[He smells like smoke and tea. Al stays where he is, breathing in slowly, mind wandering. They'll get through this. They're strong enough for this. It'll be difficult but they will handle it.
[He gets an affectionate smile and another nod as Urahara gestures for him to lead the way before following behind him, pausing briefly outside the boys' room, head cocked, listening, sensing.]
[Al doesn't falter in his step, but he looks back at him as he turns to the linen closet, getting out sheets before continuing down the hallway more. The room is a simple one, but cozy. Al starts to quickly change the sheets.]
[There's a hum before Urahara flops down on the bed. Before quickly reaching out and tugging Al down with him to wrap him up in another strong hug. He doesn't say anything, and Al is free to pull away, but really... That dry spot doesn't need to stay dry.]
You think you're over it. Months, years, even decades pass without it hurting every day, with you opening your eyes to just another day instead of another day without them. Then something... a song, a certain way of pronouncing a word, a breathless laugh, even the briefest of looks or the way someone holds their head, will bring it all crashing back and it's a fresh as the first moment it happened.
It does get better and go away... Only gets a little more buried with time.
And that's all we can live for... Not an eternity, but something that's worth the pain and regrets, something so beautiful that the future can't rip down because painful as the memories are, we'd still refuse to give them up because of how much we lived and loved in them.
Where I grew up before I met Yoruichi-san, then combined with what I am... I've lost many friends and comrades. [And best friends whose funerals he wasn't able to attend because of his wrongful exile, deaths he wasn't able to prevent, things like that.] It's what life is like, both here and there.
[Accepting the hug, Urahara rests his head against Al, taking comfort from the twining hug they have each other wrapped in. It's odd how much things have changed here in the city. At hope, comfort was a solid kick to his head and a shout to stop pitying himself, or the gentle draping of a body against his, but here... Here, people were more demonstrative with their emotions, even those from home. Such was the nature of Adstringendum, he supposed.]
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[Offline]
Date: 2012-10-15 06:36 am (UTC)[Offline]
Date: 2012-10-15 06:38 am (UTC)[Offline]
Date: 2012-10-15 06:43 am (UTC)After some time, he pulls back enough to get up.]
Come on, I'll get fresh blankets for you.
[Offline]
Date: 2012-10-15 06:49 am (UTC)[Offline]
Date: 2012-10-15 06:52 am (UTC)... are they okay?
[Offline]
Date: 2012-10-15 07:04 am (UTC)[He lets a few tendrils of his reiatsu flow into the room to soothe away any restlessness brought on by bad dreams before following Al into the room.]
Ah, I hope I haven't taken anyone's room.
[Offline]
Date: 2012-10-15 07:11 am (UTC)[He gives a little smile and shakes his head, patting the blankets into place, making hospital corners.]
... no. This room's been... free for several months now.
[Offline]
Date: 2012-10-15 07:19 am (UTC)It seems I stepped on something a little sensitive...
[Offline]
Date: 2012-10-15 07:24 am (UTC)[But if Urahara takes a look at the desk, the bookshelf -- this is Negi's old room.]
[Offline]
Date: 2012-10-15 07:27 am (UTC)Ah... My apologies.
[Offline]
Date: 2012-10-15 07:31 am (UTC)Please don't worry about it, okay?
[Offline]
Date: 2012-10-15 07:39 am (UTC)[Offline]
Date: 2012-10-15 07:45 am (UTC)He tries to swallow and can't, tries to breathe and can't. Sometimes it hits him like a punch to the gut, the reality of it.
It occurs to him that Urahara is holding him because Negi can't.
That's all it takes for him to muffle a tiny sob.]
[Offline]
Date: 2012-10-15 07:54 am (UTC)Let it out, Alphonse-san... Today's ending and tomorrow will be a new day, so let go and just be in the here and now.
[Offline]
Date: 2012-10-15 07:57 am (UTC)[It's not. Years and it's not, never mind that the memories are so fresh he can taste them.]
Does it?
[Offline]
Date: 2012-10-15 08:05 am (UTC)[Unyielding and blunt.]
You think you're over it. Months, years, even decades pass without it hurting every day, with you opening your eyes to just another day instead of another day without them. Then something... a song, a certain way of pronouncing a word, a breathless laugh, even the briefest of looks or the way someone holds their head, will bring it all crashing back and it's a fresh as the first moment it happened.
It does get better and go away... Only gets a little more buried with time.
[Offline]
Date: 2012-10-15 08:09 am (UTC)[It's a tiny whisper, under his breath, and it ends with a laugh that isn't a laugh at all.]
[Offline]
Date: 2012-10-15 08:12 am (UTC)[Offline]
Date: 2012-10-15 08:19 am (UTC)... it was worth it, though.
He was.
[Offline]
Date: 2012-10-15 08:22 am (UTC)Re: [Offline]
Date: 2012-10-15 08:33 am (UTC)[Offline]
Date: 2012-10-15 08:38 am (UTC)[Offline]
Date: 2012-10-15 08:41 am (UTC)[Offline]
Date: 2012-10-15 08:56 am (UTC)[Offline]
Date: 2012-10-15 08:59 am (UTC)Will you be able to sleep?
[Whispering.]
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