zerotohiro | Some Legends Are Told, Some Turn To Dust Or To Gold [CEREALIA INBOX]

[Yeah... yeah she's heard about a lot, so she just kind of grins lopsidedly at him and then ushers him back into the apartment, following after.]

It's okay, I was just checking on everyone important. Go sit down again. Do you need anything? How are you feeling? Are you okay?

[Seeing him puts her at ease a bit, but... well, she is worried.]

[...that grin doesn't do a whole lot to help, so he sort of stays quiet even as he carefully steps back into the apartment. He's not sitting down. He's actually not moving for a few moments as he watches her closely and the onslaught of questions sort of overloads him to where he's not sure how to answer.

"No." It seems to be a sufficient answer to everything. But instead of saying anything he's just sort of shuffling forward and grabbing her to pull her close and drape his arms over her for a hug. Shut up, Ruby, just let this happen okay.]

[This is fine. This can definitely happen.

She doesn't protest--in fact, she doesn't hesitate before she's carefully wrapping her arms around him in turn in a proper, but cautious hug. She's not sure how injured he is, or if he's still injured--but she wants to support him however she can, because--]

I'm...really glad that you're okay. Like--really, really glad.

[Heh...]

It's funny, it makes me feel kind of wobbly...? Like, knees-wobbly because of it.

[He's unaware that Weiss has told her anything and so he's not going to mention how injured he might still be. Pretty much all he focuses on is that Ruby's here and Ruby's safe and they're both back and everything's fine. He's keeping his chin tucked over her shoulder even as he mumbles into her ear.]

You and me both, dude. [Someday he'll stop calling her dude. Probably. Maybe not.] ...can you stay for a little while?

That's the plan.

[A little slow today, Hiro. That's always been the plan.

Ruby just grins a little more sincerely at that, and for now, she doesn't think they really have to move anywhere. She'll get him back onto the couch eventually, but right now this is...really comfortable. Even if his breath on her ear tickles and makes her have to bite down on her lip to not laugh under her breath, somehow she manages it.]

I checked up on everyone else already soooo... I'm not going anywhere.

[Listen, there are a lot of things going on in that head of his, he's allowed to be a little slow and not immediately realize his girlfriend's here to spend a lot of time with him. They're going to move sooner or later (probably when his ankle starts throbbing again) but this is pretty nice honestly.]

...I just woke up like ten minutes ago because you and Tadashi texted at like the same time. I'll check in with everybody else in a little while.

[That works. Ruby just hums quietly under her breath in response to that, keeping her grip on Hiro as tight as she dares while still being totally aware of his injuries.]

It's okay. I think everyone's sort of...recovering, you know?

[So it's okay to take it a little slow.]

[Recovering. Right. That's one word for it and he frowns over her shoulder even if she can't see it.]

...a lot of really bad stuff happened out there, Ruby. We're all going to need a while to really recover. [And in some cases, he thinks, they may not recover at all. But he'll get to that. So instead he's finally removing himself from the hug to take her hand and lead her back to the couch. Tadashi probably had the blankets nice and folded at some point in the morning but now it sort of looks like Hiro's busy making a nest for himself.]

Are you hungry? Tadashi told me he ordered pizza before he left. [Evidenced by the box sitting there that remains unopened.]

... Let's have some pizza.

[She can't say she's super hungry, but at the same time she'd never turn down pizza anyway. Because.. well. Recovering!! Even though a lot of things are not good, Ruby has faith that eventually....]

It's okay though. It's... gonna be fine, even if it takes awhile.

We're all going to be okay.

[She's sure of this. Somehow--because she's gotta be.]

[He's not either, really. They'd come back to the apartment after returning from the dark place and all but crashed out. Hiro's wounds had been treated and he focused on drinking water before passing out more than anything. Probably why Tadashi ordered food for him in the first place.

Still. He can tolerate a piece or two and he drops on the couch with a little wince, pulling Ruby down with him even as he fluffs the blankets to create a slightly larger nest for the two of them.]

Your optimism never ceases to astounds me. [The tone's a little dry but judging by the fact he's wasting little time to lean into her he does appreciate it.] But seriously...everybody's okay?

[Some days, it's all she's got--but she holds onto it, and she thinks it works out okay. Optimism, and a whole lot of heroism.

So she grabs a piece of pizza as soon as she's flopped down on the couch beside him; she'll just tilt her head to rest it against his even as he leans against her, because...well, it's comfortable.]

Everyone's okay. We'll get through this.

[...]

Weiss is gonna be okay too, but... there's one more important person I have to check on for sure. To be 100% sure that everything's okay.

[He's grateful for it. One of the things he really does love about her and he's not sure how to express it without expressing a lot of feelings he doesn't quite understand yet. Still, it's a little strange and a little soothing to know that they've progressed to being this comfortable.

But he's thinking on it too much. Instead, he's grabbing a piece of pizza and tentatively biting off part of it, nodding along even as he shifts again.]

I mean...I don't mind if you've gotta bail in a little while to go check on somebody else. Or call, or whatever you need to do. We've got a lot of friends. [The point.

Hiro.]

[Hi...ro..........

She can't help it. She snorts a little under her breath, and then she's coughing a little because pizza cheese down her windpipe, but then when she's caught her breath, she just...has the most absurdly fond smile on her face despite herself. She's not really sure what she was expecting, but this...

It's just like Hiro, isn't it? To worry about other people, to be totally giving and selfless, and to not realize that the person she's talking about--]

I meant you, silly.

[She shifts to curl up a bit more on the couch, both because it's comfortable, and as a statement of intent. She isn't going anywhere.]

Didn't I say I wasn't going anywhere...? Just like this is fine, I think.

[If Hiro's ready to talk, they'll talk, and if not, they won't--but even so, it's a start and she's content with this.]

[He looks marginally bewildered when she starts to choke but she fixes that easily enough and he fixes with with yet another perplexed look.]

...oh. Right. [Blushing? Very lightly blushing. Is he ever going to get used to this? Probably much, much later. But okay...he can handle that. Curling in toward her and drawing the blanket-nest around them a little more even as he thinks of how to talk to her about everything that's happened.]

I'm really glad you don't listen to me when I say everything's fine.

[Blanket nests are the best, it's been decided. This is comfortable, she's...strangely close to Hiro and also totally alright with this, and it's warm. So she just relaxes further, resting her weight against him as he does the same, until they find some sort of blanket nest equilibrium.]

I mean... I know better by now. [She knows how you are, Hiro!!]

A lot of things happened there... and besides, I talked to Weiss.

[So there's like. One glaring issue already!! Yay, issues!]

You know me better than anybody else. [Which isn't entirely surprising anymore. Ruby never has to guess. On the other hand...he winces when she mentions Weiss's name, and not out of pain this time.]

You talked to Weiss. [Greeeeat.] Annnnd Weiss said?

[She does--because he's Hiro, and she's Ruby, and they've had the time to get to know each other That Well. She certainly doesn't regret it now, bundled up as cozily as they are now.]

Uh... lots of stuff, really.

[Like. A lot.]

But also that she tried to kill you.

[which is kind of a big deal.]

[Later when she does leave he'll have the startling realization that they've apparently ranked up in their social link. This is warm and safe and it's not a blanket fort but it's home. And it's with sudden clarity that he's realized that Ruby...sort of represents home now. Come back alive for Tadashi. Come back alive for Ruby. Do everything for them. Be everything for them because the world isn't enough for them.

So really, with that in mind it's a lot easier to talk to her than have the urge to run away and fix it himself like he would have even just a month ago.]

...yeeeeah. Yeah, that absolutely happened. [A lopsided grin follows.] Told you she didn't like me.

[She's just grateful that he's talking to her. It's with wry humor and a lot of deadpan and the best he can do, but she knows that that's his attempt to make things a little less painful all around. He's not trying to run away from it or hide from it--

They've come a long way, and she just sighs a little softly, sliding a bit to rest her cheek on his shoulder.]

Kiiiinda an understatement.

[...]

For what it's worth, she said she wouldn't have done it without the mask.

[... But it's still really concerning that she'd do it at all, and Ruby knows that hardly fixes anything.]

[As soon as she moves he's tilting his head enough to rest on hers and effectively trap her there. It's easier than having to look at her anyway.]

I know. [And he does know that. He knows the masks were making people crazy but Ruby's right. That hardly fixes anything.] But the masks didn't totally warp people's personalities, did they? [There's...something he's missing.]

...it was kinda scary, you know? I went back underground to make sure the area was clear and because I wanted to check out that altar again and she found me instead. And it seemed fine at first. Normal Weiss iciness. She said we had a lot to talk about and immediately drew her sword on me and started freaking out about how I stole you from her and that I thought I was better than her and some other stuff and she told me to prove it.

So. I tried. [He'd tried stopping her and when that didn't work, he stooped to her level.] She's a lot stronger than she lets on, and her glyphs aren't a joke. I never thought they were but it was hard to keep dodging her and eventually fighting back just pissed her off even more so she caught me off-guard and just...[He uses his free hand to gesture to the space below the left side of his ribs.]

She ran out of energy when I pulled off the mask. If I hadn't? Who knows if I'd even be here right now. [He's trying not to be dramatic about it but he also knows that Weiss had every full intention of ending it.] I'm not mad at her or anything, but...no offense? I'm not sure I want to see her again for a really long time.

I know.

[That's not a surprise at all, and honestly... She didn't come here to try to push them into making up. While it hurts that two of her favorite people are...at odds to this extent, she can't blame Hiro for it. He didn't do anything wrong. Weiss didn't entirely either, but even so, Hiro's the victim here.]

Weiss can be really scary, and you... [Hiro's a hero, but he's not a Huntsman. There's a difference.] ...you shouldn't have had to have dealt with that. At all. But... I'm just really glad you're okay.

[It could've gone so, so wrong, and she just shifts to capture one of his arms with hers, because when she thinks about how wrong it could've gone, she does want something to hold onto. To remind herself--he's fine. He's here, and breathing.]

That's what I'm worried about right now, I think... you not being okay. [The Weiss and Hiro relations can be handled later.]

Yeah. Me too. [It's just as grounding for him as it is for her. He shifts again because he's honestly just uncomfortable with all of his new injuries but he keeps Ruby close and closes a hand around her wrist somehow. This is still fine.

Of course, Ruby brings up the next point and he takes a deep breath, slowly releasing the sigh even as he tilts his head back to look at the ceiling.]

Things are...very much not okay, but can't we just sort of pretend they are? It's between me and Weiss and me and Tadashi and--[He frowns thoughtfully.] Is it weird that sometimes I'm worried about telling you too much? [Overloading her. Upsetting her. Driving her away. He's hoping he won't have to explain that part to her.]

[It's fine. She'll move with whatever he needs in order to stay comfortable--he's the one who's injured here, not her.]

... Hm.

[She has to think about that for a second, because honestly... she doesn't want to give a bad answer. Is it weird?]

No, I don't think it's weird. Not for you, I mean. I think that's kinda just how you are. As Just Hiro. [She gives him a bit of a smile at that--because even if their relationship has changed a bit, she doesn't think that that aspect has. Just Hiro and Just Ruby. A promise.]

But... at the same time, I wanna help! However I can, with whatever you want to share. So... yeah, I guess I don't really know the right answer here, but... if you do want to talk about it, I'm here. I don't mind.

I don't think there really is a right answer for this sorta thing. [But what Ruby's said is pretty close to being one, if the expression on his face is anything to go by. Just Ruby has always been one to listen to him and help him and he can only hope he can really return that favor someday. For now though, there's a lot he needs to dump out of his brain.]

Did you find that house of mirrors while we were out there?

Yeah.

[She knows exactly what place he's talking about; while her own visions weren't...terrible, seeing Naoki's had been pretty sad. She just frowns a little to herself, tilting her head slightly.]

You too? [Obviously. Something happened there, huh?]

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