loudmouths | PRISMATICA ►INBOX

[Without any explanation given, of course Keigo would respond in such a petulant way. Sougo had hoped that using his given name would offer a glimmer of hope, but of course it would be met with contempt. If the situation were reversed, he's certain he would feel just as hurt if Keigo had approached him in a familiar way after so long... especially now that all of those memories are seeping in, slowly but surely.]

...Just this once, will you trust me? The last thing I want is to bring you any more pain, and I can't promise that everything will magically go back to the way it used to be. But there's something I need to tell you, face to face.

And... I really want to see you.

[ this was the true core of keigo's weakness: standing up for himself in a situation where most would have. most people would have been stalwart in their resistance, their distrust fueling them to seek more than just flimsy words that anyone could write. most people would have continued to be suspicious, to keep things close to the chest until more was revealed.

most people wouldn't give in so quickly.

but keigo, for as frustrated and frightened and upset as he was, wanted nothing more than to be there for those he cared for. and he did care for sougo, deeply. it was difficult to comprehend the depths of how much he meant to him, especially now that the damage of his worst fear had been actualized.

even so, he couldn't resist this chance. ultimately, the shield he bore was flimsy and weak, cracking swiftly as he read sougo's message over and over again.

he really was too weak for his own good. ]

...alright. where do you want to meet?

[Maybe it's unfair, just a touch, that Sougo had felt like he could lower the barrier around Keigo's heart from the beginning. Not break through it or leap over it with no effort, but barely lower it inch by inch - just enough for them to see eye to eye, if Keigo so desired.

And really, it's hard. It's far harder than Sougo could have anticipated to go from what he knew to having so many precious memories flood in. Memories he was so sure he'd never forget, but by no fault of his own, had completely left him. What must it feel like to be on the other side of that? Even if those memories are blurred around the edges, how would he feel if Keigo was the one in his position?]

Is there anywhere you'd prefer? I'm the one asking you to go out of your way, so it's only fair to let you choose.

[ keigo could anticipate that sougo might end up feeling guilty for whatever reason, even if he didn't regain his memories as he had hoped. it was why keigo was going to try, if just to get some closure between them. whatever that may end up being... ]

middle lunatia is fine. one of the parks.

[ he sends coordinates to sougo within a few moments. ]

tell me when to show up and i'll be there.

Alright. If you don't have a time in mind, I'll head that way now. It should only take me about twenty minutes to get there.

Thank you. Really.

[Something about this still feels so precarious. There's only a slim chance that Keigo will be even more upset after they talk, but the mere idea of it is more than simply disheartening. What if after all of this, Keigo doesn't want anything to do with him at all?

But as he heads to their meeting place, Sougo can't help the way he tenses up, chest fluttering with nervousness. Nervousness, anxiety, anticipation, and a thrumming that can't be called anything but excitement. Even as he arrives there before Keigo, (or at least he thinks so - overestimating his travel time on purpose gives him a little longer to assess the situation), he isn't quite sure whether it's for better or worse that there really isn't anyone else in this quiet area of the park.

Sitting on the edge of a fountain and looking into the water, he mentally recites how he's going to reveal this once more. If Keigo responds like this, he'll say it this way. And if he responds like that, then... Deep breaths. This may be a reunion, but it shouldn't be so hard!]

[ keigo didn't know how to respond to that text, so he opted not to. he felt anything he might have said as a placeholder would end up making him sound disingenuous, so he left it alone.

and his arrival was ... not particularly rushed. not because he didn't want to see sougo, far from it. but rather that he was afraid. he didn't want to run the risk of opening himself up for another heartbreaking situation, where sougo would end up forgetting him again entirely, but his heart yearned for things to just be how they were.

he knew that wasn't possible, not without spending an eternity on that station. and no one wanted that.

either way, he wasn't horrendously late, just... a bit delayed. he saw sougo in his mind's eye long before his actual eyes settled on him, and that gave him a little bit more resolve to push forward. this had to be done. some sort of closure had to be arranged. it was only fair to sougo. and then maybe keigo could mend himself afterward.

taking in a deep breath, keigo approached the fountain and subsequently sougo himself. he was dressed in his usual casual affair: a hooded jacket, a striped shirt, some comfortable pants... maybe if he dressed casually he'd be able to handle this situation better. ]

Hey. [ keigo's voice was measured, but not cold. he wasn't mad, after all. just... cautious. he rose his hand in greeting and gave sougo a small smile. ] I hope you weren't waiting long.

[Time passes, but Keigo's slight lateness can't be helped. Even after a few minutes pass, Sougo can't help but believe that he'll show up soon, and fiddles with the edges of his scarf to distract himself from daydreaming. But it happens anyway, and before he knows it, he's playing those memories over and over again like a record, just to make sure they won't escape again.

When Keigo's voice calls out to him, just the same as he remembers, Sougo's chest reflexively tightens before he looks up. Nothing's different, really. Keigo is the same Keigo that he'd met in the hot springs, but it's so incredibly strange to go from seeing someone as a stranger to having a torrent of precious memories flood in.

This was supposed to be easy. This was supposed to be refreshing and relieving, taking a weight off of both of their shoulders. But as their eyes meet and Sougo stands up to respond, that tell-tale heat rises behind his eyes, and silent tears begin to blur his vision before he can dare to blink them back.]

No, I... I haven't. [Dammit. Sougo has been awfully vulnerable, but as far as he can remember, he's never actually cried in front of Keigo before. Silent or not, there are definitely the beginnings of tears streaking his cheeks, though he doesn't draw any attention to it.] I'm so sorry, Keigo.

[Part of him wants to stay back - to hide his face and curl up, embarrassed over his sudden flood of emotions. But the rest of him urges him forward, one step at a time, until they're standing face to face. It's too risky to move in closer, to bridge the distance the way he wants to, but he can't help taking Keigo's hands all the same, covering them almost protectively with his own.]

I really... I can't find the right words. ["Guess what! I remember everything now!" doesn't feel right, but it's so hard to vocalize what he's hoping to say. Can't he find a way to show it instead? Truthfully, Sougo wants to turn his eyes away, but it's unfair to do that to someone he cares for so deeply.] I hurt you so much without realizing anything. An apology isn't enough to take that pain back.

[ whatever keigo expected, it certainly wasn't... this. sougo hadn't been especially clear with his messages; keigo interpreted them as some kind of apology for not having the memories they shared. at maybe trying to fix something he couldn't possibly know. the way he addressed him was odd, too, but now that he was face to face with sougo like this... keigo's heart started to break again. having him touch his hands so tenderly, to hold them like that... it felt too familiar, and yet tinged with the knowledge that it wasn't the same.

"couldn't find the words..." keigo didn't blame him for that, either. how could he? he stood there motionless, letting sougo hold his hands, but hesitating to return the touch with a squeeze of his own. what was this leading up to, exactly? ]

T-That's... [ keigo found his voice after a prolonged moment, but something in him wished he hadn't. he sounded weak, upset, even after allowing himself to calm down before arriving. he was angry, frustrated, disappointed, grieving, but none of that was sougo's fault. nothing he could do, nothing he could have prevented. keigo exhaled softly and shook his head, looking at sougo with sadness in his eyes. ]

You didn't do it. It's not your fault you don't remember. It's not your fault that it's... like this.

[Ah... It figures that being so vague isn't enough. Briefly putting himself in Keigo's shoes, wouldn't it be too painful to cling to hope and make assumptions? He's going to have to spell it out, but looking up, the sadness in Keigo's eyes is poignant enough to nearly render Sougo speechless.]

No, but... [This is too important to let his voice falter.] I couldn't forget it, so I made a wish during the festival.

[Hard-pressed to let go of Keigo's hands, Sougo lifts an arm just enough to turn his head and wipe his tears on his sleeve. It probably doesn't make him look much better, but it's easier to see Keigo this way, and Sougo looks back to him with a firmer resolve.]

I don't know why or how any of this happened. Why I forgot even though you remembered, or why it didn't come back to me when I first saw you again. I can't stand seeing you make that expression because of me. But I...

The station, our cards, the way we met, every time we were together... how much you mean to me. [It's cowardly, he knows, but Sougo can't help himself from leaning in to wrap his arms around Keigo the way he's wanted to from the beginning.] I remember it all, so please don't make that face anymore.

[ keigo would likely look back upon this later with some embarrassment. in retrospect, maybe it should have come across as more obvious. but he just hadn't been in that state of mind to allow for any type of optimistic thought.

it quickly dissipated, however, as he listened to sougo, watched him as tears trickled down his face. this... was different. he'd made a wish? ]

Wh-what're you...

[ keigo's voice was so quiet it was hardly anything that could be considered an interruption to sougo's explanation. he was starting to shake, if just slightly, from this sudden presentation of information and what it actually meant. how... how could it be real? how could he have regained those memories? was this even happening? was keigo hallucinating?

he decided that no, he was not, thanks to sougo's touch. the way he wrapped his arms around him, pulled him close, sparked a wave of emotions he'd been keeping locked down inside of him. his trembling was more pronounced as sougo's sorrowful pleas solidified the reality that was being presented to him.

he remembered. ]

S-Sougo... [ keigo's voice was still weak, but this time, there was a definite lifting of his spirits, even if they were tinged with tears. keigo's reaction was delayed, but swift in the end: he returned the embrace with force, pulling sougo flush to his body and bowing his head against his shoulder. ] Sougo! [ he couldn't formulate anything but his name, but it was said with such a wash of relief and joy, he probably didn't need to say anything more. he just clung to him, tears overflowing and streaking down his face as he sobbed, months worth of fear and despair swiftly washed away. ]

[Ah... Weak as Keigo's voice may be, Sougo's heart swells as the poignant emotion behind it fills his ears. The more Keigo trembles, the more confident Sougo's hold becomes, and once those arms suddenly pull him in, all he can do is laugh softly under his breath and let his tears flow freely.]

Yeah. It's me.

[Casual, familiar... This feels so overwhelmingly right, and he hadn't even known it was missing until it was too poignant to bear. Gentle as ever, Sougo brings a hand up to thread it soothingly through Keigo's hair, just as he used to whenever Keigo wound up crying or needing support.]

I'm so sorry for putting you through that. Forgetting was my greatest fear, and it came true before I could realize it.

[Now that all of these precious memories are back, he's certain that he could hold Keigo like this forever, memorizing the warmth of his touch all over again. But after a few moments pass, he finally moves back just enough to gently lift Keigo's face with one hand, brushing some of those tears away before cradling his cheek.]

I know I don't deserve to say this, but now that I have all of these memories and can comprehend how long it's been since I've really seen you... I missed you, Keigo. I missed you so much.

[And unable to bear waiting even a moment longer, Sougo closes his eyes and leans in to sweetly brush their lips together, reveling in the feeling of their familiar closeness.]

[ keigo, as emotional as ever, was so thrilled he couldn't even express it in any other way but through tears and the occasional relieved laugh or sigh. this was so overwhelming... he knew it wasn't sougo's fault, but it felt like he'd been yo-yoing between hope and despair for so long. it was exhausting. all of those fears were assuaged for now and he was going to revel in the happiness he felt.

he couldn't even speak as sougo poured out his heart to him, but he easily moved with him as he reached to touch his face. it felt so wonderful and familiar, like he truly was experiencing what it would feel like to have someone return from the dead. maybe that was a bit dramatic...

but what was keigo if not dramatic?

he wanted to tell sougo no, he did deserve to tell him everything, anything, that he wanted. he wanted to hear it all. anything. but before he could gather his senses well enough to respond, sougo swiftly stole his breath away with that tender kiss.

keigo's eyes widened, the remnants of tears rolling down his cheeks before dissipating entirely. that feeling... that familiar, warm, welcoming feeling of sougo's touch, was amplified immensely from his own emotions and the surge of chroma between them. keigo quickly leaned into the touch, his hands smoothing over sougo's back to support him. he closed his eyes and kissed him deeply, going as far as to press firmly against him, edging sougo backwards.

was he really dipping him... well, the occasion seemed to call for it. ]

[It's amazing, really, how just one kiss is all it takes to make the world seem right again. All at once, it feels like a missing piece of his heart has finally fallen into place, so familiar and so right that Sougo is sure he'll never forget the feeling - not this time.

Keigo leans in, and just like he has so many times, Sougo reflexively moves with him. How special it is to be this close, to feel this warmth once more... But as Keigo presses in further and suddenly tips him back, Sougo has to adjust in turn and throw an arm around Keigo to keep them steady, the fear of falling never crossing his mind. It's almost laughable how easily his breath is stolen away as he's tipped backwards, supported only by arms embracing him in a manner that feels far too sweet for the damage he's dealt to their owner's heart. But this long-waited reunion isn't a good time to dwell on the negatives, is it?

Sougo can't help but tilt his head into their kiss, tender yet a touch more desperate than he'd anticipated. It's so addicting to rememorize the feel of the soft strands of Keigo's hair, the plushness of his lips, the way their bodies fit together just so. What a beautiful thing.

Even as their lips part, Sougo doesn't pull back, holding Keigo close like this could all slip through his fingers at a moment's notice. He isn't going to let that happen... Not this time. Not when they're finally together again, the same passion and affection as before burning like a flame within him.]

Ever the romantic, aren't you?

[God, his voice is breathless. If the situation were any different, he'd likely be more embarrassed, but it only shows on his face as bashfulness - a look that can't be described as anything but smitten. Fond. Overwhelmingly grateful.]

PRISMATICA ►INBOX

Just break my heart, why don't you?!

😇

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