Nowhere Haven

Consoling Words

Oliver couldn't quite believe he managed to walk all the way back to the city center and didn't run right into another rainstorm. The gloomy weather has been following him along but remained stable. He sighed. Nonetheless, he knew he needed to find a place to stay for awhile.

In the spur of the moment, Oliver had been too upset to notice how much of a fight he has picked with Kazehiki. Despite the occasional unpleasant interrogations, his friend had remained a safety spot until a few hours ago. In any case, Kazehiki would have helped him out; Oliver wasn't so sure whether he'd be willing to do so after the incident.

Oliver didn't ponder for long where to go instead and marched over to the isolated part of the city. He left behind the dozens of buildings stung together and got greeted by patchy greenery. The suffocating feeling wore off in both an unsure and curios way to see how things must have changed in the neighborhood. It was just another poor neighborhood, but the peaceful nature of it was something the inner city could only ever dream of. 

He had roamed around the park frequently when he hadn't had a place to go. Even though Oliver hadn't interacted with any of the residents here, watching them go through their rough days with faint smiles had always given him a bit of hope.

Once he passed the park and got back to sparse apartment complexes, a familiar building perked up inbetween the grey scenery. Its bright orange color has barely worn off in his years of absence, and Oliver huffed and casted it a compliant smile.

He couldn't return home yet. Unsure of whether Fukase was still lying in his bed in pain or he had been taken away eventually left him restless—he wasn't ready for either possibility yet. Instead, Oliver hoped to buy a little more time for himself to process the situation thoroughly, and he couldn't think of a better place than the food pantry.

He pushed open the door only hesitantly. Despite having once been a regular guest, he felt like an intruder now. The volunteers storing away the baskets didn't notice him at first, and he sighed relieved internally. They were about to close the building, but at least then he had another thirty minutes to spend in there with barely anyone talking to him. He sat down on the wooden bench in front of the large window and leaned his head against the cold surface. All the walking and agitation has worn him out.

He wanted to go as far to close his eyes for a moment, only to have several pictures beam in front of his sight. Oliver opened them again and groaned to himself. There was no way he would get any proper rest here. His heart was still racing with mixed emotions.

Oliver looked around in the familiar building. Everything was still the same from a few years ago, as if nothing has ever changed. However, he has clearly changed. His life has moved on from the past and now he was sitting here, feeling like a stranger to what was once considered his home. 

Memories of him flashed back up. Even though the blond had felt miserable to have to turn to a place like this, he had enjoyed the sparse company he had gained from it either. Not that he had talked to the other people coming here, but he remembered clearly this one person that has not once left a bitter aftertaste in his memories. He wondered what has happened to her in the meantime.

"Am I seeing things or is that actually you?" A voice echoed through the room. Oliver's head turned up to where the sound came from and his eyes widened in surprise. First, a familiar head perked out of the other room, but then the body hurried to the blond as well. He couldn't quite react to seeing his old friend standing in front of him after they had neither talked nor seen each other for years.

"It's really you." The woman didn't hesitate to pull Oliver in a tight embrace. Albeit hesitantly, the blond retorted the gesture. "It's so nice to see you again."