Itsy Bitsy Spider

33. A Step Forward

Heya. To all those the suicide mention made uncomfortable last chapter, I apologize. (forgot a trigger warning for a while) I'm really sorry and I will air-hug you (unless you're uncomfortable with that, then I gift you a jolly rancher or something).

So up ahead: I like things that hit my feels. I like to cry and make (fictional) people suffer. But I also enjoy happiness, and understand that it's what a lot of people need. So in this fic, no matter what I put them through or how much they have to undergo, I'll always make them happy in the end.

I want to make you cry, but I'll be sure to make you happy too, eventually. (Is this a trigger warning for the entire fic? Uh, maybe,)

It's okay if you don't stick with this fic, but just saying that this will not become depressing. There will be fluff moments and sunshine. They might cry, but they will smile. No rainbows without rain, yes? I always try to update a sad chapter with a happier or more adventure-y one at the same time, so you recover and you can at least get off wattpad feeling somewhat better and uh... where was I going with this, I had a point.

Ah, well... since I lost my train of thought... uh.... here's the chapter, I guess.

Lucky was in the midst of drifting off when a very crucial thought popped into his mind. "Hold up," he said, words a bit slurred with tiredness, "can I leave right now?"

Feitan was sick of answering his persistent questions. "Yes."

"Great!" He forced himself to get up again, pushing up to a slouched seated position. "What is this, Thursday?"

"Wednesday."

"Even better. It's like, what, nine in the morning, right?"

"Two thirty."

"In the morning?"

Feitan's bottom eyelid nearly started to twitch. "Pm."

"Whatever, same thing. If I hurry, I can go make up my test with no penalty!" Lucky got up. His shoulders sagged and his form was anything but awake, but the way he held himself hummed with purpose, a meaning. It made him look alive. He scrambled for his jacket and shoved his arms into the sleeves, eager.

"You're... leaving?"

Upon hearing Rein, he paused, slowly lowering his arms as he shrugged on the jacket.

Rein kept her expression blank as she could, but failed to keep the despair from her voice. "Now?"

Lucky nearly winced at her tone. Only mere days had passed since Rein had lost people close to her. Only a few days, and yet she stood tall, she smiled, she talked; her recovery was developing nicely. But though she tried to hide it, she looked miserable at this idea of parting, even if it was with him, who she hadn't known for a long time. Any goodbye must have been hard on her, no matter how well she seemed to be shouldering the rest of it. Recovery wasn't a snap-and-done thing. It wasn't something that was magically 'cured' over a single event or a single night. Recovery required time and effort. Rein may have been like the Phantom Troupe, but in the end, the kid was still just a kid.

"Hey," Lucky said softly, kneeling to her eye level. He held up his fist, grinning. "I'll see you at the Hunter Exam. For sure, Red. Promise."