homecoming {closed
“It does, doesn’t it?”
Words are ushered in a hushed tone, as he instinctively picks up her soft-spoken commentary. Perhaps it is reactionary for him, almost undeniably so, for him to register and heed the strings of sentences that urge him to listen. Little had she known how he had secretly manipulated their arrangements without her consent, purposely putting them together, along with the rest of her friends. But why would he have even felt the need to consult with her before deciding? How unreasonable; he knows what’s best for the world, after all.
Dark boots step around various memorabilia that their roommates have accumulated over time, from oddly-shaped plastic horses, to small, furry creatures that meow rather pitifully when the heel of his shoe lines up with their respective spines, as he seeks to approach her, to stand before her— the girl whom he served and served alone.
Sharp, golden hues examining her visage, he eyes her as if she were a prized possession. (And really, she was, wasn’t she?) Several seconds pass in silence, of which he relishes what mild flares of discomfort it causes her, before he gives her a mock bow, the corners of his lips twitching up into a simper. As an official greeting, he extends an open hand, inviting her to place hers in it.
“Welcome home, your Highness.”
She's startled by the voice. Her eyelashes flutter with a coupled disbelieving gaze. Even though it had been his doing that the two of them would share in these quarters, somehow it all feels like a storybook fairytale. His greeting only added to her fantastical idea. At a glacial pace does Mary extend her hand, she tries hard to keep it from shaking but realizes that despite the curious aura around the other, there was no reason for her to be afraid.
❝You...don't have to call me that, you know...❞
She wanted him to believe they were friends, and that meant being equals! She wasn't above him as a 'Queen', maybe in a make believe setting where they were just playing pretend - but in reality, she didn't believe that. Mary spoke softly, not timidly necessarily but in a tone that was gentle and kind. The way she often spoke to others like Seto and Momo. Likewise as she did with the aforementioned, Mary's lips turned into a well meaning smile, and afterwards, she was resolute in her decision. Mary's hand did not falter or shake, only did it delicately set into Kuroha's hand, and her smaller fingers curled around his palm.
Yet after that point, she wasn't sure what to do. They were more or less holding hands like this, and her cheeks flushed a dusted pink. Mary shifted her weight from one foot to the next and lightly took her second hand, clasping Kuroha's own between her palms. Giving it a gentle squeeze, she took a daring step forward, meeting his eyes with her own brightly colored eyes.
❝We're...in an interesting place, I think. But...we're here together, so it's not lonely, right? I'll do my best to keep...to keep you company too.❞
