Of liars and masks
Because she is a liar and he is wearing a mask.
There are many secrets to Liz that only her sister Patty and her meister Kid know. However, one habit from darker times, when she and Patty still were the Brooklyn demons, she has kept even from them, has kept all to herself:
She's a dirty little liar.
Well, not so much "dirty" anymore, seeing as she isn't going around mugging people like in older days, but the habit of lying stays, even if it is only about her feelings. Therefore it's no surprise that she is lying when she says that she's fine while Kid is being held captive in and by the book of Eibon. And for a short amount of time she can tell that lie. But then somehow the tears come and she thinks that maybe she doesn't need to keep her feelings locked off at all.
And then, slowly, things change.
At first she doesn't notice, is too caught up with fighting against Asura and Chrona and hoping that Kid can pull off the alliance between Shibusen and the witches, but when Asura is defeated with Chrona's help and the treaty with the witches is established, peace returns. They still have much work to do what with Kid's enthronement ceremony and all, so when finally everything calms down, there is time between work again and she starts noticing things for what they are, feelings that she hasn't been able to decipher up until now. Feelings for a certain new-born Shinigami that she doesn't want to act upon just yet.
And she goes on with life, admiring paper-giraffes from Patty and almost hyperventilating after she finds out that they're important papers, taken from the pile of paperwork Kid has been struggling with ever since the day of his father's death. She also goes on with putting up an annoyed face whenever Kid has one of his symmetry-induced fits again, although truth be told she finds it more cute than, well, annoying.
But she never lets a word about her hidden feelings slip. She is, after all, Liz Thompson, ex-demon of Brooklyn, a dirty little liar and a liar can keep his secrets until hell freezes over.
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Although he never wears the mask, the last remainder of his father - the previous Shinigami - that was left behind on the day the moon became black, sometimes it feels as if he does. Especially when it comes to one devious Liz Thompson and his feelings for her that – dare he say it – don't seem to be of the platonic kind. Not anymore at least. It doesn't matter how much he is tempted at times to just, as Black Star would say, "fuck it all" and do something like confessing to or even kissing her though, because he is reminded again and again that he can't by that white mask of his late father.
Can't, because he's Shinigami-sama for Death's sake and he can't afford to make a mistake as grave as he would, should things not go well with Liz, for if he does, he will prove himself untrustworthy and he can't do that to everyone. He is the one standing above the "order" and maintaining it, a being with more responsibilities and duties than any ruler of a land would have, and people believe in him. They respect him and he has to live up to their expectations. So he wears a mask seen by none and conceals his feelings from everyone and everything.
Only Patty he can't fool, but that's okay, because Patty is Patty and goofy and bubbly as she is, she still can understand, although he honestly did not believe her to at first. He rather believed that she would talk about it with Liz in her usual elated manner. She didn't and he's more than grateful for that. If he ever decides to tell Liz it better not be because Patty blabbed.
With the amount of work he has to do, it is relatively easy to just divulge in it and pay no heed to his betraying emotions. He is, after all, Death the Kid, the new Shinigami, and if he has to, he'll wear a mask of ignorance.
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Months have passed and Liz is still lying, just as Kid is still masking his emotions, but slowly, gradually, both lies and mask are crumbling away. It is evident in the obvious fondness in Kid's eyes when he is watching her and in the slight blushes on Liz's face at the now longer touches of their hands after exiting weapon mode on missions.
Patty is watching all of this with contentment. She has faith in them, has faith that their mutual feelings will be realized sometime. For now, all she can do is watch them and wait, until their love story unfolds. And wait she does. She waits, days, weeks, and again months. There are more blushes now, loving gazes between the two of them as they are still dancing around unspoken feelings, now with a little more certainty.
Not one of them dares to go farther than that, not yet, but it is fine, because even though she is a liar and he is masking his emotions, they are Liz and Kid and one day they'll make it work.
A/N When I first typed this, my computer word count showed me 888 words total. I started giggling like an elementary student looking at a pair kissing and now I notice: Fanfiction seems to count words in mysterious ways, I got a number higher than 900. *looks out of the window sadly*
Libri