[PRP] A Bittersweet Reunion

[shibrogane]

"You didn't answer the important question," Aure chided. He felt much better now that he was the one taking care of someone rather than the other way around. "Are you all right?" Except Ean had always found some way to lead the conversation back to something else, rather like Aure had attempted to do several times. Instead of waiting for an answer, he picked up the stethoscope the other teen had recently put down and listened for himself.  

[Juridian Soul]

"I... don't know..."

And he didn't. He didn't KNOW if he was alright. He didn't know what was going on with his life lately. It seemed that every day he ran into new problems - new challenges. Challenges he wasn't ready to face yet. His chest hurt now. And he realized something.

"Aure... you could probably hear better if I took off my shirt...."  

[shibrogane]

He smiled and rolled his eyes. Tables-turning was nice. "Then we should do that," he said, "Or we could remember it's cold, and I could just-" He shifted and simply reached under Ean's shirt, replacing the stethoscope over his heart. "I think-" With a little tilt to his head, he looked up at Ean through his eyelashes. "Er- nevermind." No reason to worry his friend more.  

[Juridian Soul]

His heart was slamming against his ribcage. The murmur was readily apparent. Sounded a lot worse than it was. But it could GET worse if he didn't take care of himself. Or if he got sick.
He looked across at Aure as he stopped speaking, and tilted his OWN head to one side, trying to understand.

"You think....? You think what?" he asked quietly. "I know - I'm an idiot. You came to talk about YOU not ME, and here we are, talking about MY pr-"

He broke off. His heart skipped hard under the stethoscope, then continued the fast beat.

"Problems. That's not what you're here for."  

[shibrogane]

"You're not an idiot, and I'd actually like to talk about you for a minute..." He frowned and shook his head. "You're eating properly and exercising, correct?" The other things he'd like to say would probably sound insensitive, and he actually cared what Ean thought... so he didn't say them. Aure bit his lip and tried to think of something distracting. All he came up with were bad jokes.  

[Juridian Soul]

He thought on that one for a moment. Under the stethoscope, his heart was skipping every fourth beat or so. Not healthy... but, sadly, normal for him. Aure wouldn't know that, though. It might scare him.

"Exercising? Yes. Eating properly? Probably not. I haven't eaten anything for about a day and a half. Well, if you can call a couple of peanuts 'anything'."

He lifted his hand unconsciously, and rubbed his chest - hard. It hurt like hell now.  

[shibrogane]

This didn't pass Aure's notice. "Then we should go find you something to eat. And you should start eating regularly, too." He stood and offered his friend the unbroken hand. "I mean. It's not my place to offer, but you really should."  

[Juridian Soul]

Ean looked up at Aure. Now, more than ever, he admired him. Ever since he was little, he'd admired Aurelius. He'd wanted to BE that kind of person. And here that selfsame person was - his own gender now - offering HIM the sort of help he sorely needed. Wordlessly, he nodded, and took Aure's hand, before staggering slightly. Yeah. Eating. That might be a good idea before he completely passed out.  

[shibrogane]

"I'm a decent cook," he said after a moment, threading his arm under Ean's to support him in case he stumbled. "So, just tell me where to go, and I'll make something, okay?" Aure reached out and opened the door, pushing it wider with one foot. Then he hesitated- "You're sure no one will see me?..."  

[Juridian Soul]

He nodded a bit, and let himself be supported. He did about feel like he was going to completely pass out.

"Dad's gone with uncle Dragon and the others to do something for a couple days to a week. Uncle Maverick is here, but he's not even in this part of the castle, and he hardly ever leaves his room, so you're safe there."  

[shibrogane]

Aure nodded back and patted his friend's shoulder. "Directions?" He looked as if he had never asked about the possibility of being seen, except for the embarrassed flush to his face.  

[Juridian Soul]

"Oh! Right. It would probably help if I told you where we were going, huh?"

He laughed a bit, then stopped as it hurt his head. Motioning to the door, he told Aure where the kitchen was.

"Out this door, and back downstairs - it's in the room next to the living room. There aren't any walls separating it FROM the living room. It's not altogether to difficult to find."

He chuckled.  

[shibrogane]

Aure smiled, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Alright," he said, taking the stairs down at a pace that he hoped was good for his friend- it certainly stopped his own head from aching. "So... Have you seen any of the others recently? The other Illu, I mean."  

[Juridian Soul]

Ean lowered his head, and shook it. He offered Aure a saddish smile.

"No - I haven't seen anyone else. I would like to see Blackfell again, and perhaps Vieve... but no one has come calling, and I've had to stay home and tend to my sick uncles... You're the only one I've seen in months."

He almost tripped over a step, but managed not to, getting down the stairs with no mishap. Aure would feel his heart pounding though - even just casually holding him. He was either frightened, or hadn't had a thing to eat, and hadn't had sleep, for longer than he was saying.  

[shibrogane]

Aure looked sadly back at Ean. "I've seen many people," he murmured. "Most recently it was a little boy named Victor. Before that it was..." He fell silent and thought. "I haven't seen anyone else... since..." Wait, hadn't he seen- no. He didn't remember that. But it was in his journal...