keepsthefire | IC Contact

[She's not the only one, and luckily for her, acting calm actually makes him react in the same way. Normally he would have kept going, but he was still pretty damn exhausted, too, and had just started getting over the affects of being without food, water, sleep or shelter for almost a week.

He lets out a breath, shoulders slumping and a hand dragging through his hair.]

It still doesn't feel right to me... but I don't wanna argue either.

[ She moves forward and takes one of his hands into her own, squeezing it gently and tugging him in the direction he had pedaled in from. ]

Tell you what. You owe me dinner. Sometime. I know ingredients are kind of limited right now, but whenever we have a good selection that won't put us totally out of food for a while, you can make me dinner.

It probably won't feel like enough, but it's something.

[This isn't really her accepting his apology, but he figures with how she's talking it's the closest he's going to get. Even if it doesn't feel completely right...

But somewhere in his mind he does know that he's also being unreasonably hard on himself.]

... I was thinkin' about goin' to Foodland anyway. Not sure what I'm gonna find, but it's worth a shot.

[Yup just letting himself get pulled along.]

[ She doesn't really feel like there's anything to apologize for. Kohaku rests her head against his shoulder a bit as they walk. Come on, Rin, she's really trying here. ]

Sounds good. Hopefully you'll find something.

[He knows. And he might be blushing a little at the sudden closeness.]

Hopefully.

[He points a finger at her, though.]

You need to get home and rest, though.

[ she looks up at him with a smile, catching his blush. She laughs a little as he tells her to go home and get some rest. ]

Okay, okay. I promise, I will.

Good.

[And now... !

... awkward quiet.]

[ ... yep, this just got awkward.

she'll just keep walking closely with him. they have a pretty long journey ahead of them. ]

[Yeah, they do. And he has no idea what to talk about now that they've argued.]

[ .... ]

Have you gotten any rest?

Huh? Oh. Yeah. I slept for... I'unno had to be a coupla days? Some one dragged me outta the forest when I was still pretty bad off and Yukio found me later. I still don't feel great but he says I'll get over it eventually.

... bein' like, actually sick is... weird.

You don't get sick all that often, do you?

[ Must be those demon genes of his. ]

Mhmn. Yukio was always the one gettin' colds and whatever was goin' around the school. Half the class could be out and even the teacher and I'd be fine...

[He sighs a little, putting his hand up to scratch at his ear]

Even before I knew what I was, I had a lotta things about me that weren't... normal.

Yeah, well, normal is overrated anyway. I'm definitely not normal by any means, and I really wouldn't have it any other way.

[ She smiles at him. It might not make him feel any better, but it's ... encouraging? ]

[Unfortunately it... doesn't. And it shows on his face.]

People hated me, Kohaku. They were afraid of me. I was seven years old and teachers and other kids were callin' me a "demon child".

I haven't met a person yet who had to grow up the way I did.

[ ... She stops, and stops him as well. And then she hugs him again. ]

I'm sorry ... nobody deserves that, least of all someone as good and kindhearted as you are.

[He stops when she does, and even though he doesn't completely return the hug, he doesn't protest it either.]

I keep tellin' you I ain't that nice...

[But he smiles anyway]

... thanks, though. And I've got friends now, that's all that matters, right?

Yeah, you do, and I have yet to actually believe it.

[ She smiles back up at him and nods. ]

You have a lot of friends now.

Well I'm gonna try to not give you any reason to believe it.

I think you'll be fine. It's pretty hard for me to lose faith in someone once I like them.

[ FOREVER OPTIMISTIC. ]

Heh. Good to know.

... we should keep goin'.

Mhm!

[ And off they go! For however long it takes for them to get back to the house. Man, she's gonna be extra tired by the time they're back there ... ]

IC Contact | The Box

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