One-shots, bios, visual shorts, FAQ, behind the scenes, and other stuff to make you go "yasss," related to Lena's books, including:
Our Strange Love (OSL)
Smile for Me (SfM)
When Best Friends Kiss (WBFK)
This is Not a Tragedy (TiNaT)
Hitori beams as we walk down the sidewalk to his favourite pancake place. "Natsu, I like you!"
"Yeah," I reply.
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Hitori nuzzles his face into my chest. "I like you. I like you. I like you."
"Mhm." I stroke his hair.
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Hitori's eyelids flutter with decreasing speed as he sleepily mumbles, "I like you."
"Mhm. I know," I whisper.
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Hitori smiles and wipes his tears away after I settle his work-related anxieties. "I like you. Natsu, I like you."
"Why... do you always say that?"
"...What... Eh?"
"That you like me."
"Because I like you." He tilts his head, perplexed.
"Mhm. I know, but... you say it a lot. And back to back sometimes... " It's not very Japanese. Has the UK culture rubbed off on him? I know anyway, so why does he tell me?
"Is it annoying?"
"No," I reply immediately. "It's just a little unusual."
"Is it weird?" His brow furrows.
"It's not weird... It's a little weird. But I'm not saying you have to stop if you don't want to. I was just curious why. Why do you say it so much?"
Hitori's eyes shift and lips purse as he forms his thinking expression. "If I don't... I'll explode."
Explode?
"Um... I don't know... It's hard to express in actions. So, I have to let it out with my voice. It just... fills me. I don't know what to do with it. So... saying it makes me feel better." He smiles, satisfied with his explanation.
I wrap my arms around him in a tight hug. "I understand. I love you."
His body tenses and he grips the fabric of the back of my shirt.
"I love you like family." Though it's different from the way I cared for my mother. And stronger than the way I care about Sergius, Nina, and the rest of my adoptive family. "Like more than family. You're very important to me."
"Yeah! I know," he says with a clear grin in his voice.
"Is it okay? These kind of feelings..." It's not the first time I've asked him. I know our types of feelings differ from each other's.
"Mhm! Whatever kind of love Natsu feels, I'm just happy to be with you." He giggles. "I'm happy. I really like you."
"Yeah. I love you."
He giggles again and lets go. "Stop it. I'm too happy." His red cheeks pop out as he beams. "Um.. uh... I'm happy, so... I'm going to paint."
He's so quirky, I can't help but let an amused smile slip. "Okay."
"Then, I'm happy." His eyes shift awkwardly. "I'm going." He walks to the room set aside for his painting activities.
Me too. I'm happy too.
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A/N: From that point on, Natsu always replies to Hitori's "I like you" with "I love you." 😊
