ridestherider | (no subject)

[ and when a call a day yielded no response, there was only one thing left to do

and that is to come find you himself; so knock knock ]

Natsumi?

[ might even sound a bit worried ]

[Maybe if I'm very, very quiet you'll think I'm not home.]

[ do you forget my super hearing? ]

Natsumi.

[ a little more firmly, and sounding quite a bit less like he's willing to put up with this pretendy nonsense ]

[I was trying. Heaving a sigh and going to open the door.]

Yes?

[ he looks relieved to see you, at least

but straight to the point ]

Are you alright? You haven't answered when I've called.

I turned my phone off.

[She mostly just looks exhausted, and there are boxes here and there on the other side of the door.]

[ I can see those

but slowly, his voice low ]

. . . What happened?

I didn't want to see anyone.

[Lie. Just nobody here. Stepping away, but leaving the door open for you to come in if you really want, shoving a box of clothes with her foot.]

[ following and shutting the door behind him ]

I don't believe that for a second.

[ but he can see what stuff seems to be spilling out of some of these boxes so this is about the time he just comes up and wordlessly pulls you against his chest ]

[Genuinely startled, actually, jumping.]

Jiu Wu, what are you --? I just wanted to be by myself, is that so bad?

It depends on why you wanted to be alone.

[ dwi, he's not letting go ]

I probably ought to get used to it, having the place to myself.

[Only a little bit bitter-sounding, to her credit.]

[ pulling back a little bit, but only really enough to study your face ]

. . . He's gone for good, this time?

Yeah, he left me here.

[Voice a little uneven, and not looking you in the eye.] And he left his camera, too, which means of course he's run off to do something stupid.

And here I was under the impression that most of what he does is stupid.

[ have a hand in your hair, then, just petting the back of your head ]

Stupid dangerous. He said it'd be "safer here" as if anything was ever safe here.

Jiu Wu, I need to put all of this stuff somewhere.

I didn't know him that well, but there's nothing saying that wasn't his way of trying to make it not hurt.

[ he'll let go for now, but his hand's sliding down your arm to thread his fingers in yours ]

I'll give you a hand.

If he wanted not to hurt me he probably shouldn't have left me here and scared the hell out of me. Or dumped me on his way out.

[Deliberately pulling away and turning to pack things into boxes a little more roughly than is necessary.]

You have every right to be angry about it, but I'm sure he had his reasons.

[ he is being much neater with his packing of things; it's mostly pretty obvious what was his and what is yours ]

[Just going to silently fume and start pulling things out of a drawer, boxing up some and tossing a whole stack of warped, printed photos in the trash.]

[ . . . are you going to be made if I sneakily tuck some of those into my pocket when you're not looking to give back to you later? because that's happening.

otherwise he's mostly silent for now, save the occasional time he's not sure whether or not something is yours ]

[When the boxes are full she'll start putting them in the corner closet -- as far back as they'll go. There are a few others in there already. She's not really taking too much care with them, either.]

[ and when he's shoved the last one in he's just going to lean against the door frame and watch you, arms folded over his chest ]

[The last of it is the camera, but she's mostly just staring at it, running her fingers along the lens cap.]

[ he's a little hesitant ]

Natsumi?