[She's still angry. Sadness is starting to eclipse her anger, but only just. Despite that, she feels herself connected to things other than her own feelings. This is her apartment, her kitchen, her island, her Mukuro — and a warm nose connecting her to all of the above. Coming back to herself when Mukuro nuzzles her is starting to feel automatic. It's a signal. It tells her that she's loved, despite all the odds.]
[When Mukuro noses at her, she responds immediately, instinctively, turning to meet the gesture and gently headbutt her, then rub her cheek and temple against Mukuro's jaw. That big fluffy tail tucks around them both; the cloud of her hair in turn surges forward in the almost-no-space between them and clings like static to Mukuro's throat and shoulders and face. Every tiny piece of Lila wants to be close to every tiny piece of Mukuro.]
[When her hand is taken, she slides her fingers into the wolf's grip instantly. Squeezes. Isn't going anywhere. Tucks her face under Mukuro's jaw and lets out a sharp breath, some pain in her chest releasing.]
Mm. Good. I don't want you to be scared of me.
[She never has. And why is that? What about Mukuro always felt easy to understand? Well, at the beginning it was because she was easy to read. Lila knew she could manipulate Mukuro if she had to. But she never ended up doing that, and things got so much deeper than that so quickly.]
[Maybe . . . she knows why. Maybe it's not so complicated.]
I want people to be scared of me so they don't hurt me. But you won't, ever. So there's nothing for either of us to be scared of.
[That's how it works, right? That's how it is with somebody you care about. They won't ever trap you. They won't ever back you into a corner. So it's okay not to be scared all the time. That's safe.]
no subject
[When Mukuro noses at her, she responds immediately, instinctively, turning to meet the gesture and gently headbutt her, then rub her cheek and temple against Mukuro's jaw. That big fluffy tail tucks around them both; the cloud of her hair in turn surges forward in the almost-no-space between them and clings like static to Mukuro's throat and shoulders and face. Every tiny piece of Lila wants to be close to every tiny piece of Mukuro.]
[When her hand is taken, she slides her fingers into the wolf's grip instantly. Squeezes. Isn't going anywhere. Tucks her face under Mukuro's jaw and lets out a sharp breath, some pain in her chest releasing.]
Mm. Good. I don't want you to be scared of me.
[She never has. And why is that? What about Mukuro always felt easy to understand? Well, at the beginning it was because she was easy to read. Lila knew she could manipulate Mukuro if she had to. But she never ended up doing that, and things got so much deeper than that so quickly.]
[Maybe . . . she knows why. Maybe it's not so complicated.]
I want people to be scared of me so they don't hurt me. But you won't, ever. So there's nothing for either of us to be scared of.
[That's how it works, right? That's how it is with somebody you care about. They won't ever trap you. They won't ever back you into a corner. So it's okay not to be scared all the time. That's safe.]