S a l e t é I V

XXXV - Irrationalité - Sept

After sitting with Cassia for so long, Spears had grown weary, the trek back to the factory after he and the others had fled the blaze finally catching up with him. 

The physical strain was one thing, and nothing to underestimate, but the mental side was equally draining. Having her in his arms served to heal much of that exhaustion, whilst her presence also gave him the restraint necessary to hold his tongue, a strong urge to see her well overriding everything else.

The panic that had set in when they'd been unable to find her and Uliana had been unbearable, the search they'd tried to conduct the reason for their late return, the raging fire rendering most of their efforts impossible. He'd been coughing hard by the time they'd pulled away, his body weakening with each passing minute, a sharp nausea coiling in his gut as they'd made their retreat.

He cuddled her close, his hold secure, unsure of who was really comforting who anymore.

Uliana... He was surprised. He wasn't riddled with sadness, and his anger wasn't steadily rising, instead laying in wait. It was almost certainly the desire to not disturb Cassie any further that kept him mellow, and yet... 

He didn't feel right. He felt as if he should have been angry. Furious. Kicking, shouting, raging.

Maybe he just didn't have the energy. 

The sound of footsteps eventually roused him from the verge of sleep, his eyes not entirely open as he looked aside to see who was coming, moving to sit up straight as best he could when he realised that both Sleeves and Swoopy were the ones paying them a visit. Cassia stirred softly in response to his shifting, also noticing the appearance of her friends as she tried to sit up, Spears helping her to do so.

Sleeves managed a faltering smile, the girl only able to do so for Cassie's sake, her sore, reddened eyes not enough to stop her.

Enough was enough.

Cassia rose to her feet, meeting Sleeves with the biggest hug that she feasibly could give at that time, the girls holding each other as tightly. Tears escaped her friend as they shared their dismay, a sniffle unavoidable as she moved to hastily wipe her face, not wanting to be seen upset again as she pushed through the sting.

"Are you okay...?" She asked Cassia, keeping close even after they let each other go, the question one that perplexed the Jouet. 

How did she answer? Did she lie? Did she try to put on some kind of brave front? Would honesty only worry her friend more?

"You can hang out with us, if you want." Swoopy told her when she didn't reply right away, the girl almost immediately unhappy with her choice of words. Cassie thought nothing of it - her heart was in the right place, and that was sincerely all that mattered.

"Go on, Cass. You three have a talk." Spears said, encouraging her gently as he stood up. 

He must have been keen to speak with the others, and she suddenly felt guilty for taking up what felt like quite a lot of his time, his next sentiment cutting those worries down. 

"I'll be with everyone else. Come find me if you need me, yeah?"

"Okay." She replied, her voice still quiet, only this time she'd succeeded in not fumbling up her words. 

He gave her a careful pat to the side of the head before he left her with the girls, the parting touch imbued with some much needed confidence that would hopefully allow her to address them properly.

She sat back down on the edge of the silent conveyer, the nearby candle still sufficient despite its diminishing form, watching Spears as he arrived at the gathering whilst her friends joined her in turn.