Despair of the heart

Chapter 30 - Pure White

CHAPTER 30: PURE WHITE

Usagi's POV

Misaki was standing at the window with both hands against the glass as he stared outside. The first patch of snow had started to fall when I was on my way back from the meeting earlier, but now it covered almost every surface.

I walked up to him with two mugs of coffee in my hands and handed him one. I held him to me from behind with my now free arm wrapped around his waist. He had stopped crying not too long ago and I was hoping it would last a bit longer this time. I hated seeing him in tears, and the reason for them is what I hated more. I could still see his red swollen eyes in his reflection against the window.

"It's so beautiful…" he breathed as he leaned back into me. I tilted my head slightly and placed a kiss against his temple.

"Nothing is as beautiful as you…" I chuckled at him as he tried to pull away now before finally giving up and pretending to ignore me by placing the hem of the mug against his lips and starting to take small sips from the hot drink.

"Let's go out…" he suggested after a few minutes of just standing there in peaceful silence, staring at the small white flakes slowly descending from the sky while warming ourselves up with the coffee.

"Misaki…"

"Usagi-san, I'm fine, really… Let's go out…" he said knowing that I was going to try and convince him otherwise.

"It's really cold…"

"I'll wear warm clothes, I promise," he insisted.

"Misaki, I don't think…"

"Come on, it's been a while… Let's go somewhere," he tried again. I was about to start reasoning with him of why we shouldn't leave when the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it," I told him before I removed my arm from around him and walked to the door.

"Hello, Usami-san. How are you doing?" It came as a shock as I didn't expect to see her. Manami smiled gently at me when she greeted me after I had opened the door for her.

"Manami-san. Hello, I'm fine." I stood there for a moment before realizing that we were still standing at the door and said, "Come in," stepping aside for her to walk in. She asked if Misaki was there as well, before she saw him at the window.

He turned around when he heard us and was as surprised as I was at seeing her. "Manami-nee?" He came up to her before adding "I'm sorry about yesterday… I… I just…" He averted his eyes to the ground as if ashamed of not being able to handle everything.

"It's alright, Misaki-chan." She placed a hand on his shoulder before adding, "I understand…" She smiled a small smile at him.

He then asked, "Are you done with packing everything?"

"Not quite," she answered, still smiling comfortingly.

"Maybe I could help… Last time I didn't do much, but…"

She chuckled lightly before she cut him off. "Misaki-chan, there's no need to worry about it. I can handle it."

He took a deep breath before he nodded. We stood in an awkward silence before I broke it. "Why don't you have a seat?"

"Thank you." She smiled at me before walking towards the couch and taking a seat. "Are you feeling better, Misaki-chan?" she asked after we both sat opposite of her.

"I am. You don't need to worry about me, nee-chan. Would you like something to drink?" he asked her as he stood up again. "Coffee or tea…?"

"Just water, thank you…"