24. “You’re the only one I trust to do this."

Nagisa has learnt not to trust humans. After all, he had loved so many with all his heart, trusted them to love him as much as he cherished them, and he had been loved back for a while. But in his experience, there is an expiration date on love, every single time. There is a limit to how many heartbeats one could dedicate to a person.
With puppies like him, it was different. Some were friendly, others were less than. But they all looked out for each other, and they all cared for him.
So why is he slowly starting to open up again to a human? This one looks so formal, but so… kind. Nagisa doesn’t understand love, and why he seems to respond so well to it. He is just so afraid of getting torn away from it again. He is just so afraid of finding himself left alone on a deserted street, under the rain, whining at the moon for an explanation.
But still, he also realizes that each day brings with itself new smiles, new petting and new love from this strange boy. It brings him clean fur, a kind hand caressing his cheek, a warm and soft bed and pillow to sleep on. Nagisa seems to understand the tongue of love again, despite having been betrayed for no reason.
Maybe Rei is different, he tells himself. Maybe Rei can truly cure him from his broken heart. Maybe some words are all he needs to be alright again.
Maybe this is the right person, the one only for him, the one who would always rescue him from his sad times, the one who could teach him trust once more, and not break him this time.
Maybe Rei, the human, the boy with glasses who seems to juggle his time really well between him and studying, he is the one and only chance he has left to be pure and happy again. Maybe he’s not like that girl who left him alone, maybe he is different like, he knows, humans are from one another.
Maybe he can be the sole one left to teach him affection again, because Nagisa has given chances, and this is the last one.