Okinawa. It was there that Kim and Ron lived. That island in Japan that Kim had to admit it was a little corner of paradise. They chose the Rising Sun for various reasons: it was an excellent combination of tradition and innovation, the university was excellent, it was near Yamanouchi (big impoirtance factor for ninja training) and, Ron said, rich of culture: truth be told, the only culture, even if detailed, that he was able to list, was Jujitsu Juvenile saga, but he wasn't really lying, he simply ignored the rest. In reality, what they attended was a detatched location of Tokio University. It has been hard to choose wherte to go, they not only looker for a place to study together, but also that accepted their "job", for which they decided to not stay in separate dorms, on the contrary, to not stay in dorms at all, or it would have been difficult for them and even annoying for the other students. Instead here they could buy a house for them two. So it would have been a nice vacation home. In all honesty, Kim believed Ron has chosen Okinawas only because, with all the beaches they were, the chances to see her in bikini were risen (something that in the end did sometimes, part for tormenting him, part for "thanking" him in a special way…). But this was the moment of a serious talk with her boyfriend: she was set to open her heart for him, expecially now that had discovered a new part of it, but she was also determined to receive the same. And with this thought in mind, she netered home, and immediately saw the blonde nape of the love of his life, sitting on the couch seeing kamisama knows what of the many animated series transmitted. Ok, Panther Mask, this one even she knew. "KP, light of my eyes, moon of my sky, sauce of my chimurrito! How did the mission go?" Nothing looked like to anticipate bad news, but the happened facts had given her new consciousness, and she knew that he was just bottling everything up inside. To avoid making her suffer? It was the most probable hypothesis. But how is it that whenever I beelieve I can't love him more, he makes her hammer that limit down? How he manages to do it? "Ron, you know well how the mission well, I know you follow all the lives since you broke your leg." Kim sat beside him, the plastered leg was on a cylindrical footstool, of the kind with a pillow cover. "Yeeeah, buuut, it caught the signal badly, went on and of,, Radiomaria started...in the end I turned on the cartoons..." "Ron you asked the tweebs for an antenna with planetary cover, moon included, in order not to lose a program about me waiting for your return." She wasn't kidding, Kim had an appointment on the ISS as a special guest and he, if he wasn't healed by time, wanted to at least see his "star among the stars". Of course, if his leg was cured, he would have come too, she would have never left him on the ground, expecially now. "Ok, you're right, Kimmy, but tv is tv, that one is you...you, tv, hey, I came back rapping!" "Ron! I know you saw me! I know you heard me! ...and I knoe that you heard even what those reporters told!" Stoppable's smile trembled, but tried to put it back in its place immediately. Not this time, no more sugar, I need the bitter pill. Kim took the controller and shut the tv. "Ron, listen to me: I want you to know some very important things. First: I don't care at all what people say, I know the truth, I know you're a hero and we are a team, a pair of equals. Second, I love you. Ok? I love you, full stop. They're not just three words, I love you, want you, choose you as my half for the rest of my life: I'd never ask you to change, I don't want you to change, I only want to stay beside you, I want Ron Stoppable, the only one, the unimitable, for good...and for bad. Third, and this is the most important: I'm...I'm..." This was the hardest part, but because it was the most important, so she had to! A good breath and…
"...I'm sorry. About everything, I'm sorry. Of not being by your side, not having supported like you always supported me, not having understood how much you could be fragile, how words, gestures, attitudes could hurt you..." "Ooh, come on KP, It's not true you never supported me! And then, hurt me? Pfff! I'm not such a soft like Big Mike said, do you remember hi..." Kim could not stand anymore, and did not manage to not shout her frustration: "Ron, nobody goes through everything you went through without being signed in some way!" Ron needed to be serious, for his own good! The blonde was startled by the behaviour of the redhead, he could not understand why she was acting like this. Ooh, who am I kidding, I know exactly why and what she wants...but no, I can't do it, not to her! "Kim, if there is someone who hurts me, it's you: do you really believe me so weak to allow that the judgement of some stranger could impress me?" "Ok, then, you tell me! When they call you sidekick, buffoon, they forget your name, even those you kicked the day before, what do you think? What would you want? Now, then, in all these years, what have you felt?" Ron raised the eyes to the sky and took a deep breath. Ok, now he tell me… "No, Kim."...no? "Wha...what does it mean, no?" "It means no, Kim. It's simple, I can't tell you." He did not look in her eyes anymore...he did not call her KP...she has moved something. "You can't...or do not want?" Ron looked at her. But it wasn't his sweet and comprehensive, neither it was scared...no, he was definitely annoyed, like Kim was probing a spike in his side and declared it was to check where ribs were. For the first time, Kim had the impression to not have had a good idea. "...both. Choose whichever you want, it's the same." "No, Ron..." the girl's expression was firm, but with a bit of kindness. She was not accusing him of anything, after all, she only wanted to know how he was. It was her right, wasn't it? "...we are together, have to help each other, and how can we..." she raised the hand to caress his face, but he backed away and turned the look again. She was hurt by this, but did not insist. She guessed it was hard for him. "...how can we be for each other, if we don't talk?" "...even secrets are part of a couple's life." "Why? What are you scared of?" Ron bent forward, hands joined, head low, sad look. "Of the only thing I was ever really scared of: not being able to protect you." "I don't need to be protected, if you tell me the truth." "Really?" There it was again, the angry look towards her. "And what if the person from I should protect you was myself?" Ron fell against the back of the couch. "Or even worse, Kimberly, what if the culprit you're searching for were you?" That 'Kimberly' made her jump more than the accusation. She knew that with just a word she could have what she was looking for for the whole day. And she also knew that it would have been like opening Pandora's vase. All the emotions felt, the feelings, the surprises of that day, focused in a moment of lucidity: her life, their life, would have never been the same. Was this what she wanted?
"Talk."
And let...'er...fly.