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"You did what?"
"I got your cap back."
"Wh... How? He had it."
"I know."
"He said he'd never give it back if I dared to break up with him. Said he'd throw it in the trash, or burn it, or..."
"He didn't. It was still lying up on that fucking wardrobe in the hallway."
"What? Did you... did you break in to get it?"
"Obviously not."
"But then how..."
"I rang the fucking door bell, like any normal person would."
"And he just gave it to you when you asked?"
"Not necessarily."
"Then what... Niragi, what's with your hand? No, don't hide it behind your back, I already saw it. Did you... Did you punch him?"
"..."
"Niragi, you said no more fighting. You promised."
"I asked politely. First. He got pissed at me for some fucking reason and threatened to burn it, just as you said. So I had to make sure that wouldn't happen."
"It's just a stupid cap."
"Doesn't matter. He's got a black eye and I've got a few cracked knuckles, and he eventually decided to leave the cap to me. Problem solved."
"No, don't... Niragi, don't just leave. Please, this... It's not worth you getting hurt over. It's just a cap."
"It's not though."
"What?"
"Just a cap. It's not."
"What?"
"Forget it."
"No, I'm not... I'm not just going to forget it. Look at me. Please. I don't understand?"
"..."
"Please."
"It's yours. So, obviously I had to get it back."
"Why?"
"... because you mean fucking everything to me."
"I... what?"
"Look, just forget it. I promised myself to not do this to you, not now, not after him. You need time to heal, not be pressured by my stupid fucking feelings. They're mine to deal with, so just forget it, okay?"
"I'm not going to just forget it. What did you mean by that?"
"I meant what I fucking said."
"I don't... I don't understand. How... Why?"
"How could I not? It's so fucking easy to, honestly."
"... How long?"
"Doesn't matter."
"Niragi."
"Three years, okay?"
"That's-"
"About as long as we've known each other? Two years longer than that relationship with him lasted? Yeah, I fucking know."
"Why didn't you say something?"
"Because my first priority was helping you see how fucking unhealthy that relationship with him was. Telling you all that shit would have made it even harder for you. You probably would have thought I was doing it for selfish reasons. And I was. Some part of me really, really was. But ultimately, your safety was just way too fucking important to me."
"And before that?"
"Didn't think I deserved you. Still don't...why are you laughing?"
"You went back to my asshole ex-boyfriend's apartment to get my favorite cap out of his stupid abusive claws, and you still think you don't deserve me?"
"..."
"Oh my god, you're so stupid. Do you even know what made me break up with him? Do you know what the final straw was?"
"The fact that he was an invasive, manipulative, gaslighting asshole, hopefully."
"Well, yes. Eventually. But that was really hard to see. Still is. Still think I deserved it, for some reason or another. I know, I know. Working on it! Therapy's already doing wonders, believe me. But no. He told me to write a list of all the reasons he was a better boyfriend than you would ever be. Because I was talking about you a lot, even during the later parts. Even when he would punish me for it. And that list was honestly the very last thing he should have let me focus on, because I think that was the first time in months that I was seeing clearly. And it helped me understand him and the situation I was in so much better than anything else could have."
"I... What?"
"You helped me see. Not in the way you probably wanted me to, not in the way you expected, but you did."
"Tatta...I don’t-"
"I can't give you what we both want. Not right now. I'm sorry. But I want to. Eventually. Because honestly, you mean everything to me, too."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
"... Fuck."
"There's the Niragi I know! Good to see you're still there."
"What do we do now?"
"What we've always done, I suppose. Keep going, be there for each other. We've got that down to an art now, honestly. And eventually, with time, I think we could be something really good."
"Together?"
"Yeah. Always."