[Sometimes, it's very hard for Hijikata not to put himself down, to keep thinking that she deserves so much better than everything he's given her, that there's no way he could ever get this all right.

Sometimes, she says things like that and looks at him like that, and even if it's still hard for him not to, it feels a lot easier than it used to.

His fingers trace their way around her head, to fumble with the cord securing her ponytail and let her hair loose to spill over her shoulders. He hasn't seen her with it down, much.

It's beautiful. She's beautiful.]

I'll try to keep my fool mouth shut and stop ruining the moment, then.

[Besides, he might say something stupid about probably loving her he thinks again, and that'd really ruin things -]

Because I love you too much to let myself fuck this up.