Spike's definitely out of his comfort zone: gun under virtual lock and key (which means no clip loaded), lighter tucked away safely, and... he has no fucking idea what to expect
( Read more... )
A moment after the sound of the front door being opened and shut again, comes the patter of a child running towards him. "ONIIISAN!!" she calls.
Out of breath, she stops right in front of him and without a moment of hesitation, places her hands flat on his lap so she can peer into his eyes. Satisfied with what she sees, (that it really is Spike!... His hair is the same color as Setsuna-mama's, more-or-less), she quickly breaks out into a grin and wraps him as much as she can, unabashfully, in a huge hug.
His first thought is what the fuck is this, why does every damn kid in this place think I'm fair game tonight?
This one throws herself at him and wraps her arms around him so fast he doesn't even see who it is. He only knows it's not Ed, and he pulls back. "What the..."
And then he looks at her. And recognizes her.
At least he thinks it's her, and he studies her carefully: she's... different. She's younger, for sure, and not as frail, and no bandages, and...
Spike rests his hands on her shoulders, studying her carefully: up and down, back and forth. He lets his hands run down her arms and he doesn't feel any of that awful shit he used to feel under her clothes there, and she's littler, and she's pale but damn if she doesn't look a hell of a lot healthier, and...
Fuck. You were gone. You were gone.
"Imoutosan?"
He does something he never does: he gathers her back into a hug. It's not a huge hug and it doesn't last forever or any of that bullshit, but it's a hug.
"I thought you were gone."
Don't you be fucking around with me, now. Once was enough.
Happily, she accepts the brief embrace. She stands back to see him. "I made it back!" she smiles brightly. Spike looks just like she remembers him, and she's glad.
Except for Ed and Ein, her whole family has been found again. Everything is as it should be.
There are so many questions: where the hell does he start?
Probably with the most basic question of all. "Imoutosan, meiyuu, otome: what happened?"
He still doesn't believe she's back. Not after the way she disappeared in a screaming envelope of purple light. Not after the way he couldn't even fucking get to her to help her.
With the tenderness of a child's instinct, she presses one white hand on his face. "You shouldn't think about that so soon," she assures him. It's too hurtful. You don't want to know yet. She smiles, softly.
"Are you well?" she asks right away, taking note of her conversation with Arithon recently. Events may have progressed in any way for her Oniisan as well, and she must know now.
Reaching for a cigarette, he taps one out, then flicks on his lighter. He usually just smokes out of habit, not because he needs it.
Right now, he needs it.
He answers her question: "I'm good, I'm good." She wants to do it that way it's okay with him. Maybe she doesn't want to talk about what happened. Maybe she doesn't know. Or yeah: maybe she does. For the time being he lets the mystery go unanswered. "You want to know what I've been doing while you were gone? It's been a hell of a long time, imoutosan. A hell of a long time. I thought you weren't ever coming back."
And sighs inwardly, this is happening now instead of later, I guess. Grownups. Why don't they ever listen to us kids?
"Do you have a book or something...?" The seats of the chairs are a little low in comparison with the table. She needs a booster not to look weird. "I'll tell you what happened," she begins, gravely, "If you really want to know."
"Hey." He shakes his head. "I want to know, but only if you're ready to tell me. We can wait. I can tell you stories instead."
Spike scratches his chin. "It's just kind of a shock seeing you, that's all. A good kind of shock, not a bad one."
He stands: he was always tall for his age, so he doesn't remember that sometimes kids need something to sit on with this kind of chair so they don't feel so... little. "What kind of book? I'll get one from the bar. You want anything to eat? To drink?"
There are more questions, but he can be good. He'll save them for later.
He stops, shocked, as he feels her slip her hand into his.
She was never like this before: didn't want to be touched. He remembers learning that lesson real well, and more than once.
But this time he just answers quietly.
"Okay."
Hand-in-hand, they walk together to the bar.
How much time did you lose, little one, and how much time did you gain?
There's time for questions later. They get a book that looks suspiciously like an old Earth phone directory from the bar; Spike tucks it under his arm.
"Want to sit back over there? I'll tell you about taking Beth with me to Venus."
Her eyes look awfully damn shiny and bright; Spike sets the book down on the chair for her and pulls it out, away from the table. "Hop on, young lady, and I'll tell you a tale of mystery and intrigue and cops and robbers, and money and luxury and luck and skill and bravery." He takes a sip of his iced coffee and smiles at her before he begins, and if he had a handkerchief he'd hand it to her but then again, he doesn't want to embarrass her
( ... )
Matching her grin with one of his own, he shrugs. "We're going to visit Earth next, and Mars the time after that. We have it all planned out." He lets out a small laugh. "But it all depends when the door decides to open for us."
He leans back a little in his seat, a bit more relaxed than when she first showed up and shocked the hell out of him. "I've been to Venus before, Hotaru, but it was a hell of a lot more fun with Beth there."
Counting shooting stars together is always better than wishing on them alone.
"I have pictures, though. Just remind me sometime and I'll show them to you."
Out of breath, she stops right in front of him and without a moment of hesitation, places her hands flat on his lap so she can peer into his eyes. Satisfied with what she sees, (that it really is Spike!... His hair is the same color as Setsuna-mama's, more-or-less), she quickly breaks out into a grin and wraps him as much as she can, unabashfully, in a huge hug.
Reply
This one throws herself at him and wraps her arms around him so fast he doesn't even see who it is. He only knows it's not Ed, and he pulls back. "What the..."
And then he looks at her. And recognizes her.
At least he thinks it's her, and he studies her carefully: she's... different. She's younger, for sure, and not as frail, and no bandages, and...
"Hotaru?"
Reply
"I missed you," she bites her lip, hoping nothing too drastic has changed about her or anyone else here while she was gone. It has been a long time.
Reply
Fuck.
Spike rests his hands on her shoulders, studying her carefully: up and down, back and forth. He lets his hands run down her arms and he doesn't feel any of that awful shit he used to feel under her clothes there, and she's littler, and she's pale but damn if she doesn't look a hell of a lot healthier, and...
Fuck. You were gone. You were gone.
"Imoutosan?"
He does something he never does: he gathers her back into a hug. It's not a huge hug and it doesn't last forever or any of that bullshit, but it's a hug.
"I thought you were gone."
Don't you be fucking around with me, now. Once was enough.
Reply
Except for Ed and Ein, her whole family has been found again. Everything is as it should be.
Reply
There are so many questions: where the hell does he start?
Probably with the most basic question of all. "Imoutosan, meiyuu, otome: what happened?"
He still doesn't believe she's back. Not after the way she disappeared in a screaming envelope of purple light. Not after the way he couldn't even fucking get to her to help her.
Reply
"Are you well?" she asks right away, taking note of her conversation with Arithon recently. Events may have progressed in any way for her Oniisan as well, and she must know now.
Reply
Reaching for a cigarette, he taps one out, then flicks on his lighter. He usually just smokes out of habit, not because he needs it.
Right now, he needs it.
He answers her question: "I'm good, I'm good." She wants to do it that way it's okay with him. Maybe she doesn't want to talk about what happened. Maybe she doesn't know. Or yeah: maybe she does. For the time being he lets the mystery go unanswered. "You want to know what I've been doing while you were gone? It's been a hell of a long time, imoutosan. A hell of a long time. I thought you weren't ever coming back."
Reply
And sighs inwardly, this is happening now instead of later, I guess. Grownups. Why don't they ever listen to us kids?
"Do you have a book or something...?" The seats of the chairs are a little low in comparison with the table. She needs a booster not to look weird. "I'll tell you what happened," she begins, gravely, "If you really want to know."
Reply
Spike scratches his chin. "It's just kind of a shock seeing you, that's all. A good kind of shock, not a bad one."
He stands: he was always tall for his age, so he doesn't remember that sometimes kids need something to sit on with this kind of chair so they don't feel so... little. "What kind of book? I'll get one from the bar. You want anything to eat? To drink?"
There are more questions, but he can be good. He'll save them for later.
For much later.
Reply
Hmm, I don't know what to say.
She smiles a little more widely and holds her hands apart a certain length. "This wide, I think," and she drops her hands by her sides.
She hesitates a moment. Just before he goes, she walks up to him and thrusts her hand in his. "I'll go with you."
Reply
She was never like this before: didn't want to be touched. He remembers learning that lesson real well, and more than once.
But this time he just answers quietly.
"Okay."
Hand-in-hand, they walk together to the bar.
How much time did you lose, little one, and how much time did you gain?
There's time for questions later. They get a book that looks suspiciously like an old Earth phone directory from the bar; Spike tucks it under his arm.
"Want to sit back over there? I'll tell you about taking Beth with me to Venus."
Reply
I hadn't forgotten, but I didn't really remember until just now... being in the bar that day, and the DeathBusters finding me.
Her hand squeezes Spike's a little. I'm sorry that happened, Oniisan. ...I'm sorry.
Tears begin to form again and she rubs them quickly away.
She looks back up at him when she feels composed enough, "Venus! That's cool! ...What's it like?" Not full of castles and stuff, she thinks smugly.
Reply
Reply
She loves good stories, and that was a doozy.
And it all really happened... to her own Oniisan, no less!
"That was wonderful!" she says, clapping her hands, barely making a sound, though.
She repeats it over again, in her head, I'll have to tell ChibiUsa! She'll be so jealous!
Her face is still full of wonder. The future's Venus is nothing like their own...
"When are you going back?" She grins, not bothering to conceal her obvious desire to see it.
Reply
He leans back a little in his seat, a bit more relaxed than when she first showed up and shocked the hell out of him. "I've been to Venus before, Hotaru, but it was a hell of a lot more fun with Beth there."
Counting shooting stars together is always better than wishing on them alone.
"I have pictures, though. Just remind me sometime and I'll show them to you."
Reply
Leave a comment