She hears him move closer to the door, and she tenses, worrying that he might try to push it open. But he only stops and speaks through it. Her shoulders relax again, but not the tight knot in her stomach.
"I think so. I might be," she answers back. A lie, but one made out of kindness. But he offers to stay the night, and she worries about that. "You don't have to stay. I'll be alright. I'll go to bed early and get some rest. You don't need to worry."
He frowns. He does so need to worry. "You swear it's not anything bad? I don't want to leave if you're going to have trouble getting around in the middle of the night." He imagines coming back around in the morning and finding her collapsed and he almost does push through that door, almost. He forces himself a little further away.
"You should at least have something. I'm pretty sure there's some kinda rule about that." Should take him a second to heat some soup up. He can do that much.
"It's not that bad. I promise." That's.. not technically a lie. She still feels bad for telling it, though.
He presses her about the food, and she frowns down at the floor. She didn't really expect him to put up this much of a fuss... but maybe she should have. "I'm not hungry right now. I'll eat something later, after I rest."
He huffs a little. If it's really not that bad then she can handle some food. He walks off, heading for the fridge and tugging it open. Doesn't take him long to find a little leftover miso, saved from his ravenous hunger to be served another day. It'll work.
He dumps the remains of it into a pot and starts upon reheating it. All the while, he gets a glass of water for her and a tray to set it all on, but even doing that there's still some time spent standing by. His eyes fall back on the fridge.
"Hey, did something happen to that picture? It didn't slip from the magnet did it?"
She hears him walk away, only to start fussing around in the kitchen. For her? For him? She's not sure, but it's impossible to put it out of her mind. At least it gives her a moment to try and clear her head. Up until she hears him call out about the picture.
She stiffens a little again, this time glancing back at the picture on her bedside table.
She takes a deep breath. "No, I brought it in here."
That quiets him a moment. If she brought the photo with her, it was clearly so she could look at it. Look at the family she's missing.
He pours the heated miso into the bowl, then goes to clean out the pot for her. He sets it to dry, then says, "...I know it's been a while. Longer than it should've been. But I'm not going to stop looking for the way back. I will find the way. And you'll be back home to them soon. I swear it."
He picks up the tray and carries it over, setting it down outside the door like he-- Ichigo would do for Rukia once upon a time. "There's miso out here on the floor. And some water too. I'm gonna go now." He hesitates. "Good night, Mom."
He doesn't say anything immediately, and she thinks that might be enough. Whatever he makes of that, he doesn't seem to have any more questions. For a few semi-blissful seconds, the only tension in her is the knot of anxious panic from earlier.
Then he speaks again, bringing fresh tears to her eyes. She feels like her heart is breaking. Home. That what he thinks this is about. How many times has he promised that to her now? Knowing that he'd be going back to a half life. How did she ever think that was okay?
It takes all that she has not to let those tears reach her voice. "Thank you. Good night."
She doesn't say anything to that other stuff, but he can't blame her. At some point there isn't much to say. Given enough time all his promises are going to start to seem hollow. And isn't that apt?
He thinks to offer her that empty picture frame, but he's already lingered long enough. He steps out the door of her home. With a bag of books and papers, meant for games and useless gestures born of naivety, he heads on toward his own empty house.
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Date: 2018-08-23 12:52 am (UTC)"I think so. I might be," she answers back. A lie, but one made out of kindness. But he offers to stay the night, and she worries about that. "You don't have to stay. I'll be alright. I'll go to bed early and get some rest. You don't need to worry."
no subject
Date: 2018-08-23 01:04 am (UTC)"You should at least have something. I'm pretty sure there's some kinda rule about that." Should take him a second to heat some soup up. He can do that much.
no subject
Date: 2018-08-23 01:30 am (UTC)He presses her about the food, and she frowns down at the floor. She didn't really expect him to put up this much of a fuss... but maybe she should have. "I'm not hungry right now. I'll eat something later, after I rest."
no subject
Date: 2018-08-23 01:41 am (UTC)He dumps the remains of it into a pot and starts upon reheating it. All the while, he gets a glass of water for her and a tray to set it all on, but even doing that there's still some time spent standing by. His eyes fall back on the fridge.
"Hey, did something happen to that picture? It didn't slip from the magnet did it?"
no subject
Date: 2018-08-23 01:56 am (UTC)She stiffens a little again, this time glancing back at the picture on her bedside table.
She takes a deep breath. "No, I brought it in here."
no subject
Date: 2018-08-23 02:07 am (UTC)He pours the heated miso into the bowl, then goes to clean out the pot for her. He sets it to dry, then says, "...I know it's been a while. Longer than it should've been. But I'm not going to stop looking for the way back. I will find the way. And you'll be back home to them soon. I swear it."
He picks up the tray and carries it over, setting it down outside the door like he-- Ichigo would do for Rukia once upon a time. "There's miso out here on the floor. And some water too. I'm gonna go now." He hesitates. "Good night, Mom."
no subject
Date: 2018-08-23 02:41 am (UTC)Then he speaks again, bringing fresh tears to her eyes. She feels like her heart is breaking. Home. That what he thinks this is about. How many times has he promised that to her now? Knowing that he'd be going back to a half life. How did she ever think that was okay?
It takes all that she has not to let those tears reach her voice. "Thank you. Good night."
no subject
Date: 2018-08-23 02:51 am (UTC)He thinks to offer her that empty picture frame, but he's already lingered long enough. He steps out the door of her home. With a bag of books and papers, meant for games and useless gestures born of naivety, he heads on toward his own empty house.