Silence | Book 1

3-12: Friends

"What happened to you?" Killian asked with one eyebrow raised as he was the first to see both Tristan and Hibiki, and their stained clothes.

"It's a very long story." Tristan sighed.

"Seriously, are you both okay?" Liz's voice broke up with genuine worry as she darted up to both of them and threw her arms around them, stains be damned. "That thief didn't hurt you, did they?"

"No, he got away before there was anything we could do." Although he tried to smile Liz's worries away, he just got pulled tighter into the hug. "It's fine, nobody got hurt, it's just bruised egos."

"So, you have no phone now? Won't that make it difficult for you?" Sam asked, astutely noticing that it was Hibiki's main form of communication.

"He uses the notebook you gave him. But you can borrow my phone?" Tristan said, once Liz had let go of him. Hibiki was less fortunate: Liz pulled him into a second hug, nearly squeezing the life out of him.

"Oh I'm so glad you're okay I was so worried."

Hibiki glanced up at Tristan from between her arms, puffing his cheeks not at all keen on getting squeezed like a life-sized stress ball. Knowing well enough the force of nature that was Liz's hugs, Tristan just smiled sympathetically, before plucking his phone from his pocket and offering it to Hibiki.

"The code is eighteen-zero-eight." He said, as Hibiki reached for his phone with one arm. "Just don't do anything odd with it."

"You're just giving him your phone?" Killian asked, a little surprised.

"He needs it more than I do, I'm not expecting anything important."

"Oh you're so kind that's amazing." Liz let go of Hibiki and instead hugged Tristan again. He tried to brace himself for impact, but had forgotten about the emotional one.

"It's not really that..." Before he could defend himself, he already had the air squeezed out of him.

"I'm so proud of you."

"I... er... what?" He asked, confused as to why being a friend was now something to be so proud of. Unsure what to do he looked at Killian for help, but was met with an apathetic shrug.

"I think she just needs a hug."

"You guys don't hug enough." She rebutted, giving Tristan a tight squeeze before letting go again. "Come here 'An, you get one too."

"No, Liz... no, I don't want yer,-" Killian's words fell on deaf ears, as Liz wrapped around his waist, her head barely at Killian's chest height. With a deep sigh, Killian gave in and put his arms around her as well.

Meanwhile Hibiki had figured out where the notepad was on Tristan's phone, and had written a small message for him.

'Are you sure this is alright? Isn't it private?'

"I trust you." Tristan smiled, confident that Hibiki wouldn't go snooping through anything. Suddenly he was back to getting hugged, but this time from Hibiki. Pleasantly surprised he just patted his shoulder. "Did Liz rub off on you?"

He felt a shrug that was clearly meant to say Hibiki didn't care either way; he was just grateful for being given the phone so he could communicate without having to drag that large notebook about.

"See, hugs make everything better." Liz went in and gave Sam a quick, looser hug. Sam's answer was one of her rare smiles, putting her arms around her for just a second. When Liz pulled back she was smiling ear to ear.

"We're such good friends, I love it." She grinned all giddy. "We all have to stick together now, it's the law of friendship."

Killian groaned audibly and rolled his eyes.