At Ease
By SMYGO4EVA
It was just the three of them, for now.
Ai sat between Rika and Neiru on the train, en route to wherever the road took them. Though every fiber of Ai wants to look outside the windows, to see where they were headed, she didn't. She was glad that Rika was behaving herself for once, as she and Neiru usually didn't get along so great.
Rika was not one to keep her thoughts to herself, even though that was a lie. She was brash, she said words that stung, that hurt, but she wasn't a monster. Calling Neiru a goody two-shoes might have been a bit much, but Rika was always full of surprises, and in the end, she was there for everyone.
Neiru kept to herself, yet there were the moments where she let Ai see her fall apart, break the calm and collected mask she held for so long. Even as Ai took Neiru's hands, and held them close, saying that it was okay to feel, and to not keep the mask of stoicism up, Neiru couldn't turn that part of herself off.
Ai didn't mind Rika's brand of prickly comfort, and she paid no mind to Neiru's sobering and composed way with words. She had gotten used to being around others, especially her peers, and especially after what happened a while back.
They were meeting Momoe and Kaoru at the train station, and the train was nearing its last stop.
Jumping to her feet, Ai waited for Rika and Neiru to walk beside her, and she couldn't wait to see what they would see together.