The meal was absolutely delightful, Kre had cooked the roast to perfection with just the right amount of seasoning and sauce, and his choice of drink was spot on the money. You hadn't enjoyed such a luxury in years and as you sat with a full belly across from a similarly contented Kre, it was you that broke the silence.
'That was amazing.' You said to him. 'I find it hard to believe you don't think you could do that professionally.'
'I must confess, that turned out better than I was hoping.' He smiled. 'I managed to coax a few tips out of Geeaness actually, he said the slow cooker is a godsend for those without professional training...'
You were silent, and so was he the instant he realized his mistake. After a few awkward seconds that tiny sound from earlier was back and this time Kre heard it as well.
'Micen.' He sighed, trying to change the subject. 'I swear it's far too soon for the little bastards to have repopulated so much. Someone must have brought them back in.'
'Oh relax.' You told him. 'It's a fresh batch at least, it's not like the same thing is going to happen.'
'All that money to get rid of them though.' Kre grimaced, before standing and starting to clear the table. You wanted to help but at the same time the thought of dropping one of these expensive looking plates was terrifying. You were still struggling to shake a terrible memory evoked by that word though, so you stood and gathered the cutlery. There was no way you'd drop that.
Once the table was cleared Kre invited you out to the balcony. The view from up here was pretty astounding, you could see several blocks around, from the park and reserve all the way across to the shopping mall. Below you was the street you walked nearly every day to reach the markets, and further up the road leading to the... health centre.
'Quite a view you have.' You said softly. 'I can see everything my life has become from here...'
'Are you alright?' He asked softly. 'You just seem so withdrawn. But at least you're leaving the apartment now. For a while it looked like you'd given up.'
You were about to tell him that you had. That ever since the betrayal that day, the loss of those you'd called friends and comrades and the sheer terror of being hunted by something you couldn't kill, everything about your life had seemed hollow. But before your lips could form the words a loud clang came from inside.
Kre half growled and half sighed in exasperation as he rushed back in. You took a deep breath, twice now memories you'd hoped to leave on paper had come back to your mind. It wasn't pleasant. You couldn't blame your old comrade for being concerned, but at the same time it was clear that his concern was not doing you any good. It was going to be best if you just left.
'Kre?' You began as you stepped inside. He held a micen in one hand over the sink, apparently the little pest had been going after the scraps left on the plates and had overturned one too far, pushing it off the sink and on to the floor. 'Oh. He did exactly what I was worried about doing.'
'Yea.' Kre growled, squeezing the micen harshly and clearly contemplating the obvious. Had he not just stuffed himself you were sure the micen would already have been gone.
'Listen Kre.' You said, taking a deep breath before you continued. 'I know you mean well by trying to look after me. But I need you to stop.'
'What?' He exclaimed. 'What do you mean?'
'I'm... getting better at coping.' You explained. 'I've been going to group therapy for... ptsd. And I've been making good stride on getting my thoughts down on paper. It's just that... When you show this kind of concern for my well-being, it's a constant reminder that I'm... That I'm not a good person.'
'Maron, that's not-'
'Stop!' You interrupted him. 'Please, just stop. I've made good progress. Maybe one day we can do this more often. But for now, please just let me figure this out on my own.' You looked back at him with pleading eyes, he looked disappointed and downtrodden.
'Alright...' He said at last. 'Just promise me if you ever need anything, that you'll let me know.'
'Sure.' You said with a smile. 'Just promise me you'll forgive me if I ever go mad and wreck up the place.' He laughed, then looked at the micen in his hands before tossing the runt to you.
'Deal.' He said cheerfully. 'But uhh, try not to, right?'
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