[kaeya is silent for a bit, running his thumb over roman's hand in thought. he doesn't get offended that roman calls him selfish - it's true, after all. every single word of what roman says is true. he turns and presses a kiss to roman's head, bracing a cold hand against his heated face. he never, ever wants to make roman cry, but he's afraid this conversation will do just that.]

You're not wrong about that.

[a mirthless chuckle.]

But- I've got you, right? And I'll always have you, even when we leave this world.

[a hilariously accurate statement, since they'll both be "dead" and stuck in a simulation but you know he doesn't quite know that yet.

just as he doesn't quite see his codependence on roman, grasping for and clinging onto the only person who's known his whole story and still accepted him. the only person who would still love him as a snail. he'd do anything, anything for roman (well, except talking to diluc, hilariously the only thing roman would ever ask of him to do) with little to no questions asked.

as long as he has roman, it's okay if he has no one else, right???]

...Right?