The Initials | Nanowrimo 2023

73| Displaced Angels

Sky gathers the strings of the balloons that she's finished working on, letting them dangle over the head of the sofa as she considers making a few more.

She makes room for Cloud when he shuffles across the room after having taken a private phone call In the hallway, continuing to give him his space when she can tell his mood is completely off.

He absently picks at the skin on the back of his thumb until she hands him a rubber balloon to inflate. He graciously accepts without question, stretching the neck before exhaling into the rubber material until it expands to an acceptable size.

He struggles to tie a knot at the opening so she takes it from him and hands him another, and another, and another, until he opens his mouth to say something.

"So..."

"Yeah?" she answers, too focused attaching the balloons to the string to make eye contact.

He mutters a reply so that only her ears can hear him, leaning against the sofa with his lower back whilst folding his arms. "I-eh...talked to my mom."

Sky glances at Cloud whilst he starts blowing up the final balloon for her, using the same hushed tone. "How is she after...y'know?"

"She's good. Mostly healed, sorta, kinda..."

"That's great news right?."

"I mean I guess, but she's like super pissed at me for not checking in earlier. Even told her I was up in the mountains and almost died of frostbite a million times." he only half jokes, secretly satisfied to have heard her voice after all this time away from home, licking his lips as he smiles to himself. "Parents, am I right?"

"You say that now but we'll be just like them one day."

"Not for now though."

Sky hums, wondering how true that is. "What about you? How are you feeling?"

"Yeah, I'm fine...here."

"If you're good then I'm good." Sky utters, taking the final balloon from him before starting the process of knotting it, glancing over every few seconds to see if that stupid grin is still on his face.

"Well I'm only good if you're good."

Casey walks over to Neith, carrying a box full of unused decorations. "Is it just me or do those two seem awfully close."

Neith lowers the green bowel of cheese balls in her hands onto her lap, lazily kicking her feet whilst sitting on top of the kitchen counter. "You ever wonder if it's the whole Freya being back situation?"

"Could be." he replies, failing at his first attempt to swipe a cheese ball from her, his hand being slapped away before he can even blink twice.

"How do you feel about it? About her being brought back from wherever we go after all this." she inquires, waiting patiently for his response, for once reading genuine concentration on Casey's face.

"I mean, I try not to think about it too hard. Head always empty and all that...but if I did. If I thought about it."

"Then what?"

"I know it'll hurt...and I'm tired of hurting...so I choose not to."

Neith sucks in a deep breath, allowing Casey to swipe a handful of cheese balls. "You'll never hear me say these words again, but for once, I envy you Greyson."

"You been thinking about it a lot? How you feeling?"

Neith scowls. "Last time she showed up she ran through each of us one by one. At this point I'm beyond pissed, I'm angry!"