batoushoujo:
《 kasumi 》
Tem didn’t notice nor would she have known that Kasumi’s hands were messy, and had no clue that she’d begun washing her hands out of any sort of embarrassment. It all seemed like a normal part of cooking or preparing a meal- the part that struck her as odd was when their eye contact hardly faltered, and Tem found herself breaking it to stare down into her lap.
“I don’t drink coffee.” A habitual reply that, thankfully, didn’t make it past Tem’s lips. She has self-control, even if the need to overexploit everything is often prevalent. Eggs didn’t actually sound very good, either, but she wasn’t in a position to be picky. Her stomach gurgled again, louder, to spur her on, and she was about ready to thank Kasumi and offer to wait for things to be all ready when the girl makes another, slightly awkward, offer.
The initial half-sit that Tem had managed to achieve had quickly deteriorated into an uncomfortable slouch, but she’d only really noticed it once Kasumi had said something. Maybe it was the lingering numbness, or the overall aching in her limbs and joints, but somehow it just hadn’t registered. But now that it had, it was incredibly unpleasant.
Her first attempt at accepting the help got caught on the raw edges in her throat, and instead all that came out was a croak. The sensation prompted a small, painful cough, and her body tensed up for a moment as they motion set about pain in the rest of her body as well. So it was her turn to be embarrassed—she already hated appearing so feeble, and this was no help at all!
“Yes, please,” She finally squeaked, eyes once again trained on her own legs and the expression much grumpier than previously. The entire experience was only augmented by her stomach continuing to rudely form itself into a twisting black hole, attempting to suck the rest of her body into it (as well as her mood).
At Tem’s cough, Ruri abandoned her station at the kitchen to kneel by the couch. It was the closest the two had been to each other since last night, and if Ruri had spared a moment to think about it, she would’ve been surprised how easily she had erased that distance. Ruri’s hand hovered over Tem’s shoulder, unsure even though she had been granted permission. It finally settled on her back, cool to the touch even through Tem’s shirt. Cool, but not cold, not frostbite in human form. Ruri gently pushed forward with her hand, watching Tem’s face for any sign of discomfort until the blonde was fully sitting up.
It felt like years since Ruri had last felt herself smile. Just a weary tilt of her mouth, but a smile all the same. The carpet was starting to dig into her knees, and she shifted slightly before sitting down and taking her hand off of Tem’s shoulder. Propping herself up with the other, Ruri flexed her fingers, taking stock of her fingertips that should be blue and knuckles that should be swollen. Sometimes she forgot that not everyone- no, nobody- heals so instantly and seamlessly.
Selfish. But at least Tem was upright now.
“Is that better?”
