Nostalgia & Another Shovel Talk

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"T-That was l-low." I pout slightly, still chewing.
"But it worked, didn't it?"  His eyes are twinkling with mischief as he holds up another spoon full of the heavenly ice cream. Instead of giving him an answer I close my mouth around the spoon, accepting some more ice cream.

Yuri p.o.v
I'm currently packing my bag for tomorrow morning as we're going to a festival and stay the night. Do I have everything? My clothes? Yes. Phone? Yes. Lily? Yes, but she's right now keeping an eye on the drunken boys in the living room. Underwear? Yes.
I pause in my movements as my eyes catch something. Oh... As if I am picking up something precious, which they are, I slowly pick up my ballet shoes. I stare down at them, they're still looking worn as ever. I haven't wore them in such a long time. Nostalgia threatens all of the sudden overwhelms me, so I plop down on Ren's bed, still gazing down at my ballet shoes.
The last few months has been constant drama since I came to Japan. While I don't mind a big family, and would even welcome it. But if I had known this would happen, I'm not so sure if I still had gone back to Japan. I sigh, and place them in my lap, my fingers are drawing small circles on them as I get lost in thought.
Raven. She stuck by my side ever since I was introduced to the group back when I first came to America. She always defended me when I still had difficulty with speaking English. Add my stuttering to it and you have the perfect mix. I smile softly. We would always pair up with each other, and have fun. Sometimes when we didn't have school or ballet we would drink hot chocolate or tea in a cafe, and make homework.
Well... I chuckle. I would do most of it while she would talk about anything and everything while attempting to try and make her homework. Which in the end wasn't much, but it was always nice. To have someone to talk to besides Lily. I stare down at the shoes. My smile turns slightly sad, all kinds of forms flooding through my mind. And  I promised I would keep up with ballet, didn't I. That didn't really go well. A wet laugh escapes me. I guess I am greet at disappointing people.
A knock shakes me out of my thoughts, and I yelp as the door flies open, accidentally throwing my shoes on the floor. In the door opening stands Toga, her expression is determined and serious as she steps inside.
"Hey, I was wondering if we could-Holy shit, are you alright?!" Screeches Toga as she notices my tears. Her face changes from determined to worry so quickly, it makes me blink. Realizing I am still crying I turn around, hastily trying to wipe my tears away. They keep coming anyway, so I give up with wiping them away, instead I place my hands in my lap.
"I-I apologize, it's n-nothing." She scoffs.
"Bullshit, tell me about it." The next thing I know is that the bed dips right besides bed, her arm curls around my shoulders, pulling me against her shoulder.
"It's-s, it's j-just," I take a deep breath, melting into her soft touch, "I g-guess I've just b-been overwhelmed fr-from all the events. And-And," my breath hitches.
"I-I haven't b-been practicing ballet f-for a long w-while so I-I just realized how much I missed i-it." Probably sensing I don't want to talk about it anymore, she wraps her other hand around me and I bury my head in the crook of her neck. She rocks me from side to side, rubbing my back while whispering soothing words. I'm still hiccuping a bit as we let go of each other.
"I a-apologize." She shakes her head before I can finish my sentence.
"Don't. Everyone sometimes needs to cry." She gives me a small smile and thumbs up.
"Feeling better?"
"Y-Yes, thank you." We share another smile when a question pops into my head, so I shuffle a bit back on the bed to look her better in the eyes.
"What d-did you want t-to talk about?"
"Yes, but if you don't want to, we can also do that at another time." I smile softly, and shake my head.
"No, i-it's alright. We c-can talk now." She nods seriously at my answer, straightens her back and places her hands in her lap before she speaks up.
"I wanted to talk to you regarding Ren." My lips slightly part as I finally understand what this all is about.
"This i-is another s-shovel talk, isn't i-it?" My voice comes out a bit amused, and my lips quirk up as I see Toga giving me a huge grin in return.
"Yes." I settle down.
"Well s-shoot." She takes a deep breath, and opens her eyes.
"I wanted to ask this. Are you serious about Ren?" I give her a quick nod.
"Yes."
"Alright, I'm sure you know what I am gonna say right now. But I'm still gonna to do it." Haru's glare had me already shivering, but Toga's glare makes me stay rooted in one place, unable to move. I gulp slowly, my throat feels parched.
"Ren has been through bad breakups, mainly with girlfriends who found it funny to use him for sex and then dumping him after guilt tripping him that he wasn't treating them well enough and saying they found someone better. He has been in bad places because of that." Her glare intensifies, and I try to swallow again.
"Especially a breakup with his boyfriend went very bad as Ren found him and another men in his bed having sex." She let's out a slow breath. "And that dick even dared to throw Ren out, acting as if he wasn't in the wrong. So here's the warning; hurt him and Haru and I will find a way back to you." I nod quickly, my head is bobbing up and down as I feel some sweat sliding down my back. But wait...
"B-But," I hesitate for a second before she gives me an encouraging smile, "But people c-can grow a-apart from each other. N-Not that I-I want to!" I add hurriedly.
"It's just, s-sometimes s-such things happen, d-d-don't they?" She nods.
"Yes, such things can still happen. That's the way life works. As a matter of fact, Haru and Ren had something before they decided it was better to stay friends." She giggles as she sees my face.
"You didn't know? They had something when they were both teenagers! They were so awkward then! It was hilarious!" Her laugh is infectious, and soon I'm laughing along with her, picturing a teenager Haru being sassy and sarcastic, and Ren funny and an extrovert. She wipes a tear from the corner of her left eye and turns to me again when we're done laughing crying.
"No, like I said, breakups happen. Everyone experiences good and bad ones, the only thing we don't want is a bad one." Her eyes soften. "I haven't seen Ren so enthousiast and happy to talk about someone like that in a long while. Maybe except for his mother and sister then." She stares down at me.
"What I want to know is, does he make you happy as you make him?" I smile softly as I think about how he has helped through all of the drama and had fun with each other.
"Y-Yes, he does. He r-really does." Her lips split into two, and I have to squint a little as the megawatt smile is faced my way. I'm enveloped in a hug by her.
"Well, then is this the last thing I have to say." Her voice is tender, and squeezes me lovingly with her arms. "Welcome to our group." She whispers in my ear as if it has a special meaning. For me it has, as I bury my head into her shoulder, squeezing her lightly back as a few more tears fall from my eyes.

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