-"Are you sure that you don't mind if I call you by your name without an honoritif?"
It was now seven days since his encounter with Nephis while she was eating at night. Standing in the middle of a guest room, the sun was at its zenith as Sunny tried not to be embarrassed by the person watching him. With sunlight shining against her golden hair, the woman was taking note as her smile didn't lose a shade after the question. On the contrary, it only grew brighter.
Her angelic voice echoed in the room.
-"I'm sure. Why? No problem. Until now. Perturbing you?"
-"No, not really, I'm just not used to calling an adult by their name like that without being in trouble afterward… It's the same thing with the other; I do it, but who knows if you would be pissed over time?"
-"Won't happen. Not with me. Turn around. Please."
This checkup was the first one he had to do while standing up without any support. Of course, he never would have tried to walk in front of her if not asked in person, which seemed to be the case today. At the start, he had difficulty finding his balance, just like before. But Jeanne was waiting, patiently.
He couldn't deny it; he started to like how she looked at him with her tired gaze as the day went by. Like… She was proud of him for every try and effort he gave.
-"Good. Very good. Enough for today."
Sunny could hear the footsteps as Jeanne walked toward him, helping him put back on his shirt. She avoided touching him as common accord; he would listen to her if she did not make it physical.
Since his first meal, no one had touched him if we didn't count his first nightmare with the blanket. Even now, Sunny was pissed off, as Ashe had tried once again to initiate contact with him the day before.
'Every time. Every fucking time.'
Today, he told Jeanne that she didn't need to go that far to help him. She was already doing so much for him that he couldn't help but feel like he was exploiting her. But her answers were, like always, logical. The less he moved, the better he could recover after all.
'Yeah...Let's hope that Plume didn't share anything with Jeanne.'
Slowly turning around, he met her gaze with what was his best attempt at a gentle smile willingly.
Showing those kinds of feelings was counterintuitive for him, not that he was sure that he wanted to show them, though. That may be a reason why. He had smiled and chuckled before, but it had been spontaneous, never wanted.
-"So ?"
-"Better than expected. Walking around. Authorization granted. No wheelchair required."
-"Finally..."
From what Ashe had told him, his body was doing great. They were afraid that Sunny would need more time, but with good nutrition and caring, everything was going smoothly. He was already gaining weight, not much but just enough for him to look healthy again.
For him, it was a milestone that he just reached. From being so weak as to not be able to carry his own body to being able to walk alone… That's the way to go.
'Now, I won't have anyone sticking to my back… I CAN TAKE THOSE DAMN STAIRS NOW!'
-"But warned. Authorization. Not equal obligation. Alone. Not Advised"
-"And I suppose that you can't be the one that stays with me today either?"
-"I can. Today only."
Now that was good news; from all the people that he had met here, Jeanne was his favorite. Or rather, she was more like him, in some way that he couldn't describe. And that's without even speaking of her kindness and sincerity, things she seemed to be the only one to do in here. True to herself, the truest of all.
If you don't count Plume, of course… The bodyguard was in a league of her own. Sunny had seen her only one time since his arrival here, and she was more than an open book.
Looking at himself, his satisfaction was shown clear as day.
Moving his legs in the same way that a kid of his age would try a new toy. For him, to be immobilized, it was worse than a nightmare… Because at least in his nightmare, he could try to run away, even if it was generally useless.
Being at the mercy of the first one who would want to hurt him was utterly unpleasant.
The sound of a door opening forced him to leave his thought behind. Jeanne was at the door, but she was...not leaving the room? Not that he wasn't happy about it, but why did she look like she wanted him to join her?
-"People waiting. Dinner's ready."
'There is no way…'
His happy demeanor stopped as her words reached him. Sunny took a step back, moving away from her. She was not a danger, but what she was telling him was the problem. I didn't know how to feel about this, so he chose anger. The easiest choice, the safest one.
-"I… thought that I would eat alone until my leave. That's what Ashe had said."
-"True. Lack time. Organized next move. You involved. So..."
-"So she wants me to come? How am I even needed in there? Jeanne… we both know that it's not the truth."
-"…"
Looking at her was… heartbreaking in some way. She wanted to say something, but she was forced not to. Seeing someone he had taken a liking to being like this was why he will never kneel to someone. Obligation and allegiance are chains...
-"Would you be in trouble if I don't come…?"
-"No. Still. If you come. Would be better."
-"Is it something that Ashe wanted?"
-"Yes."
Pulling another trick to put him in a situation where he couldn't refuse. After a long breath, Sunny started to walk toward the open door. But he stopped as he reached Jeanne. Without a word, a little hand rose to reach hers. The doctor looked surprised, not knowing what to do, so she stood still until a child's voice rang beside her… It was a bit shaky, but she would not make any remark about it.
Sunny was looking at her with uneasy eyes.
-"You didn't touch me, I touched you… So the deal… it still counts… right?"
-"Sure. Ready?"
-"Not really… But if I can annoy Ashe by doing something like this… I think that we'll be even…"
- "Sure of it."
Jeanne didn't take it badly that he acted that way only to piss off the dean. A hint of satisfaction was shining in her eyes.
Waiting for him to take the first step, they walked out of the room in silence. Sunny was trying his best to keep his balance without any help; it was good exercise for him to walk this long.
There was nothing new on his way, the same corridor and the same lack of furniture. But now, he could feel the carpet under his slipper.
As the walk had been peaceful even after they reached the stairs. On this, he simply looked at Jeanne. She looked back at him, and Sunny was now ready to brave this trial.
Each step was taken carefully. It felt like an hour of torture, but it was only four minutes of walking down.
Still, the doctor was patiently staying beside him in silence.
At the end, they reached the desired floor.
-"Jeanne… How many will they be?"
-"Not many. Maybe five. Seven with us."
-"I see…"
-"No stranger. Only those you know."
For better or worse, Sunny could already picture those people in question.
'Why do I feel like I'm walking into a trap?'
Because of the difference in height, Sunny had some issue looking at Jeanne without having trouble with his walking. But this time, Sunny just slowed down his pace, and the doctor did the same with an intrigued expression.
-"What did you think would happen… when we arrived there?"
The one with golden hair looked at him with a soft expression that could clearly be translated by "Oh my sweet child…"
Yet the words were not spoken; she just renewed her march as Sunny walked behind her. As they were close to their destination, her voice sang one last time in a whisper.
-"Stay close to me. I'm with you."
As she smiled at him, the door in front of them opened. The room had not changed a lot; it was still screaming royalty and wealth. No, there was a change; the long table had been changed. Instead, it was a round one, large enough for all of them.
The figures were looking at him, some with more surprise than others. Four people were already seated, and the fifth one was cooking in the open kitchen. One red, one gray, and two black-haired heads were waiting for them. All of them except the other child were looking at his hand as his body tensed. Frowning at them, he didn't let go of Jeanne.
The question in their eyes was left in silence, as the elderly woman talked first.
- "The dinner had been a little delayed; no need to wait at the doorstep."
The two latecomers moved, reaching for the other at a slow pace. Three seats were left on the table, meaning that the cook will be staying with them afterward. In this situation, Sunny couldn't trust his gut; he wanted to be elsewhere. He could feel that the situation here would have a bad end. Jeanne seemed to notice that and helped him to take a seat beside Plume. Releasing his hand, she moved just to be next to him.
Sunny was surprised by how fast he felt lost when his hand was freed. Keeping them under the table, playing with his own finger to stay as calm as possible.
People mean trouble.
People means being seen.
Being seen means pain.
All he wanted was to hide, to disappear within his chair. Being as little as possible. To his left was Plume and what he supposed to be Dana from the old hag's explanation. To his right were Jeanne and the empty chair, and in front of him were Nephis and Ashe. There was an awkward silence at the table, all still looking at him.
'What did they want from me…?'
Sunny still had his eyebrow frowning. Dana seemed to murmur something to Ashe, who approved with a quick movement of the head. Plume and Nephis seemed to not know why they were here, even if one of them looked clearly less thrilled by it than the other.
Finally, Ashe took the initiative and spoke to break the silence.
-"Vincent might take a little time before joining us, so… I think it's better if we talk now than let the wait take the better of us."
A silent approval was given by everyone.
-"Some of you are here because you are implicated in this situation, while others are here to possibly give an opinion on the matter. The matter in question being, "What should we do about Sunless?"
The kid had a shiver of fear; all this room felt like a judgment. As if someone were sending him to his execution. Yet, the elderly woman kept talking.
-"It's been two weeks since his arrival; now that his condition is stable… Should he want to leave, could we really send him back to the Outskirts?"
He wanted to scream right now that yes, he wanted to go back there. Where should he go if not there? It was his place! His home!
-"Jeanne, I asked you to keep an eye on his health. Not only for his recovery but also for his state before you tend to him. Your verdict."
-"Was bad. Was weak. Too Weak. Body not strong enough. He...would have died even without his injury."
Jeanne looked at him with sorrow in her eyes, like even she didn't want to believe her own words. Meanwhile, Sunny was just lost. Died? But it was the beating that pushed him between life and death. Right? Was he still in danger? He was hoping that Jeanne was lying to him so that everything would be so easy to understand. To feel. Cold sweat pearling on his forehead, he started to stab his hands with his own nail, trying to get a little stability. He was looking at no one, just the table, as the shock was just… there.
Jeanne gave a worried look at Ashe, but she refused as the doctor finally spoke to finish her statement.
-"Need care. Time. Healthy environment. Good recovery. Started here. But not enough time."
-"With that information, I want to ask you… Would you let Sunny go back there if he asked you?"
-"I… I don't have my say. Not in this matter."
He didn't like it. The discussion went on, but Sunny was out mentally. They were trying to take his choice away from him… He needed to return there; there was no other way for him to do so. His body started to tremble as this thought kept repeating itself in his mind.
'I need to go back… I have to go back… they can't... My mom... I'
He could hear the discussion being heated, all to be incomprehensible buzzing in his ear. Until…
-"Maybe someone should ask Sunny what he thought of it. He just looks like an object that you moved as you pleased."
Nephis' voice had successfully broken the flow of the discussion. All turned back their heads to see the child being overwhelmed by the situation. That view was enough to calm everyone instantly. The poor boy was trembling in silence without looking at them. Not that they didn't care about him, it's just...
Dana gave a simple look at Ashe, as if she had predicted it.
Everyone looked at each other until someone sighed and spoke, her ruby-like eyes in the direction of the boy.
-"Two options: You return to the Outskirts, or we help you find a stable family to adopt you."
Dana was terrible with kids… But someone had to tell him with simple words, and the other seemed too implicated to tell the truth. Which was normal, since as the final word left her lips, the silent boy tried to make a noise. His breathing was trembling, and his jaw locked.
- "..."
Sunny responded, but his voice was too low, not that the ascended didn't catch it. But Nephis? She asked him to repeat.
-"I said… I already have a family. I need to return to the Outskirts."
It was too much; they didn't know him, and yet they wanted to make his choice on his stand? He needed to eat, but the appetite was gone. Sunny pushed his chair and tried to walk away, not without Jeanne standing up only to have Plume keep her in place. His balance was off, and he almost fell. Everything was foggy after that; the discussion had started again even if the words were incomprehensible for him.
The thought of leaving right now was there, but he simply didn't know where the exit was. Should he jump from a window? He was hard to think… He wanted to sleep… Just like in the sewer.
Taking the stairs to walk to his room, no sound was made from him. He was devoid of any feeling, just tired of the situation as he reached his bed. He wanted just to disappear, melting in the warm feeling of the blanket wrapping around him.
-"Mom, Dad...Rain… I won't let you down… I promise…"
Clenching his pillow against him, the boy closed his eyes without finding peace in his sleep.