the sharing

[instar]

Trouble is not back at school on Monday. At lunch, Bella sits with Andi who sits with Robin who sits with Ethan.

Comments

[instar]

"Laws of physics have been disconfirmed before." She sighs. "All right, apparently I was misreading when I heard something along the lines of 'affectionate contempt'."

[aeskhyne]

"Affectionate yes, contempt no," he says, shaking his head and smiling.

[instar]

"Good to know."

[aeskhyne]

"Yeah."

[instar]

"I'm going to go meet Andi now. See you tomorrow."

[aeskhyne]

"See ya."

[instar]

And off she goes, waving.

[aeskhyne]

The next day comes and goes, with Oreo cheesecake. A day later he wants to bring her pie again, and manages it somehow despite his left arm still being mostly nonfunctional.

He doesn't seem noticeably afraid of her, but then, he never has.

[instar]

"Been a week since you've been back in school," remarks Bella, when this statement comes true and he's at her door with blueberry cobbler.

[aeskhyne]

"Yep," he says. "You wanna grab this?"

[instar]

She touches the side of the pan to see if she will need oven mitts.

[aeskhyne]

Oven mitts are not strictly necessary, but might be advisable.

He laughs. "Sorry."

[instar]

She collects oven mitts and takes the cobbler. "It's fine. When you were still in the hospital you guessed it'd take you a week of being back in school, or so, to stop finding me scary."

[aeskhyne]

"Or so," he agrees. "I'm getting there."

[instar]

"Is there anything I can do that would help?"

[aeskhyne]

"Sure," he says. "Talk to me. Let me bake you things. Just - be around, be you, like you have been."

[instar]

"So nothing I'm not already doing."

[aeskhyne]

"Yeah."

[instar]

"Okay. That's easy," she shrugs. "Dinner is macaroni and sausage and cheese. And green beans instead of salad. Mom was in a cooking mood." (The oven is on; there are dishes in it.)

[aeskhyne]

"Sounds tasty."

[instar]

"Should be!"

[aeskhyne]

"Here's hoping. Hey, can I hug you?"

[instar]

"Sure."

[aeskhyne]

Hug! Happy beamy hug.

[instar]

Yes, hug.