little bird // r.keene

xxxiv. just like your father .

Robby woke with a start the next morning; he glanced over at the clock hung crookedly on Wren's wall: 9:18 am. He had fallen asleep in the chair in the corner of the room, the same one Wren had been sitting in when he woke at God knows what hour last night.

Sam was still snoozing softly, her back facing Robby with a blanket tucked around her and Wren's pillow cushioning her head on one side.

The room was quiet except for the faint hum of cars driving on the street just beyond the window. Wren wasn't there. Robby pushed himself up from the chair and rubbed his eyes sleepily before putting his hair up with the very same hair band and he had stolen from Wren all those months ago, he figured now would be a good time to give it back, maybe she hadn't even noticed it was missing and wouldn't even notice it's return but for some reason Robby made no effort to put it return it to her desk.

He trailed down the stairs into the shop below and found Wren standing behind the counter, she was just closing a drawer, after throwing in some rubber bands she had found behind the register, when she heard Robby emerge from upstairs.

"You're alive... Here I was thinking I would have to grab a bucket and some cold water to get you up." She uttered to him, glancing back down at the register and opening it up for the day. Robby leaned against the counter and crossed his arms lazily, trying not to yawn.

"It's not even half past nine." He chuckled at her, shaking his head gently, trying to defend himself since he was rather impressed with himself for waking up that early in general.

"Yeah, which means Mr James will be here in 30 minutes and I would preferably like you and Sleeping Beauty up and out before he gets here." Wren told him, not even throwing a second glance before finding something else to do to occupy herself. She hoped Robby would listen to her, turn around and go back upstairs to wake Sam up but Wren should have known better...

Instead, he uncrossed his arms and tipped his head sideways in her general direction to catch her eye, it worked, she looked over at him.

"Are we okay?" He asked and it caught Wren by surprise. She blinked once, then twice, opening her mouth before closing is shortly after. "I know you hate it when people say it, but I really am sorry, Wren, for everything..."

"If Sam asks, we just happen to have a spare bed- I don't want her to know I live here." Wren said curtly and Robby agreed almost instantly.

"Done."

"And if I-" She turned to face his, eye to eye, "If I tell you something... I want you to believe me. I would never lie to you Keene."

"I know you wouldn't Evans..." he smiled down at her.

"Alright, now go get your girlfriend out of my bed-" Wren reached out and gently slapped the side of Robby's head jokingly, he chuckled softly- Wren had missed that sound and Robby turned to walk away, heading back up the stairs but before he was half way, the door to the shop swung open.

Wren had unlocked it, but the sign still read 'Closed', her head shot towards the door, the noise of the bell having made her jump out of her skin. Only when she looked over, she saw it was Daniel LaRusso in her doorway.

"Is my daughter here?" He strode towards Wren, who was still behind the front desk, her hands pressed flatly on the wooden surface. "Wren? Where is Sam?" His voice was thin and agitated, though he looked well rested, Wren could tell he was worried about his daughter.