Kintsugi

[Raffe]

The last explanation he’d expected was two girls curled like kittens in Nox’s bed. He didn't ask why, didn’t need to; just accepted it as easily as that as Nox softly closed the door.

“Okay,” was all he said, scruffing a hand over his head. A shower might wake him up some, but trundling back down the stairs seemed like more effort than tumbling straight into bed. Plus turning off his brain felt like a wonderful solution for a while. He met Nox’s gaze, his own expression unusually flat. Not hostile, not angry, not upset. He was just strangely still inside, waiting for a reaction, any reaction, to reach him.

“Zeke will know if anyone’s looking for them,” he agreed. His hand fell from his head, rubbing tiredly over his face. “I’ll come with you, though. Sage might have name-dropped you, and Cruz left a bit of an impression.” Not that the church was dangerous, but he remembered Ezekiel’s reaction to the tunnels being cleared, and he didn’t want Nox to end up feeling the brunt of his ire should the man prove in a mercurial mood.

Afterwards he headed for his own door, pressed it open with a palm. His gaze bounced naturally to the plants on the windowsill as he heeled off his shoes. He didn’t look back out into the corridor, but he did speak again.

“Those girls don’t look like they’ll wake up anytime soon. And they probably need the sleep as much as you do. You might as well come in.”