Hinote Kagari wakes up with a start. Some motorcycle just wizzed by the street and someone left the balcony door open and he blinks. It's a little later at night as he checks the time as he lifts himself off the couch. He peeks left. And right. Okay- so the door is just open and he shouldn't turn around and find Tuxedo Kamen (or something much worse) behind him. He does not. He walks into the kitchen and turns the light on and gets a drink of water.
Runealy is either sleeping in her own room and/or out and about.
He walks back to the couch and has himself a seat. He had. After countless efforts, finally managed to write with a quill pen.
He looks at the paper and the pen he bought and he ponders things. Could he...? No...
No later.
He rubs his face a bit.
"Oui."
There's a quiet tap of feet landing on the balcony as Gao swings back up over the railing. Apartments might not be the same as trees for climbing, but the forester had been feeling restless, and he had figured some practice might be a good thing, both for the exercise and for getting the hang of urban climbing.
He walks back into the apartment, noticing that Hinote's awake. "Didn't expect to see you up at this hour," Gao notes as he removes his climbing gloves, keeping his voice down to avoid disturbing the neighbors.
Hinote Kagari thinks about reaching down anyway. But then Gao comes back. "You left the door open. Sorry. Didn't think you were out somewhere." he admits softly.
He smiles. "Something woke me up. I didn't even intend to fall asleep here. But I did." he yawns a bit.
"Gao, have you been okay since. Well. This?" he asks motioning around to the apartment.
Gaofele Doiru thinks about the question as he goes to get a glass of water. "Rune's doing better, and that's the big thing," he says with a nod before taking a drink.
After quaffing about half a glassful, he lowers the glass. "And I'm catching up on the classwork I missed," he adds. "The teachers are pretty understanding about it; I think it helps that they can tell that I'm honestly putting in the effort."
Hinote Kagari smiles. "Y-yeah. I guess. I hadn't seen her smile since I've met you both. It's nice." he says. He lets Gao get his drink as he he crosses his arms. Something seems to be on his mind. It's just him and Gao now. He keeps his mouth quiet for a moment in what is awkward, pregenant silence.
"Gao. I think I *****ed up." he says softly.
"I guess. Not majorly. Once last night... the other. A couple weeks ago I think." he says softly.
"Hmm?" Gao looks up. He takes another drink of water, then puts the glass down for a bit. "What do you mean?"
He tries thinking back, wondering what Hinote is feeling concerned about. It's something big enough to worry the fire knight, but not big enough to be a huge problem, so that rules a few things out.
Hinote Kagari starts with the most recent. The other one might get him punched in the face. He says.
"I ran into one of the girls I energy drained, and tried to.... apologize... and offer restition in some manner. I-- I think this is what Runealy would want with such an apology." he says. "She said she was an agent of... something called 'Justice'... it's a thing Tsukasa warned us about. They're kind of like Virtue, except they rather just hit you until you're dead I think." he says. "She carried that kind of vibe when we were talking. She wanted me to---- 'stand before a trial in court'. I know this to be a farce. I refused. She transformed, I left because it was avoidable, I just left her on that beach."
"I think I might had upset her enough to seek you or the Princess out, but I'm not sure. I'm very worried that Runealy could get hurt trying to fend her off in her current state. She managed to stab me in the shoulder hard enough through the armor that I started to bleed profuesly after I let my armor go after our last fight. She's strong." he says softly.
He takes another sip of water.
Gaofele Doiru frowns slightly. "Thanks for the warning; I'll make sure to be watchful for an attack from that direction," he says. This might even call for bringing along his collapsible staff more frequently, in case that person tries something outside of magic.
He takes another drink of water. "What's the other one you're worried about?" Gao inquires, comradely concern plain in his voice.
Hinote Kagari says. "Oh... right. Her name was Yusha Karin. That's all I got." he says softly.
He looks down. "Did Runealy ever tell you how I got her to turn over those... black crystals she was using?" he asks softly. He looks down. Ashamed.
"I told her I loved her." he says softly. "All I did was stress her out more it looked like. We agreed not to talk about it until...all this..." he fans his arms out. "Is over." he says.
"I mean. It. It-- it got her to give the crystals over to me. Which I guess was the point of me dumping that on her...." he pauses... remembering a recent conversation. "I..no. I shouldn't use terms for that like it's garbage. I'm sorry. I mean to say- that. It wasn't a ploy to get her to give up the crystals. It is how I feel. Just...."
He just lets himself slip into awkwardness. "I'm just a silly Earth boy I guess in the end." he says softly. "I mean... if this was just. something else. I'm a well of boy of a moderately wealthy family. If just wanted... a date... or a girlfriend. It would be so easy for me. Really." he says. Not bragging. Just stating his situation.
Gao blinks, a stunned expression on his face. He manages to put the glass of water on the counter before he completely forgets about it, then spends a few moments re-gathering his thoughts. He's worked with Hinote long enough that he knows the actor's sincerity, and it's shining brightly (albeit bashfully) through what he's saying.
"I... can see why this is something that you're not going to focus on until things are resolved," Gao finally manages to say. Hinote, dating Rune? Well, Hino's definitely an honorable man, and he'd undoubtedly bring his loyalty to his love as he's done so with his duty. It sounds like a great match.
So why is his stomach lurching?
Hinote Kagari just saws one thing about the awkwardness. "Yeah..."
He just looks down and keeps his arms crossed. Talking magical guy stuff is weird. Really, before these two Waldians walked into his life the only fear he really had in terms of... girls... was that some girl was gonna latch onto him and use him for his money. This is something really in the opposite direction.
"I...I'm sorry. I'm not meaning to.. upset you. Or anything." he says looking down.
"I honestly expected you to punch me in the face." he says.
Gaofele Doiru shakes his head, partially to disagree with Hinote's last comment, and partially to try to clear his mind. "Not... upset," he finally says. "/Surprised/, sure, but not upset."
He takes a deep breath and slowly releases it, trying to finish sorting his thoughts out. "I've been friends with her for years; as her friend, I want to be sure that no-one toys with her heart." He holds up a hand. "No, I'm not saying you'd do that; I know you well enough that I know you wouldn't do a thing like that. But... her happiness is one of the most important things to me. Always remember that."
Hinote Kagari doesn't let this thought linger long. He reaches out... he grabs Gao's hand and he cups it and tugs it over, he makes a fist. He has his relic on- it's the one he uses to do this act. It's meant to enforce a point.
"Gaofele." Hino doesn't use his full name very often. "I can not... pin point when I started to feel this way. At some point. I did. I'd need to-- look over everything in my head, these months-- to find where in my head I started to feel this way." he says. "but even from the begining. I've been trying very hard for hers and yours happiness. This is how this started. This is why I was helping you even--- even before this whole thing turned my life upside down." he says in a well mannered tone. This is not an annoyance for him.
"She would call me Amazing. I'm not. She is. She's the one who is Amazing... dealing with all this. Trying to save our world. It--- it became very important to me to see her smile. I had not seen her smile the entire time here. I could not ask you if she normally smiled. It felt... it felt wrong to ask something like that of you."
"I took her to a dance recently. I just wanted to her. Just to relax. Not worry- just for one night. We had fun. It was awkward. But-- but I seen her smile finally, and it felt lovely to see it. We talked about her mother... and how she taught her to dance. She was happy, unless she was making me to belive otherwise."
He squeezes that hand. "If.. if she decides I'm worth her time. If... I ever dare dream that.. it works out." he says more basfully all of a sudden. "You never have to worry about that. I promise. If.. If I ever make her unhappy. Even if these feelings go nowhere. I want you to make me a promise he says."
"I want you to find me, and hit me in the head with your staff until I get the idea I am a gigantic idiot for it."
He does not coyly smile. He seems to genuinely mean this. "Promise me."
The corners of Gao's mouth quirk upward in a smile, and a small snort of laughter escapes him. Not derisive; more of acknowledging the out-of-context absurdness of percussive clue delivery. He clasps his free hand to Hinote's, an approving smile on his face. "I promise," he nods.
He feels a bit better; being able to get Rune to smile again is a major plus in Hinote's favor. Gao had done his best to keep Rune out of despair, but reducing despair isn't the same as bringing happiness. Long term, once the Barrier is restored, this will be great for Rune.
In the meantime, Gao will just have to deal with this odd restless feeling.
Hinote Kagari manages to bring a small smile to his lips. Sometimes, being an actor has it's benefits. Like saying the most hilarous things with the /deepest dark seriousness/. He of course means it. He means every word. How it's delivered isn't the point.
"I'm sorry if I bothered you with this regardless." he says softly.
"I--- sometimes everything I've done after the-- after that /battery/ made me do something horrible... I feel like I'm always making a mistake now-- or needing to overthink things." he says.
"I'm getting better. Just---" he says. "Thanks for listening Gao." he says with a softer smile.
Gaofele Doiru claps Hinote on the back. "As long as crazy Lost Logia aren't overriding your mind, you have better sense than you might think," he points out. "And thanks for clueing me in as to what's going on -- or will be going on, in this case -- between you and Rune." A surprise like that is /not/ something you'd want to fumble with during a fight, after all!
He stifles a yawn. "We should probably get some sleep," he points out. "There's still school in the morning, after all."