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[He takes a hand off of his controller and takes his arm--the one around her waist--so that he can take her hand in his own, gently running his thumb over the back of her hand.]

That's fair. I mean--one of my reason's kind of similar, right? I want a family because I never had one. And neither of us are perfect, but...that's why we're perfect for each other.

[A pause. The sequence of ideas is a little...alarming, now that he thinks about it for a second.]

Did...did your mom kill him...?

[When he holds her hands she relaxes, which is funny because Nariko wasn't entirely sure of when she'd tensed up so horribly in the first place. While he talks she makes sure to listen to his voice, to really take it in and accept it as something reliable, solid. It's calming to sort of ground herself in such a tiny way.

Of course his question threatens to unravel it, but at least he's saved her the trouble of saying it on her own.]

She did. They, ah, [Why is she tearing up? This is stupid. It's not something to cry about anymore.] they screamed at each other in the library and she just - just stabbed him with that stupid letter opener. [She always hated that thing. Who the fuck used a letter opener? Pretentious shits like her mom.] Twenty-nine times.

[Her free hand presses at her forehead.] I just stood there. I just - I was useless, I hated her. I hate her. But I could have - I tried to, but it was. Y'know. No one can really make it through that, so I just. [Screamed and cried hysterically until one of their neighbors had the sense to call the police.] I just kept pushing at his throat and he just kept bleeding.

[Jesus.

That's so much worse than what he's had to go through. For one, he didn't know the kid, and two, he didn't have to watch while it happened.

Boxer puts down his controller and leans down to wrap his arms around Nariko. Like she weighs barely anything to him, he pulls her up onto his mantled lap, arms enveloping her entirely while he holds her against his broad, bare chest. It's likely she couldn't escape this gentle bear hug even if she wanted to. He wants to say something along the lines of "I'm sorry," but he doesn't want to patronize her loss. All he wants her to know is that he'll always be here for her...especially if she chooses now to shed tears for it.]

She's in jail now...right?

[This bear hug and Boxer's presence as a whole, is all that's keeping her together, so the last thing she would want is to leave it. But that question gets a strange bark out of her, something between a laugh and a half disengaged sob.]

No.

[There would have to be some justice in the world for that to have become the case!] After ... It. She choked me, kept squeezing and said that I couldn't. I couldn't tell anyone or she'd wring the life out of me. [There's a very tiny, utterly humorless excuse of a laugh here.] Was really easy to believe at the moment. And then she left. Just took the thing with her and left.

[Nariko ... Hates crying. Crying is bullshit. It's painful and it makes her tired, but she's beyond entry level tipsy right now, and it turns out that feeling safe makes it easy to begin sniffling.] L-Later. I found out - she went to her fucking parents. They lied. Said she had been there all week and left me with Viktor, Nathan's father.

[Finger the lover for the killing of the husband.] And I couldn't say it! God fucking knows I can't keep my mouth shut now to save my sorry ass but for a whole year I couldn't say anything! She wouldn't have -- If I could have just --

[And there it goes, her voice wound up to a sharp, hysterical pierce before it broke down into an all out wail. Sorry about your ears, Boxer.]

[Thankfully, hearing isn't one of the senses he has that are attuned due to being monsterkind. So it'll hurt, but not as bad as hearing this story does.

He tightens his grip on her when she wails, and he'll sit it out--no trying to hush her or silence her, because at this point, it sounds like she needs to get it out. When he finds the natural opportunity to, he'll speak up.]

No one will hurt you like that again. Not while I'm around.

[Because as much as he tries to come off as a big harmless, skittish teddy bear...he's actually not. And while he might not try to kill someone to defend Nariko...maiming is definitely the likely scenario, and some people might not be able to handle it all.]

[Bless him for being patient because there's a lot to get out and she graduates from wailing to full on, heaving sobs that force her to turn and face him, forehead pressed against his shoulder, only sneaking her arm in when she can't stand the overflow of tears that are starting to burn. When it does all taper down to aimless hiccups and a gentle exhaustion, he's still right there and she -

She believes him.]

Thank you. [Her voice is a mess and so is her face, but for the first time in more than a decade she feels a little lighter, and a whole hell of a lot safer.] I love you.

[So much that it hurts in just the right way, and can begin to replace the parts that were tied up in keeping it all to herself. But, one last thing:]

.... I really need some tissue.

[Her nose is gross.]

Love you too.

[He gives her a gentle laugh when she requests tissues, and he gestures to the mantle below the television. He'd get them for her like the gentleman he is, if it weren't for the fact that she's (a) currently on his lap (b) a little more maneuverable in the leg department.]

Could you get one for me too?

[He has a little, uh, Nariko on him. But he's not grossed out, he accepts any and all body fluids she gives him.]

[She leans back a little to wipe at her eyes some more, further irritating them, and then laughs kind of thickly.] Oh, man, I'm sorry.

[Of all the body fluids those are probably the least desirable, and fairly so. She gets onto her feet and manages to avoid swaying too much before she grabs the whole box, just in case. When she comes back she plops onto his lap and blows her nose and cleans him up in the same moment.]

Better. [She's still a mess but it's just her and Boxer. He won't judge her horribly.]

Earlier - that's why I said not to worry about it. The detective looking into it he's ... The same one who figured it all out, same one who found me. [She blows her nose again.] So it'll be okay. I think I really owe the guy a fruit basket by now.

It's okay. Not that bothered by it. [Could be worse. Could be vomit.]

He's a nice guy. [Boxer could tell that from what limited conversations they had.] Rough job. Can't imagine having to do that for a living...

[He's much more content to just swim around and report to interested parties. When she settles into his lap again, he wraps his arms loosely around her.]

Guess I don't have to worry about meeting the in-laws then.

[Too dark? Too soon?]

[She stutters into a genuine laugh - nah, not too dark or too soon.]

No, thankfully we're both cleared of that special form of suffering! And the remaining relatives you might meet will adore you, I'm sure of it.

[With .... One very notable exception, but they don't have to talk about that right now.]

[Oh, now he's grinning.]

And when do I get to meet the rest of the Lunae clan?

Whenever you feel prepared to handle that level of batshit crazy, I guess. They always want to visit but my apartment isn't big enough to house more than a few extra people, and they all insist on coming at once.

[When you have like fifteen cousins it all becomes a mess very, very quickly.]

If I told my grandma she was going to meet my fiancee she'd attach herself to the first plane headed this way, and still manage to bring along pita bread for the journey.

[Food? Food?? Food???

His smile turns sly.]

In that case...do you know the one dock out by the bay that has that giant pavilion? The one usually dressed up in a bunch of Christmas lights and gets used for big fat cat parties? I can pull a few strings...make a reservation for it.

[Yes, food, Boxer. So much food, most all of which made by an enthusiastic grandma who has a boatload of old, reliable recipes. They'll get along amazingly just based on his appetite.

It's almost no surprise to her that he has a valid solution.]

That you would end up receiving the best lamb stew on Earth doesn't play a part in this, right? [She can barely make it through that mock question without laughing.]

No! What? No, not at all. [Such a cheesy grin.] But it does take money to make a reservation, and "the best lamb stew on Earth" would be a great way to compensate me...

She'll give you an entire pot to yourself, and if you let her know that you'll be the one impregnating her favorite granddaughter with multiple kids, and she'll feed you for life. [She snorts.]

My grandma had fourteen kids, she's been expecting me to live up to that number since my first period.

[He's basically a shoe-in, which makes the entire situation far less stressful. Granted, the implications here are kind of disturbing but, eh, Nariko managed to do everything on her own time and her own way, so there's no bad blood over it all.]

Hah! You don't think that she'd be disturbed at the idea that her fourteen grandchildren might be monsterkind?

[You know those older folks, they tend to be less accepting.]

Mm.

[It says a bit that she has to really stop and think about it.] I mean, I think she'll be overjoyed at just the idea, and then the reality of it will settle in. But as long as they're like you I really do think she'll be fine.

[As in, human on top and monster party on the bottom would be perfectly acceptable.] She might try to knit them tentacle booties.

[He's not surprised--it's fair to think about.]

I plan to raise them well.

[AKA: He thinks she means in behavior.]

Tentacle booties! [His tentacles coil excitedly below her.] What can I do to get a set of my own?

No, I mean if they're sort of human on top and tenta-fun on the bottom. [That's - something to be clear about, she doesn't want him being surprised or inadvertently insulted by the whole thing.] Of course you're going to raise them well.

[That's not even something to jokingly question, to her. Will he maybe be the kind of dad who spoils a little too much? Maybe. But that's okay, and she laughs at that question.]

You wait for your surprise to finish! I'm just about done with it.

[His new wheel chair comes with something to hold the little buddies, of course! Frederico and Alfonso and Veni and Mauricio and all of them!]

Oh. [And here he was thinking his most notable characteristic was his manners! The tentacles can come in 'best in show' if not first place.]

Surprise? [This is the first time he's heard of it! And...he has no idea that she named each of his tentacles.]

Are you knitting me tentacle booties?

[She doesn't really strike him as the knitting type, but she is the type to come up with the unexpected.]

[She renames them every other day or so, but makes sure not to say the names out loud just in case, y'know, maybe it's insulting! But it's easier to keep track of where they are and what they're doing sometimes if they're named!]

I can't knit to save my life.

[But she has other talents which can be useful to him and his overall well being!] But I am making you something that's just as good, I really think you'll love it. For once it's not a shirt!

[By now there have probably been many, many shirts.]

[He wouldn't be insulted. Endeared, more likely. But he would be disappointed if he found out that some of them didn't have female designations, like the ones that he basically uses as a second set of hands.]

Really? That's exciting.

[So say his tentacles, which are now just full-on squirming below her.]

Do I get any hints? --No, wait, I want it to be a total surprise.

[It's something of a blessing in disguise, because Nariko would be the terrible individual who names a female-anything 'Meadow'. Which means he needs to be a little careful about their eventual children's birth certificates. There's being creative an then there's granting a lifetime of suffering.

But Seraphina would be a nice name for a tentacle!]

It was going to be a total surprise either way. If I give you a hint you might figure it out and then you won't be able to give me an honest reaction!

[Besides, all she has to do is finish testing the wheels, get the upholstery on, and finish a bit of sewing and then it's done! Hopefully he'll like it, but she's tried to refrain from getting her hopes up too much, it might need to be further customized for all that she's tried to forecast.]

[Oooh, how appropriate!]

Right, right. My thoughts exactly. Is it for an anniversary or something? Should I prepare a gift of my own?

[Not that their reciprocal cycle of gift-giving ever really needed a rhyme or reason, but still. If it's an occasion then they should treat it as such!]

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long dramatic tags oh gosh

eats it all up

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