Work Text:
They didn't really... Talk much.
Not just when they were together. They didn't talk much in general. Even now, with Noelle sitting next to them, playing one of the Cat Petterz minigames on her handheld console, they just silently watched, not looking all that interested in it all things considered.
"You sure you don't want to try, Kris?" Noelle asked, pausing the game to look at her friend. "Maybe you can beat my high score, faha..."
They just looked back at her, then slowly shook their head, looking instead towards the empty table in front of them. Noelle sighed internally.
Ever since... It happened, Kris had grown more and more distant with her. Sure, they still came over, but that was probably because she, aside from their brother Azzy, was their only real friend.
She sometimes wondered if they... Resented her somehow. She knew their parents were going through a rough patch at the moment, her own dad telling her and her mom all about it after they went out for drinks together at least once every 2 weeks. Noelle had to look up what a ‘‘divorce’’ was on the internet last time.
She knew it mustn't be easy for Kris, not with Azzy spending more and more time with his friends before he goes to college, and their parents fighting constantly at home. She knew she should say something, that that's what a friend would do, but...
She didn't really know what to say.
Were they even... Friends anymore?
Some days, she found herself wondering about it. Spending time with Catti or Jockington was different, in the sense that they actually did do stuff together, not just… whatever this thing they were doing now with Kris was.
Suddenly, Kris abruptly got up from the couch, the motion making Noelle yelp, staring at them for a few seconds before she calmed down.
"K-Kris? Is everything okay?" She asked, looking at them with furrowed brows. They nodded, mumbling something about snacks, then before she could reply, they made their way to the dining room, leaving her alone.
She sighed again, audibly this time, putting her console down on the table and then just laying down on the couch.
She missed those days, spent outside under the sun, playing in the forest with Kris, Dess and Azzy without a care in the world. Making angels in the snow, having fights with sticks, pretending they were some sort of hero in a quest to save her, or just going to the park and talking on the swings.
She even missed the other, not so fun stuff. Like when they pretended to rip their heart out before chasing her around the house, or when they told her the story about the "Human underneath the bed" and then did just that to scare her.
Or that time, where they all went together at the town faire and she got to ride the ferris wheel together with them, even if they did end up jumping up and down and jostling the capsule at its highest point.
Even if they played pranks on her, and scared her, sometimes so bad she ended up crying, she could tell their friendship was genuine. They knew when a prank had gone too far, they always comforted her when she got scared, always apologizing afterwards, even if under threat by Dess.
Now... They didn't really do any of that. She knew they were still mischievous, she was sure that wasn't going to change anytime, but they didn't play pranks on her or scare her. They didn't... Do much of anything, really.
Noelle wondered if they still felt guilty after all these years.
She'd told them it hadn't been their fault, and she'd meant it. It was one of the first things she said to them the next time she saw them after the incident, and even though they weakly smiled and hugged her...
The way they said they were sorry, Noelle knew they hadn't believed her.
She really wanted to tell them again, but she knew they wouldn't listen. She didn't want to hurt them further, either.
So she waited, laying on that couch for what felt like a small eternity. Just as she was wondering if she should check on them to see if they were alright, she heard the piano begin to play.
It had been so long since anyone last played that piano...
It was a soft melody, one that Noelle didn't recognize, but it slowly put her at ease. She silently listened, afraid that even the smallest of sounds would interrupt Kris' playing.
Back then, she always wanted to see them play, but they wouldn't let her. The moment they saw her peeking around the doorway, they would apologize, shut the piano and then go back to playing with her. Eventually, she learnt to stay and listen instead.
They finished playing that song, and just a few seconds after started playing another, this time one of the battle themes from Dragon Blazers. Noelle couldn't help but smile as she closed her eyes and continued to listen.
Kris went through a few more songs, some she recognized and some she didn't, but eventually played a song she really didn't expect to hear.
One of Dess' original compositions. The one she'd taught to them shortly after teaching them how to play.
Noelle could tell it meant a lot of them by the way they played it slightly slower, as if afraid to make mistakes and not do it justice. In her honest opinion, it sounded perfect, like if Dess was once again there, playing the piano for her.
The smile on her face widened just a bit, even if a few tears began welling up in her eyes. She silently hummed along to the tune, a few sobs escaping her in between, but she didn't care.
As long as Kris continued to play for her.
As long as they continued to be there for her.
It would be okay.
And she would do the same, in turn.