Hi, guys. :) This is a oneshot requested by kittygirl86 via PM. I had a bit of trouble coming up with subject matter for Andropov x Kluke, since it's sometimes difficult for me to write unless I'm in the mood for it, but I think in the end I'm happy with the final result. In some ways, this could be considered a successor of sorts to Kare no Nozomi, but that one doesn't need to be read to understand Right At Home. WARNING: While it's relatively small, there's a spoiler for Episode 30. Anyway, after the disclaimer, read on!
Disclaimer: I do not own Blue Dragon: Tenkai no Shichi Ryuu, or any other anime or game material related to Blue Dragon. Insert something or other here to make the disclaimer interesting.
Andropov glances at the sun, which is at its highest point. Today had been a good day.
...There was, however, the cake that Kluke had made. He didn't - and still doesn't - really know how to describe what it looked like. (Or, rather, what it was supposed to look like. "Burned lump" might come close as a visual equivalent.) As for the taste... Well, he hadn't been sure if he would live to be thirteen years old for much longer than half a day. But it's been three hours since he ate the (harmful, toxic, poisonous, - spicy?) birthday cake, and he's still alive, so he figures that he's survived the ordeal more or less intact. (Though he may have strange dreams tonight, and for the next few days. Months. Years.)
He twitches a little in horror, then sighs out his discomfort. Birthday or no, sometimes you have to make sacrifices for the people you love.
He blushes a little at the thought, smiling lightly. Even if she inadvertently almost killed him, he appreciates that she would even make a cake for him. He knows that "Kluke" and "cooking" don't get along, so it means a lot to him that she would try anyway.
The front door creaks open - he has to remember to ask Kluke to help him oil the hinges (he wouldn't need help if his legs were working right; he's tired of being sick and even more tired of burdening Kluke - how much longer does he have to wait to be well?) - and he sits up a little straighter as Kluke enters their home. Upon closer inspection, he spies a bundle wrapped in brown paper, tweed string hastily tied around it in a lop-sided knot. His stomach flutters a bit; Andropov is careful to hide his excitement as his mind presumes "birthday present" a bit prematurely and starts trying to figure out what it could be.
"Sorry it took me so long," Kluke's voice is soft as she walks toward him. "I didn't think it would take that much time to clean up, but..." She shakes her head. He can almost read her thoughts; she's thinking about how the... cake... fell in on itself and all over the outdoor table. As Kluke had rushed him inside, insisting that she would take care of it, he'd just been secretly grateful that there wouldn't be any leftovers. "Plus, I needed to get something." She brings out the badly-concealed bundle from behind her back. Or maybe it was never meant to be hidden.
He grins at her. "Should I guess what it is?"
Kluke lets out a light laugh. "You don't have to. I'll tell you." She kneels down in front of him so that their eyes are level, and then places it in his arms. "Open it first."
He blinks a bit - he'd been expecting the explanation now - but sets to work on carefully unwrapping it. He doesn't know why, but something in Kluke's voice keeps him from tearing into it. The brown paper falls open.
And all he can do is stare.
It's a brown blanket, covered in an intricate picture of beadwork. In the center are blue beads that form a diamond shape (light blue, like Alfheim's crystals), and two lines of red beads that rim the diamond. Around the diamond shape are little circles of beads - one grass green, one fuchsia, one lime green, one dark gray, and one lavender. There are darker blue and almost-clear white beads near the edge, connected triangles that look like the grass that the kids draw when they come over. On the very rim are goldenrod-colored beads. They remind him of Rogi-sama's uniform.
Wordlessly, Andropov brushes his hand over the blanket. The material is soft, and his fingers almost sink into it.
"When children turn thirteen, it's considered that they've 'come of age' in Talta Village." Andropov looks up at the sound of her voice. "The elders pick a day that comes after all of the children for that year have had their thirteenth birthday, and that's the day that everyone celebrates. There's singing, some games, eating, all kind of celebrating... And dancing. Lots of dancing." Her eyes are distant, almost glazed, as she speaks - the same way they get whenever she talks about Shu. And Andropov has to remind himself that whatever else is between them, Shu is still her childhood friend, who's been with her for most of her life; he can't imagine what it must be like to be apart from him, from someone who's been by your side for as long as you can remember.
Kluke has given up so much to be with him here and help with his recovery...
Andropov can only hope that he could do half as much as she's done for him.
She gives him a warm smile. "There are many things that are done to celebrate the Coming-of-age Ceremony... And one thing is that each thirteen-year-old receives a beaded blanket from their family. The colors of the beads represent the teenager, along with colors to show the family members and people that are close to them."
He looks at the blanket as if seeing it for the first time. The colors of the Shadows of the ones close to him... Light blue and red, for himself and Kluke. Fuchsia; Cynthia. Lime green; Lemaire. Dark gray; Gilliam. Lavender; Schneider... And the grass green and goldenrod must be for Rogi. Rogi-sama...
But the dark blue and white beads... What do those mean?
As if hearing his thoughts, Kluke brushes over said beads and says, "These are for the mountains. It isn't necessary to include a place, and it's even a little unusual... But I thought it was important, so I sewed them in."
Andropov stares at her fingers, coming to a realization. The bandages around them... He'd just presumed that while Kluke had made the cake, she'd had a repeat of the potato incident of a year ago (which no one was allowed to talk about beyond saying the words "potato incident" anyway). But now that he looked closer, he knew, instinctively, that she'd cut herself sewing and hadn't - and probably still wouldn't - say a word about it.
And it's a day for understanding it seems, because though it took a little while, Kluke's words from moments before suddenly click in his head. "Kluke, you... You said... that family members make these blankets... But-"
Somehow managing to sound both firm and gentle, without preamble or hesitation, Kluke simply says, "You are my family." And then, she's taking the blanket from him and wrapping it around his shoulders.
Something clogs in his throat, his eyes sting, and his happiness is so immense right now that it leaves him speechless. But it doesn't matter - Kluke's already said anything and everything that needs saying.
Without a sound, he wraps her in a tight hug. As her arms come around him to return the gesture, Andropov doesn't just feel, but knows, that he's regained something that he hasn't had in at least seven years.
(He will go to bed with that blanket laid over him, as warm and secure as Kluke's embrace. Every single night. When he later comes home to wreckage, with a gratitude that's almost flooring, he will take it from the arms of Marie and thank her for keeping it safe. And from then on, he will never part with it.)
… And it's done! :D While there probably could have been things added or taken away, and some of the sentences seem like they could have used some improvement, I'm pretty much pleased with how it came out. :) I hope you liked it, Kitty! :D
So! If you can, please review and let me know what you thought of it! :) While this doesn't have an effect on it, the poll is finally up again, so feel free to vote if you like. And that's all I have to say for now. Thanks for reading! :D