Shiho's grip doesn't loosen even as she pops back into the real world, her world. Made all the more real and hers at the feeling of his arms around her and the comforting presence of his thoughts, of dizzying relief and worry and anger.
It's well-known by this point that the first thing Shiho always does when she's back from a long mission is to go to Tetsuo's place. He was home, a reminder of everything she had to lose and everything she had waiting for her once the world was safe. She takes a breath and feels herself tearing up out of relief that she was back here with him, out of worry that she'd caused him any amount of anxiety. She nods, trying not to sniffle as she turns to press a kiss to the palm of his hand before pressing her hand over his.
She doesn't look hurt, but definitely looks much less put-together than she normally does, her hat askew, hair messy and her throat dry because she'd conserved what water she had.
Kaoru is on them in a matter of moments, throwing herself at Shiho too so she can hug her for however briefly before with another wave of her hand she sends a clone coming to help the esper into the wall with a thud loud enough that the wall itself cracks. But the clones themselves don't seem to have as much substance anymore, not with the main body struggling on the floor with a flower pot teleported onto his head. He wriggles on the floor, flailing and pushing as the clones start to wink out of existence.
That brush of her lips against his hand flusters him as much as it immediately soothes him, and he can't help blushing and grinning bashfully at the tender, intimate gesture in spite of the situation they're still in the middle of. Not that he has long to be distracted with her before Kaoru pounces on them, and he's startled by the THUMP of the esper's duplicate getting smashed into a wall. That at least helps to bring his attention back to their surroundings, and he huffs a breath, glaring toward the floored esper, doing his best to suppress the thought of taking a swing with a length of pipe and ringing that flower pot like a bell.
"Tsch... looks like you guys got a handle on this asshole."
Shiho holds onto him tighter in response, burying herself against him while her other hand reaches out to take Kaoru's, squeezing tight. Kaoru gives first Shiho then Tetsuo a grin, ever-so-slightly watery over the fact that Shiho has been retrieved safe and sound.
And that's all the warning they get before Aoi is tackling the three of them in order to pull Shiho into a hug as well.
Kagari walks up now that the last of the clones has disappeared, "Yeah, we'll hand them over to the authorities after this."
The way she shelters against him is as heartwarming as ever, drawing Tetsuo's attention away from their downed enemy once more--just in time to get nearly toppled over by Aoi leaping into the huddle as well.
"Geh?! E-.. aheheh..."
Despite the urge to be greedy with Shiho and keep holding her tightly to him, he reluctantly loosens his hold enough for her friends to get their hugs in without him getting in the way. That reminder of how many people she has watching her back and protecting her who obviously care deeply for her is reassuring, as well, especially since they definitely have the means to back it up when needed. One arm stays loosely curled around her, though, unless she pulls away from him, the other hand raised to ruffle his hair as he glances over to Kagari.
"Eh..? ...yeah, guess that's th'way, ain't it..."
He doesn't exactly adore the idea of having to trust in the authorities to handle this sort of thing, especially when he's pretty sure some "authorities" are tangled up with the badguys, but he doesn't really have a better idea of what Shiho and her friends could do. Running their own esper prison or whatever else would probably be a huge mess and terrible in ways he hasn't really thought through.
"...is, uh... ev'rybody else a'right?"
He takes a second to sit up a little more and look around. Now that Shiho's safe, he can remember that, oh yeah, other people exist and may have been in danger or something.
Shiho finds her face framed by Aoi's hands, Kaoru's arms wrapped around her shoulders as the two of them inspect her for the slightest injury, any excuse they'd take to make the enemy's life a living hell. Not that they'd do it.
Yet.
But they'd happily keep the option open. Shiho smiles as best as she can, letting her cheeks be squished as Aoi sees that there's nothing wrong with her that some supplementary saline solution couldn't fix. Kagari gives Tetsuo a glance, then shrugs. He's not one for the authorities either but Kaoru had made the good point that they didn't have a jail and simply "getting rid of them" was no longer allowed.
All around them the rest of the clones seem to be gone, the teams of espers splitting again into reconnaissance and recovery, some winking out of view in order to do a final sweep of the rest of the ship.
Aoi and Kaoru though had not missed the way Shiho curls against Tetsuo, nor did they miss the arm he still has around her waist. Kaoru grins conspiratorially at Tetsuo now, oh-so-casually floating off the ground, resting her hand on his shoulder, "Hm.... distracted, huh?"
Tetsuo huffs softly at Kagari's seeming confirmation that it's not great but it's what they've got. Well, he can certainly understand how it is having to just make do, even if he doesn't like it. He's tempted to go and talk to their bosses to make sure everything is planned out to his satisfaction, but it's not like he really has leverage to make them do anything they aren't already, and he'd want to make sure it wouldn't end up with Shiho and her friends getting in trouble because of him...
He's more than a little comforted to see Shiho's friends fussing over her protectively. He definitely wouldn't have had the bandwidth to think about anything else that's going on without knowing she has so many people who can do so much supporting her. He's still caught totally off guard by the hand on his shoulder, and he blinks clueless at Kaoru.
"Huh..? .....o-oh, eheheheh, well... that's..."
He ducks his head and grins sheepishly, blushing and ruffling his hair vigorously.
"Just, uh... real glad Shiho's okay, yanno?"
Obviously a gross understatement and doesn't address him just now remembering she's not all there is to think about, but what else's he supposed to say?
Kaoru is actually the boss. Because prophecies, though the person in question seems very resistant to it. Kaoru being the boss with Shiho and Aoi by her side was what had led to a doomed timeline, after all. But Shiho doesn't say this, content for the moment to just snuggle against him and make a mental note to deal with it later. Kaoru would hear him out.
Just like she is right now, cheshire grin widening as she watches Shiho's boyfriend blush profusely, "Aww~ You two are so cute~"
Shiho gives her a mock pout, "No teasing Tetsu."
But she needed this. This normality. Even with Aoi tutting as she takes a bag of saline solution passed to her from another teammate, her hands glowing as she sets them on Shiho's arm and uses her powers to transport them steadily into Shiho's bloodstream.
Another one of their teammates places their hands on Shiho's head, carefully assessing for signs of stress on her psychic core, for any other hidden injuries, and getting a firm, psychic, highly impatient thought of "are we done here yet" from Shiho. But they aren't.
{aaaand timeskip, hope that's okay!!!}
It takes much too long, Shiho having to get properly checked over, even the smallest injuries carefully treated before Tetsuo and her are allowed to leave. But at least she feels less shaky, even if she'll still use the opportunity to lean against him as he walks her back to her room on the Catastrophe.
"....are.... you doing okay?"
Because she'd seen the way he'd panicked, seen the anguish he'd gone through when there was the possibility she was gone forever.
It's not the first time and surely won't be the last when Tetsuo needs some details of their organizational structure spelled out for him. That sort of thing isn't really his area so much, and he'd sort of inferred there was someone older than all of them calling the shots. If only because that seemed to be the way of things usually.
That's the farthest thing from his mind, though, with Shiho cuddling up against him and safe and her friends cheerfully teasing them both, and he grins and laughs bashfully. Even if Shiho's defending him from teasing (which itself is fills him to bursting with affection for her) he really likes the sound of her friends regarding them as a cute couple, and Shiho being pouty just makes it an even more charming scene.
* * * * *
Far be it from Tetsuo to ever begrudge Shiho the opportunity to lean into him all she likes. He's already feeling much better, knowing she's so well cared for and that she's safe, and he blinks at that question, living in the moment and clueless about what she's referring to.
"Uh..? Y-yeah, 'course!"
He grins cheerfully, squeezing her a little closer for a second as he escorts her to her room. He is really good at taking the bad feelings and putting them in a box and hiding them out of sight, though, so her concern is probably valid, even if he's not seeing it at the moment. His good mood does dampen a little, though, as he thinks about it.
"Anyways, I oughta be askin' you that. ...must'a been..."
He trails off, not sure what to call it. Scary? Maybe, but he credits Shiho with a lot of bravery, and even if it was scary, would it really help to bring it up? What else could he call it? Frustrating? Infuriating?
"...Idunno, some kinda bullshit."
Not the most eloquent even for Tetsuo, but it does at least sum up concisely how he imagines he'd feel about it, without prompting her to feel vulnerable about it.
who has opposable thumbs and posts tags before they're done? meeee
Shiho's grip doesn't loosen even as she pops back into the real world, her world. Made all the more real and hers at the feeling of his arms around her and the comforting presence of his thoughts, of dizzying relief and worry and anger.
It's well-known by this point that the first thing Shiho always does when she's back from a long mission is to go to Tetsuo's place. He was home, a reminder of everything she had to lose and everything she had waiting for her once the world was safe. She takes a breath and feels herself tearing up out of relief that she was back here with him, out of worry that she'd caused him any amount of anxiety. She nods, trying not to sniffle as she turns to press a kiss to the palm of his hand before pressing her hand over his.
She doesn't look hurt, but definitely looks much less put-together than she normally does, her hat askew, hair messy and her throat dry because she'd conserved what water she had.
Kaoru is on them in a matter of moments, throwing herself at Shiho too so she can hug her for however briefly before with another wave of her hand she sends a clone coming to help the esper into the wall with a thud loud enough that the wall itself cracks. But the clones themselves don't seem to have as much substance anymore, not with the main body struggling on the floor with a flower pot teleported onto his head. He wriggles on the floor, flailing and pushing as the clones start to wink out of existence.
almost as eager for your tags as i am <3
"Tsch... looks like you guys got a handle on this asshole."
Sorry for the lateness!! <3333
And that's all the warning they get before Aoi is tackling the three of them in order to pull Shiho into a hug as well.
Kagari walks up now that the last of the clones has disappeared, "Yeah, we'll hand them over to the authorities after this."
no worries at all ever <3
"Geh?! E-.. aheheh..."
Despite the urge to be greedy with Shiho and keep holding her tightly to him, he reluctantly loosens his hold enough for her friends to get their hugs in without him getting in the way. That reminder of how many people she has watching her back and protecting her who obviously care deeply for her is reassuring, as well, especially since they definitely have the means to back it up when needed. One arm stays loosely curled around her, though, unless she pulls away from him, the other hand raised to ruffle his hair as he glances over to Kagari.
"Eh..? ...yeah, guess that's th'way, ain't it..."
He doesn't exactly adore the idea of having to trust in the authorities to handle this sort of thing, especially when he's pretty sure some "authorities" are tangled up with the badguys, but he doesn't really have a better idea of what Shiho and her friends could do. Running their own esper prison or whatever else would probably be a huge mess and terrible in ways he hasn't really thought through.
"...is, uh... ev'rybody else a'right?"
He takes a second to sit up a little more and look around. Now that Shiho's safe, he can remember that, oh yeah, other people exist and may have been in danger or something.
and then lateness strikes again.....
Yet.
But they'd happily keep the option open. Shiho smiles as best as she can, letting her cheeks be squished as Aoi sees that there's nothing wrong with her that some supplementary saline solution couldn't fix. Kagari gives Tetsuo a glance, then shrugs. He's not one for the authorities either but Kaoru had made the good point that they didn't have a jail and simply "getting rid of them" was no longer allowed.
All around them the rest of the clones seem to be gone, the teams of espers splitting again into reconnaissance and recovery, some winking out of view in order to do a final sweep of the rest of the ship.
Aoi and Kaoru though had not missed the way Shiho curls against Tetsuo, nor did they miss the arm he still has around her waist. Kaoru grins conspiratorially at Tetsuo now, oh-so-casually floating off the ground, resting her hand on his shoulder, "Hm.... distracted, huh?"
Never too late, always eager for your tags <3
He's more than a little comforted to see Shiho's friends fussing over her protectively. He definitely wouldn't have had the bandwidth to think about anything else that's going on without knowing she has so many people who can do so much supporting her. He's still caught totally off guard by the hand on his shoulder, and he blinks clueless at Kaoru.
"Huh..? .....o-oh, eheheheh, well... that's..."
He ducks his head and grins sheepishly, blushing and ruffling his hair vigorously.
"Just, uh... real glad Shiho's okay, yanno?"
Obviously a gross understatement and doesn't address him just now remembering she's not all there is to think about, but what else's he supposed to say?
no subject
Just like she is right now, cheshire grin widening as she watches Shiho's boyfriend blush profusely, "Aww~ You two are so cute~"
Shiho gives her a mock pout, "No teasing Tetsu."
But she needed this. This normality. Even with Aoi tutting as she takes a bag of saline solution passed to her from another teammate, her hands glowing as she sets them on Shiho's arm and uses her powers to transport them steadily into Shiho's bloodstream.
Another one of their teammates places their hands on Shiho's head, carefully assessing for signs of stress on her psychic core, for any other hidden injuries, and getting a firm, psychic, highly impatient thought of "are we done here yet" from Shiho. But they aren't.
{aaaand timeskip, hope that's okay!!!}
It takes much too long, Shiho having to get properly checked over, even the smallest injuries carefully treated before Tetsuo and her are allowed to leave. But at least she feels less shaky, even if she'll still use the opportunity to lean against him as he walks her back to her room on the Catastrophe.
"....are.... you doing okay?"
Because she'd seen the way he'd panicked, seen the anguish he'd gone through when there was the possibility she was gone forever.
no subject
That's the farthest thing from his mind, though, with Shiho cuddling up against him and safe and her friends cheerfully teasing them both, and he grins and laughs bashfully. Even if Shiho's defending him from teasing (which itself is fills him to bursting with affection for her) he really likes the sound of her friends regarding them as a cute couple, and Shiho being pouty just makes it an even more charming scene.
* * * * *
Far be it from Tetsuo to ever begrudge Shiho the opportunity to lean into him all she likes. He's already feeling much better, knowing she's so well cared for and that she's safe, and he blinks at that question, living in the moment and clueless about what she's referring to.
"Uh..? Y-yeah, 'course!"
He grins cheerfully, squeezing her a little closer for a second as he escorts her to her room. He is really good at taking the bad feelings and putting them in a box and hiding them out of sight, though, so her concern is probably valid, even if he's not seeing it at the moment. His good mood does dampen a little, though, as he thinks about it.
"Anyways, I oughta be askin' you that. ...must'a been..."
He trails off, not sure what to call it. Scary? Maybe, but he credits Shiho with a lot of bravery, and even if it was scary, would it really help to bring it up? What else could he call it? Frustrating? Infuriating?
"...Idunno, some kinda bullshit."
Not the most eloquent even for Tetsuo, but it does at least sum up concisely how he imagines he'd feel about it, without prompting her to feel vulnerable about it.