Chapter Text
Even the most dramatic changes become completely unnoticeable if they're gradual. Tension doesn't hang in the air, isn't felt on the skin, doesn't burn in the muscles. It easily permeates the veins of all Cleaners, becoming routine, something familiar.
Can they be blamed for inattention and excessive relaxation? If we consider the future, then absolutely. It would have been worth considering the small warning signs, the insignificant details, the strangely shifting attachments. Inconsistencies that have faded from memory over time. Actions that deviated from usual behavior. If this had happened now, everything would have turned out differently.
But at that moment? People were trying to recover from a horrific battle, from a literal confrontation with God! No one was okay. Everyone was on edge, despite their attempts to pretend everything was normal. Everyone experienced the event differently, breathing a sigh of relief at the end of peaceful days.
Recovering takes time, and Akuta's team needed much longer. But those who witnessed the battle with their own eyes didn't dare blame givers for the slow recovery. Every member of the team had suffered. Nevertheless, no one wanted to be left behind.
Riyo was the first to regain consciousness, just two days later. No one envied her. Of course, everyone was happy about her awakening, but they also sympathized. Gris was with her and the others, clearly noticing Riyo's discomfort.
She spent hours in silence, looking at her family team crew. Her eyes held none of their usual mischief – only a cold anticipation of something. Left alone with Gris, Tomme ventured to guess that it was a fatal outcome.
No one dared to interrupt the observation, as they themselves expected the worst. Eishia wasn't giving a precise prognosis. Injuries were too extensive, but their condition was stable. Entire headquarters froze in anticipation, just like Riyo. Gris couldn't find the strength to look at this.
“It’s five hours, Riyo…”
Gris's soft voice barely carried any meaning for the girl now. She said nothing, didn't even glance at the older Cleaner. Riyo's gaze swept over the three figures lying on the bunks, and for a second, Gris thought she was about to burst into tears. His own chest tightened.
Since waking up, she's barely spoken, focusing all her attention on three Cleaners nearby. Gris can't bear to watch any longer. Hands reach out to the girl. Riyo remains motionless, and Gris just holds her close, not daring to go any further.
“You’ve been sitting on this bed for five hours now. Eishia is worried. I’m worried. You’re wearing yourself out.”
Blinking slowly, owlishly, Riyo doesn't look away even an inch. She just shrugs, as if everything is fine.
“Yeah?”
The question sounds hollow, dispassionate. As if she doesn't care about the man's words, his anxiety, his worries about her. Gris has no right to scold Enjin's child, so he'd better wake up quickly and do it, otherwise the girl won't last long.
He's speechless every time he tries to accuse Riyo of being indifferent. He's exactly the same. The only thing his conscience allows him to do is stay close.
“Yeah…”
One careful movement and Riyo is locked in a full embrace. Blinking, she finally moves, fidgeting in his arms. Doesn't pull away, but doesn't press in either. It's enough. Nothing more is needed than presence.
Steadfastness in the girl's slender shoulders gradually weakened under the man's warm hands. Gris didn't dare move, listening to the other breathing, which had barely changed. It faltered a little, which, however, was somewhat comforting. Riyo was finally allowing herself to rely on someone else.
"Just know, I'm here. Don't worry about it all alone. None of them will like it if they see you so exhausted."
A slight nod pleased Supporter. At least Riyo was actually listening, not lost in her own thoughts. Her green eyes suddenly focused directly on Gris, causing him to flinch but not retreat from the girl.
“I want them to wake up. I really, really want them to wake up.”
Gris notices her tugging at a long strand of hair, plucking a few without wincing. He gently grasps her arms, giving her the freedom to pull away at any moment. Riyo only watches meekly, and the man's chest feels so tight. The girl's hope gradually crumbles, unleashing utter despair and fear.
“Is it too much, Gris?”
Her thin fingers dig lightly into his skin. Her lips are pressed tightly together, but their trembling is undeniable. Riyo twists her head, hitting her forehead against the man's shoulder as her body sways in his large hands. Gris barely has the strength to complain about the tickling of Riyo's hair. Because it doesn't matter as long as the fragile teenager is leaning on him.
“No. Not at all… I want this too, believe me. But all we can do is... wait.”
Supporter, gently running his hand through his hair, glanced at the unconscious figures. Enjin looked perfectly peaceful, as if he were simply in a normal slumber, in his room after work. Rudo's eyes were closed in worry. Gris wanted to cheer the boy up, but that would require him to be conscious. He hated Mymo.
Zanka looked the worst of all. Sweat poured down the teenager's face as he was hooked up to a breathing machine. He was pale as a toadstool and terribly exhausted. It was as if all the boy's insides had been ripped out in an instant, which, in fact, wasn't far from the truth. According to Eishia, they almost lost Zanka. Gris doesn't know which Gods to thank for this miracle.
“It would be better to simply... wait and hope, Riyo.”
Gris muttered heavily, closing his eyes from exhaustion. He wanted to believe that everything would be okay.
…
Things got a little easier after Rudo woke up. At least, relieved sighs followed the moment his red eyes finally opened.
Riyo couldn't help but feel emotional when she saw the boy finally wake up. Everyone at headquarters that day shuddered at the girl's urgent request to appear at the infirmary. Follo and Tomme exchanged glances, silently wondering if the end had come for someone. Gris, alarmed by Riyo's voice, had never run so fast, thinking he might not make it. Eishia kept up with him.
But how he rejoiced, seeing Riyo hugging the confused, distraught, but still alive Rudo. Relief washed over Gris, too. Tomme and Follo, who had arrived just in time, beamed with joy. The older Supporter saw the black-haired boy trying not to burst into tears and rush toward Rudo. A pat on the shoulder from Gris was enough to break the dam.
Follo lunges at Rudo, nearly falling on him. A muffled groan escapes the boy, and he slaps his friend on the back in surprise, cursing as he does so. This elicits laughter from Follo and Riyo, who look more relaxed than they've ever looked. Eishia, who has just arrived, freezes at the sight, but quickly melts into affection.
"Ow! F-follo, you're going to strangle me now, jerk!"
Rudo's voice was hoarse, his grumbling making everyone in the room laugh. Warmth finally seeped in, a gentle calm settled between them, relieving the tension. Riyo finally seemed alive. Not detached, not as if she were living every moment with the thought that today everyone would have their eyes closed again.
Tomme, despite appearing the most relaxed of them all, watched with immense relief, and Gris understood it. He himself felt his body gradually relax. Eishia hesitated to approach for now, lest she ruin the reunion. Holding back a smile was pointless, especially when there was reason to rejoice. Rudo glanced around, and his embarrassed expression instantly became serious.
“So, Enjin and Zanka still haven’t…?”
Silence swallowed the space again.
No one speaks, no one dares. Rudo shifts his gaze, wanting an explanation, to understand the situation and how dire it is. He consoles himself with the thought that at least Enjin and Zanka are nearby, not dead. Riyo did the same in the first days. She tried to find solace, at least in the position of an observer. She spoke first, clutching the younger one tighter in her arms.
"They'll wake up. I'm awake, you're awake, those two idiots have to open their eyes."
Red eyes meet green ones, attempts to detect doubt in their gaze fail. Rudo nods gravely in trust. Riyo is a comrade, a friend. The boy has no intention of doubting her confidence.
Gris thinks she couldn't have hoped for anything better just a few days ago. Eishia approaches the three teenagers, awkwardly asking for access to the patient. Follo and Riyo reluctantly release Rudo without getting off the bed.
Had Enjin been conscious, Supporter would have definitely seen his smug smile. Seeing him so calm for so long was unusual. Gris resisted the urge to shake him by the shoulders, shouting for Cleaner to finally return to the children.
But he is not ready to receive silence in response.
…
Enjin's awakening was received much more calmly by everyone, even despite the tears in Rudo's eyes. Perhaps because no one was told to run to the infirmary without a proper explanation of the situation. Follo almost confronted the girl about it, but quickly backed down.
Gris fondly recalled Rudo's awkwardness upon waking up due to his long absence. He even tried to apologize, but was quickly slapped in the forehead by Riyo. She merely shook her head, and Rudo pouted but didn't bring the matter up again.
Riyo chose to remain silent about how long she'd waited for friend to wake up. Everyone respected her decision, so Tomme distracted the younger Cleaner with sweets when he asked Riyo how she'd been feeling during him absence. Their embrace that day was especially strong.
And as he passed the infirmary, Gris couldn't help but feel a sense of deja vu when he saw Rudo tightly hugging Enjin. Silence reigned all around, broken only by soft sobs and muttering. Fragile space of Enjin, Rudo, Gris, and Zanka...
"Wow, I've been gone a long time, right? I've got a lot of stubble."
A short laugh was interrupted by a cough. Gris was immediately at his side, holding a glass of water. Rudo's grip on Enjin became deathly tight, reminiscent of a baby sloth clinging to its mother with all its might. A tattooed hand gently, parentally, tugged at the boy's hair as he handed the empty glass to the Supporter.
“Damn, Gris, you could have given me a friendly shave.”
Man snorted, a smile creeping across his face. He sat down on Enjin's bed and looked him over from head to toe. Tired. Cleaner always looked sleep-deprived, blaming it on the lack of time he had to deal with the kids. And now he looked exactly like a mother of three teenagers, with wrinkles that had appeared before he was thirty. Gris lightly tapped him on the shoulder, earning a surprised yelp in response.
"If you'd woken up earlier, wouldn't have gotten so overgrown. Don't complain now that your child is hugging so tightly."
The two adults laughed tenderly until Rudo gave them one of his wicked looks. True, this time it only elicited more laughter, which Gris held back for the sake of propriety. Enjin burst into laughter throughout the infirmary.
"I'm not a child! And anyway, get off my back, old man!!"
Rudo's spiteful statement didn't upset the older Cleaner at all. He shrugged, never losing his smile. His fingers continued to comb through the boy's white hair, making the boy's cheeks flush even more.
“Hey, you grabbed me yourself!”
Enjin's laughter is cut short by a blow to the side. Rudo, embarrassed, turns pale as he realizes what he's done. Another man's grunt instantly triggers panic, and convulsive apologies escape his lips. Enjin clutches the spot where he was struck, first bending forward, then suddenly, with a painful groan, bending back. Gris rushes to restrain his friend.
“Ugh, my back... How long have I been lying there for it to hurt like that?”
Rudo fell silent for a second and froze. His pupils darted from side to side, refusing to look at the older Cleaner. Gris, similarly, inhaling deeply the now-familiar medicinal scent. Change in the atmosphere unnerved Enjin, and his smile gradually faded as he waited for a response.
“A little over four weeks.”
Riyo plops down on the bed, drawing attention to herself. No one seemed to notice her presence. Gris can see, out of the corner of his eye, the processing of her words on Enjin's face. Shock, disbelief. His brows furrowed, making wrinkles visible. His lips pressed into a thin line, completely erasing even the hint of a smile. Tearing his hand away from Rudo, he glanced at the three people nearby.
"Wow, I really got on your nerves, guys! Haha... Sphere, who would have thought... How did you ever manage without me?"
Enjin's completely casual tone lightens the mood, and Riyo grins. It feels noticeably lighter. Rudo finally clings to Enjin with his entire body. Gris moves closer to the girl, pulling her in. Over the past few weeks, this kind of comfort has become commonplace. A way for them to cope with the situation.
"Rudo and Riyo are great, they just returned to duty and took out a couple of trash beasts. Fu is constantly hanging around headquarters, starting to get used to the surroundings. Follo is getting better and better at sensing Alan with each passing day, he's so energetic... Tomme continues to work, sometimes helping Semiu and Amo with the piles of paperwork. By the way, expect some paperwork to be waiting when you get back."
The children slowly relaxed, the two adults more than pleased. Enjin sighed wearily at the announcement (an obvious threat) about a job in the future, but didn't complain. His face took on a proud expression, and suddenly the blond reached out to all three, enveloping them in a group hug. Older Cleaner ignored their disapproving remarks.
"Keep up the good work, people! No need to get down while I slack off at work. Ha! I bet Zanka was the first one to rush back into battle! Are you even keeping an eye on the guy?"
Enjin's laughter echoed off the walls, gradually fading as the realization hit him that it was the only sound in the infirmary. It grew strangely quiet, as if whatever was said had made the air around the team heavy. It dawned on him, albeit slowly, that something was wrong.
Enjin's eyes darted to the side, straight to the prone Zanka. Rudo, glancing sideways at the older Cleaner's face, watched as the relaxation gradually faded, replaced by tension. He guessed who was causing it, but he didn't dare speak. Riyo silently stroked the boy's hair. Knowing her friend's condition was already a heavy burden.
Enjin breaks away from Zanka, staring straight into Gris's eyes. Supporter thought he was prepared to withstand the pain, anger, and sadness in his friend's eyes, but seeing regret and guilt there was something else entirely. His mouth opens, but the words stick deep in his throat.
The embrace grew tighter, but softer. More gentle. Rudo buried his head in the older Cleaner's chest, quietly swallowing back tears. Riyo glanced sideways at her prostrate friend, too calmly, too coldly. She simply didn't know whether to continue believing or to begin to grieve.
The girl tormented herself with constant thoughts about what to do if Zanka didn't wake up. What would happen to Rudo, how would Enjin react? Would she be there when the guy took his last breath? If only she could calm down, make sure nothing bad would happen, just as Enjin came to. And Riyo wasn't there.
What if next time there's no one around? Will Zanka just die alone? They'd almost lost him already. If it weren't for Eishia, that fucking bastard Mymo would have ended up underground instead of in a cell. He was lucky Riyo could barely move back then.
"Zan-Zan will get out. I believe in this guy's stubbornness, he'll surprise us all yet."
Enjin's words, which he sincerely believes, should comfort everyone. Maybe that's enough for Rudo and Grisa. Maybe that would have been enough for her, too. Before. In the days of absolute isolation and watching over the three closest people. Now she's grateful for Enjin's awakening, while simultaneously feeling the bittersweet anticipation of Zanka's return.
…
Two months.
Two months and four days.
Zanka Nijiku has been in a coma for that long. There's been no deterioration, no encouraging prognosis. Her breathing is stable. Her wounds are healing normally. Eishia's verdict: Zanka's life is not in danger.
Why hasn't he woken up yet? Doctor has no answer. She only talks about the severity of the injuries he suffered, and that the very fact that Cleaner survived is nothing less than a miracle.
"Zanka's final diagnosis is a combination of abdominal organ injuries, namely: a subtotal colon rupture, grade 1 liver laceration, an incomplete seromuscular rupture of the stomach, and multiple areas of seromuscular damage to the small intestine. Functional left kidney is partially damaged, accompanied by acute right kidney failure…"
Eishia frantically tried to explain when Enjin demanded to know everything about Zanka's condition. The poor girl was taken aback by the surprise, but then sighed with relief, as if she could finally stop hiding important information.
"L-luckily, there was no infection! Although even without it, the blood loss could have been fatal... At some point, I... I already thought that... That... I-it's over. I'm sorry, I'm sorry I couldn't do more. If I... I... Then maybe he would have..."
Guilt was reflected on the doctor's face, trying with all his might to hold back the tears. Enjin watched Zanka's peaceful face. Too peaceful, as if the boy weren't a living, breathing person, but a corpse. A pale, cold corpse being forced to live. Sight of Zanka like that. It felt wrong. Utterly uncomfortable, oppressive. Like an important piece was missing.
"Eishia, it's okay. You pulled the guy back from the brink of death, be proud of yourself. If it weren't for you, I don't know if anyone would have seen him again. We would bury him with Lovely… Assistaff..."
Older Cleaner's wrinkles smoothed out as a thought occurred to him: he was uncomfortable not only with Zanka's condition, but also with the lack of jinki nearby. The boy was so often with his staff that not seeing them together was, to put it mildly, strange. It was an eyesore.
“Eisha, make sure Zanka doesn’t run away.”
Before the doctor could react, Enjin headed for the exit. Without taking her eyes off the door, she sank into a chair next to the bed, blinking in confusion. Then she glanced at Zanka. He lay peacefully, completely unaware of what was happening around him.
“He… He can’t run away, can he?... Even if he wakes up…”
But she still watches. She follows Enjin's orders with all professional seriousness, not daring to tear her gaze from the other man's chest. He breathes. Without a wheeze. Breathes. Eishia has no idea how Zanka survived. She swears she didn't feel his pulse for two minutes. Clinical death – that was the diagnosis that awaited him. And then... Memories blur. Her hands burned as some unknown warmth coursed through her veins. And Zanka's pulse resumed.
Eisha doesn't believe in miracles. She's a doctor. But there's no other way to explain it. If there's a God who helped them, she's very grateful. Otherwise, Zanka wouldn't be with them.
Doctor's thoughts are interrupted by Enjin, who has returned to the infirmary. In his hands is the one and only Lovely Assistaff – Zanka's vulnerability, in the form of him own vital instrument.
"Here. Our Zanka's favorite thing. He'd better have his Lovely Assistaff by his side. He'll definitely panic if he doesn't find her immediately after waking up."
Eishia nods. For a moment, Enjin hesitates, unsure where to leave the staff. It would be wise to place it near the bed. If necessary, there's no need to waste precious time removing it. But the irrationality within Enjin is seething with unusual force, begging to leave the jinki in its owner's hand.
That's what he does. Now everything is correct .
…
Ding
Ding..
Ding…
Riyo never thought she would wake up in the middle of the night to chocer call. She's ready to tell whoever it is that's calling her on her choker at four in the fucking morning to go to hell! Punch them right in the face so they know the consequences. It's a rare night when she doesn't see dream. And they dared to interrupt that.
Ding…
A nasty remark is about to come out of her mouth, a threat to strangle and make it clear why people shouldn't call so early.
But when she hears a barely audible but firm voice on the other side, everything inside her freezes.
“Riyo, are you sleeping?...”
Can't listen to the end.
Legs give way when she jump out of bed abruptly.
Each breath becomes more convulsive than the previous one.
Run
She ignores the unpleasant chill from the headquarters floors. She didn't bother to put on shoes. She doesn't care. She couldn't care less what might happen to her.
Riyo doesn't hear Rudo's surprised squeak as she runs past him. Not now.
Running into the infirmary, the girl turns to stone. Her chest immediately becomes suffocatingly tight as the air leaves her lungs.
Steps become slow, silent. Finding herself a few centimeters from the bed, Riyo finally loses it, digging hands into scalp. Her fingers begin to tug at hair.
Nothing
Nothing.
N-o-t-h-i-n-g.
Nothing
No awakening.
Zanka didn't wake up. He lay on the damned bed, completely motionless, just as he had been for the past few days. No change, not even the slightest movement.
She feels like life is just making fun of her.
"I... I guess just dreamed he called me. Mean, I... I sometimes did that to wake him up..."
Dream. Riyo simply dreamed it, there's no other explanation. Her brain is playing tricks on her, trying to offer unwanted comfort. Or rather, hidden mockery. She wants to laugh. She'd truly hoped, been scared, but genuinely happy. She thought she'd see him, see his peculiar eyebrows, furrowed of course. She'd notice how cruelly Zanka had treated them, leaving her without his grumbling voice for two whole months.
He'll roll his eyes, saying it wasn't his wish. Ask if they defeated Mymo, and about Rudo and Enjin, whom Riyo would definitely have woken up. Then he'll ask about the time he was gone, just like Enjin, and stare at her in complete shock, just like the older Cleaner.
Riyo thought that finally all her loved ones would come back into her life.
But now... Now she just wants to curl up on the floor. How those cold days before she met Enjin, when she needed no one but herself.
…
Rudo stands rooted to the spot.
He's awkward, terribly awkward. Looking at Riyo sleeping in Zanka bed, he fidgets. He fiddles with his fingers, unsure where to put his urge to join in. Will he disturb the girl? What if he makes Zanka's situation worse?
Of course, he slept with Enjin sometimes. He monitored his breathing, his heartbeat, his body movements. A few times with Riyo; the two of them proved easier to track the man's condition. Enjin's warmth was comforting, reminding him of Regto. Distantly, Rudo felt as if he were hugging his adoptive father again. And while it was awkward, Enjin didn't seem angry to learn this.
With Zanka it's more complicated. Much more complicated.
Rudo wants, so badly wants to throw all his worries away and lie down next to him. Check for a pulse, calm himself with Zanka's slow breathing. Perhaps, after sleeping with Lovely Assistaff, he'll understand why Zanka didn't let go of her even in his dreams. But he doesn't move toward the bed.
He needs to go. Disturbing his friends' peaceful peace with his presence is Rudo's last wish.
Leaving is what he should do. But his body refuses to move, no matter how hard he tries.
Gaze does not break away from the two people, while the brain pushes at least to come closer. Take one step towards him. Just check if Zanka is alive.
But my feet feel like they're glued to the floor. Walls are oppressive, their clean, light color. If they were a shade lighter, and not cracked over time, there would be almost no difference from the walls in the rich neighborhoods of the Sphere. It doesn't get any easier, limbs don't stop feeling heavy. Skin on fingers itches, itches like hundreds of ants are biting them. Pupils dart back and forth, periodically stopping only on Zanka's peaceful face.
A chill runs through the boy's skin as he meets Zanka's sharp blue gaze. Any thought he's had up to this point crumbles to dust. His body can finally move. His feet shuffle reflexively closer, but no further than a few steps.
Zanka frowns. Damn, he's actually frowning! This isn't a dream, not a hallucination. At least, Rudo won't be able to handle it if that's the case. He can't tear gaze away from his mentor, nor can he say anything. He's afraid of destroying this long-awaited reality.
"Stop staring. It's annoying. And don't stand there like a naughty child, just go to bed already if you come."
Rudo's eyebrows shot up. Zanka. Zanka's voice. Zanka's rough, irritating voice. Zanka, who had been looking at him as if Rudo were the most annoying thing in the world. Zanka, who had been in a coma for over two months, with no promising prognosis for when he would wake up. But Zanka had woken up. There he was, alive, conscious. He held his staff tightly in his hands, the way he always did. Tight, tensing the muscles in his arms.
Zanka spoke, fuck, he spoke!
“YOU… YOU’RE AWAKENED?! Wait! WHEN?!”
Rudo nearly screams, instantly getting hit in the side by a stick. Biting his tongue to keep from accidentally screaming again, he hisses in pain. Red eyes glare at equally angry blue ones. The boy's mouth opens and closes as the end of staff flashes before his eyes.
“Shhh! Shut up!”
Zanka's threatening tone made him bite his tongue harder, a metallic taste filling his mouth. Seeing Rudo fall silent, the boy pulled Lovely Assistaff away from his face. The boy immediately let out a sigh of relief. Zanka merely snorted in displeasure.
“Why shout?”
Rudo swallowed back his retort. Even though the blow hadn't been hard, the pain still rippled slowly through his muscles. Perhaps shock was affecting his perception, considering the boy still found it hard to believe that Zanka had actually woken up.
“How long… You… Actually-”
“About half an hour. Something like that.”
This confession caused more bitterness deep inside Rudo than it should have. But he definitely wouldn't complain or say that he wanted to hear from Zanka himself about waking up. Right away. As soon as he woke up. To be the first to know. Well... That's what actually happened, but hey, it was an accident! Was that jerk even planning on telling him he'd regained consciousness?
“Why not then…”
Watching Zanka's head tilt to the left side, red eyes involuntarily darted from side to side. Riyo, sleeping, with one leg tucked under her, looked more relaxed than she had since waking. Oh. Ooh.
"Oh."
Rudo fidgets awkwardly with his gloves, looking down at the floor. He looks like a guilty dog. The corners of Zanka's lips lift slightly, barely noticeably. Shoulders relax. The atmosphere in the room noticeably becomes more pleasant. They hadn't spoken in too long to allow senseless anger to spread.
“Yeah.”
For a few seconds, no one dared speak or move. Looking at the floor, Rudo felt lost again. Uncertainty of where to go in the room weighed more heavily than Zanka's attentive gaze. It was as if the other was just waiting for Rudo to give in to his pitiful desire and ask. Ask for tenderness, physical contact, to reassure that the moment Rudo closed his eyes, he wouldn't slip back into a coma.
Zanka would probably be angry. Really. Well, Rudo was sure he could handle it. He stared at the empty space to his right, wondering how best to ask. Maybe he should lie down silently and not let Zanka throw him off? Would that work when he was weakened?
Rudo's brainstorming doesn't go unnoticed. Zanka doesn't want to deal with it any more than necessary. But waiting for someone else to figure it out is beyond his strength.
"Haa. Just… Get in. There's plenty of room. But don't you dare touch Lovely."
Jinki moves closer to its owner, making room for one person. The boy hesitates slightly, casting a distrustful glance at his mentor. Rudo can't help but note the wisdom of Enjin's decision to move the staff to the infirmary. Considering that Zanka woke up the next day, he might have panicked without Lovely Assistaff, and Rudo would have quickly panicked without his gloves.
“Pfft, I need your stick so badly…”
As he sinks onto the sheets, receives a sharp blow to the forehead with a cane. Despite his efforts, Rudo can't help but let out a yelp.
“Ouch! For what?!”
Sudden appearance of Lovely Assistaff in front of stops from striking back. Blue eyes stop from speaking. The heart of Spherite is struck by that gaze. Deadly. Rudo clearly struck a nerve, o, not just a nerve. Something soft, as if Zanka's jinki weren't made of wood. Ugh, he's always so petty when it comes to Lovely Assistaff.
"Don't treat her with disdain. Otherwise, this 'stick' will teach you respect. Understood?"
Zanka hissed with cold fury. A cautious nod and a numbness in the body, it turned out, could save life and limb. Staff moved back into Zanka's arms, allowing the boy to take a deep breath, his whole body sinking onto the sheets. At that moment, Zanka's forehead pressed against Lovely Assistaff, fingers gently stroking the wood, the other's gaze changing. And not a trace of the former cruelty remained. Only tenderness and a kind of... sadness.
“Forgive me, my dear, for being absent... I feel so guilty before you...”
Inhaling the scent of his beloved staff, Zanka pointedly ignored the disgust on the boy's face. What difference did it make? He and Lovely Assistaff needed this closeness. He felt her agonizing longing with every fiber of his being. Rudo could always turn away if he didn't like something.
"Hey! Shouldn't you apologize to everyone who was worried about you? You are to blame before us too!"
Spherite's indignant tone only elicits a sharp grin. Zanka tightens his grip on Lovely Assistaff, clinging to her reverently. Adoration played in his every movement as he checked the jinka's integrity. After all, that bastard Mymo might not have spared her. Zanka isn't sure he'd want to wake up in that case.
"Hah. Definitely not. Assistaff is a part of my soul. She was away from me for so long. You missed me, my dear, didn't you? You suffered alone. You couldn't feel me, couldn't protect me... Never mind, never mind, I'll definitely make it up to you. I'll never abandon you again..."
"Ugh, you're such a weirdo. Seriously, wait until you're alone with your stick girl."
Rudo can't shake how clingy Zanka is to his staff. Enjin said that even for a giver, he's strangely close to the jinki. He treats her with such gentleness, his parents probably didn't get half of her from him. And now it feels like some kind of reunion with a lost lover. Although, maybe that's normal?
Zanka had lain on this bed for so long. Longer than hope could survive in Cleaners. Some had resigned themselves to not expecting him to wake up. Some, like Rudo, were willing to wait until the end. He couldn't imagine how Riyo managed to hold on. And wasn't it fair that Zanka needed a Lovely Assistaff after everything had been through? The boy could accept anything, as long as his mentor was okay.
“Rudo… Everything is fine now.”
Hand landed on the boy's white head, interrupting his feverish thoughts. Calloused fingers began to carefully comb through strands of hair. Rudo pressed his face into the sheet, trying to hide his growing embarrassment. Zanka had never touched his hair. The boy admitted it was a little pleasant. Similar to Riyo, but more cautious, more thoughtful, but no less so.
“You don’t have to worry about me anymore… Rest.”
Yes, everything is fine. Zanka is here, the rest is just small stuff.