- "Huh?"
Sunny was more taken aback than anything else right now. Ashe was speaking just like a grandma who wanted to take her grandkid on a stroller. Hadn't she listened to him at all? Speaking of strollers, since when has she had this damn wheelchair on her hand?!
It only took a moment for her to reach something from under the bed and turn it into...this! And now, she was the one with the smug face! Removing the blanket in one swift move, she was waiting for him.
-"Come here, Sunless; staying in one place won't be good for your health. Doctor's order!"
-"What are yo-"
- "Doctor's order!"
She was really a pain in the arse, acting like this right after being told to keep dreaming about having normal interaction with him. Despite that, Sunny didn't plan to refuse the offer, since he really needed to see something else than those walls. This will help him not to feel like a prisoner or a dying man. Ashe didn't actually wait for him to ask for anything, her hand standing in front of him, ready to help if he wanted to. He simply looked at it for a moment, but before he could do anything, her voice rang again.
-"Don't force yourself. You want to go quickly, so don't be too stubborn and let me help you like this at least. Or maybe you just want to stay here longer than necessary?"
Glaring angrily at her, Ashe stood still. Gritting his teeth, a hand slowly moved toward hers. Giving her a mistrustful look. Any weird move and he will go back without any hesitation.
In the end, her finger closed around his without any haste. Letting him move by himself, being only a support at the moment.
And still she seemed weirdly pleased by that; Sunny looked at her with disgust but still kept his hand in hers.
It was exhausting to put any force on his limb. Dragging his body the best he can, only to fall from the edge of the bed. Ashe moved in silence, saving him mid-fall. In a second, he was already seated, with the dean behind the chair. Nothing was said; she didn't even look at him.
At least, it seemed like she was starting to understand how to act with him. But more importantly...
Even with this little exercise, he was out of breath; it was revolting how weak he was, actually. But at the same time, it was telling him how close he was to dying that day.
Without the facade of the fake family forced upon him, he felt more at ease. Enough for him to ask a question of his own, breaking the silence between them. And with irony, obviously.
-"Did you hide this type of thing in every room...or just in this one?"
-"Actually, you're on point. In every bedroom, you can find a folding wheelchair, just like this one. You can also find a med kit in case Jeanne is not available."
The first thing that Sunny had tried while listening to this was to look around. With an almost silent chuckle from behind the chair, he could feel the wheel moving as the world around him started to change.
Not now, not today.
It felt weird to leave his bed; in his mind, it was like his new hideout. It was just instinctive for him, always having somewhere to go back when things became ugly. The unknown is something that he hated; not knowing things is the easiest way to be in trouble. But, as he moved his head, his onyx eyes seemed to find a little peace.
Ashe was more distant compared to her first true discussion with him. Still, she was clearly happy about something.
'She's clearly weird...'
She was looking forward, but Sunny knew that she was also looking at him at the same time. The hint of a smile was betraying her. But he didn't say anything; he wanted to, but the word just wasn't there, nor was the strength for it. So he simply looked down as she opened the door, only to see a pair of feet.
-"So that's your choice, sweetheart?"
As Sunny raised his gaze, the figure of a child revealed itself. She was surely a bit taller than him but not enough to be shocking. He tried to guess that she was surely a year older than him, her arms crossed against her white shirt. She was like the Yin and the Yang. Her dark jeans matched her long black hair. As for her shirt, it was only to accentuate her burning gray eyes.
Wait, burning? Why did she look so serious while looking at him?
- "Name?"
Okay, she was the annoying type. As much as he wanted to, he knew that Ashe wouldn't tell her to go away. Her words from before were echoing in his mind; she was one of those he might have to interact with... But he could also feel that even without that, the elderly wouldn't have acted; it was only between the two of them.
So after a moment of collecting his thoughts, he gave an answer.
-"Sunless. And who the he—"
-"Listen closely, Sunless, I have my eyes on you. Try anything weird, and I'll cut you down without mercy. I am and will never accept you here. Are we clear?"
- "Not that I wanted to stay to begin with..."
His response seemed to irritate the young girl, not that he cared. Defying her with his gaze head-on. A silent accord was made. They don't like each other, and they will not hide it. But still, isn't she a little too committed to his leaving? Like, cut him down? What ten-year-old threatens someone else like that without any doubt in her voice?
And just like that, she was already moving away. It seemed like the "discussion" was over, and with that, Ashe finally spoke with an embarrassed voice.
- "Please, excuse her... Nephis has always been territorial, so having another kid her age taking time with her grandmother had put her in a bad mood. Don't worry, even if she threatens you, she will not attack you..."
- "LIKE HELL I WON'T!"
-"Not now, young girl!"
-"..."
'What a crazy family...'
As the chair moved, Sunny heard Lady Ashe in a small voice... Speaking about younglings being too full of energy or something like this.
No question was asked; some things were too logical or too useless to waste the little energy left in him. Like, who and where were the Nephis' parents, or why would she be like this with him? Which reminds him of something: who was their enemy?
Now, without any more death threats coming to him, the visit resumed in silence. The hallway was vast, enough to put four Jeanne across the width and still have enough space to walk. But strangely, the structure was less vast, so it was more like a big but short corridor. A large carpet all along the way, not a lot of furniture or decoration.
It was... empty.
-"I know what you think, and there's a reason why... When you are constantly running, you tend to not take much with you. I think you can understand since you used to live with little to nothing."
-"Thanks for the reminder..."
-"You're welcome, you brat."
Weirdly enough, his lips curled upward. Just enough to form a small smile, one that he hoped Ashe didn't see. Since the discussion, she had changed her way of approaching him, and it was working... At least compared to before, now she wasn't met with a dark look now and then.
But if they are constantly running, what's this place then? And more importantly, how much time did they have until their next run? An answer was forming in his mind, a logical one, but that doesn't mean it was pleasant.
-"A month... 'that the estimated date before your next escape?"
The little chuckle had nothing new, but this time, it held more weight against him.
-"You are a clever one, aren't you? But don't worry, even if you're not in a state to move, I won't throw you away like that... you might curse me, given how spiteful you are. We'll do some...arrangement. But it would be better if not, since no one knows about your presence here. Dana's work is as clean as always... if we don't take into account your first encounter.
-"What happened? And who is Dana?"
- "Dana is the woman that was beside me while Plume was holding you in place. And what happened? Let's say that we were reminded that this world was a weird place to live in."
Reaching the stairs, Sunny had to trust that Ashe knew what she was doing or hope his fall would kill him quickly. But to his pleasure, gravity wasn't against them today. Ashe was casually lifting the wheelchair with him on it. His surprise was only greeted by another chuckle from the dean.
'Don't laugh at me. You are doing this like it was nothing. What were you expecting? Some poetry?'
They were only one floor down, and Ashe had chosen to take the first corridor she saw. There was nothing new here as well if not for the smell. His mouth was suddenly drooling. Licking his lips as they were instantly dry. The smell of food was rarely something he would experience, or at least of this quality.
-"A recovering body needs to eat correctly. Sadly, since your body is not used to eating too much, you'll have to tend to one meal per day for the moment. Doctor's Order... for real this time."
'You lying hag...'
He would have liked to insult his caretaker, but his mind was constantly drifting toward something far more important. So much so that he couldn't remember much about the rest of his way into the room he was in now.
In front of him was the dining room. A chandelier hanging from the ceiling, and under it, just a big table, big enough for fifteen people. An open kitchen was waiting for them; in it was a man moving around, apron on him.
From the distance, Sunny could only see the short brown hairstyle with a little ponytail. With it, a stubble and a whistling. Ashe seemed to think that their meeting was not for today, as she was just placing Sunny's wheelchair in front of the table.
Leaving him only for an instant, only to come back with a plate fuming with delicious aroma.
Without a word, everything was in front of him. A simple fried rice, surely made at the last minute. Staring at Ashe with an unsure look, for once, the hate was nowhere to be seen in his eyes. She simply moved her hand, pushing away any question he wanted to ask.
- "Eat while it is still hot."
It was not an order but an authorization. This meal was his and only his. He moved his trembling hand as he grabbed the spoon. It was nothing special, just a real plate of real food. It was not the synthetic paste from the ration. And yet he hesitated. Not only by lack of trust in Ashe but also by lack of acceptance.
He couldn't believe it; that's just it.
Opening his mouth, he could feel the warmth from the rice as it got closer. He could already taste it by the smell, but finally, he took a bite. The spoon stuck in his mouth as his body started to shake. He wasn't someone who could cry easily in front of people, nor did he want to. But the tears were rolling down.
A gentle hand was put on his little shoulder; he didn't push it away. Not that he cared now; he was overwhelmed by a simple realization. Coming from nowhere, a tissue was dropped beside his plate. It took a moment for Sunny to place back the spoon on the table, still weeping as the word left his lips.
-"I almost die... For something that wasn't even food... I..."
Sunny kept eating in silence, just as Ashe was looking at him in the same fashion. A kid was tasting life for the first time after years in hell.