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Lavender tea, blue water that comes from a purple flower, his leg moves up and down. The lavenders are everywhere, chasing them, their scent reminding them of Chloe. Under the table, he fiddles with his hands, inhaling and exhaling, repeating the process. The café feels warm, and the coffee (as curious as it may seem) blends perfectly with the scent of the lavenders hanging from the ceiling. In his old home in southern Ostania, there were lavenders, many of them. There are many violet and purple flowers of different shades.
The people around him are anxious, desperate; you can see it in their bodies—some biting their nails, others looking back and forth, one leg bouncing up and down. He can't hear their voices; they all blend together, turning into an indistinct noise. Everyone's lips twist into grimaces and gestures he can't decipher, and it bothers him. Any one of them could be a traitor, but he won't know until he puts them to the test.
"Are you listening to me?"
He snapped out of it. He remembered why he was in that café.
"It's... it's incredible, we're back to the same thing, Yuri."
Damn it. He cursed to himself. "Clo, I... I-I apologize for the distraction," his voice was weak, almost broken. "It's just that... I miss hanging out with you." A dagger pierced his heart at the sight of the burgundy-haired woman's gaze, filled with sorrow and pity.
It had been tough months, to say the least—suffocating and agonizing. Seeing them together, laughing, having those casual conversations, were things they used to do together; the rage consumed him when they locked themselves in the dark room, no one else entered, only they knew what happened inside, and it sickened him. Every scenario in his head was worse than the last, just thinking about how that damned dog took advantage of her, how he slowly poisoned her mind with his eccentric ideas.
"Is that all?" Her tone was incredulous. The woman brushed her temple. "You know what? I'm leaving." She got up from her chair to walk out of the café.
He didn’t stay behind and followed her—he couldn’t lose her again. They stepped outside, and the cold embraced him as his bundled-up body was exposed to the street. He grabbed Chloe’s wrist and pulled her toward him.
"Please, don’t leave me," he begged. Angry, she broke free from his grip. He tried to step closer, but she only moved further away.
"Yuri… Is enough, just leave me alone," she said, and without another word, she walked away.
He didn’t react, just watched her go. Little by little, small snowflakes adorned his hair. The sound of a car horn snapped him out of his trance. He looked at himself and around him, brushed off his suit, and heard the bell ring a second time. He was about to go back inside to pay, until he remembered neither of them had ordered anything. Again, he heard the horn and searched for the source of the sound. His face soured when he saw the face of his brother-in-law, who greeted him with a smile, but Loid’s expression shifted to concern as he noticed his own state. He could have gone home, but his body instinctively made him return the greeting and approach the sister-stealer. This was, without a doubt, his worst night.
✧◝｡*ﾟ+◜✧
He thought going to his sister’s place would help him get through the rough patch—how naive of him… He had always been the jester of the show. The entire trip from the café to Loid Forger’s house, his mind went blank, empty, clear, for the first time in a long while.
The Forger family home looked impeccable, neat, almost perfect. His sister always made sure to keep everything clean, but something about it bothered him, though he couldn’t quite put his finger on what. Many things buzzed in his mind. Loid approached him with a tray, placing a cup on a plate on the wooden table, along with a plate of sweet snacks. He poured in his cup of tea… lavender tea. Yuri held back the urge to curse and scream obscenities at him, but his beloved sister was asleep. It was only seven in the evening, but since Yor stayed home taking care of the chihuahua baby, she was always exhausted.
Damn Loid, he can’t even help my sister with that.
Old habits are always the hardest to kill. He lifted his gaze from the table and looked at his brother-in-law, who was reading a newspaper while sipping his tea. It pained him to admit it, but he found it pleasant that Loid was minding his own business and not bombarding him with questions. In the car, he had noticed how Loid had looked at him with confusion, almost concern, and it surprised him that he wasn’t being interrogated about his situation.
The apartment felt warm and quiet. He didn’t like the silence—it only made him think and fill his head with strange ideas.
“If you want, I can prepare the guest room.”
He blinked several times, the invitation catching him off guard. He straightened up and replied, “Yes, of course, if it’s not too much trouble… thank you for the offer, Loid.”
His brother-in-law’s expression changed drastically. He looked at him with concern, set down his teacup, and put aside the newspaper. “Yuri,” he called cautiously, “Are you feeling okay? Did something happen at the café?” Loid approached him carefully, his tone almost condescending, and his body language clearly showed worry. Yuri didn’t know how to respond to the question.
“I’m fine,” he said, his tone dry, short, but firm. Loid didn’t believe him, not one bit.
Before Loid could press him for the truth, a sharp cry interrupted them. The chihuahua had woken up from her nap. “We’ll continue this later,” Loid said as he stood up to pick up his baby. “Hey, stowaway, did you miss me?” His voice was sweet and soft, like velvet—Chloe’s favorite fabric. “Look Anya, your uncle came to visit us,” he said, walking closer with his niece. The moment the little girl saw Yuri, she smiled and reached out her tiny arms toward him. “Can you hold her while I prepare your room?”
Yuri nodded and stepped closer. He took Anya in his arms, and Loid, without hesitation, went off to do his task. Yuri was left alone with the ten-month-old baby, who felt warm compared to the freezing cold outside. He walked around the house with her and “played” with her, just as his sister had taught him. He talked to his niece, something Chloe had suggested long ago. Anya was quite cheerful for being the daughter of the bitter Loid, but of course, she was also the daughter of his sweet sister—naturally, his niece had inherited her warmth from Yor.
Anya liked to grab his hair and try to eat it. She also enjoyed grabbing his face and squishing it. The little one placed her soft, tiny hands on his cheeks, and the warmth she transmitted through her touch was indescribable. His heart began to race, his chest rising and falling rapidly. He felt like he couldn’t breathe. He missed Chloe more than anything in the world. He hugged his niece tightly, planting small kisses on her soft hair. He tried to breathe and calm himself.
“Yuri.”
“What do you want, Loi-chi?” he replied, his tone dripping with disgust.
He heard Loid sigh deeply. “I think it’s time we tell you the truth and talk… just the two of us.“
Nothing could have prepared him for what came next.