Call: Yasumu → Lee (11.22)
Yasumu: Yasumu picks up the phone, having spent the previous day a bucket full of jitters and nerves. Not able to clearly focus, the day passed by in an unexpected blur. Now, after having woken up and made himself a semblance of put together, he looks at the mobile in his hands, and takes a deep breath.
After dialing the numbers, he puts the phone to his ear.
Gale: Gale picks up, only a few seconds later. "Heeeey! The kids awake, if you're wondering." His voice seems as cheerful as usual, as if nothing had ever gone wrong.
Yasumu: Nodding to an invisible audience, the smallest sigh of relief is his first audible tones. "Thank goodness," is all he says. "There's no... complications, or anything?"
Gale: "He lost a bit of mass from throwing up so he needs to eat, but otherwise he's all good! Wanna talk to him?" Without waiting for an answer, the sound of steps are faintly heard, followed by the opening and closing of a door.
A "huh?" comes very quietly from a familiar voice.
Muffled, Gale followed with "A friend called!" A crackling sound is heard, before the voice of the man who once shared his room with almost nervously talks.
Yasumu: Yasumu does not have much time to prepare for what comes next, but the few seconds he does have give him a chance to at least formulate his first question.
"...Lee?" Is all he manages to ask, his voice almost brittle, affected with the same nervousness as the other.
Lee: He breathes in before talking in a quiet voice. "H...hey, Yas. I...I'm sorry." He pauses, the phone playing small crackling noises as he shifts a bit.
Yasumu: "How are you -- Why are you -- how could you --"
How could you do this (to me) (to youself) (to us all)?
Breaking off into a panicked start, Yasumu shuts down all of the rushed questions he had begun and closes his eyes, forcing out the question he wanted to hear the answer to the most.
Lee: He pauses for a moment, unsure what to say as well. "I...I'm---... don't worry, I'm alright..." he takes a deep breath. "...I guess you've heard everything from Gale? Sorry for being a worry..."
Yasumu: Making sure to take a pause before starting this time, he doesn't want to make him any more shaken then he already was.
"Are you, are you sure? I just -- fuck, Lee, why did you work yourself so hard?" He blurts out, concern (and almost frustration) dripping from his voice.
Lee: "..." Lee takes a long pause, partially to think and partially to gather himself. "...I...I didn't want to think about things anymore." A gulp. "...ahah, sorry for being so stupid..." His voice trails off slowly, and he falls silent.
Yasumu: At his response, Yasumu bites his lip so hard he nearly draws blood.
Swallowing the lump in his throat, his voice maintains its concern, but it is considerably weaker on the whole. He just sounds... sad. "Why didn't you... talk to anyone about it?"
And although he says anyone, it is obvious he means "me".
Lee: "I..." It's my fault. It couldn't have been helped. It no longer matters. Thoughts filled his mind, but his voice falters before he could say anything more. He didn't have the heart to say anything, and instead a sigh gently escapes him.
Yasumu: Waiting for Lee to say something, when only silence comes, he just... frowns deeper, before letting out a shaky sigh once he realises nothing is to come.
"I-- I'm glad yer okay. I really, really am. Jus'... jus'... if yer having trouble a' any kind, please, Lee... we're all here fer ya, alright? I... I'm here fer ya. ... Okay?"
Lee: "...I... okay... sorry... sorry for everything." He pauses, then sinks down. "...please don't worry over me though, I don't want it..."
Yasumu: "... How the heck am I not supposedta worry about you? I... I..." He swallows again, his throat dry. "I can't... not worry about you. I can't not worry about someone I care about like this, alright...?"
Lee: "...it'll all be fine, I swear... I'm... there's better concerns than me, y'know." His brows furrow, his voice tensing a bit. "Things will be just fine by tomorrow, so there's no reason to worry..."
Yasumu: After Lee finishes, Yasumu cannot help but to respond sharply. "Dun -- dun say that! Lee, I... there aren't better concerns than you! Yer talking like yer... yer an object. Ya ain't an object, yer a person that can't be replaced! Dun... dun you talk about yerself that way!"
Shutting up as soon as he realises his voice raised to above an average speaking level, he bites his lip as a reminder to stay calm. He's probably shaken up... there was no need to push it further.
Lee: "But I..." he trails off, not knowing what to say without a counterargument. After a long pause, he finally speaks again. "So... uh...how are Howl and Jing, by the way? ...and you?"
Yasumu: Speaking in calmer tones after Lee's long pause, he cannot help but frown to himself when he dodges the subject like that. Letting out a sigh, Yasumu answers. "They're... fine, both fine. I haven't told them anythin' yet, about you. They last they know is that yer fine and dandy... so, really, they haven't had any reason ta act unlike they normally do." He finishes, not really answering the question for himself.
Lee: "Ah... that's... good. It's... it's probably best to keep it that way." He sounds distant in tone, and mutters, though indiscernible because it's in Chinese. Eventually, he speaks again. "...uh, so yeah. Sorry."
Yasumu: "... Apologising endlessly ain't just gonna make everythin' all hunky dorey, yanno. If ya wan' me ta step off fer now, I will, but yer not gonna git off tha hook like that. Jus'... please, please at least talk ta me later. Please. I ain't gonna be able ta rest easy until I... until I know what's really goin' on with ya, okay?" He says, barely hiding the fact he's practically pleading with him. Yasumu has no need for shame when it comes to stuff like this. This is important.
Lee: He stays quiet for a long time, before sighing. "You really are persistent, aren't you..." he sighs a bit. "It-it's alright... stay here with me." He shifts a bit, not knowing what to say. After not having talked to much of anyone for so long, it was somewhat comforting to talk to him, though his worry still upset him.
Yasumu: Yasumu pasuses for a good while.
His voice is softer, and a nod is audible in his response.
"How was... the flight back? I've never flown offland before. I'm sure you're real experienced in that, aren't you?"
Lee: "...well, it's like any other airplane flight, so I guess it was good." He pauses for a minute. "I was pretty tired by the time it was over though, maybe staying up until the flight wasn't the best idea..." He laughs, almost sadly. "But yeah, it was fine..."
Yasumu: Yasumu is silent for a moment following Lee's pause, that sad laugh tweaking one of his heartstrings. "Ain'tcha got enough time ta sleep on those kinda flights? I mean, they're kinda long enough ta nap, ain't they?"
Lee: "Yeah yeah, I did. But I was tired for a long while before I got on it, and only 2 hours of sleep doesn't do you too many favors." He pauses. "How are you, though?"
Yasumu: He grunts in a sort of agreement at the first part, and then waits as he hears the second. He isn't entirely sure how to answer.
"'Ve been... okay. I spent some time with Weiss, and then I did some stuff around home... s'alright. Had a bit of a shock when Howl almost burnt down tha kitchen last week, but... yeah. Nothin' too.. bad." He doesn't really know what to say after that, not really wanting to get into all that happened just like this.
Lee: "Ah, that's good, I suppose... well, not the part about Howl almost burning the kitchen down, but yeah." He takes a long pause. "...pfft, I shouldn't have acted so idiotically. Maybe I wouldn't need to be sitting in bed, then..."
Yasumu: "Yes dam-- darn right ya shouldn'ta pulled somethin' like this! I mean... ya had a lot on yer mind... an' I know I ain't tha best ta be preachin', but yer health always comes first. 'Cause ya can't do nothin' if yer body decides to quit on ya after bein' abused, right? An' tha' just... sucks on tha whole, fer you especially." Nodding vehemently, he sounds what could be called enthusiastic about this. After all, he wants to make sure Lee understands that this sorta thing is just a generally bad idea.
Lee: "It's--" Lee stops himself. "...y...yeah, okay... sorry..." He sinks into his seat. It wasn't really his intention to get people concerned about him, of course.
After a long pause, he mutters, "Sorry for being such a worry... please don't, anymore. I'm fine."
Yasumu: "-- Like I said, dun apologise ta me. Apologise ta yerself, if anyone, 'cause now yer stuck in bed with nothin' ta do an' are prolly gonna be bored outta yer skull. ... Tell me you atleast gotta television er somethin' in there?"
He hadn't intended to make him apologise again, so he tried to shift the topic away. There was plenty of time to make them both feel guilty later.
Lee: "...nah, nah, I don't, but it's fine." He pauses for a moment. "It'll give me... give me some time to... think." There is another pause before he says, "If I really needed to, I could just ask Gale for something, anyways."
Yasumu: Yasumu bites his lip at the word 'think', and gives a hum of acknowledgement as he says it. He has no idea what thinking entails, but it worries him regardless. The only thing Yasumu knows has been an issue was, well, the matter of the eye... and so he could help but think Lee was wishing to pass judgment upon him.
Shaking the unnecessarily self-oriented thoughts away, he responds. "Yeah, yeah...Gale's a really good guy. Seems ta like you a lot... probably be willin' ta do a lotta things fer ya."
Lee: Lee replies, sounding somewhat distracted. "Mmm... yeah, I've known him for a few years. Don't know why, but he likes he likes messing around with me... not that I care." After a momentary pause, his attention seems to refocus. "Hey, um, Yas?"
Yasumu: Yasumu's eyebrows raise as he hears Lee's distracted tone. He was going to say something silly in order to question him, but stops when Lee continues to speak.
He replies to the new question instead, strangely (albeit mostly undetectably) hesitant. "Uh... yeah, Lee?"
Lee: "Uh..." Lee pauses for a moment. "..this is probably kind of cheesy, but um..." He pauses again. Should I really say this? "...people have eyes so they can move forward, right?"
"...if so... thank you... thank you for a lot, I suppose."
A deep breath is drawn, and he curls a bit, mildly embarassed.
Yasumu: Yasumu nearly drops his phone.
He honest to goodness almost drops it, but his impulsive reaction to crush something manages to keep him from doing so. One hand tight around his mobile (too tight?), the other flown up and crushed against his mouth, his face burns a deep, noticeable red.
There's silence on his end for a moment, because he is busy trying to find his voice that left the moment his chest clenched, locking those words deep inside him.
His eyes aren't watering. There's no way.
Slightly muffled, he makes enough room between his fingers in order for his voice to escape.
"--No, no... it's me who should be thanking you."
Voice somewhat small and wavering, he offers back what would be the usual sort of response, however he says it in complete and utter sincerity.
Lee: There is a long silence. Lee pauses for a bit, almost freezing at his reaction. "...nah, nah, I'm the one who thanked you... just take it, okay?" He then returns back to silence, an awkward feeling seeming to grow.
Yasumu: "Lee -- I'm... I'm serious."
His voice still shaky, he squeezes his eyes shut for a second. "Without you, I woulda... I wouldn'ta... jus', jus' know that I do, I am accepting yer thanks -- I really am -- but also know that I mean it, too. I..."
Would not have made it without you.
Would do anything for you.
Want nothing but the best for you.
"-- Really am grateful fer all that you've done fer me. Seriously." Hand slowly dropping from his face, he inhaled, trying to even out his voice a bit more.
Lee: Lee pauses, a bit concerned at how shaky he sounds and not exactly sure how to reply. "...alright... well... you're welcome, I guess..." He nods slowly, but when he tries to open his mouth to speak again, his words fail him, the only noise coming out being a small, "I'm glad."
Yasumu: Now wiping furiously at his eyes eyes, Yasumu sniffles just once before he clears his throat, taking a final shuddery breath before his voice goes (more or less) back to normal.
"G-- good. You bein' glad is good. S'what I like to hear."
Sounding affirmative, despite his voice having levelled, he's still as awkward as ever.
Lee: "...hey, hey, are you crying? It's too early for that, cry when it's all over..." He pauses for a moment, before smiling slightly. "Anyways, if that's what you like hearing, I guess that's good for you too then, isn't it?" He chuckles lightly.
Yasumu: Grinning now, he laughs lightly. He elects to not answer the crying bit, because who really cares if his eyes were a little wet anyway? "Darn right s'good fer me too! In fact, why ain'tcha been spoilin' me with yer happiness, then? I totally deserve ta be spoilt!"
Lee: "Pfft, sure, I can try... once you stop doing so many dumb things," He says, half-jokingly. "Maybe then everybody, not just us, can be happy, y'know?" He chuckles lightly once more, before going silent.
Yasumu: "Well, while yer off working yer little butt off over there, I'm also workin' over here too on tha happiness frontier! Dun you think I ain't trying ta make sure everyone's happy, aight? 'Cause I am. By doin' things like not being dumb. Because I *totally* dun do dumb things." He says, the eyeroll and joking smile totally audible.
Lee: "Well, if you say so..." By his tone of voice, he seems generally happy enough. "Someday I should come back and see their faces then, shouldn't I? I hope you did a good job." He says, half-jokingly.
Yasumu: "Oi, oi -- someday? Otousan, Okaasan is working hard on his own here. I need a little more than just a vague someday, you know? Our poor kids will be so lonely if you're gone for too long!" He laughs brightly, clearly joking, however the message underneath is clear enough.
He would honestly be so hurt if he just... didn't come back.
Lee: "Yeah, yeah..." he laughs, almost sadly. I really do need to think… "...how does soon sound, then?" He still felt terrible for not returning. "Can't let you guys go now, can I? I'll bring back fun things when I return, I swear," He tacks on, just to make himself feel better, really.
Yasumu: "Soon is... better than someday, that's fer sure. Okaasan is gonna trust your time judgement here, yeah?" He says, the echos of soft, demure laughter still in his voice. "Only bring back fun things if you've got tha time an' the money -- there ain't any pressure. But, I know those two would definitely enjoy it if ya did, haha."
Lee: A laugh. "Sure, sure. I've got plenty of time, don't worry about that..." ...as long as I don't do something dumb again… "...money isn't too much of an issue either, so it's all good. Either way, if it makes them happy, it's fine."
Yasumu: "-- But yanno, if ya really can't think of anythin' ta actually git... more than anythin', the time they spend with you is their favourite gift of all. So take yer time out there, but dun panic if you've spent yer time and still can't think a' anything especially grandiose. Yer more than enough, in tha end." Coughing lightly, his cheeks were a dusted pink -- he knew he was speaking for himself too, and this time he felt it might have been a little too obvious... but he tries to ignore it.
Lee: Lee pauses, thinking about Yas' words. "...alright. I'll think about it some more," he says slowly. Nodding, he then replies, "I'll try my best... for you guys."
Yasumu: Smiling wide, he laughs, nodding despite being alone. "Yeah! Yeah. I'm sure you'll do jus' great."
Lee: Lee pauses for a moment, shifting. "...I should go eat now." He pauses again. "Talk to you... soon, alright?"
Yasumu: Yasumu nods again, despite it still not being visible.
"Yeah yeah, git yer body all nice and nourished, aigh'? I'll talk to ya later fer sure, okay?"
Lee: "Yeah, yeah... bye..." hesitantly, he hangs up the phone, and slowly gets up to get food.
Yasumu: "See ya." Yasumu says at the final moment before the line goes dead. He flips his phone closed, puts it into his back pocket, and stretches.
Although that call was certainly enlightening, he still has things on his mind... but for now, it is time to make food and start being productive.
He nods affirmatively to himself, and starts his day...
