[Much like the laughter, light and airy and believing, the reciprocation comes as a punch that stuns him. More than before, Komaeda stands there, completely motionless—as if moving would break this moment, and cause the universe to collapse on itself.

Sure, the feeling of love has been there for longer than either of them likely realized, mutual but never talked about openly. But the last thing Komaeda ever expected was to hear it so blatantly... How many times had he told Atem he's loved him and never gotten a response? (Three times, that's how many.)

He feels, in that moment, like he did when they were flying. When their souls entwined and their hearts drew in close to one another, and the world around them didn't matter, because it was all about the person there with them. It feels like the quest to become a werewolf is forgotten, like the mouth to the deadly lager woods is nothing more than a fairy tale forest, and all that matters, singularly, is that they love each other.

Sea glass shards roll down Komaeda's cheeks faster than he can realize he's even crying, and when he does, he's quick to touch at his cheeks and catch a few.]

O-Oh, [he finally finds his voice, and then exhales a laugh,] sorry, Atem-kun... I'm not upset, I promise...!

[Maybe a part of him is, because loving each other isn't the same as being able to be together... Not when Ryou has only ever talked to him about it in hypotheticals, and the situation is more complicated than what simple love can conquer.]

I'm just happy to finally hear it... I never thought I would...