w o r r y w a r t || the promised neverland

IX - tree branches are not the only ones to crack

Disclaimer! Brief mentioning of suicide, a death threat, as well as signs of concussion.

...

Grace Field house - November 2040

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Two different children, but so very much alike. With their arms intertwined messily they paced to the library of Grace Field house. By only a look at their features, brightening up every time they stepped into the armful of that room's possessions, one could surely state it was their favorite place. A portal for escaping their real lives and the problems within them.

But, being six years old, what possible issues could tire these children's brains? Well, everything depended on which child you had in mind.

The girl struggling to open the door of the duo's final destination could be easily described as carefree. Every day, enjoying her life to its fullest, being slightly overprotective towards her siblings and other close people she surrounded herself with. That would indeed change in five years. She would mature into a worrying wreck. But for now, one should not focus on that.

At last, the girl managed to yank the door towards herself and held it open for a certain raven-haired boy. His brain was constantly bothered by various problems, despite his young age. A walking example of a kid with "no childhood". As dramatic as it might sound, it was the truth. Not to mention that some children of Grace Field house didn't even manage to reach the end of their 'childhood' which universally was the age of twelve.

Back to the two children in focus. They had, as mentioned, passed the threshold of the library, stepping into the lingering smell of books and undiscovered stories. The tranquility they got trapped in as the heavy door of the library closed behind them could surely be described poetically, but let's just stick with the girl's version:

"I thought there would be others in here as well." She whispered out. "But the library is as silent as the 'p' in pterodactyl..."

The raven-haired boy glanced over at the small figure beside him with an unreadable expression not fully knowing how to comprehend her words or to proceed from that point. "Dummy, you could have just said that it's 'quiet' here." A soft sigh escaped the boy's lips as he began strolling down the aisles filled with books.

"What kind of book do you want to read today Y/n?" The raven-haired asked, still continuing his little walk whilst being faced away from the mentioned girl. Although he tried to keep his tone unbothered, a small smile was mingling at his lips that was nearly impossible to wipe away.

Y/n perked up at the uttered question, but soon pouted in defeat. "No, I won't tell you, Ray, because otherwise, you will laugh at me." She muttered and rolled her eyes in deprecation of the boy's behaviour.

One may ask themselves - is that how a typical siblings' quarrel looks like? As for the answer - no. The two kids, although being only past their sixth year of living, displayed traces of an attitude that could be compared to an old marriage that somehow had lasted for a good twenty years. That would, of course, escalate as they grew older.

As for now, Y/n started trailing leisurely behind the boy, placing her feet where he left them, following his footprints, resembling how she would follow, or rather, be inspired by his actions in five years.

"Moreover-" She spoke up matter-of-factly, but her soft gaze moved restlessly from one of her feet to another. "You should have taken the hint by now.

Ray's smile deepened itself whilst he stopped abruptly. That led to the girl walking into his back which was followed by complaints from her side about how he can't do such things.