Reminiscence

Chapter 18

Mazuka lugged Matteo to the chair to assess the damage that had been dealt. "Wow, umm... okay let me grab some bandages and antiseptic. I'll be right back." Mazuka's nervous, wringing his hands together, messing with the rings he wears. We had gotten Matteo out of the room with ease for the most part, but it had been a lot more invasive than we had thought. The corner of one of the drawers had been digging into his side and had trapped him quite effectively until I could pry it away and free my friend.

Afterward, we decided to hunt around the place for any answers as to why they raided our shelter. It puts all of us on edge for a while, until we began to reassure ourselves, they weren't coming back. It's been a while since I've had to deal with protection watches being in order. I decided to take my watch first, to give them time to relax, to give me time to myself and my mind, to let it wander and let the thoughts formulate, and marinate for a bit before I would head off to the sea of blankets awaiting me.

The morning sun shines through one of the blindness windows, earning a rumble from beside me. I roll over, my neck protesting. Matteo is there, muttering to himself, just waking up. There's a tightness in my chest again, the same one that had bloomed when I saw him lying there yesterday. No, it can't be. It's just me being mindful. That's all.

But it's not just that. It's not me just being mindful. There's something else. Something else entirely. And I know what it is, unfortunately. He meets my gaze, reaching. "Hi, how're you feeling?" I murmur. It's not much but it's enough to make him stutter. He fumbles with his wording, trying to grasp something.

I leave so he can dress, and he looks somewhat dejected about me getting up. Too bad. The clank of pans in the kitchen signal that someone's cooking. Mazuka can whip something up when it's necessary, but if I remember, he'd rather not cook at all. I cannot meet his eyes, my mind is crashing and burning with questions and things left unsaid.

"So, how'd you sleep?" he smirks, setting plates for us. "I heard you two talking back there."

I glared at him, not wanting to tell him what was happening. "It was fine. My neck hurts though." I flop into the chair and dig in.

Matteo comes in a few minutes later, while I'm halfway through my bread. He places his hands on my shoulders, steady. I almost choke and swallow quickly to cover up the shock. "Morning, Nes." I smile and slide his plate towards him. Is this happening too fast? Am I reading this wrong?