Manzo stared out at the ocean, not truly wanting to look her in the eye. For fear of breaking down into a fit of tears. The truth of the matter was, he did not believe that he could have changed the trajectory of her life. He was fraught with guilt for everything that he had missed.
He handed her the bottle at her request, knowing that this wasn't going to be a fun talk for either of them. If he could compare it to anything, it would be something akin to having his lacrima implanted. Having something removed, but gaining something all at the same time.
He placed his hand on top of hers. Her touch made him feel something, that only she could accomplish. The total and complete undressing, and destruction of every wall he had ever tried to erect to keep others out.
"You were my light, when I thought I could only achieve in darkness." He said sniffling a bit. He had never expressed his emotions to another person who wasn't her, so he felt fine being vulnerable. Even if he knew her disdain for weak men at times. Hopefully she would be willing to make an exception for him, just this once, he would only need one good time. He had seven years to gather how he felt about her, and the time they spent together all those years ago.
"I was trying so hard to drench myself in darkness, and in power. So that what happened to me when I was a child, never happened again." He did not remember how much detail he had gone into with her, about how he was brought up in that small rice village, continents away from here.
"I remember how our nights together were spent with you making fun of my face. How i'd get wrinkles early if I didn't stop my constant frowning." He said with a small chuckle, a single tear running down his cheek.
Again with the water works, he could do nothing but laugh at himself even through the emotional turmoil he was going through, bringing up all these repressed feelings and emotions. "I remember you telling me, that one day you'd give me something to smile about."
She used to be full of little remarks like that, he chalked it up to her being a very idealistic teenager. But seeing as how the two of them were adults now, and still having the same conversations, whats old, truly does become new again.