Kisuke slips out of the house while Sora is distracted with the cleanup from breakfast, and heads straight towards Erich’s place. He hopes the young man will forgive him for that, but… he can’t wait any longer.

(Assurances aside, he needs to see Erich with his own eyes to rest easy.)

(He just… he needs to know!)

Several people nod at him as he pass, warm-welcoming-kind despite him being a stranger, but no one stops him as he makes his way through the town towards Erich’s building. They just acknowledge his existence and keep going, as if he’s one of them, as if they’ve accepted him.

(But why?)

(He’s saved towns before and they’ve never reacted like this.)

(What’s different?!)

Kisuke gives himself a mental shake and shoves his curiosity aside: he can figure it out later. Or not. It doesn’t really matter. It’s just… weird.

(Very weird.)

He reaches Erich’s building and swiftly climbs the stairs to the second floor and strides down the hallway, stomach knotting tighter with each step he takes.

(What if Erich doesn’t want to see him?)

(What if Erich hates him?)

(What if—)

(No.)

(He just… he just needs to make sure Erich’s fine.)

(How Erich reacts to him doesn’t matter.)

Kisuke swallows as he reaches Erich’s door. Forces his hand up, his fist to clench, his arm to reach out—

The rap of his knuckles against the wooden frame echoes sharply through the empty hall.

Kisuke freezes. Forces himself to breathe. Forces himself to ignore the feeling of eyes on the back of his neck.

(There’s no one around, no one watching, he knows this, knows his mind is playing tricks on him but he can’t— he can’t dismiss it, can’t brush it aside because what if he’s not, what if there is someone watching, what if he’s about to be attacked—)

Breath hisses through Kisuke’s teeth as he ruthlessly shoves his paranoia back and locks it away.

(It’s fine.)

(He’s fine.)

(Everything will be fine.)

(It has to be…)

Kisuke resists the urge to fidget as the silence stretches and the door doesn’t open. Takes another calming breath and knocks a second time, calling out, “Erich?” as he does.

Jangling power flashes against Kisuke’s senses, tangled-confused-shocked, and vanishes just as quick; it’s enough to indicate that Erich is there, that Erich is awake, but nothing else, nothing solid. It was too quick, too muddied, for him to parse anything from it besides shock and confusion, and he has no idea what to do with that fragment of information.

Still, at least Erich knows he’s here.

Surely he’ll come to the door, will at least let Kisuke see him—

Silence stretches.

The door doesn’t open.

“Erich? It’s Kisuke,” Kisuke tries again with a third knock. “I just… I just want to see that you’re okay,” he adds, hoping that the explanation will help.

(Even if Erich has washed his hands of Kisuke, surely that will convince him to at least tell Kisuke to go away?)

Kisuke leans closer to the door and strains his ears, hoping to catch the sound of Erich moving about, but hears nothing. Nor is there any further flare of Erich’s power, not that he really expected any; Erich is a very controlled man, so flares like that are definitely the exception, not the norm.

Still, it does give Kisuke an idea. He lets traces of his power fill the air, and says, “Erich, I know you’re awake. If you don’t want me here, just tell me, please, and I’ll go away.” It will hurt, it will burn, but he’ll go. He knows better than to push his luck beyond the limit, and right now he’s probably dancing right along that limit.

His ears strain against the silence, trying to hear something, anything—

There! A creak, like someone rising to their feet, and Kisuke is familiar with that sound, familiar with the meaning, but there’s no sound of motion following it.

(It’s as if Erich is…)

(Ah.)

(Hmm.)

Kisuke rocks back on his heels and contemplates the idea that Erich is just as uncertain, just as nervous, as Kisuke is. Erich’s always seemed so certain, so confident in himself, but… well…

Kisuke’s run from him every time they’ve met, hasn’t he?

(The last time, he was even in the midst of a flashback triggered by Erich’s own actions.)

He heaves a sigh and runs a hand over his face, wondering how the hell he’s going to convince Erich that he means it this time, that he’s not going to run away, but nothing comes to mind.

(At this point, he wouldn’t trust himself either.)

(Well… maybe if he did something dramatic?)

(At least then Erich would have enough motivation to break his hesitation?)

“If you don’t at least tell me to go away right now, I’m going to do something horrifically embarrassing for both of us,” Kisuke announces, making sure to fill his power with all the determination he can. When he still gets no response, he huffs a laugh and says, “Last chance to keep your dignity intact, because I certainly have none left.”

He catches a faint brush of amused agreement before Erich once more clamps down on his power, but nothing else. Taking that as tacit acceptance of whatever happens next, Kisuke turns on his heel and marches down the hallway and towards the stairs. There’s a messy, half-formed plan in his head, and he can already feel the edges of embarrassment creeping in at the very thought, but he’ll do (almost) whatever it takes to get Erich to respond.

(Hopefully this will be enough.)

(Oh heavens above, let this not be for nothing…!)

Kisuke descends the stairs back to the ground and then circles around the building, eyes trained on the second story windows as he counts balconies. If his memory is correct… ah there.

He steps back so that he can see better, takes a moment to gather himself, and then freezes at the sight of a little old lady on the balcony right next to Erich’s. She’s tending to her little balcony garden and pretending to ignore him, but her sidelong glances and tiny smirk are hardly subtle.

She even flashes a grin at him when he keeps hesitating and makes a cheerful little ‘well? Go on!’ gesture.

Kisuke can’t resist making a face at her — which only makes her shoulders shake with silent laughter — and turns back to Erich’s balcony. If she wants to watch his embarrassment first hand, then by all means. He did say that he had no dignity left, after all, so might as well prove it.

“Eriiiiiiich~” Kisuke calls up, adding as much playfulness as he can to his tone. “Beloved light of my life! Won’t you come out and talk? Pretty pretty please? I promise not to run this time!”

The old lady brings a hand up to cover her mouth, her eyes bright with mirth, and leans on her balcony to peer over at Erich’s. The two of them wait for any reaction, but Kisuke has a sneaking suspicion that Erich currently thinks he’s dreaming. The man’s power is flickering in and out of sensing, filled with shock-disbelief-incredulity, and he seems to be frozen in place because of it.

Not exactly what Kisuke was hoping for, but he can probably cajole the man out with a bit more effort.

(Hopefully.)

“Erich love, I know it’s hard to believe, but I do have moments when common sense asserts itself!” Kisuke tries, clasping his hands together and hoping desperately that he’s not giving too much away with his words. Part of him hates acknowledging that he’s overlooked something obvious, but… in retrospect, it is obvious that Erich’s been concerned about him. He doesn’t know why — though Sora’s comment about Erich sulking over him is a great big flag that he’s trying not to think about too hard — but he does know it’s true. “Pretty please? I promise I’ll leave you alone if you tell me to! I just want to make sure you’re okay…”

The old lady casts him a thoughtful look at that, then leans a bit further over her balcony and fixes her attention on whatever little she can see into Erich’s place. She waits for a moment, then clears her throat and calls, “Erich dear, won’t you come out and reassure your cute little paramour?”

Kisuke chokes at her words and shoots a wide-eyed look up at her; he certainly didn’t expect her help, much less to be called Erich’s cute little paramour of all things!

She just winks at him and turns back to Erich’s balcony, calling out, “Erich—”

“Alright, alright, I heard you both!” Erich finally shouts back, then shoves the curtains aside and steps out onto his balcony. His skin is paler than usual, his shoulders drooping with exhaustion and his hair tangled, but he’s alive. He’s alive and he’s on his feet and despite his clear exhaustion he’s standing without swaying and he… he…

He’s looking at Kisuke with wide, disbelieving eyes, but there’s an edge of hope about him as he carefully leans against his balcony and gives Kisuke a full once-over. Hope that shifts towards uncertainty as he takes in Kisuke’s clearly borrowed clothing and the nerves that Kisuke just can’t quite hide.

(Kisuke doesn’t like that uncertainty at all.)

(He… might be a bit more involved than he thought.)

(Whoops…?)

“That healer of yours is a very determined young man,” Kisuke says with a wry grin, hoping his phrasing will put Erich at ease. “When he saw me coming to check on you yesterday, he was very insistent that I stay where he could see me.”

Erich purses his lips and glances away, uncertainty melting into mirth, and then says, “Sora does have a way about him, doesn’t he?”

“Like many healers,” Kisuke agrees dryly, fingers tightening around each other until he can almost feel his knuckles going white. “Are you— I mean, uh, I… I heard— uhm—”

“I’ll be fine,” Erich reassures, then glances past Kisuke at the town beyond. “I take it I have you to thank for the town still standing?”

Kisuke swallows and resists the urge to squirm. “I… may have cleared off the last of them and closed the Tear,” he confirms, then licks his lips and adds, “I saw the Behemoths you took care of and— and— I’m sorry I wasn’t there to help. I didn’t think— I mean… you didn’t seem to want me around after, uh… the last time, and I know how ridiculous that sounds right now but I wasn’t exactly thinking straight and I’m sorry, I really am, but you seemed to be avoiding me so— so I just—” Kisuke grimaces and ducks his head, shoulders rounding as he runs out of words to try and explain.

He’s just digging himself deeper, he knows he is, but part of him can’t help it; he’s never been good at people, even when he can predict their plans and how they’ll react to things. And personal interactions aren’t as clearcut as combat can be, leaving him floundering for the best way to act. It’s why he usually resorts to some variant of obnoxious, since that tends to have reliable reactions.

Erich sighs, the sound oddly fond, and says, “Kisuke, get up here.”

Kisuke blinks up at the man, then gives a shallow nod and gathers his power, leaping from the ground to land lightly on Erich’s balcony rail. “Maa, here I— mmph??” Kisuke freezes as Erich grabs his shirt and yanks, pulling him down into an unexpected kiss. The motion forces Kisuke to brace himself, one hand latching onto the railing and the other landing on Erich’s shoulder, and he still feels unbalanced, still feels like he’s going to fall, but he’s not going to complain.

“Thank you, Kisuke,” Erich murmurs against Kisuke’s lips, his free hand reaching up to brush across Kisuke’s cheek. “I mean it. And I forgive you for running all those times.” He pulls back enough to fix Kisuke with a steady look and adds, “Except for the last time, because that was entirely my fault, and I’m sorry for that. And I’m sorry that I gave the impression I didn’t want you around afterward. I was trying to give you space and… well… I suppose I assumed you didn’t want me around after that.”

“What a pair we make,” Kisuke can’t help but comment with an amused huff. “I assumed you didn’t want me around for the most part. Especially after Benihime… interrupted that one time.”

Erich makes a thoughtful noise and asks, “About that, what exactly did she do? Sora mentioned that my old wounds seemed to have changed but he couldn’t put his finger on how, and I’ve noticed… differences ever since that happened.”

Kisuke sighs and carefully lets go of the railing to run a hand over his face. “Benihime isn’t a healer-type, but she can…” he pauses, struggling for a phrasing that doesn’t sound as horrifying as most people feel her powers are, then shrugs awkwardly and gives the effort up as useless. “She can remake ‘broken’ things. People. Er… it’s a… she tears things apart and puts them back together better?” he tries, watching Erich’s face for the expected horror or disgust to rise.

Instead, Erich just looks thoughtful. “That’s the difference, then,” he murmurs as he tips his head back to stare up at the sky, gaze distant. “She fixed all the internal damage, didn’t she?”

(*Oh I like him,*) Benihime purrs in Kisuke’s mind. (*If you don’t keep him, I’m going to be very displeased with you.*)

“You’re… okay with that?” Kisuke tentatively asks, a bit weirded out by the easy acceptance and Erich’s specific phrasing of fixing it as opposed to how people usually view her actions.

The look Erich gives him is all fond exasperation. “Kisuke, why wouldn’t I be happy that I can move and fight without as much pain anymore?” His hand cups Kisuke’s chin, then slides around to cradle the back of his head as he tugs Kisuke down into another brief kiss. “I would have appreciated a heads up, but based on your reactions at the time, I take it she didn’t exactly consult with you either.”

Kisuke shakes his head, mind buzzing with a tangled mess of thoughts-feelings that refuse to resolve into words that he can actually speak.

(He never expected Erich to react so well to this.)

(He never expected any of this…)

“Then you have nothing to apologize for, though I’d like a bit of heads up if you think she might be planning to do the same again,” Erich says firmly.

(*He’s a polite young man,*) Benihime muses, then gives a mental shrug and adds, (*Well, so long as he keeps amusing me and keeps you satisfied, I’ll tell him whenever I plan to use my powers on him.*)

Kisuke snorts at Benihime’s words, then says, “I’ll do my best,” instead of relaying her words exactly. He doesn’t know how Erich will take the idea that he amuses an Otherworld entity, but he’d rather not find out at the moment.

“That’s all I ask,” Erich says softly, then smiles up at Kisuke and takes a small step back, opening up a space for Kisuke to hop down off the railing. “Would you like to come in? I’m not up for much, but… we can always just… spend time together?”

Kisuke swallows at the hopeful edge to Erich’s voice and nods as he slips off the railing and stands up. “That… that sounds good,” he says roughly. “I think I’d like that.”

Cheerful laughter snaps his focus away from Erich, and he scowls at the old lady still standing on the balcony next door. She grins at him — grins at them — with enough mischief to raise the hairs on the back of Kisuke’s neck, and then gleefully says, “Remember your silencing spells this time, Erich dear! Though listening to the two of you the first time was quite—”

“Grandmother!” Erich yelps, his fair skin flushing bright red in embarrassment. “You promised you’d never mention that again!”

She just laughs, flashes them both another mischief-laden grin, and then shuffles back to her plants with a wave.

Kisuke rubs at his face, trying to tame the blush spread across his own cheeks, and then gives it up as a pointless effort. “Well, uhm… shall we go inside?” he offers instead.

“Y-yeah, let’s get away from certain busybodies,” Erich agrees, raising his voice just enough to be pointed, though the old lady just snickers at them in reaction, clearly unbothered by the accusation. With a huff, Erich turns away and gestures for Kisuke to follow him as he steps through the balcony door.

Kisuke watches Erich move deeper into his home, something warm-soft-hopeful growing in his chest, then casts a brief, thankful look at the old lady and follows.

(There’s still so many things he needs to do, so many mistakes he needs to correct, but this…)

(Maybe this isn’t the mistake he originally considered it to be.)

(The future feels brighter for the first time in years, and he…)

(Well, he finally thinks he knows what hope is.)