[ of course her loudest, most negative thoughts were wrong. When he'd come to Kaisou, met his new co-workers, he'd settled in for the idea that he'd only ever be a benchman again. Quietly reserved to do only the bare minimum field work--and yet, his first job on arrival had been with her.
And then ever since, he'd never had to... go Solo. It was so different for him, how could he not be smitten with the person who stuck by his side, regardless of how many times he made a fool of himself, how many times he could have messed up even the easiest of jobs?

She'd made herself so... important in his every day life that hearing those simple words--they're elation in spoken form. He holds her tightly to him, shifting to take one of her hands, to hold it over his chest--where his heartbeat is actually comfortably notable under her fingertips. He raises his head to look at her with bright blue eyes. a small squeeze of her fingers and another breathless little laugh. ]

I.
I almost can't believe I'm hearing it. But I believe you.
I--
I love you, too. I love you so much--I've been so. Nervous about telling you all this time. Even after a conversation with Husk, the one thing that pulled me through was being determined to prove that my heart was set on you.
And only you.

I --wondered if it was too early, but.
If you feel that way, too.
Then.

I don't have any worries anymore.
I can say it as many times as I hear it.
I love you, too. My beautiful Lapis de Fiore.