Brighter
AN : So, before work begins, here is the second chapter ^^ I often can tell where a plot leads me (a oneshot, a long story, sometimes nowhere). With this one, I really don't know, but I really enjoy writing it. It's all that matters, right ?
Fell free to speak your mind about this ^^
Disclaimer : I do not own the Tales of series, everything belongs to Namco/Bandai !
Chapter 2
-Not this hard -
The next day, Hubert was deep in thought during his lunch time. He still hadn't reply to Pascal, and has been wondering all morning about how doing it.
« Get a grip of yourself, Hubert Oswell ! It is not that difficult! », he repeted himself over and over.
The first message didn't take so much effort : he had waited 4 months to act, but the words came naturally.
But since yesterday, he felt like everything he wrote has double meanings. Even if he has already told her how he felt, he perfecly knew that she didn't have a clue, so why bother about his « hidden » intentions ?
Because if she hadn't have a clue, he knew about the whole situation. And he felt like he was taking advantage of her innocence in the matter by all these innuendos. He wanted a frank, honest relationship, not something he would have created in his mind. It wasn't fair, for both of them.
So the same battle over the choice of words began once again. He read the draft he wrote between two sets of paperworks to make sure everything seemed natural.
« Dear Pascal,
Your sister is right to worry about you, so make sure to listen to her, right ? My hair are fine but if you want to protect them, be more responsible ! »
The habitual scolding, but after all, it was true !
« Life here is fine, I'm still working for the Strathan army, and I hope to get promoted soon.
I have no details about the other, in the last letters I've received everything seemed fine. I guess they're all busy with their duty. »
Here again, nothing but the truth.
He only had to find a parting formula, which won't be too complicated to write down, and he would be done !
Chewing on his lower lip, he remembered her message, full of joy and enthousiasm, and read his draft another time. Even if she didn't love him the way he did, she cared for him in her special way. His message seemed too cold and distant : he loved her enough to still want her well-being and safety. So why would he be so uncaring in his words ?
Glancing at the clock, he seized the device to copy out his draft and add his last sentence.
Relief washed over him for a moment, and the clock strikes 1 : it was time for his meeting with President Paradine...
A loud yawn resonated in the small room as Pascal strechted her arms above her head. Rubbing her eye, she took a look at her surroundings, searching for her clothes and the book she was studying before she fell asleep.
The book in one hand, her shorts in another, she got up and grabbed two bananas who stood on a chair nearby, absorbed by her reading. After an hour of intense concentration, she snapped her eyes our of her book.
« Awwww... I lost it again ! »
She headed to what seems to be her bed, and search through the mess, throwing a pairs of tank tops here, some notepads and book there, even finding crumbs and banana skin near her pillow.
« Where in the hell did I put it ? I used it no longer than yesterday ! »
Her impatience and frustration grew, while she flipped her sheets up. And the object she tracked down was now flying in front of her, ready to land in a pile of metal garbage she wanted to recycle for Mecha Asbel.
« Oh nononononono ! », she screamed as she jumped to catch it before its fall.
A dull sound accompagned her landing on the greasy rags standing at the feet of her bed.
« My, that was close... But I won't have to search in this mess after all ! »
She looked around her room, sighing. Maybe she really had to be more careful about this place... She once and for all didn't want to undergo that stress again.
She grasped the communication device like her life depended on it, allowing relief to gain her : what if she had really lost it ? She wouldn't be able to reach Hu, and through him, the others. She had gained it back yesterday, and it had made her so happy that her energy seemed endless. She had worked with a smile all night, only to pass out in the early morning.
Speaking of that, what was the time ? She glanced at her window : the sun seemed high, it was probably near noon.
She turned her attention back to the device : no message...
The relief was replaced by a hint of disappointment : why hadn't he replied yet ? Had he seen her message ? Had something happened to him ?
« Or had he better things to do than answer you ? » whispered the little voice inside her head.
« He's just probably supeeeeeer busy, as always ! He'll reply whan he'll reply, ansd he'll be probably scolding me so the latter the better! » Pascal said with enthousiasm, ignoring the sad feeling growing in her.
« So, what to do today ? Maybe I'll clean all this, I really made a mess of my living place ! », she exclaimed while heading to the bed, putting the device in her pocket.
2 hours later, Hubert was heading out of the President office, a tiny smile on his face that made most of the people in the building turn their head on him. Hubert Oswell wasn't the type of men who smiled the slightest, so seeing him like this was a miracle.
Ignoring the glances, he headed back to his own office, remembering his meeting.
The President wanted him to check on monster's activities near Fendel, as the chancelor requested in the report he had in hand. Some monsters had been heading to Stratha and Windor, so the 3 countries were sending their emissaries to investigate and solve the problem.
Entering his office, Hubert chuckled. It was as fate was making his will come true : he had wished to see her again, and it was a perfect occasion. And the fact that President Paradine gave him some vacation after this mission, since he seemed quite tired and stressed out lately (and maybe to make amend for pressuring him with this arranged mariage he had politely declined when he came back) made his project all more real.
Making himself comfortable in his chair to read the report in detail, he smirked slightly. One young woman will be quite surprised in few days...
Dusting, wiping, tidying, Pascal felt restless in her room. It was more acceptable now that garbage were out and her tools were a little more gathered in one place. Books were still scatterd on the floor, but that wasn't her main bother. It was comforting to have at least one element remaining untidy, and to be honest, it wasn't the dirtiest thing she had seen today. The palm went to the rotten banana pie lying under her bed near some underwear. She remembered having it 2 months ago...
She even had found her clock, who was hitting 1, when her pocket went buzzing. She took it and opened the mail, without caring of the sender.
The uneasy feeling she had since she woke up vanished as she read the mail. Once again, the scolding, but news anyway. He had letters from the others, that was great. Maybe should she write to them too ? After all, she was probably the less busy of them : no countries to rule or defend, no real employer, she only lived for science and progress. It's been a long time since she hit the road too. Since when has it be so hard for her to get in action ? It was like she had been frozen since the end of their journey, and that wasn't her style. At all.
And reality hit her hard with this revelation : she clearly has been depressed since then, unable to continue her life after all this, but pretending everything was fine.
« Well, congrats genius... It's not like I was warning you that there was someting strange anyway... I guess I must feel elated that you opened your eyes on this matter, since there a lot more to... ». She shut the little voice down, a voice she was accustomed to now but that she willingly ignored because it had the troublesome habit to state her deepest thoughts and fears. She wasn't prepared to acknowledge other things for now, she wanted to take one step at a time, the first one being Pascal again.
She ended her thoughts when she read the last words of his message.
« I must admit that I miss you too... I mean, you all. It was quite refreshing to travel together. I hope we will see each others soon. Take care.
Hubert »
She suddenly felt her loneliness fading. Sometimes she asked herself if she was the only one missing those times, as nobody seemed to care. But this was the proof that she wasn't all that crazy. These words seemed different than the one she read in the first place : she imagined his face while writing them, losing his serious and formal look to get more nostalgic. He still has a hard to time to loosen up, but it was slowly changing, and she wasn't there to see that... Was that regret she was feeling ?
« One thing at a time, one thing at a time » she told herself.
« Well, it's up to me to go there if I want, after all ! Lil' bro' is probably lost without me and slaving like crazy ! And if he wants to see me, I think I can make this sacrifice for him, right ?», she whispered, her eyes unconsciously glued to the first words, I must admit that I miss you too...
And with that she took her first step.