['kinder than he has to be', huh. normally, that would be a bad thing. just yet another way of Itsuki minimizing his desires in order to please someone else. but this time... it's not like that, he knows. he made his desires clear. and buzen had made his clear too. he wants to keep him close even now. but it's this version of buzen, not the version that'll just make itsuki happy, without thinking of himself.]

Mm, okay.

[it's both an acknowledgement and a thank you. he thinks about all the other things he could say, but those are the kinds of things he can say after -- after roxana makes a decision. he could stand here and ask her not to hurt him, threaten or coax or beg, and a part of him wants to, so badly.

he knows buzen very well, he knows roxana less. but he likes them both. he thinks about buzen's confused expression when itsuki had told him that he and roxana were similar.

they are. itsuki wonders if they'll realize that,]

I won't lie to you. I feel pretty conflicted even now, but... [he shrugs, maybe that's to be expected from someone who got black out drunk and thought buzen abandoned him] Maybe that's because it's not something I understand very well -- fighting for someone, or having a reason to fight.