[h2]Mako Moritomi//Game Over Arcade[/h2]
[h3]Monday, July 6, 2015[/h3]

[hr]

Mako's breath caught in his throat as he spotted Sato making his way over to him, and for a moment, he was caught up in the old emotional standby, the desire to run and hide, to avoid confronting his problems in the hopes of avoiding more pain. These he crushed quickly, composing himself as much as possible. He would not run away, not again. He knew what was waiting for him at the end of that path, and even if he crashed and burned here, it was better than having never tried at all. Still, this was going to be more difficult than he originally anticipated- with one look, all of the carefully-composed words he'd been formulating in his head had crumbled like a sand castle in the tide, and he was left with nothing but confusingly-intense emotions rattling around in his head. How did people tolerate this?

He took another deep breath, mustering up all the focus he possessed. He was doing this, speech or no.

"Hey," said Sato quietly, walking up to him. Mako bit his tongue to avoid jumping him with his confession right then and there.

[color=0076a3][i]Steady on, Moritomi. You'll get your chance.[/i][/color] He smiled up at his senpai, trying to keep his nerves from showing, and probably doing a less-than-stellar job of it. Sato shuffled slightly, then spoke up again.

"Mako, I... how are you doing? Are you okay, after yesterday? It felt like the longest the team's been in the mirror world..."

Mako frowned slightly. Right... that had happened. He shook off the leftover nerves from that situation, and shrugged back at Sato.

[color=0076a3]"As well as I can be, I suppose. I mean, we did it, we're alive, and so are the victims, but... it's still kinda crazy. Doesn't really seem real, even now."[/color] He bit his lip in thought. [color=0076a3]"Still, I'm glad to hear that not every... [i]excursion[/i] is like that. Felt like we were there for days, instead of hours.

"...Actually, uh... that's part of why I wanted to talk to you today."[/color] Mako felt his face practically ignite as he psyched himself up to proceed. He looked up at Sato, who was averting his eyes for some reason. Mako glanced around briefly, checking to see that they were mostly alone, then continued. [color=0076a3][i]Here we go...[/i]

"Yesterday... however low a chance there was of it happening, we could have died. And despite making it out this time, we might not be so lucky later. Especially if this cult keeps escalating their... tactics... the way that they've been. And it's put some things in perspective for me."[/color]

Was he doing this right? Was this going to work? Only way to move was forward...

[color=0076a3]"See... when I faced my Shadow... one of the problems it made me come to grips with was... honesty. The lack thereof, so to speak. I'm so scared of being hurt that I bury how I really feel under a mask, that sort of thing. Before I experienced that, before I met you and Rui and everyone else... I'd probably be doing the same thing here that I did before. But I don't want that. At all, ever again. I want what I say and do to... to mean something. To be real.

"So... this is me, being real. I... I like you, Sato. Like, [i]like you,[/i] intensely, dramatically, beyond typical senpai-kouhai bullshit. And if either of us died before I got the chance to say this to you, I'd never forgive myself for being such a coward. So... I like you. And, forgive me for being forward or presumptuous, but... I think you like me, too. And I'd... very much like it... if we could, um... date. Like... officially. That's, uh... yeah."[/color]

By this time, Mako was staring fixedly at his shoes, face burning scarlet, barely getting the words out.

[color=0076a3]"So, I, uh... I guess the only question is... if you feel the same way. 'Cause if you do, I-I'd very much like to, ah... see where this goes. That's all."[/color]

There it was. He'd said it. Nothing else for it but to see how Sato took it.

[@Sen]