[ although she's learned how to use her phone better, mitsuba remains to become attached to it. after at least a half hour of replacing the bedding, organizing the laundry, and cleaning mary's room, she goes back to her room to find the small screen light up with reminder.
she can't help needing to sit down to cushion her surprise. it's been weeks. she'd been getting worried he'd gone back to his real home. mitsuba thinks of what to say—what she shouldn't say—and types back carefully, a trying smile fluttering over her lips. ]
Oh dear, were you knocking at the door? I'm really sorry, but thank you very much for getting those for me. You should have come in though. I haven't had lunch yet. Would you come back and join me? Please?
[actually having a written conversation with mitsuba. it's enough to accelerate all sorts of electric synapses in his head and he's not quite sure it's healthy that he's put a second cigarette in his mouth, despite already having one in.]
[ ah. ahhhh. now it's her turn to get really nervous that she braces herself for a cough attack, but it never comes because, right, her illness doesn't exist here anymore.
it's still hard to believe.
before she scurries to her closet, her clothes on one end of the rack and his on the other, untouched, she writes back. ]
[ two minutes is all she needed, and the front door opens, mitsuba exiting in a long ochre dress, brown blazer, and matching scarf for her neck. on her shoulder is a small long-strapped purse for her phone and credit card (as sougo taught her it was called); on her arm is another scarf, distinctively navy blue, for toushirou.
after locking the door, she turns towards the front yard, eyes open for... her husband.
her husband.
without realizing, she squeezes her hands pretty tightly together beneath the drape of his scarf, suddenly not sure what to expect from finally seeing him again, hopefully for longer than a glimpse. ]
[is conscientious enough to have avoided cigarettes for a while since he's decided to send her a message, even if he despaired for one. hands in his pockets to keep the impulse from overcoming his will and a bag clinging on its loops by his arm, hijikata but manages a glance of recognition as he waits by the pavement where the grass of the front yard starts.]
[though seemingly a relaxed pose, his posture shows that there's something he's quite anxious about. that aside, his gaze hardly lingers before it settles back on the street, off to some public area he's managed to map out after going around a bit.]
Let's go.
[as he is always prone to do, he walks on first. as he is always prone to do, he's noticed the smallest of details; the scarf on her hands and how she tensed at seeing him. how cruel that even now he evokes such reactions from her--and that is why he wants to keep a distance, before she takes it upon herself to close it and wrap around his neck the warm evidence of what hasn't died down yet, in either of them.]
[ it's somewhat new habit of his, to her, the smoking. she realized a while ago that she no longer has her illness, but every day, she worries it can come back, that her time here is just as finite as it was back home, and all the promises she avoided keeping would be broken. she thought, maybe, it's better this way, being distant would make it hurt less—assuming it's a reason he'd been avoiding her. thinking of sougo alone is enough to make her cry.
but she doesn't think of that now. after so many weeks, toushirou is finally standing before her, and neither of them is running away—physically, at least. his seemingly composed welcome is imperfectly reflected in mitsuba, who gives a start before hopping down the porch steps and catching up to him, half-inch soles making dull noises as she hurries onto the sidewalk after him. because she can run now without falling short of breath, it takes her no time at all to land right beside him; however, she places herself a step behind, close but unobtrusive. (it's closer than they've ever been since...)
it takes a moment to collect herself and break the silence, to turn her eyes back on him and push through this wall that's sprouted between them. ]
...I brought you this, for if you felt cold. [ her fingers curl nervously into the fabric again, drawing it away slightly with a second thought. ] I know your uniform is pretty warm, it's still...
[ your back still seems to shiver. she lowers her face, embarrassed, yet in a sudden turn of bravery inspired not to miss any more opportunities, she steps into his way and helps herself to wrapping it around him. she does it quickly, her hands skittish against her will; then they are folded away while mitsuba looks up at him with a warm smile. ]
[he does actually stop at first when she first appears within his immediate line of sight. his hands cower and remain useless, out of his pockets from the surprise, and it's all he can do to keep himself from reeling back at the unexpected contact.]
[her hands are gentle as he's always imagined them to be--as she brushed the fantastic bedhead out of sougo's hair, or when she served them tea and snacks, or whenever her laughter hid behind delicate fingers. it's the first time he's been this close to their touch and, while minimal, it makes his cheeks colour faintly at the surge of emotion.]
--a-ah.
[at the mention of cold, almost like clockwork, his hands suddenly remember their purpose and he catches mitsuba's smaller ones in his own calloused ones. her fingers are not very cold--but the slight trembling fooled him.]
[hijikata speaks quietly:] It'll only get colder by the looks. You need gloves.
[and as if realising the boldness of his move, he immediately returns her hands to her and sets some separation between them, taking a few steps to the side.]
...
[he gazes at her, then down at the scarf around his neck. calmly, he pats it down and seems pleased with its texture and colour. that's as far as his appreciation will go before he continues walking. looking ruffled as all hell.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mail!
Date: 2012-08-11 02:43 am (UTC)voicemail!
Date: 2012-08-11 02:44 am (UTC)text!
Date: 2012-08-11 02:44 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2012-08-24 07:48 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2012-08-24 08:36 pm (UTC)she can't help needing to sit down to cushion her surprise. it's been weeks. she'd been getting worried he'd gone back to his real home. mitsuba thinks of what to say—what she shouldn't say—and types back carefully, a trying smile fluttering over her lips. ]
Oh dear, were you knocking at the door? I'm really sorry, but thank you very much for getting those for me. You should have come in though. I haven't had lunch yet. Would you come back and join me? Please?
(no subject)
Date: 2012-08-24 08:53 pm (UTC)[oops]
...is anyone else in.
(no subject)
Date: 2012-08-24 08:54 pm (UTC)No. Actually. Meet me outside.
[let's do this and get this over with]
(no subject)
Date: 2012-08-24 08:56 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2012-08-25 12:54 am (UTC)it's still hard to believe.
before she scurries to her closet, her clothes on one end of the rack and his on the other, untouched, she writes back. ]
Okay. I will be right there.
(no subject)
Date: 2012-08-25 12:55 am (UTC)after locking the door, she turns towards the front yard, eyes open for... her husband.
her husband.
without realizing, she squeezes her hands pretty tightly together beneath the drape of his scarf, suddenly not sure what to expect from finally seeing him again, hopefully for longer than a glimpse. ]
(no subject)
Date: 2012-08-29 10:34 pm (UTC)[is conscientious enough to have avoided cigarettes for a while since he's decided to send her a message, even if he despaired for one. hands in his pockets to keep the impulse from overcoming his will and a bag clinging on its loops by his arm, hijikata but manages a glance of recognition as he waits by the pavement where the grass of the front yard starts.]
[though seemingly a relaxed pose, his posture shows that there's something he's quite anxious about. that aside, his gaze hardly lingers before it settles back on the street, off to some public area he's managed to map out after going around a bit.]
Let's go.
[as he is always prone to do, he walks on first. as he is always prone to do, he's noticed the smallest of details; the scarf on her hands and how she tensed at seeing him. how cruel that even now he evokes such reactions from her--and that is why he wants to keep a distance, before she takes it upon herself to close it and wrap around his neck the warm evidence of what hasn't died down yet, in either of them.]
(no subject)
Date: 2012-09-11 04:16 pm (UTC)but she doesn't think of that now. after so many weeks, toushirou is finally standing before her, and neither of them is running away—physically, at least. his seemingly composed welcome is imperfectly reflected in mitsuba, who gives a start before hopping down the porch steps and catching up to him, half-inch soles making dull noises as she hurries onto the sidewalk after him. because she can run now without falling short of breath, it takes her no time at all to land right beside him; however, she places herself a step behind, close but unobtrusive. (it's closer than they've ever been since...)
it takes a moment to collect herself and break the silence, to turn her eyes back on him and push through this wall that's sprouted between them. ]
...I brought you this, for if you felt cold. [ her fingers curl nervously into the fabric again, drawing it away slightly with a second thought. ] I know your uniform is pretty warm, it's still...
[ your back still seems to shiver. she lowers her face, embarrassed, yet in a sudden turn of bravery inspired not to miss any more opportunities, she steps into his way and helps herself to wrapping it around him. she does it quickly, her hands skittish against her will; then they are folded away while mitsuba looks up at him with a warm smile. ]
There. It looks good on you.
(no subject)
Date: 2012-09-12 06:50 pm (UTC)[her hands are gentle as he's always imagined them to be--as she brushed the fantastic bedhead out of sougo's hair, or when she served them tea and snacks, or whenever her laughter hid behind delicate fingers. it's the first time he's been this close to their touch and, while minimal, it makes his cheeks colour faintly at the surge of emotion.]
--a-ah.
[at the mention of cold, almost like clockwork, his hands suddenly remember their purpose and he catches mitsuba's smaller ones in his own calloused ones. her fingers are not very cold--but the slight trembling fooled him.]
[hijikata speaks quietly:] It'll only get colder by the looks. You need gloves.
[and as if realising the boldness of his move, he immediately returns her hands to her and sets some separation between them, taking a few steps to the side.]
...
[he gazes at her, then down at the scarf around his neck. calmly, he pats it down and seems pleased with its texture and colour. that's as far as his appreciation will go before he continues walking. looking ruffled as all hell.]
action!
Date: 2012-08-11 02:44 am (UTC)