Solivagency - Empires SMP

XXV

Xornoth really thought that 'healing in your ex's house was supposed to be staying in one place and not bothering them. Specifically when there was so much... tension.

But apparently, Joey had other plans. Because he was pulling him away from the bedroom. With a very strong grip.

Granted, he had groaned something about them moping in a single room all day long (which... was kind of true...) and then said something to do with food so it wasn't like he'd just strolled in and dragged them along cluelessly, but they were very not expecting his hand to be circled around their wrist so tightly.

So Xornoth pretty much just let him drag them along with only the smallest yelp of surprise. What else could they really do?

The hallway snapped off in a few directions and Joey manoeuvred them down one to the right. A faint memory ringed through their head of it going somewhere, but they couldn't exactly remember what, creating uneasiness in their chest.

Finally, they were pulled into a room with jungle wood flooring, whitewashed walls and some sort of appliances. The word struck their mind - a kitchen.

It was slightly embarrassing if they were being honest. Xornoth supposed they should remember the kitchen better than they did.

Joey quickly released their hand, and as stupid as it was, they had to resist the urge to cling to it. "What do you want to eat?"

They blinked at him. Then again. Then a third time. "...What?"

"What do you want to eat?" Joey asked again, gesturing around the room with his hand. It was probably designed to be easy to clean, but right now it was messy, odd utensils and jars of food all lying around in a disorganised mess. Xornoth almost winced at it despite having zero experience preparing food whatsoever.

They glanced down at the floor and shrugged awkwardly.

"Nothing?" They looked up and saw Joey's glittering emerald eyes watching them. "Surely you want something to eat, right?"

They shrugged again, this time feeling their cheeks turn a flushed red. It was more than a little bit weird, but for the life of them they couldn't find the confidence to answer - especially with how food tended to differentiate between empires

"Toast?" Joey suggested, hands drifting to a loaf of bread on the side.

"Okay..." Xornoth responded. They paused as he pulled out two chairs from the table - did he mean for them to sit? - but after a hesitant few seconds they sat down in one anyway. Their back was aching again from just standing.

If they remembered right, Joey's kitchen was supposed to be a lot warmer. The humidity of the jungle usually overpowered anything and everything, but even with some kind of fire going in a small alcove on the side of the wall, the air inside of the kitchen was edging on an unsettling cold. They pulled the jumper around them tighter as if it would fight it off.

He didn't move to the fireplace (which looked rather miserable, it reminded them of the fires Scott would try and start when they were little more than anything else) and instead walked to a small thing on the counter, sliding in pieces of bread and pulling the handle down. They tilted their head to look at it better, only seeing metal casing and looked back to him.

Joey caught their gaze, the green of an entire jungle watching them, golden flecks glittering in the light. Xornoth quickly looked away, turning their eye towards the embers of the fire. They didn't need to be looking at him.

Another noise distracted them and they snapped their head to see him pushing something under a strange-looking spout and looked away again before he turned around. The fire swayed like it was laughing at them.