He wished he could say that he didn't care whether she wanted him or not, as long as she was happy. But that just wasn't true. He wanted her to forgive him more than anything. If she could just believe that he didn't think about Naniko nearly as highly as he thought about her, if she could just trust him... But he'd made the sort of mistake that certainly marred his trustworthiness. He hoped she didn't think he was keeping anything else from her. He couldn't imagine the pain of wondering if something else had happened in the basement when he'd found the pale girl high. Kansas had no desire to touch Naniko like that. He wished he could make his mate believe him.
When her stunning eyes flew open and she uttered his name so sweetly, he felt relief begin to wash away his uncertainty. His eyes tentatively followed the swift movement of her hand to his arm, and his skin tingled at the touch. The few days seemed like way too long to go untouched by the girl he loved. He was surprised by how wonderful it felt. Pale eyes flickered from her resting hand to her face, tracing the contours of her features for any lingering signs of anger or resentment. But she looked okay. The start of a smile tugged at the corners of his lips, and he listened to her words with the eagerness of a child waiting to taste the sweetest candy.
He felt the strange tingling of his concealed tears fade. When she had finished speaking, he couldn't contain himself anymore. Kansas leaned closer to her and wrapped her torso in his long arms, resting his face against her cheek for a moment. "N-no, you shouldn't be sorry. You had a good reason... to be upset with me. I'm sorry." He pulled away, his hands resting on her shoulders as he looked into her eyes. "But... I would never hurt you like that. I w-wish you really believed me. I love you," he implored quietly. He waited a few seconds, his eyes downcast, before returning them to gaze at her. "Thank you..." He hoped that would make sense to her. He was thanking her for nothing else but for still wanting him.
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