one
Rien generally had several days of notice when he was being sent out on a mission, but once in a while there were special circumstances. He got a call of the kind he had begun to dread just a few days later – in the middle of the night. That was never a good sign, in fact it was an extraordinarily bad sign.
He’d taken his phone out into the other room to answer it, going over to stare out at the garden through the window of the back door. About all he could say was yes and no and I understand and listen to what sounded like the voice of doom. Shinji was not going to like this. At ALL.
one
Rien had walked until he felt a little more normal again, going to sit on the swings like Kippei had suggested, because Kippei knew him a little too well sometimes. He had wanted to call his mother, but decided to refrain from waking her up at 5am, and then having to try and explain why.
one
Life started to develop a soothing rhythm and Shinji let it settle comfortably into place, the steady ease of it helping him adjust to living in general. His absorption in his studies and archery and new friends was so complete that he didn’t notice at first what was going on.
All he knew was that he kept waking up, over and over one night with no warning, from horrendous nightmares of the crash. The sort of dreams he hadn’t had for months. The kind that had him waking choking on a silent scream, sweating madly and terrified.
one hundred sixty
Rien was so completely and fervently grateful to be home again that it was almost surprising to him, and for a few days he just soaked it in, settling back into familiar routines and relearning everyone else’s schedules as Kippei and Shinji went back to school and work.
He himself had to deal with work to some extent as well, but he ignored it as much as possible because he was already reluctant to think about when he might have to go away again. He would never have dreamed of himself becoming a homebody, but his little family was wrapped tightly around his heartstrings now, and he would just as soon never have to leave them again.
one
Shinji thought he was managing pretty well. He was definitely dealing better than he had in the past. Kippei went to school for the day and he stayed home with Hyun-ki, who had been enough of a distraction that he’d managed not to think too much about anything besides having fun with her. Rien would be fine; it was a mantra he forced to go around and around in his head throughout the day, along with he’ll be home soon.
one
They had lazed in the hot water for a little bit, but they were both tired and Kippei nudged Shinji out of the hot tub finally, leaving their clothes where they had dropped them and wrapping a towel around him, drying him off a bit and then carrying him inside, not wanting to let go of him even long enough to get inside and get into bed, sliding into the smooth satin sheets that had been Shinji’s Christmas present and cradling him close, luxuriating in the lingering feeling of connectedness, tangled naked together beneath the sheets.
one
Shinji and Hyun-ki slept until dinner and Kippei let them, figuring the more of Rien being gone that they could sleep through, the better. And besides, if he was going to be making dinner, he didn’t really need any witnesses. Usually he let Shinji do this kind of thing when Rien wasn’t home, but he wasn’t up to it today – probably, and in any case Kippei wanted to do it for him, just… because.
Continue reading ‘one’
one
As soon as the car pulled up in his old drive, Shinji felt his stomach knot and butterflies erupt. It felt both like coming home and like stepping into the lion’s den, neither feeling appreciated since home was with Kippei and Rien, not here anymore. But then the door flew open and Sada was rushing out, dressed in the strangest outfit Shinji had ever seen and he laughed, climbing out to meet her.
“What are you supposed to be, the mad hatter?”
one
Shinji didn’t sleep the night before Rien had to leave. He was stressed and grumpy when Rien and Kippei finally stirred in the morning, well before dawn and he slid out of bed and went to shower, needing to scrub at the sleepy feeling of his skin, rubbing it so hard he was red and raw and then wrapping himself tightly in Kippei’s dressing gown and going to sit grumpily on the end of the bed while Rien got up.
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