The small child blinked.

This house was...cozy? Was cozy the word? He wasn't sure. It wasn't big, but it was nicer than the orphanage. The carpet was cleaner...he took a small step forward, hesitant. It felt...different, somehow, from the other houses he had been in.

"Fatal?"

His head snapped up, his already jumbled thoughts jerking around in his head with unease. The still unfamiliar woman had such a kind face, and pure concern laced her features.

Why was she worried?

He blinked, his thoughts wandering again. No one had ever looked at him quite like that before. He wondered why she looked like that. Why she didn't just give an order, or a direction. "...What should I do?" He asked, hesitancy keeping his voice small. His small fingers rubbed at the scarf he was wearing - it was worn and tearing in spots, but it was the only real possession he had.

"...Well. Are you hungry? We could get something to eat...?" The adult offered, trying for an easy smile. She moved to hang her jacket on one of many hooks by the door, and reached a hand out for the six year old. "...Do you want to wear your jacket?"

The child looked up, worry suddenly worming it's way through him. His face strained a bit in mild stress. "...I...I don't know...should I wear it...? What's the right...answer...?" He asked slowly, his feelings on the matter entirely lost. Did you wear a jacket inside? Was that what you were supposed to do here? Or not?

"Honey - " Xed kneeled down, placing a careful hand on the small child's shoulder even as he instinctively flinched, but remained in place. "It's whatever you're comfortable with." She tried to explain slowly, searching the hesitant childs face as he started to look away in discomfort. Confusion clouded his dual-colored sockets, his frown hiding deep in his scarf.

"...I don't...know..." His voice almost whined with indecision, and she just nodded soothingly.

"Hey, it's okay...new places are always kind of scary...are you hungry?" She asked, trying to change to subject, and felt a small bit of relief when she spied a tiny nod. "Let's just go into the kitchen and get some food. Then we can talk more, okay?"

He gave another barely discernible nod, and let himself be led into the kitchen by the hand. The strange feeling of 'roominess' didn't go away, and he stared blankly at the small, round kitchen table, still not quite sure on what he was supposed to do. He glanced at 'Miss Xed' again, expecting instructions to follow, or for her to shout an order or...something. But she didn't...and he didn't know what to do other than stand there and wait. And it was starting to make him feel like he was doing something wrong, which was making him nervous...he didn't want to make her mad...

"Why don't you sit down?" The adult offered carefully, not entirely sure of the child herself. He seemed almost frightened...almost. He was quiet as she helped him sit up properly in a chair, giving him a gentle pat on the head as she moved to the kitchen counter, his head turning to watch her curiously. He blinked his dual colored sockets, frowning a bit. He could feel the slight twinge of glitches around his face, and withdrew further into his worn scarf. The room was quiet as the clinking of dishes and silverware rang a little too clearly, and Fatal averted his attention to what seemed to be a knot in the woodwork on the table in front of him. He frowned, peering over a moment, and took his small forefinger to traces the grooves that were smooth under the polished wood. He tilted his head in mild amusement, his frown upturning into a small smile, as he traced the lines blindly -

"...What are you doing?" The words were accompanied with a light laugh, and Fatal snapped his head up, his hand retreating to his lap quickly as his smile disappeared just as fast.

"Um - I - tr-tracing?" He mumbled quietly, his fingers dug tightly into his shirt nervously. Was that bad? Was it wrong? He just didn't know.

"Was it fun?" Xed asked calmly, placing a small plate in front of the nervous child. A triangle cut sandwich was waiting for him, accompanied with a small pile of potato chips. She placed a small cup of milk next to the plate, and he stared blankly a moment.

"...Y-yeah..." His words whispered softly, a timid hand reached for the plate as he inspected the food curiously.

The adult just gave him a soft smile before turning to collect her own plate, then slid into the seat next to him. She watched with interest as he turned a piece of sandwich over in his hand, taking almost a little too long just looking at it. Part of her wanted to say something, but she refrained, and felt a small wave of relief when he finally took his first bite. His sockets widened, the curve of his forehead upturning in surprise. He ate hungrily, like it was the first meal he had had in his life, and Xed had to press her lips together to hold back a chuckle.

"Yummy." Was all the child managed after his plate was cleared, his hands grabbing the small cup and he drank deeply.

"Fatal-!" Xed started, alarmed as he coughed on the liquid, drinking too quickly. She pulled the drink away, her free hand moving instantly to rub at his back for support.

Fatal blinked again as his body adjusted, and he frowned a bit at himself. That must have been a silly thing to do. He frowned automatically, his teeth moving to bite his lower 'lip'.

"Are you okay?" Xed asked carefully, and the child's head turned again in mild surprise, and he stared up at the adult, a familiar feeling of wetness threatening his sockets.

"...I-I'm okay..." He tried to confirm, a little confused. The tone of concern was odd - he wasn't used to hearing it.

The young woman sitting next to him didn't seem entirely convinced, but she nodded anway. "All right. Is...there something you'd like to do? I have some board games...or we can go watch TV..."

The child's face was clouded in deeper confusion. "...I...I'm kind of tired..." He admitted carefully, unsure of he words but not knowing what else to say other than the truth. He was kind of sleepy, and the meal was more filling than anything he'd really had before...he yawned, rubbing at his more irritated red socket sleepily.

"Oh, well...I have a surprise for you then." Xed answered with a smile, and after a moment of thought, she moved to pick up the small skeleton child. He didn't protest, but blinked, just absorbing his surroundings as carefully as he could. It was still all too new, too unfamilar, and he just huddled close to the warm embrace as the large arms wrapped around him.

"A...surprise?" His voice mumbled. He was more talking into her chest, his head felling heavier by the second. He let his arms lay across his 'stomach', one of his tiny hands moving slowly to grip at the adult's shirt. It was...comfortable here...

"Here..." Xed's voice was soft and quiet, she wanted to be careful and ease the child into his new environment carefully. She carried him to one of the many doors that lined a long hallway, and pressed a closer one open -

She felt his head turn in curiosity. The room was a little blank, a fresh coat of soft blue paint lined the walls and a relaxed, cream carpet that also looked new lined the floor. A freshly made full sized bed stood with just a small nightstand as it's companion. "I'm...not sure what you like but...I thought you could decorate however you'd like...if you wanted to stay..." Her voice trailed uncomfortably, and he glanced upwards at her slowly, his gaze trailing towards her once, then back to the bed.

"...Is that...mine?" He wandered curiously, feeling slightly more awake.

"Well...yes." She assured, moving pull back the covers and lay him down gently. He sank into the soft mattress, the bed was warm and inviting, and the sheets were softer than anything he'd have back at the orphanage - it made him realize just how much he wanted to lay down, and he lowered his head onto the cushy pillow with a small giggle.

"It's soft!" He half-squealed, snuggling into the bed as Xed pulled the covers over him. That made him smile more, and he yawned again.

"Good. Um...is there anything you need? Extra pillows? Cold at all...?" She asked carefully. There was a special kind of warmth in her chest at seeing the small skeleton smiling and giggling, even if it was only faintly. She realized even during her scheduled visits he had never smiled. Something about that worried her a bit, but she took his reaction to the bed as a solid win in favor for him.

"Um...n-no...just sleep..." He mumbled, already sinking into the covers. It was so comfortable he felt like he was going to get lost in the soft sheets and blankets, his sockets were already flickering closed. It felt so safe and warm somehow, such a stark difference from how he usually felt - but he didn't have the awareness to really question the difference.

"Okay..." She whispered softly, and gave his shoulder a careful pat as he quickly and silently fell asleep. She sat on the bed a moment, watching him with a small sigh, her hand ran over his small skull with a gentle touch, and she watched as the pixilation around him flickered slightly. His case wasn't too bad, she reminded herself as the strange distortion seemed to move around her hand. He may need glasses or something though...she reminded herself to get him to an eye doctor sometime, both of his sockets were blanked out with color instead of normal eyelights. She pulled the covers back curiously to check his clothes too...he would need some new ones.

She smiled to herself, glad that she had saved up a healthy amount in her bank account. There was a certain level of excitement at the idea of treating the young boy.

Fatal woke slowly, comfortably. He blinked in slight confusion, his surroundings were different...? Oh...right...this was a new house. New place. New...everything. He sat up, looking around blankly, and whined. It was a little too much. Everything was too new - he cried, large tears slipping from his sockets in sudden, uncontrollable waves. He wasn't even sure why he was crying - just that he felt like it. He wanted to stay quiet, but his voice cracked into loud sobs before he realized what had happened. He rubbed at his sockets, trying to stop the tears as he hiccuped and wailed, too overwhelmed to reason about it. It wasn't until he felt himself being pulled into a deep hug that he even moved.

"Fatal, what's wrong?" Xed's worried voice barely seemed to reach him, and his short arms instinctively clung to the calming reach of the adult.

"I - I dunno -" He hiccuped hard, his head buried into her chest. "I - I just - felt a lot - " His words were jumbled between sobs and clouded in confusion. Xed stroked his skull in short, slow movements, trying to be as soothing as possible.

"It's okay - it's okay...you probably just got overwhelmed...it's okay..." She moved to pick him up again, watching for any sign of resistance. When there was none, she snuggled the child close to her and stood to move.

"Wh-where are we going...?" He sniffed, glancing around the house as he was carried.

"Just to the living room." She assured. "You want to watch some cartoons?"

"Uh...okay..." He mumbled, his tears drying slowly. He rubbed at his cheeks with his sleeve, watching curiously as the woman settled them into a rocking chair. She pulled a blanket from the back of the chair, wrapping it around the child.

"See? It's okay..." She soothed, bringing the kid closer to her in a deep snuggle.

Fatal was quiet, blinking his tears away as the television flicked on, the channels flipping in front of him. He squinted slightly, the screen was a little blurry, which was disappointing, but better than nothing. They were both quiet a moment, and he sniffled again, and looked up. "Are you really going to adopt me...?"

Xed froze, her gaze falling to the small skeleton in shock. Her mouth fell open slightly as if to say something, but she closed it quickly, reorganizing her thoughts. "...Would you like that?"

He looked down, his fingers rubbing against the fabric of his clothes in a distracted fidget. "...You're nice...I dunno...I..." He sniffled again, feeling his tears renew. "...D-do you like me?" His voice cracked, and Xed instantly drew him close again.

"Oh, honey, we wouldn't be this far if I didn't..." Xed wrapped her arms around the child, raising him a bit to hug him even closer. "I think you're a very sweet little boy who just needs some love...I'd love to welcome you to my family."

"R-really?" For some reason that just didn't sound right. Or maybe he was wrong? He couldn't tell. His face was buried into the adults shoulder, and he didn't feel like moving. Instead, he let himself be moved and hugged like a doll, letting the material of her shirt dry his sockets and face. "...o-okay..."

"Shh, it's all right...do you want to play? Or sit here and watch something?"

Fatal rubbed at his sockets, his vision a little bleary from just waking up and crying. He was silent, but turned his head to look at the television almost longingly. "...C-can we r-really watch something...?" He asked hesitantly. TV was such a rare thing to be able to sit and enjoy - and he never got to pick what to watch - although some shows other people picked were fun.

"Of course." Xed chimed, trying to promote some positivity in the atmosphere. "We'll just - sit here and rock a bit - and cuddle - whatever you want to do." Her smiled faltered a bit, and she paused, looking down at the child with concern. He was silent, and still. Something she wasn't entirely sure she was comfortable with. He was such a quiet, overly calm kid. And even through his colored out sockets she could tell he was worried and strained. "Fatal, what do you want?" She finally asked softly. He had sat for several minutes, not bothering to make a move or say anything.

He blinked, whether from his irritated eyes or surprise, he wasn't sure. He tried to think a moment. What did he want? He wasn't entirely sure. It was a strange question to him - there were lots of things he wanted, but he knew he would never get them. He never did before, so why should that change now? He whined in distress, his voice cracking against the adult, which caused her to rock slowly in response. This woman was so nice - through all her visits, and now she took him to her home...he felt the feeling of wanting to cry again, and sobbed. "H-home." His voice was a strangled sob, and he shook in the adults arms with realization. "I - I want a home-!"

Xed hugged at the child close, rocking him soothingly as he cried, emotions running too high for him to control. They just sat there, television running softly in the background as she gently tried to calm the small, upset skeleton in her lap. Somehow, it already felt like helping family.