TOO MANY SHIPS

[divinacommedia]

[There they were, sitting on the couch and watching the movie that Battler had put in for the two of them. Turns out it had started raining while Kotomi had been over, and they settled on watching something like this and just eating snacks together. Every so often Battler would glance over at her, able to mull over certain things as the movie continued to play....

Good thing this wasn't a scary movie, he had put in a comedy since Kotomi seems to like those kinds of things, after all.]

Ah! Here's my favorite part!

[And he reaches over to grab another chip from the bag, omnomnom.]

Comments

[divinacommedia]

[He sighs. Yeah, yeah.... he needs to be more bold like he always is, he needs to just shout it out that he likes her, apparently. Dammit, he seemed to always like the weird ones... not like it was a bad thing that she was so different, maybe that's why he was drawn to her.

Battler reaches for the remote, turning off the TV for the time being. Sorry, he needs full attention for this kind of thing.]

Kotomi-chan. [He turns to look at her, not letting go of her hand just yet.] There's something I need to tell you. And it's... just difficult since I have no clue what you're feeling back but-.... okay here goes.

[A pause....] I like you. And not in the friends kind of way, I like you in that sense that.... well, I want to be closer to you. [if you catch his drift- WHICH SHE PROBABLY WON'T.]

[etudes]

[ She barely even notices the TV being turned off, she was already more focused on him than on the movie itself either way - the movie mattered little more than the sound of the raindrops on the window.

But then she listens to whath he's saying, and.. huh..? He likes her, but not in the friends kind of way? Are there that many other kinds of liking that she knows nothing about? Ah-- wait, she has the answer!! ]

... Okay.

[ Just blankly saying it as always, even nodding a little.. and then she scoots over to him under the blanket, covering the last distance between both of them, still not letting go of his hand either. She's practically leaning against his shoulder now.. ]

Then.. this is close enough for Battler-kun to like..? [ yes, she's totally missing the point. ]

[divinacommedia]

[.....Hah....?! A.....ah.....?! S...seriously....?! Okay- for someone that still doesn't get Kotomi's tsukkomi acts, this is actually hilarious. Literally taking what he said and applying it to the situation.]

Ahaha.... ihihihi! K-...Kotomi-chan, you're too much!

[Okay, he might have needed that, he was a little too nervous to say this kind of stuff before, but now he can do it. He lets go of her hand, and he grabs both of her shoulders, making her look at him.]

I like you as in.... boyfriend and girlfriend.... you know, lovers. And I just want to know how you feel about me.

1 / bluh

[etudes]

[ It wasn't good enough either, was it? All of this is so strange, so she just listens to what he says next, even though she doesn't have much of a choice with how he's making her directly look at him..

But then he says.. 'boyfriend and girlfriend'.. 'lovers'.. Sure, she's read enough about that before in books, but to have someone say it to her, to have Battler say it to her-- ]

I'll say when I'm done

[etudes]

[ ... Ah. He's.. saying that sort of thing, isn't he.. ]

[etudes]

[ Battler-kun likes her.. ]

[etudes]

[ ... as a lover.. ]

done!

[etudes]

[ Poof, instant red cheeks. Yes, she's not even saying anything to him yet, she's just.. sitting there with a completely red face.

Since it's so new to her, all of this - she's only read about it, so she's not even sure how she's supposed to deal with it. But.. it's Battler, and.. he's always been really nice to her, right? He came to listen to her violin and talked to her before and helped her out, and.. someone who's by her side when she needs it.. someone she likes as well. ]

wow

[divinacommedia]

[Ah..... she's not saying anything. He just watches as her face turns completely red. Hm. This wasn't ....what he was hoping for. Well to be honest he had no idea what he was hoping for. Battler's shoulders slump and he tilts his head, trying to get a better view of her face.]

K....Kotomi-chan....? Are you alright?

[pretty soon it would be his turn to feel her forehead.]

[etudes]

[ Oh god, oh god, how did books say to do this again?! She's read a dialogue like this somewhere before, right, all she has to do is think of that.. okay, she's at least weakly moving her head now to nod back at him, that's a start..

A deep breath, and then.. ]

I-I--... ... Battler-kun's feelings.. I-.. I share them too..

[divinacommedia]

[He smiles at that, finally. Feeling like a weight has been lifted off of him, just to hear those kinds of words from her.]

Hah.... ihihi! G-good! That's really good!

[He felt the need to explain this to her like.. how it would happen in one of her books, yeah. That's probably the best way to say anything to her really. Hesitantly, he removed a hand from her shoulder and brought it to her cheek, moving his hand across her skin and working his way through her hair.]

Think of me like... ah! Like one of those knights in the books we've read together before, I'll always be there to protect you and stuff, you know?

[etudes]

[ Huh.. It feels strange to have someone touch her there. Not in a bad way, since it feels nice, just.. strange in its newness. But if she and Battler share this same feeling of liking each other, of liking each other as more than just friends, even.. then this is probably just part of that, right? Maybe she'd have to read more books about it soon to understand better.. ]

Battler-kun will be my knight..? Then am I the princess? [ But even as she asks, she already thinks the idea sounds pretty nice.. Someone who's always right there to protect her. ]

[divinacommedia]

[He nods at that, excited at the thought himself. He's always really liked the idea of those novels, and the thought of being able to be a knight like that... ah... it was too much. He was grinning from ear to ear, looking like he was about to burst from all the feelings flowing through him right now.]

If you want to be the princess, then go right ahead! I guess this mean I'll have to find a tiara for you or something like that one day.... [and knowing Battler, he would give her something like that.

And just as those words left his lips, there was a sudden crack of thunder, sounding pretty close. It practically shook the whole house, damn it was loud.]

[etudes]

[ Don't say that, Battler, she's already imagining herself with it and all now..

But as she opens her mouth to answer, there's something else that takes up her full attention. That thunder is so loud and so sudden that it manages to get a good scare out of Kotomi, who immediately - almost more out of instinct - falls forward, and that's where Battler is, of course. And almost out of a new instinct driven by the feelings that were starting to flood her just now, she stretches out her arms as she falls to cling to him as if that will protect her against the sudden loud sound from earlier, practically smushing her cheek against his top in the process. ]

[divinacommedia]

Wh-whoa!

[He wasn't really expecting that.... or rather, he should have been expecting that from her. Battler wrapped his arms around her, holding her close to him and soon he started to rub her back, trying to get her to relax. It's not like Battler was afraid of thunder or anything, no no... he was still afraid of heights... if they were on a boat and it was storming on there too- ah he didn't even want to think about it. The two of them would probably cling to one another and cry until everything was over.

Battler grabbed the blanket, and he then brought it closer around the two of them. His hands went to her back once more, rubbing over her clothes.]

Hey it's alright- I told you I'd protect you, right?

[etudes]

[ She's already relaxing a little bit more like this by default, just from being close to him, feeling protected.. She's not alone, not anymore. Battler's right here by her side, they're even wrapped in a blanket together, so..

She nods weakly. ]

That's right.. Right now, Battler-kun's protecting me like some really strong and amazing knight..

[divinacommedia]

[He nods to himself, feeling like he did a good job with this. Getting her to calm down and everything. He leans back a little bit though, looking down at her.]

S...strong and amazing huh? I didn't think I was all that great but- that does sound good~! Ihihi!

Don't worry princess Kotomi! I'm right here!

[etudes]

[ Hush, he really was all that great to her.. And even if he leans back a little she's still going to cling the best she can for a while, okay, she's like a koala right now. ]

So Battler-kun will even defeat the thunder?

[divinacommedia]

[A KOALA?!?!

And just as she says that, yet another loud crack of thunder rang out. He clung to her now, hugging her tightly against him as he listened to the rain hitting the windows and rubbed her back.]

Aha! The thunder won't stop me- I'll defeat it, definitely! And then the thunder will be the one saying, "it's useless! It's all useless! I can't go near Kotomi-chan because Battler-sama is around!"

So it's okay!

[etudes]

[ kotoala.

But yes, she whimpers a little again at the new thunder, but at least this time she's already close to him so it's not as bad - it's more soft, half smothered against his jacket. ]

The thunder must be so scared of Battler-kun.. Is Battler-kun really that strong of a knight? On a white horse..?

[divinacommedia]

[Battler smiles at that- thinking about how even when he was younger he used to talk about ponies and such a lot too. Battler grabs the blanket around them though and he brings it over both of their heads, LOOK THEY'RE IN A TENT.]

I will, I'll get a white horse and everything! And look Kotomi-chan, nothing can hurt us in here, right?

[etudes]

[ A TENT--!! Look, Kotomi is so amazed at this.. well, actually pretty simple thing.. that she's just staring up at it with big, wide eyes, maybe even gasping a little. ]

In here..? [ the most amazing tent. ;A; ] Is this Battler-kun's and my special place? Where it's just us, and nothing can hurt us..?

[divinacommedia]

[BEST TENT]

It sure is! Nothing bad will happen in here!

[He nods, grinning down at her. He... wanted to try something else here but he wanted to wait a little bit, he needed the right mood of course!!]

[etudes]

[ This is the perfect mood.. /shoves them together..!! ]

Then.. I'd like to stay in here with Battler-kun for a while. [ she can't help but softly smile. ] That'd be nice.. Just the two of us together, completely safe.

[divinacommedia]

[what a convincing argument....

He smiles down at her, not grinning as much as he was before though. Battler brings a hand up to her face- his palm resting on her cheek.]

Kotomi-chan... [well, it's a good a time as ever, even if she might not understand it just yet but-... Battler leans in towards her, and eventually his lips press against hers, a very light and gentle kiss.]