Quote Originally Posted by InTheMachine View Post
November 1st
Keith
While Drake listens to what Keith has to say, it doesn’t really seem to make a difference to the South Side Team Lead. He stays pensive, with one hand in his hair. He sighs again, but eventually nods.

“If you didn’t set it up as a date and she called it one, that’s a good sign. She could have just left after the battle and not said anything to you.”

Drake leans back. “If you want to listen to me and Sophia’s argument, I’m not going to stop you. Mimi can record through our comms, and I wear mine pretty much all the time.”

“I’m still…” he starts, narrowing his eyes at the sidewalk. “I know Yuki cares about me, but what if that’s just like… Stockholm Syndrome? Or what if she was just too scared to tell me no after I had that argument with Calvin, and she didn’t actually want to be in a relationship?”

“Sophia really ****ed with me, man,” he mutters. “You’re right. I’m not like this. But I really care about Yuki. If she’s better off without me, then maybe I shouldn’t be with her.”
Keith sees how Drake is responding and looks at the ground for a moment. Seems like he couldn’t find the right words to use. If only he had John’s gift for this thing. Knowing exactly what to say would be a godsend right now. He sighed as Drake nodded.

At his response about the “date”, Keith grinned and leaned forward. He sucked in air as his ribs still felt the pain from earlier. He may have been healed by… whatever it was but he still felt it.

“That makes this better then.” He said with a bit of relief. “True, just, wasn’t sure if she was bein’ nice or just worried. Maeve is definitely one of a kind.” He couldn’t help but keep smiling thinking about everything they had talked about at Coffee Knight. It had made his day and he forgot the pain in his body for a few moments again.

“Thank you, Drake. This is gonna be a bit of a first so…. I have no idea what all I’m doin’.”

He tilts his head as Drake says he can listen to the recording. He was also a bit surprised that Mimi recorded everything too. “Mimi, would you mind playing it for me, please and thank you? Can throw up my visor if I need to see anythin’ too.” He says into the commlink after Drake gives his permission.

He tilts his head and nods as Drake continues. This certainly wasn’t an easy subject and the second time this had happened too. Something must be in the water at West Side. At the mention of Stockholm Syndrome, Keith shakes his head.

“I doubt it would be. Afterall, you haven’t, to my knowledge at least,” Keith says and holds up a hand to show that he is being impartial and talking about his own experiences around Drake.” You haven’t been in a position to abuse power over her. Granted you are the Team Lead of South Side, I’ve seen you treat everyone there fairly. And you put yourself in the line of fire for them.”

“Plus,” Keith holds up a finger. “The argument with Calvin was started by him. Yeah it started because you moved on your feelin’s after they had gone out once, but he is the one that flew off the handle.If anyone there would have scared her, it would have been him.” Keith shook his head. “Not to speak ill of the dead though.”

“Now to tell you what Yuki was strugglin’ with that day, the first thing she mentioned was how long she had a crush on you. She’s had a feeling about you for two years. Two years man. The same amount of time tha-” Keith stopped himself for a second and then realized there was no power over him in that situation now. Not anymore. “The same amount of time Kylie had for Zack.”

Keith shrugged. “You don’t just say yes out of fear in that situation. You do it out of excitement. I’m certain just from what we had talked about that day, she wanted the relationship. I’ll bet money on it.” He said with a wide grin.

“Drake, and again don’t get mad at me for this but if your head wasn’t so hard I’d smack you. Sophia doesn’t know Yuki any better than she knows anyone else here. And if anythin’, that shows me not all angels are as nice as Seraph, or Harbinger.” Keith shakes his head. “I don’t know how Yuki was before y’all’s relationship, but she’s definitely happy. Should have seen how she talked with Mr. Ashford too. She blushed and smiled every time your name came up.”

“All ya gotta do is ask her if she is happy. I’ll bet the answer is a resounding yes.” Keith narrows his eyes at the ground. “They use Stockholm Syndrome and Trauma Bonding as a means to get some people deeply invested in the Empire. Please trust me when I say that wouldn’t be the case here.”

He sighed. "And if you want, I'll talk with Yuki and get you the proof."