[3] 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐁𝐎𝐘𝐒 ― p.jackson, l.valdez

019.

「019. memories bring me back to you 」

CHERRY WOKE feeling like shit. which should not have been much of a surprise, really. she felt well rested, especially after the weird nerve-pinch she'd done. she felt awake and alive- so perhaps those were positives, but she felt... empty. she looked around the ship, she was in the medical bay beds- there were two. one were kenji resided because he refused rooms, and the one she was in. she woke, looking around, dazed and confused- and then she moved her hand and wow. pain. she hissed, lying back down quickly, her throat dry as bone as she tried to speak.

"you're up, that's good." nodded kenji, "i-" he faltered, "you probably don't want me here. uh....want me to call in val? he's working on deck now but i can-"

"it's fine," she managed to let out, "you can stay." she tried to move herself again to sit up, but she hissed again, "what happened to my hand?"

"piper said khione's ice got to it- but you also landed on it really weirdly, you fractured it." they snorted, "you haven't changed- not that much."

"what do you mean?" she frowned, confused as kenji helped her into a sitting position, passing her some ambrosia.

"when... you were always clumsy," he laughed. "and sure- you neer showed your anger, your sadness- but you're still cherry. the war's have affected all of us- i mean, look at me. i killed you." he trailed off after that, a guilty and sad look in his eyes, "i severed all sort of friendship with you. camp's accepted me but you? i..." he shook his head, "whatever, get some more rest, okay? you really shouldn't be trying to sit up now. you might feel like a million bucks right now but wait a minute and you'll get a killer headache."

"headache?"

"miss dirtface visited your headspace, didn't she?" kenji shrugged, "you always get killer headaches, who do you think's the one who drops off the little shots of nectar for that?"

cherry's eyes widened, "you? you're the one who did that? i thought it was leo and val... or-"

"anyone else?" chuckled kenji, "nah, they did it sometimes- but i was the first to do it. it's no big deal, i get we're in this weird limbo between i hate you and let's be friends. i know i can't change what i did- sure as hades can't take it back. but..." he looked at her, "cherry- before everything that happened, you were my best friend, i hope you know that. you were nice, you were- you were a good friend to me when i was at camp. i hope some day that... that we can get back to that."

cherry felt like she wanted to speak, her mouth opening but no sound escaping. she watched as kenji stood up, blue hair just as bright as ever as he picked up his spellbook he seemed to be reading. he smiled at her as he walked to the door, "i'll get val to come down in a moment. just... rest up, okay? you of all people need it."

and with that, cherry was left alone for a bit longer.

a terrible sort of situation. because when there's silence, you remember.

cherry felt herself recount what had happened before she blacked out. a lot yet not a lot had happened that day. starting out with boxing- that was what she'd done, she looked to her hands, still calloused as usual. then... then it was unnaturally cold, and they'd been talking about the prophecy. they came to a conclusion that it would- or it could quite possibly end in death. and then cherry... and then cherry watched leo go.

it had happened so quickly. barely enough for cherry to really understand what was happening, barely enough for her to know her sadness as she watched one of the people closest to her disappear without a trace. now that she thought about it, the ship felt empty without leo there. there wasn't the warmth there was when he was there. the halls weren't filled with randomly played music he'd just put on because it's too quiet! the ship, the ship he'd designed and built with the help of others, felt hollow without him. it didn't feel like a familiar place to him anymore- it felt sad and dead and... it didn't feel like leo was here.