[It's three days and a lifetime before he stumbles home, clutching blood-drenched clothes in the arm that isn't glitching and wearing ones that aren't his own. He tries his best to make it into his room without being seen, especially not by Haru--and of course he fails.
(Just like he failed to--)
It's hard to face them, much harder than he'd expected. Not necessarily because he'd died--and he did die, he knows, even with his brief time in that other, eerie place. No, it's not because of that. It's because if he'd died at home, protecting his comrades, his family, he wouldn't have had to come back and face anyone afterward. He wouldn't have had to see the heartbreak on their faces, the tears, the dango in the fridge that has been left miraculously untouched.
It's hard, because if this ever happens again, and he doesn't come back? He'll die knowing exactly what they'll do.
First and foremost, before he even showers and changes out of these bizarre clothes, he checks to make sure Leon made it home safely. He asks everyone but Leon until he gets an answer--and maybe a small part of him is relieved, that Leon apparently hadn't tried to contact him. He has a feeling he knows exactly what would've been said, and he isn't up to dealing with that just yet. He isn't ready to face the person he'd tried so hard to protect. Not even in his own mind and heart.
So outside of the sword family, it's Lili who gets contacted first. It's Lili because he can still hope, childishly, that she doesn't know what happened to him. That she never heard he'd died doing exactly what she told him not to do--prioritizing someone else's life over his own. And besides, he owes her an apology.
He doesn't like breaking promises.]
Thank you for the dango. I'm sorry for making you wait.
[It's painfully slow to type with one hand, he's learned, but he's careful not to make any mistakes.]
ugh... my heart...
(Just like he failed to--)
It's hard to face them, much harder than he'd expected. Not necessarily because he'd died--and he did die, he knows, even with his brief time in that other, eerie place. No, it's not because of that. It's because if he'd died at home, protecting his comrades, his family, he wouldn't have had to come back and face anyone afterward. He wouldn't have had to see the heartbreak on their faces, the tears, the dango in the fridge that has been left miraculously untouched.
It's hard, because if this ever happens again, and he doesn't come back? He'll die knowing exactly what they'll do.
First and foremost, before he even showers and changes out of these bizarre clothes, he checks to make sure Leon made it home safely. He asks everyone but Leon until he gets an answer--and maybe a small part of him is relieved, that Leon apparently hadn't tried to contact him. He has a feeling he knows exactly what would've been said, and he isn't up to dealing with that just yet. He isn't ready to face the person he'd tried so hard to protect. Not even in his own mind and heart.
So outside of the sword family, it's Lili who gets contacted first. It's Lili because he can still hope, childishly, that she doesn't know what happened to him. That she never heard he'd died doing exactly what she told him not to do--prioritizing someone else's life over his own. And besides, he owes her an apology.
He doesn't like breaking promises.]
Thank you for the dango. I'm sorry for making you wait.
[It's painfully slow to type with one hand, he's learned, but he's careful not to make any mistakes.]
When would you like to have tea?