Disclaimer: Ishinomori's, not mine.
Warnings: Spoilers for the end of the 2001 anime. Oh! And this is really, sickeningly fluffy. So it's pretty much your average 93 fic. D
Joe wanted to tell Francoise how he felt about her, really. There had even been a few times he thought he would actually do it, but before he could get the words out... he would stop daydreaming. He would remind himself that they weren't just fighting to end Black Ghost's corruptive influence, but for their very survival, and it would be pure selfishness if he tried to pursue his personal happiness.
... No. It was more than just that. She had lost her family and her dreams, endured what should have broken any sane individual... but she had survived. She had come out stronger. She deserved someone as strong as she was. And what was he? An uneducated, former juvenile delinquent, and not too long ago, a murder suspect. He had nothing to offer her; he could make her no promises. It had been safer, easier for him just to hide behind his excuses of having a greater responsibility than owning up to the simple truth that he was afraid to tell her he loved her.
Not anymore, Joe told himself as he gathered what was left of his nerve. It wasn't that he had magically gained the courage to admit his feelings to Francoise; far from it. It was just that he had nearly died without telling her. He wasn't going to let himself make that mistake again.
Professor Kozumi's residence was spacious to say the least, so it took him a while to find her. Finally, Joe spotted Francoise on the porch staring dreamily at the sunrise, her blonde hair tossed by the wind. He wondered if he should disturb her, but remembered that if she really had wanted to be left alone, she would have left when she had first sensed movement in her direction. So he took a breath and a seat next to her.
"You're up early."
She gave him that smile, the one that always caught him off guard. "I was just thinking... about everything we've been through."
"Oh." Joe rubbed the back of his neck, feeling more than a little uncomfortable.
"And," she continued, nudging his side with her shoulder, " how while we've been through a lot, we're also still here." Her expression softened. "You're still here with me."
Joe had been ready to tell her he loved her. It wasn't until she kissed him that he realized he really hadn't needed to say anything in the first place.