It was ages that they’ve spent any significant time together, let alone went outside together. Robin had already tried different methods of cheering Jay up, but the dark cloud above him always persisted. Unsure of what to do, she thought maybe going outside might help. As long as she kept him busy, it would distract him from whatever was bothering him. At least, she hoped.
Jay never told her what happened, and Monokat refused to tell her as well. The cat had good intentions, as it wanted Jay to be the one to explain the recent events. But the problem was, Jay never did. Robin simply knew something was seriously wrong, but that was about it. Without any clues to go on, she decided it would be best to distract him to the best of her ability. The weather today was perfect too. Warm and sunny. Despite the weather, Jay wore a sweater and flipped on the hood to attract as little attention as possible.
Almost immediately things went south. They were just on their way to an aquarium, with Robin talking to Jay about meaningless little things to distract him. A small gust of wind was all it took for Jay’s hoodie to come off though, and when it did, people began staring.
Cursing to herself, she began running down an alleyway with him. How could she forget? He was the ultimate entertainer, of course Jay would attract attention. At first, she simply thought the hood he wore was just to cover his awful mood, but now she realized its true purpose.
Dragging him by the arm, she kept running, constantly changing directions to throw off the crowd behind them. Quick as she was, Jay was having a hard time keeping up. He was nowhere near as fast as Robin, and was in no condition to be outrunning a crowd. After a while, the duo dove behind another alley. By now, the crowd was almost gone. Only a few persistent fans remained, although none have spotted them yet. Flipping on Jay’s hoodie for him, Robin gave him a warm smile.
“How about we visit somewhere else?”
Silently, Jay nodded and followed her. He was clearly exhausted from all the running, but he didn’t mind a little more walking if it was for Robin. Besides, it was a terrible idea to stay where they were. For a moment, he glanced back up to where the sun was. It was only now that he appreciated the perfect weather. Not too hot, not too cold. Even with a sweater he was comfortable.
They finally arrived at an Arcade. All without attracting any unnecessary attention. The bright lights and loud noises made for a perfect distraction. Jay had a small smile as he looked around the area, it reminded him of somewhere he visited before, but he couldn't put his finger on it. Rather than think too hard on it, he simply let himself get lost in the endless games.
Robin completely dominated any gun-based games, while Jay crushed her in fighting games. Trying to find something they were both good at, they settled for a rhythm game. Unfortunately, both were quite bad at it. But it didn’t matter, Jay was laughing and having a good time, and that was all that mattered to Robin.
After a few hours, they finally exited the arcade. The sun right above them, signaling it was around twelve. Thinking about where else to go, she failed to notice the storm forming above Jay.
It was only now that he recalled what the Arcade reminded him of. It felt like ages ago, but he killed time in the final killing game by playing in the Arcade with his friend. It always amused him watching her stumble around the area, unsure of what to do or where to start. What was once a fond memory, now made him feel bitter and hollow.
Finally glancing over at Jay, she realized his good mood somehow deteriorated. Her worried expression only lasted a few seconds before she figured out another potential place to visit. With a smile, she held his hand and dragged him off once more. She was determined to improve his mood.
After a few more minutes of walking, they arrived at a cat cafe. It was a fairly popular place, and she was well aware that Jay was fond of the little creatures that roamed them. They both ordered their favorite drink and waited. Robin tried to coax one of the kittens to get closer, and failed miserably. When she looked back at Jay, she realized the boy was almost covered in them. He was like a magnet, and he seemed to be enjoying the attention he received. Managing to lift one up, he placed it on Robin’s lap, which she greatly appreciated. Then, he struggled to give the cats all the attention they demanded. Taking advantage of the situation, Robin pulled out her phone and snapped a picture. Then slipped it back into her pocket before he could notice.
After receiving their drinks, they began talking about a random assortment of things. Unlike before, Jay was doing his best to hold up his end of the conversation, and even if he wasn’t doing a good job, at least he was trying. After they finished, Jay took a few minutes to pry each of the cats off him. Robin simply pet the one she had, looking down and admiring the spotted patterns on it. Like before, she failed to notice his deteriorating mood.
For a moment, he stared at Robin. His chest tightened and his hand quivered. The soft expression she had while petting the kitten reminded him of somebody else, and that reminder hurt even worse than the one before.
Leaving the cafe, Robin noticed the sun was almost gone. The sky was a bright orange, and the streets weren’t as busy as before. The stormy cloud above Jay had grown significantly, and Robin’s eyes flared. Maybe going outside wasn’t the solution, but she sure as hell wasn’t going to give up.
Bringing up little bits of trivia, she kept him distracted as they began walking home. It was becoming harder to get him to smile, and she was struggling greatly. Maybe if she knew what was wrong, she would’ve been able to help him, but all she could do now was try to distract him.
Passing a book store, Robin’s eyes lit up. Maybe she could read to him like she did before. A good story would be perfect for providing a distraction, and getting his mind on something else. Letting his hand go, she wandered inside looking for a fairy-tale. It only took her a minute before realizing that Jay hadn’t followed her inside. Making her way back out, she found him standing in front of the entrance.
Even when she gently place a hand over his shoulder, he didn’t react. He simply hung his head and looked down. Robin was about to call his name again, until she noticed a tear drop fall. Then another, and then another. Sharply inhaling, she moved her hands to hold his, and bent down so she could see his face. There weren’t any emotions on it, simply a blank face with tears still flowing.
By now, the sky was a dark blue, and the moon illuminated the streets. Their walk home was silent, with Robin desperately trying to come up with another idea.
When they finally made it home, they were met with a silent household. All the lights were off, and not a sound could be heard. The moonlight seeping through the windows was the only source of light available. Jay almost instantly began gravitating towards his room, but Robin held his hand a little tighter.
Unsure of what she meant, Jay stopped moving and let Robin lead him elsewhere. The caretaker brought them to the living room. The area was spacious and open, perfect for what she was thinking of. Bringing them to the middle, she began humming and moving to a rhythm. Jay didn’t understand what she was doing, until he recognized the song she was humming. With a small smile, he began mimicking her movements. After a while, their movements became quicker, and his soft smile returned.
This time, it didn’t fade away.
