regardless of sakura’s requests, greed gets the distinct feeling that he and ava’s belongings will soon be strewn about the house. their daughter isn’t exactly heralded for her patience ( not that they and their stubborn wills are, either. ) he waits for sakura long enough that he can loop an arm around her shoulders, guiding her in the direction of the u-haul. ❝ i might need a new spine after all this moving, but — ❞ he winces for added drama. ❝ i’ve never been happier, you know that, cherry blossom. ❞ for so long, he vied for the family he dreamed of having as a child. mom and dad, a kid running around in a real house, never wondering where their next meal might come from.
slowly, he untangles his arm from around her as they approach the u-haul. ❝ this is what i’ve always wanted. ❞ he peers at the rest of his boxes, noting with amusement that some of them have been left askew by ava’s “sorting.” he grabs a box labeled clothes and, after discreetly checking the weight, offers it to sakura. ❝ it shouldn’t take us long to unload this thing. i left a lot of my stuff at the storage unit; i’ll sell or donate most of it later. ❞
with a soft grunt, he hops into the back of the u-haul, gaze roving over the boxes that remain. most contain clothing, but a few at the back hold sentimental items — photos, drawings, old school papers. his easel rests in the corner, protected by a wall of boxes on either side. ❝ i hope you’re prepared for the chaos of my art supplies, ❞ he pipes up as he grabs the nearest box labeled ‘paints.’
just as he hops down, ava scampers up to look for more boxes with her name on them . ( his heart nearly melts at the way she rises on her tiptoes to do so. ) ❝ you can put your supplies with mine, papa, ❞ she says, as she pulls herself up into the u-haul.
❝ easy there, sweetpea. most of that stuff’s heavy — why don’t you follow mama and i back inside, and i’ll find you something to carry when we get back. ❞ in response, ava plops herself down onto the nearest box, looking at them like a princess surveying her court.
❝ i’ll be right here. ❞ she kicks her feet against the box, flashing an irresistible smile, as if daring either of her parents to argue against her.
he slides his arm around her, brings her into the comfort of his embrace ( and she doesn’t need to tell him it’s like coming home again; he’s always understood her, every silence, every word. ) her grip rests easy on his waist, her kiss pressed to his shoulder, overtop the fabric of his shirt. the ache is gone / the worry, disappeared. for the first time in too long, things are right as they’re supposed to be; right as they’ve always hoped.
it doesn’t take too long to move the parcels they could have hired a mover, of course, but there’s something satisfying in making it official all on their own. ( no chance of greed being kicked out of this home. ) ava flits between the boxes, grabs handfuls of shirts and paintbrushes / darts around her parents as the foyer fills, each room past capacity. it’s a mess, just barely kept from chaos, and it’s perfect ava, leaping from truck to grassy lawn / the ache of muscles after another heavy box ( paints this time, some books, his art. ) has so much changed, since they were in love last? she still remembers the sunlight in his room; the taste of paint always seemed to linger from greed’s kiss, and she found adoration for the charcoal smeared against his skin. she loved him then, and she loves him now, swerving around their daughter and her inexhaustible delight.
and finally, when the last box has left the truck when ava’s torn through nearly every package, pulled out her toys scattered everything across the house finally, does sakura shut the door with a gusty exhale, brush the sweat from her face, and playfully grimace at her family. ❝ i don’t know about you two, but i’m starving! bunny, why don’t you go wash up? i’ll order some pizza. ❞
ava, to her credit, resists stamping her foot in her refusal. ❝ i want to show papa my room again! and show him my pictures! and the bunny he got me! can’t i wash up after? ❞
( she doesn’t have the heart to deny her. not today. ) ❝ at least wash your hands, please! that goes for papa, too. ❞ there’s a little crinkle at her eyes with the smile she sends him / affection glowing in her gaze. ❝ i’ll order dinner. you two be good. ❞
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