Before I begin (or you could skip this and go straight for the story, that's cool, not like that'd hurt my feelings or anything) I wanted to say I just finished a chapter story! My first completed story that wasn't a one-shot! It was a pretty messed-up plot line, but I'm still happy. Okay, enjoy!
We stared at each other for a bit. To be honest, I hadn't expected Nezumi to come back. Should I be happy? Relieved? Annoyed..? But why annoyed? "You're back," I said finally. He flinched at my monotone, but nodded. I smiled, realizing he was nervous about how my position as 'leader' may have changed me. The thought struck me as amusing, but from his expression, it seemed my smile came off as a smirk.
I couldn't really just explain myself to him out of the blue, though. So I said, "Come on in." He did so. He sat on the couch and I sat on the chair opposite. He was silent for a while though, so I started thinking about work. It had been three years since he left, and it was a habit by now. However, he began to speak.
"How have you been?" I looked up, startled. "Working," I replied automatically. It was a topic I enjoyed, so I continued, "actually, everything has been progressing well. The citizens are learning to cope with the unexpected changes - things have been settling in the past few years. The city is prospering too."
"That's good," he commented. "That's not what I wanted to know, though. How are you?" I blinked, and thought about it. "I have been alright," I said. To be honest, I hadn't slept well the first year, I mused, because I was lonely, but I had taken pills and gotten over it. I got sick frequently as well, but that was because of work, something I couldn't abandon at any cost. I was healthy at the moment though...
His gaze sharpened. "You're lying, aren't you?" Ah... he can still sense those sorts of things, it seems. "I am," I said with a smile. "I - missed you." I sighed inwardly. He had heard how I faltered while speaking, and that could only make him more suspicious. Surely Nezumi - "Is that all?" he said, suddenly smirking.
My chest hurt. He hadn't noticed my slip. Which should have made me happy... but I guess I had really wanted him to notice me. He was talking now, about what I couldn't focus on, and I remembered work. "I need to go," I interrupted him. He looked at me, confused, and probably irritated now. "Why?"
Because I feel more alone than ever with you. "I have paperwork," I informed him. He didn't say anything as I left. He wasn't the Nezumi I remembered. Before, didn't Nezumi act... I drew a blank. What was Nezumi like before? When I had missed him, I had missed his presence. But his presence right now... It felt wrong. Different.
Then again, I thought, he probably feels the same about me. But weren't we supposed to be with each other? Didn't I promise to wait for him? I felt a faint heat in my cheeks. What the hell was I thinking? I stopped in the hallway. My apartment was above the office building, so it wasn't a long walk. For the first time, I regretted that.
I haven't felt this way in a while. I dug in my bag, and as I continued walking, I swallowed a few pills. They worked quickly. By the time I reach my office, the storm of thoughts and emotions had disappeared.