At some point, the word ‘love’ had lost all meaning.

 

‘I love you.’

Shuzo had lost count of how many times he’d been told those three little words. He was sure some of the people who spoke them had meant it, but after so many times of having the words used like a tool against him, as a weapon, no matter who spoke them, they just rang hollow in his ears.

They were nothing but a farce.

 

His eyes followed Rom as he moved around the kitchen, preparing breakfast.

They were up at an ungodly hour, all because Shuzo had to leave for an off-planet tour early in the morning.

He had told Rom that he didn’t need to get up at the same time, but here he was, eggs sizzling in the frying pan on the stove, Rom drumming a beat against the edge of the stove. Because he’d wanted to spend what limited time they had alongside him.

Even if it was just twenty minutes, hardly worth waking up so early for.

He couldn’t remember the last time someone had gone out of their way just to spend such a short moment with him, just to do something as mundane as cooking him breakfast.

It made Shuzo’s chest fill with pesky butterflies, refusing to leave him alone.

 

He didn’t think he’d ever be able to trust those words, when spoken aloud.

But maybe, when put into action, it was something he could believe in.

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