For Anri, it was the little things that mattered. The way Shizuo's nose would scrunch up when he was repulsed. The way his finger would twitch when he slept, the way his eyes would sparkle when she kissed him on the cheek. These little mannerisms, little habits, or tendencies, would make her heart sparkle and flutter. She wasn't sure why she noticed them. She would always look over at Shizuo at the best times and memorize his expressions. She would retain all of this information in her head for reference later. So she could tell him, when they're alone together, that his eye twitches vigorously when he's mad, or that he drums his fingers on the table when he's thinking at dinner. Anri would quietly whisper these little details she had stored in her mind to him when they were huddled close together.
Shizuo would always stroke her hair gently as she told him, the moonlight cascading brilliantly onto Anri's face through their open window. He would always listen intently to her words. His eyes never left hers for a second. Anri would always blush when he looked at her so intensely. She couldn't help it, but he wouldn't move until she was finished with her story. Until her tale was through, then he would give her a chaste kiss on her lips and another on her cheek, and one last one on her forehead. All of these kisses at once almost had Anri fall into a coma, but she endured, because it also made her knees shake, and her toes curl. Shizuo did things that he knew had an effect on her. He was teasing her, and she knew it. She didn't mind though. It made her smile to think that Shizuo knew all the secrets to her heart.
"Hey, Anri?" Shizuo asked. Anri opened her eye and looked at her love. He didn't have a serious expression on his face, so Anri knew this question was going to be personal.
"Yes?" She answered. Shizuo used one hand to comb his fingers through her violet hair, and the other to stroke the side of her face with care.
"You tend to play with your hair when you're lying," he said. Anri was shocked. Shizuo had never told her anything like this before. She didn't know…that he was watching her too.
"I do? I-I never noticed." She said honestly. Shizuo smiled at her timidity and shyness. Even after being with him for so long, she still couldn't help herself.
"Yeah, and you're not used to people doing nice things for you," Shizuo said. Anri blushed at his words. He was right. She still hadn't grown accustomed to this...dynamic. She wasn't sure how to act around them, or what to say. But, she had a feeling that she would learn how. Shizuo's family accepted her, and that was what she really needed.
"No, I'm not…" she said, avoiding his eyes. Shizuo raised an eyebrow in question, and gently cupped her cheeks and turned it. Anri obediently turned her face. She didn't mean for Shizuo to see her like this, for him to see the tears running down her face, but he did.
"Anri…" he whispered as he gently whipped her tears away with his thumbs. Although it was a sweet gesture, Anri still couldn't stop crying. All the memories she had buried deep inside her head, were resurfacing. She was seeing all the hardships she had to go through, all the heartaches, all the pain.
Shizuo kept caressing her cheeks with his thumbs, saying her name over and over again. When Anri finally had the courage to look into his eyes, the tears stopped. Shizuo had such love and compassion in his eyes, that Anri was overwhelmed. She realized that Shizuo really cared for her. He wanted to be with her, he wanted to be there for her. Anri let a light smile grace her lips as she looked into Shizuo's eyes.
"I love you," Shizuo told her. Anri felt joy swell in her heart, a blush formed on her cheeks, and she began to fidget nervously because she realized, now she had to say it back to him.
"I...I...L-Love you...too," she said quietly. Shizuo chuckled at her timidity. He slowly wrapped his arms around her and collapsed next to her on the bed. She giggled and curled up next to him.
"Good." He said with a yawn. And with that, he fell asleep. Anri smiled and watched the boy beside her sleep away. She could hear a light snore coming from his mouth while he slept, and this in turn made her giggle once again. She laid her head on his chest and entered into dreamland.