#decarm

Was it even possible for Shinjiro to smile?

At this point, Rise wasn’t sure... but she was starting to think it was impossible. She’d tried everything she could think of to get the Hanged Man to smile, but so far? Nothing had worked. He’d outright scoffed at her cooking, he’d just rolled his eyes at her jokes--the closest she had come was with that video about the pug that couldn’t run, but even that hadn’t done the trick! As dour as he appeared, the Lovers was beginning to doubt that he actually enjoyed her company at all if it wasn’t for how he hung around in such a way as to make it obvious that he wanted to be around her.

...or did he?

The answer came a few days later, when the two of them had found their way to a rooftop. Just how they got up there was unclear--she’d made a comment about missing the stars that were so easily seen in Inaba, he’d cracked wise about the lights being too bright unless they got on a rooftop. The next thing she knew? He’d popped a lock like it was nothing and guided her through and upward. Sure, the stars weren’t all that much easier to see, but the view was beautiful nonetheless. A sidelong glance and she thought, she swore that the corners of his lips were heading vaguely upward... and something about that compelled her into motion.

“Hey, Shinji?”

He turned his head, a brow faintly raised--but before he could even think to say anything in response? The Lovers was surging upward, her lips pressing to his. At first, he was as still as the bricks comprising the building that they stood atop of... but then it was like a spark was lit within his soul and he was kissing her back like he’d die without it. As his arm wrapped around her and drew her in close, she went willingly, her eyes closing as she melted into his embrace.