Ain't nobody messin' with Mama Muffin

Stay with me

Taiju was on the couch facing the window and the front door, you and your sister had chosen the window (from experience you knew it was very comfy plus it let you have an eye on who arrived).

The conversation started with everyone's taste, Asta and Taiju had found common ground on loving eating bread alone, and it was evolving in a somehow politico-economico-social discussion over the right to judge, the limits and the benefits (you were just watching them, those two were older siblings it was too dangerous for you to handle) when the bell rang.

You looked behind you (through the window) and Emma was waving, you waved back and told your sister you were opening the door. You ran to the entrance, changed shoes as you picked the keys, and went outside. You greeted them and announced the water and the tea were hot if they wanted to drink something.

Yuhuza accepted tea and Emma needed more time to think, thank you though. You led them to the door, told it was fine to leave the bike next to the shoes (japanese habits to change shoes once you enter the house and so you had a small ground level square were outside shoes were stored). You changed into your slippers and showed where the inside shoes for guests were stored.

Just like Taiju did, (you didn't care about it at first but it was strange to see the exact same reaction), they carefully examinated the corridor and entrance of the house, a half shocked, half curious expression visible on the face.

They somehow recognized a design, and you needed to ask Asta about it later.

You signaled them the bathroom, (at the end of the corridor on the left) just in case, and showed them the living room.

"The water is hot.", you added, "If you want tea or anything. There's milk too if you want hot chocolate...", you smiled nervously, uncertain about what to do next.

"And, so, yeah, the living room is right there...", you entered first sat back in the window's comfy seat.

"Please sit down and have something warm", welcomed Asta,"today's quite cold, isn't it?", and as to make things worse, rain started pouring.

"Oh", Asta hummed, "Well if it doesn't stop raining by the time you'll want to leave we could always bring you back, how does that sound?"

"We really don't want to trouble you.", assured Emma sitting in the couch.

But you assured that it didn't trouble anyone, it was the least thing you could do after all.

Emma chose hot chocolate, and after careful consideration you did too. You went briefly to the kitchen to search for sprinkles and marshmallows. When you came back your sister was leading the conversation on everyone's future, studies, jobs and dreams.

It lasted two hours, the rain ended forty-five minutes after the beginning. You learned quite a lot of things;

-Emma is still in school (she is sixteen) but already knows which university she would go to,

- She still hasn't decided what she wants to study though,

-Taiju is eighteen and Yuhuza seventeen (just like you, ngl this age comparison made you feel like a kid)

-Emma is ✨alive✨, you want to cry

- Taijy and Yuhuza have a ✨good relationship✨ and from what you've heard ✨they also do with their baby brother✨.

- You want to cry they look so happy

- Taiju is on his last year of school, and he knows what he wants to do

- Taiju will work after school! He wants to gain income and experience before deciding what to do with his life

- He's going to work in a restaurant, the fact almost made you spit you drink

- They brought with them a cassette of a song you loved (they insisted many times on that particular term. Loved.)

- kjdfbwkjrfbhoqrehfbjhbfkjfbkjfrb they are too perfect for this world

- omg they handed you the cassette with such care they are so precious

- The song is "Stay with me", but you can't play it right now you don't have a walkman

- they also asked you what you wanted for your future, it looked like they wanted to confirm something

- they probably knew something about your old plans

- so yeah they were a bit surprised when you told them that for now you would finish school homeschooled and taking your time

- they offered their help though, since they were more advanced than you in the program,

- they were very supportive

- Asta told your mother only arrived in four more days due to business related affairs, until then the objective was to establish yourself here

- Also your sister got her driving license two years ago

And that was it. You waved at them from your window as they left in your sister's car. Taiju had to use the front seat because of his height.

You starred at the cassette for a long time. It had no name on it. You yawned. Your eyelids were heavy, the atmosphere was warm enough for you not to need a blanket, and you were surrounded by cushions.  The conclusion draw itself, the cassette was left on the table and you let youself take a short nap before Asta's return.

Not long after, your consciousness came back. It was that moment of the sumber, were your body wasn't moving, but you were aware of your surroundings.

Your eyelids were too thin to completely block the sunlight, so you hid your head inside the pillow instead.

"Are you awake?", whispered a voice. You hummed, it hummed back.

"Are you feeling alright?", it murmured, you hummed a yes.

"Mom's coming in three days", the voice whispered again.

You groaned in response.

"Four?"

"Hmm?"

Wasn't it "Four" days ? but you only had energy to say one word your sister had to deduce the rest

"Oh. That was yesterday."

"Hmmm- what?"

"Good morning, there's tea."

"Wait a damn minute", you said rising from the diabolically comfy window's seat, only to find the morning sun shining on the living room, the curtains half-closed and your sister enjoying a cup of tea next to the radiator.

You sighed.

"Y'know?"

Your sister hummed a 'what?' and took a sip from her cup.

"A toast and tea would be fine."

Your sister drank bad and ended up coughing. You stood up, "Y'know that only happens in movies?", you said calmly going to the kitchen to eat breakfast.

"Oh fuck you. You never eat breakfast."

"Well now I'm eating."

"It doesn't work like that.", she scoffed. 

"Are you telling my body that that's not how it works?"