. The chaser kiss on his nose makes him giggle. He feels so warm and happy- it's such an unfamiliar but welcome sensation.]

Imagine how good it'll be to cuddle and watch anime at the same time.

[Is that him now openly daydreaming about Kara visiting? Maybe.]

Haha, already thinking about me visiting?

[ She's going to call him on it...because it's so cute. ]

I'll make it a whole trip – how about this week? Is that too soon?

[ She starts idly playing with his hair, and her fingers gently brush against the back of his neck. ]

Either way, it'll be nice to do all of this for real. [ ... ] And I'll make your first kiss even more official.

Ah-! [He feels his face burning up again.] Eheh...y-yeah.

[With the big worries laid bare, he's not so scared about making this an IRL Thing. it doesn't stop his heart from racing, though.]

You don't have to drop everything for me so suddenly, b-but...it should work. I'll ask my brother if you can stay with us for a bit. Hopefully he doesn't make a huge deal out of me wanting to have company over...

[Not because Lucas would be against it or anything, but because it's never happened before. Levi the shut-in with zero friends, suddenly having a girl stay over for a few days? Is the world ending?

Anyway, he shoves all of that out of the forefront of his thoughts for now.]

I can't wait. I- I wanna kiss you IRL so bad. [It's hard not to look embarrassed about how eager he is, but hopefully Kara doesn't mind.] We can go on Mononoke Land walks, a-and visit a really good café I go to with Barrett a lot...

If he does, it's okay. We'll make it work somehow.

[ Hotels exist if they need to go that route!!!

But no, Levi is adorable. She can't help but giggle at his eagerness, as well as his date ideas. When was the last time she's been this excited to see someone? She can't recall. ]

I'd like that! I'll even trade some Monokemon with you. And you won't have to worry about a shortage of kisses.

[ Another laugh, then: ]

You think your brothers will mind that you've got a ... [ Hm. ] A good friend coming over?

["A good friend."

Levi's brain seems to halt for a moment as the topic comes back around to their relationship status. It's probably how he would introduce Kara, but is that really what they are? Is this moving too fast?

...

He wants to ask, but he's too afraid to. He doesn't want to overstep and ruin what they have now.]

I don't think they'll mind, it's more... They'll never let me hear the end of it. They'll tease me 'til the end of time.

[And he will die (not serious).]

Mostly they'll be surprised. I...haven't made any friends since we moved out to California.

[ A part of her wonders when they'll cement their relationship, but for now, this is fine. They can be good friends falling in love, who kiss and go on dates and cuddle sometimes. It's fine!! ]

Oh! In that case, I'll just have to protect you and insist that we're just classmates doing some studying together. I can be super convincing!

How does that sound?

Um...

[It'd be a fine cover, yeah...but...

He shakes his head and smiles at her.]

It's okay. I can deal with a little embarrassment, because I'm happy to be able to tell them I made a friend. A really, really special one.

[Maybe he'll tell her about his excited text to Barrett sometime. Would she find that flattering?]

Oh...

[ That makes her incredibly happy. She grins and gives him an approving nod. (Also, please tell her about that text. She'll be very happy to hear it.) ]

That's much better, then. I'll gladly accept that, because you're special to me, too.

[ The hand in his hair moves around to gently brush against his cheek. ]

So...stay with me, okay? I'm not going to let you go.

[When Kara says things like that, he can't help but feel his heart leap into his throat. His cheek is incredibly warm against her hand as he sheepishly casts his glance to the side.

He's still afraid, but he can't take it anymore. He's going to explode if he doesn't ask.]

Hey, Kara? If you ask me to stay with you, and I really badly wanna stay with you...and keep kissing you and cuddling with you...

That's like...c-couple stuff, right?

[The moment the words leave his mouth, he stammers:]

I-If this is moving too fast, tell me! I know we only just had our first date...!

[ She looks a little surprised by his declaration, but after a moment, she laughs again. ]

It really has only been one date, huh? I don't know why, but it feels like I've known you for much longer, and like we've gone on ten dates already.

[ She's blushing, but she looks happy. Incredibly so. ]

I mentioned this earlier, but I don't care how fast or slow we go. I just like being with you, and that's enough for me. So if you're not ready, it's okay if we wait. But if you want to make it official, I'm fine with that, too.

I know exactly what you mean. I feel like...even though it hasn't been that long, I've already learned so much about you. A-And the more I learn, the deeper I fall...

["Fall"? Though he doesn't finish that thought, it probably isn't hard to tell where he was going with it.

After a moment of consideration, he swallows his fears and allows himself some courage.]

You're my really, really special friend...so girlfriend just feels right to me. Don't you think so too?

[He said it out loud. Him. With a girlfriend.

Wow.]

I think it sounds perfect.

[ She gently touches her forehead to his, and looks at him with nothing short of...love, is it? She couldn't say. All she knows is that her heart is filled with affection towards him. ]

I'd love to be your girlfriend. It makes sense, since I keep falling for you, too.

Edited (OMG not me hitting enter too early) 2023-08-23 19:53 (UTC)

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