BERTOLT

[bloodread]

Comments

[perspire]

You won't know when it'll happen.

[ they'll both regret it

but he looks at him seriously ]

It's a curse, the Curse of Ymir. Whoever gains the power of one of the titans limits their lifespan to thirteen years.

I've had my power for a little over five years.

[bloodread]

[ Oh, huh. There is a blink as he processes (he's doing so much of that tonight), but it doesn't take him long to respond. ]

...these past four months have felt like freakin forever. Eight years might as well be an actual fucking eternity. [ A beat later. ]

I'm used to dealing with curses.

[perspire]

I... are you sure? That's a lot, on top of everything else.

[bloodread]

Do you want me to say no? [ Nagako bobs her head up from where she's settled, then puts it back down again. ]

I have no idea what the hell is gonna happen tomorrow, but I'm not gonna run away from it or do anything else but face it head on. [ I don't know what the hell I'm doing here either, but that's not going to stop me. ]

[perspire]

No, I don't! I just wanted to make sure.

I'm... tired of running. There's so much that at home that I need to do, that I want to do. There's no guarantee that I'll even live for the next eight years, not with everything going on. [ sounding more and more sure of himself as he speaks ]

But right now, the thing I'm most sure on is that I want to be with you.

[bloodread]

[ Home. That certainly is something, isn't it. Ami, Natsumi, Hazuki and...Amanome. He curls in on himself, something of a reflex before he shakes it off. He's tired too. ]

Bertl, I don't care. Do you know why I—why I kissed you?

[perspire]

... You want this too.

[bloodread]

[ Huff. ]

No, I didn't know then. But I wanted to figure it out. [ He does not have the self-awareness to know completely where his heart lies, but he is good at following his instincts. ]

[perspire]

[ lets out his own huff of laughter as he squeezes his hand ]

Then, we can figure it out. We can figure everything out.

[bloodread]

Gonna leave that up to you for now, just tell me where to drive. [ Today has been so long? He doesn't really wanna think anymore and he can't think anymore really. ]

Can we talk about something simple? Like who the hell was throwing rocks and t-shirts?

[perspire]

--I asked for a rock to be given to you.

Gently.

[bloodread]

...I figured. Tsuru would have just given me those stupid eyes.

[perspire]

I also asked for a rock to be thrown at Sholmes and-- it felt wrong to send something to the living without sending something to you.

[ a beat ]

I... considered a flower. But that felt like too much.

1/2

[bloodread]

Why him?

[bloodread]

[ Wait, what. ]

I'd have fucking killed you. Again. [ But perhaps it would have been worth it since he's flushed once more. ]

[perspire]

[ laughs more honestly at that ]

Maybe I should have, if you look like that.

But it was just something fun, for calling me forty-years-old when I was alive.

[bloodread]

[ The hair clip was enough! ]

I can kick your ass and hold your hand at the same time.

[perspire]

Is that a promise?

[bloodread]

...yeah, sure. There's gotta be a one armed styles of fighting. [ He will Research this, the only time he bothers to read a book. ]

[perspire]

It’ll be fun to learn.

[ ok. you know what?

leans in to kiss him now ]

[bloodread]

Who said—[ Ah, suddenly his lips are occupied. He kisses back of course even if he squeezes Bertolt's hand hard for that. ]

[perspire]

[ cuts off tsun with kissing success???

but bertl is glad that akira is kissing back and he’s squeezing back just as hard on his hand ]

[bloodread]

[ He pulls away after with a huff. ]

That wasn't a surprise. [ It totally was. ]

[perspire]

I’ll just need to do it again then.

[bloodread]

...what the hell are we doing? [ Soft and a bit incredulous, but not at all unhappy. ]