They fell into silence, but it was comfortable now. Seraphine continued running her fingers through Satou's hair, and he closed his eyes, enjoying the sensation despite his exhaustion.
"Your partners," Seraphine finally said. "Lyra and Jessica. They won't mind if you add me?"
"They'll want to meet you first," Satou replied. "Make sure you're not trying to manipulate or corrupt me. But if you're genuine, if you show them the person you've shown me right now, they'll accept you. They both understand I care about people easily and form connections quickly."
"I've never had to get approval from someone's existing partners before," Seraphine admitted. "Usually I'm the one doing the approving when I add someone to my collection."
"See, that phrasing—'my collection'—that's what we need to move away from," Satou said gently. "People aren't collectibles. They're individuals with their own agency. If we do this, I'm not joining your collection. You're joining my family."
