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"From what I saw during the trial, you'd be the hero in anyone's story." It's quiet, Haibara's gaze dropping to their hands for a moment before he lifts his head to meet Nanami's gaze.

"You didn't fight like that when were in school."

Edited 2024-03-17 04:15 (UTC)

His heart aches slightly. He's not the same sorcerer he was back in school. He's come a long way since then. He's come as far as he thought he could, and in Folkmore, he's working on becoming even better.

"I pushed myself as far as I knew how," Nanami says. "I'm still pushing myself. If I can fight like that, then sometimes some student won't have to."

He shrugs. He's good, but he's no special grade.

"That's not really as much of a problem here though, is it?" Admittedly, he's only really experienced one trial, but it seems like it might be less of a problem.

"..I liked watching you fight."

"Not in my experience here yet, no," Nanami agrees. "It's... I'm not sure how to explain it. I enjoy training and pushing myself. Even if I don't wind up needing it here, it brings a sense of accomplishment in the act itself."

He can enjoy that and hate much of the job itself at the same time. In fact, he may enjoy it more if it isn't needed.

"You did?" Nanami's a little surprised. He's not sure why.

"I did. But I like watching you train too." Becauuse it's something Nanami enjoys and he's very good at.

Their food comes over. Nanami manages not to blush, either at the compliment or them holding hands. He knows Haibara wants to be more affectionate in public, and he's trying.

"You can watch me train whenever you want." If it distracts him, that too is a form of training.

"...I'm going to end up distracting you if I do." His lips twitch into a smile once the waiter is gone.

"At first, yes," Nanami agrees, "but in time, I'll learn not to be distracted."

He can handle looking like a fool because he's distracted by the love of his life. By— not yet. Soon. So soon.

"So what I'm hearing is I'm going to have to try harder. I can do that." He can hit every weak point if he has to do.

Nanami facepalms at that statement. No, no, that was not what he meant at all, yet he walked right into that one. It really is on him.

"Not yet," Nanami says. "You're fully distracting already."

"I'll just start wearing suits when I come watch you train." He's definitely not grinning.

Nanami groans into his hand. How is this the conversation tonight of all nights? Haibara does not need to remind him how fuckable he looks, even without a suit jacket. They need to get through dinner, the proposal, crepes on the way home, and the way home. Before any of that. Is. On the table. (so to speak) (not this table).

"Please say you're not serious."

"I mean, if you're planning to work on your resistance to distraction, I'll have to resort to my own methods." It's entirely too easy to tease Nanami.

"That is not what I am working on, primarily," Nanami says. "If it were, I would have made sure you were there ages ago." Because there is no greater distraction.

"I'm aware, but you did say you might develop a resistence. I'll just have to combat it my own way if you do." Although he was idly considering just showing up in suits sometimes now.

Nanami lifts his face from his hand and manages not to be completely red in the face. "I am sure I will never be immune to you, Haibara, not in a hundred years. I simply hope to set those effects aside as needed in combat until later."

He starts eating his dinner, still unsure how they reached this topic, even having been present every step of the way.

"I was talking about training, not combat." He exhales a breath, turns to his food.

"I know," Nanami says softly. "And I meant combat training. It is just as well. We never know what situation Thirteen will put us in."

It could even be a combat situation while Haibara wears a suit. Admittedly, he thinks combat would get his attention then, no matter how attractive Haibara looks.

"I know you'd never put me in danger."

"And if that happens, my first move will be to put myself somewhere you don't have to worry about me and can focus on what's in front of you, unless it's something that seems like it's too much. Then I'll help however I can.

Maybe blinding it or something."

Edited 2024-03-18 03:43 (UTC)

"You're a solid fighter. I appreciate you doing that." Nanami doesn't easily stay out of things himself. That's his job as the adult. Handle things. Protect the students from being attacked when they have to be involved.

"Lets not worry about that right now, though," Nanami says, "We've been having a wonderful time in Folkmore. I'm so grateful for it."

"Yeah, it's not really a priority here." Haibara finishes what's in his glass before getting a refill.

"Do you want to stop anywhere on the way home, aside from crepes?"

"I thought we could stop by the bakery. It will be closed, but they'll have posted their list of what bread they're selling each day. So we can see when we'll want to go." Among other reasons.

"I've considered asking Thirteen for a teleportation power. It'd be useful in emergencies, emotional or otherwise, but also to buy bread here when the kind I want is sold on a weekday." It's the little things sometimes. He knows there's bakeries in Epiphany, Willow, and Never Fade too, but this one has come to mean something special to him.

"It would be more convenient for travel. If it's limited to just you, I can probably shift into something small enough to ride along." Haibara muses quietly, his expression thoughtful.

"I haven't really done all that much with my ability to shift forms."

"I'm not entirely sure what she'll allow," Nanami says. "I haven't made any notably large purchases, certainly not something like that. We'll see." He isn't one to rush into things, not something like that. He'll take his time to mull it over and figure out how he wants to explain it to her.

"That could be fun as well as useful. Plus, anything you turn into you'll be cute."

"...I don't think that's actually true since we don't know the extent of what I can turn into, but I'm sure there's plenty of creatures that fall into terrifying over cute, anyway." Haibara sounds more amused and sips his drink.

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