Kintsugi

[Raffe]

Raffe leaned in the doorway to listen. He met Nox’s look but said nothing, about promises or otherwise. He understood, then, where these kids had come from, and why Nox had assumed responsibility for them. It pulled his gaze away a moment, a pit of kinship that roused memories he shouldn’t linger on. Of those five days spent with his mother’s body. Their fear made sense. The way they had woken screaming.

One of the girls looked up with big eyes and a question he was quite sure must have tied a knot in Nox’s stomach. But whatever had passed between them, it didn’t change the immediacy of Raffe’s answer. The hurt was more complicated than that, but it wasn’t resentful.

“He’s good people,” he said. “No one can keep every promise they make, but you can trust that Nox will try. That’s good enough for me.” His voice was hoarse, and he rubbed the scar at his throat. He might have been concerned it’d scare them, but he gathered they had already seen far worse. He offered a small smile. “But we haven’t met. I’m Raffe. It’s okay if I tag along today?”