06.
❝i want you to want me
i need you to need me
i'd love you to love me
i'm beggin' you to beg me❞
—cheap trick
When looking into his eyes, she comes face to face with such wide set of emotions, such fire, that it makes her retract the next sentence. Instead, she bursts into flames. Instead, she eyes the floor, deeply sick to be alive.
Luckily, Kenji Louvis is no stranger to a woman's emotions.
"What were you doing so high?" He assumes a tone you'd use when you see your kid playing games on your phone in the name of online classes. His grin is small and slow, but warm. "I'm Kenji Louvis, son of Yamato Louvis, and I hate to see people jumping off terraces after my conference. ANY of them," the woman in blue is so plain she doesn't get what he's trying to say. A joke?
"I was a happy visitor until I saw you."
Willow says it immediately : "I'm sorry"
Kenji wants to tell her it's no big deal, but something stops him. Mainly the white panels and scent of sanitizer, a crucial awareness. "You should be grateful," he says severely but closes the physical gap anyway.
"You're very kind, Louis"
"It's Louvis, kinda like Mavis." Willow's slender mouth forms an oh. Kenji can tell she has no idea what film reference that is. "I'll let that slide & ask—how are you?"
She has a head injury, probably a few ribs out of order, mismatched, fractures — what gets his attention most is how she rubs her chest, blushing he looks away. He doesn't know it, Willow confirms.
"Not good eh? Those stiches looks greasy..."
"You're so chatty. It's nice."
Here's an unknown woman who hasn't fully recovered from trauma, harbouring new damage. Interlocking their fingers as they talk.
Kenji feels it's inappropriate to feel so excited in such an awry situation.
A moment passes.
However, the peace is dismantled by none other than a voice softer than Willow's.
"WILLA! WILLA—there you are! Willa!"
It's a good thing he didn't clutch at it. He was too afraid he'd break her fragile palm. And too afraid she'd break him, if he let her. The dark radiant skin almost tempted him to let her.
Not again, Ken. It's embarrassing enough it happened once.
—
