"I still don't understand." Yoshiyuki plays with my mid-back length hair as he talks, the auburn strands sliding through his fingers with a hushed whispering. "It should be impossible. But after all..." and here he smiles. "You are special. I built things into you that no other persocon has. I made it so you could cry, so you could laugh, so you could feel. And I made it so you could love. I just didn't expect you...to love me." Hurt flashes across my silver eyes, gone as quick as I can blink, but still he sees it. "It's not that I don't want you to love me. In fact, I was kind of hoping you would." His mouth twists in a wry smirk. He's rubbing my hair with his thumb now, like he did to the persocon Chii, and it makes me feel...somehow special. I reach out and take his other hand, sliding my fingers between his so our palms meet, then place my free hand against his cheek. He smiles a little bit. "Yes...you are special," he whispers. "Because you're mine."
Those words go straight to my heart, and fill me with happiness. "Because I'm yours," I echo, gazing into his eyes. That emotion, now, is identifiable. I can see now that all this time...he loved me. That's love shining out from the depths of his soul, apparent in every gesture, every movement, every touch. It makes me want to laugh, to cry, to shout, to stay silent, all at the same time. But none of those actions seem adequate. The only one that I think is perfect, for this time, is to move closer, and touch my lips to his.
When we break apart, he smiles down at me, caressing the bare skin of my shoulder. "You know what we're going to do now?" he murmurs. I shake my head. "We're going to let that persocon go," he says. "I thought that maybe she would love me...but I see now that isn't true. We're going to let her go...and then if you consent..." He lets go of my hand, and instead holds fast to both of my shoulders. "If you consent, Kirameku-chan," he says, so quietly I almost can't hear him. "To a human/persocon marriage."
My eyes widen. Is Yoshiyuki saying what I think he is? "Yoshiyuki-san," I murmur. "I...don't understand. Your statement is too vague. Do you mean you want to marry to another persocon? Or do you want to marry to...me?" I hesitate before saying 'me'. Yoshiyuki catches my hesitation immediately, and laughs. "My Kirameku," he chuckles, pulling me into a hug. "My dear Kirameku. Of course I want to marry to you. Do you consent?"
I pull back and stare into his eyes, my own sparkling.
"I consent."
Those words go straight to my heart, and fill me with happiness. "Because I'm yours," I echo, gazing into his eyes. That emotion, now, is identifiable. I can see now that all this time...he loved me. That's love shining out from the depths of his soul, apparent in every gesture, every movement, every touch. It makes me want to laugh, to cry, to shout, to stay silent, all at the same time. But none of those actions seem adequate. The only one that I think is perfect, for this time, is to move closer, and touch my lips to his.
When we break apart, he smiles down at me, caressing the bare skin of my shoulder. "You know what we're going to do now?" he murmurs. I shake my head. "We're going to let that persocon go," he says. "I thought that maybe she would love me...but I see now that isn't true. We're going to let her go...and then if you consent..." He lets go of my hand, and instead holds fast to both of my shoulders. "If you consent, Kirameku-chan," he says, so quietly I almost can't hear him. "To a human/persocon marriage."
My eyes widen. Is Yoshiyuki saying what I think he is? "Yoshiyuki-san," I murmur. "I...don't understand. Your statement is too vague. Do you mean you want to marry to another persocon? Or do you want to marry to...me?" I hesitate before saying 'me'. Yoshiyuki catches my hesitation immediately, and laughs. "My Kirameku," he chuckles, pulling me into a hug. "My dear Kirameku. Of course I want to marry to you. Do you consent?"
I pull back and stare into his eyes, my own sparkling.
"I consent."