The Equation of Hearts

√𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝟷𝟶ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـﮩ٨ـﮩ

Elena wondered why everyone seemed so morose all of a sudden. Was her reaction to her gift insensitive? Surely not. She was almost relieved at the return of Kato, who was running his hands through his wet hair. She was going to cheer at his arrival, but instead paused and tilted her head "where were you?" She blurted out. He stood still for a moment, assessing if he would respond. He didn't feel it necessary, and fixed his blindfold. "Everyone is so upset, was my reaction inappropriate to their gift?" She decided to ask instead he was the only one she found was emotionally mature enough to give her responses true enough. He crossed his arms.

"No reaction is inappropriate." He negated easily, "context shapes how people react - people don't act for no reason." He explained. She just wished he would stop being so cryptic and tell her what was wrong then, "how much do you know about your kids?" He asked. She looked up and hummed,

"About anything they want me to." She smiled,

"And not unconditionally everything?" He tilted his head. His hair fell in a way to make it seem unreal. She bit her knuckle in thought,

"I suppose so... They trust me." She replied. Though she knew she didn't know how much she didn't know. That was the point.

"Do you trust them to know about you?" He then asked, being rather collected and talkative for the often headstrong Kato.

"...Of course." She whispered in sudden doubt.

"How much do you want them to know about you? Did you tell them I look like your father?" He pointed to his hair, she tensed and looked away awkwardly. "I only realised as I was returning." He confessed.

"It's nice to see someone look like him and be kind for once, they don't need to know that," she shook her head. He was going to say something, but walked past, "n-no wait, come back, please say what you were going to say." She stammered and turned to follow him. He hummed and looked into his room.

"Your son shouldn't be the one to tell you how to parent." He replied, walking in. She rushed in and held onto his bare arm, closing the door behind her. He pulled off the shirt and went to get the standard green one. At the shoulder was a small cress embroidered on in white. A brand, she assumed. But it was often covered by angle alone. She took into note that though he didn't have freckles on his face, he had freckles across his back.

"You don't have to tell me," she retorted, "you just have to tell me what you're judging me for." She rested a hand on her hip as he pulled on the shirt and got the brace.

"I'm comparing how you parent now and how you did with my own siblings," he corrected, "what changed doesn't matter to me. I'll be leaving soon. And soon you'll have returned to this... life you decided to live." He nearly spat out the words and she gave up. She prevailed twice prior but couldn't do it a third time. She didn't want to doubt herself now after 38 years being alive.

"Then..." she sighed, "how can I help looking for your dad?" She asked, she didn't feel she was helping much with what she intended to help on. All she did was ask for a bodyguard and ask if he could stay with them. And that was all she had done. He didn't even tell her progress.

"You've done your part." He replied, she froze,

"What?" She exhaled in shock. No. She hadn't. Surely. "No... all I did was sit there and ask for things. That wasn't what... surely not. There's more to it, right?" She nearly laughed. He hummed and shook his head,

"We may not know each other for long. But I don't want you getting involved in what is dangerous for you. You wouldn't want to go to prison for joint enterprise." He assured her and got out his board. A range of new sums he had to recalculate.