tea stained newpapers. mileven au.

twenty five.

"you don't have to answer, but during the interview you didn't want to talk about how life was after you left with your mom... why?" the writer's voice came out in a gentle tone, his words wrapping around them like a plush blanket, soft yet heavy as it weighed down upon the pair.

"oh god." the artist giggled before tapping his nose and letting her cheek fall onto his shoulder, her body curling into his as she took it upon herself to intertwine their free hands together, "warn me next time before you bring up my trauma."

though her actions seemed comfortable, he still tensed a bit at her words, "i'm sorry."

"no no it's okay." the small girl squeezed his hand tightly, reassuring him that she was alright with what he asked, "i didn't wanna talk about it because she - just had different reasons for leaving new york."

the idea of el's mother having different reasons for leaving new york made absolutely made no sense to him. usually people leave relationships behind in order to get away from the idea of them, like the grief or hurt that they held. well... at least that's why his mother left new york, "different reasons?"

"different... relationships." she clarified, her words laying heavier than his original question as she pressed her lips to the brim of her cup again.

mike wasn't about to make her explain anything she didn't want to, especially since he wasn't expecting that sort of answer from her to begin with. but when she pressed her cheek deeper into his shoulder and allowed her eyes to flutter shut for a second, he didn't stop her when she started to mumbled against his skin.

"she started seeing this guy she met from work after sara passed. i think she intended for it to just be a fling, for him to distract her while she grieved. but when he got a job offer in indianapolis, one that promised a lot of money and a nice place to stay... he asked her to go with him." her breath was shallow, yet her tone didn't sound hurt. instead it was numb, reciting her past like a historical essay in front of a hundreds of people in a boring college auditorium, "so she - did."

"my dad had no idea she was having an affair until the day she left and i didn't find out until i was eighteen. i found some old pictures hidden in the basement of them out together in new york pretty much right after sara passed." the brunette paused as if she was thinking of one last thing to add, "i left that same night i found out."

"but... you didn't call your dad..." the words fell out of his mouth instinctively, his brain starting to connect the missing pieces from her past and embed it into his memory.

"i was too scared to. i convinced myself he would somehow find a way to blame me. so i stayed at a friends house for a few nights before buying an apartment far away from her with some money i had made selling my work at markets around town."

it was silent for a second, however not uncomfortable. as though instead, it felt like for the first time ever they were finally starting to break down their lives into the smallest details together, into all the pieces that melted, molded and formulated them into who they really were.

it felt safe.

"well since you took a stab at my heart." el sighed, her tone laced with curiosity as she ran her thumb across the back of his hand, "lemme ask you... do you really like writing articles?"