A ringing in his ears woke a certain green haired Vestal from light sleep. Groaning, he ran a hand through his hair then massaged where his head throbbed. He didn't have to guess, he knew it was somewhere around 11 and it'd be another hour before he had the energy to get up and face two other Vestals. He wondered how many days it had been now that he'd done this, how many nights he'd gone with little to no sleep. Last night had been one of the better nights, but the whole thing was getting to him more and more.
With a sigh, Ace Grit opened up his gray eyes and glanced at the clock. To his surprise, it was already closer to noon. With a quiet curse, he sat up slowly and rubbed the back of his neck. He tossed off the blankets and swung his legs over the side of the bed, the light through the blinds playing across his simple night attire and finely tanned skin. His head was already spinning and while his thoughts were crowded, he couldn't make out a single coherent piece of it all. Sleep, he thought with an odd smile, had a funny way of clearing the mind and, without it, one was left to an odd blur of consciousness like this. He got up, got dressed and went out without incident.
Just as they had been all the days before, Mira was plugging away at the computer, passively expressing her annoyance at Ace's habits. Baron on the other hand, was a bit less subtle and, thankfully, much less irritable. "Breakfast," the pink haired, darker skinned boy began, sheepishly glancing at the girl, searching for any sort of warning of an outburst, before continuing, "is still on the table for you. I made some-" He went on about the unnecessarily large meal he had prepared for the three of them, as he had every day, but Ace didn't listen. His head was still groggy. Baron, of course, didn't pick up the hint and went on until he ran out of things to say.
An awkward silence followed the tall boy's conclusion. While there was probably a noticeable amount of tension, Ace had long since numbed himself to it. With a voice that reflected how he felt, he replied evenly, "thanks," and went into the dining area. He, as well as Baron, expected Mira to say something. However, Ace got to the safety of the dining room without incident. He ate, thankful that Baron was as good and as generous of a cook as he was. While both he and Mira could cook, Baron seemed to have a natural knack for it, which, he supposed, made sense with his home situation.
Again, without incident, he finished his food and cleaned up after himself. Things were going awfully well, Ace thought to himself. He wondered what was going through the other's heads. He figured he'd ask Baron first chance he got. While Baron wasn't the best at reading a situation, he was honest and could at least be trusted to not burst out...sometimes. He shook his head and sighed, wondering for the millionth time if he was doing the right thing. His hands unconsciously tightened around the mug he had been rinsing off.
"So are you just gonna stand there and let the water run?" The voice caught him by surprise, causing him to jump. While under normal circumstances he would have cursed himself, the small chuckle he received convinced him it was for the best.
"No," he said, matching the tone. Then, after a measured pause, "are you just gonna stand there and stare at me," he smirked as he turned to her, "Mira?" He set the mug down and leaned back casually against the sink.
As he hoped, she rolled her eyes playfully at him. "No," she said with a tad bit more sass. As he had feared, things got quiet again after that. The tension returned, and this time, he felt its full weight. He was about to try and break the silence, but she got to it first. "Are you really gonna just leave?" she asked, looking at something closer and not at him. With a bit more hurt in her voice, she added, "after everything? You're just going to..." She trailed off, knowing his answer.
"Mira," he began in an almost sing-song tone, but more sad sounding, like he was defending himself. He was, in a way, but it didn't make things any better for either of them. Any, he mentally corrected himself, seeing Baron just almost out of sight in the doorway into the room. A new wave of guilt knotted his stomach. While he was set on his course of action, it didn't make things any easier. Nothing made this any easier.
He waited too long to continue. "You still haven't even told us why!" she blurted out, sounding more hurt than angry. She caught the mistake too and recoiled almost as violently as she had burst out.
In an almost identical tone, he tried again, "Mira-"
"No! Don't-" it was too late for him to defend himself, not that he had any defense. But, to his more or less benefit, she didn't have any real argument. "-give me that," she finished after a hesitant moment. The rage and hurt was gone. He tone was nothing but what it was: an inconclusive conclusion. There was nothing left to say except to finish what had been started. They both, no, they all knew it.
Baron was still standing quietly in the hallway. He hadn't figured out he had been noticed. Still, it was odd seeing the usually rowdy boy so quiet. Somehow it hurt even more that way than if Baron had also been in here trying to convince him to stay. It meant he knew there was no point. It meant he had accepted it, despite both Mira and himself being in denial.
He sighed once again, unable to look at either of them. "Mira," he began once more, this time in a quieter, equally defeated voice, "I told you, this," he stuttered, "this hero thing... just isn't for me." He straightened up. If he had anything to hold onto, it was his pride in being the "man" of the situation, whatever that meant. Neither of the other two were expected to be strong if he left in some sorry state. It was the only thing he could do to give them any closure. With a matter of fact flatness, he finished, "I just don't want to do this anymore. Back when we were the rebels it was all fun and exciting but... We're basically just politics and legend at this point, and I can't sit still and be pretty anymore." He had gained momentum, and it helped, even if it was just a facade, "it's not like I'm never comin' back," he smiled at her, hoping it would help, but he didn't flinch when it didn't, "I'm just... doing what's good for me."
"You gotta spread your wings," a voice suddenly floated in from the hallway. It was Mira's turn to jump. "And once your done," the taller boy stepped, an almost out of place but familiar smile on his face, "you're gonna come back, am I right?"
He didn't see her reaction, but he knew it was what Baron needed to hear, regardless of the truth to the statement. "Yeah," he said confidently, taking a step toward the other boy, "of course." Baron stepped forward and raised an arm. Ace returned the gesture, bumping fists with him. He didn't turn back to see Mira until he got to the door. He looked casually over his shoulder, taking in the sight of his two best friends in that small, cramped dining room. With his signature smile, he said, closing out all the tension that had been blocking them from each other these passed countless days, "I'll be back."
He left before either of the two could say anything. Not that they did. This time, even Baron got the hint.