Chapter 39 - Bed

Back at Alon’s house, Veera was preparing to leave with Pia. She had fallen asleep so he was carrying her on his back. She seemed calm and snuggled in a warm coat Alon had lent her.

“I’ll be off then.” Veera began to leave. “Boy.” He nodded to Tetsuo. “I’ll try to get the things you asked of me but, assume I won’t be able to, alright?”

Tetsuo nodded and the three of them waved him off.

Alon sighed. “For now, you two can share the room upstairs. I know it’s small but it’s either that or stay down here with me.”

Tetsuo awkwardly looked between Alon and back to Bianca. “Er... well… given how things are, maybe we should–”

“Thank you Alon.” Bianca interrupted. “We promise there won’t be any funny business.”

Alon stared suspiciously at them, like a parent making sure a teenage couple keeps the door open. He repeated, “No funny business,” as they went upstairs to start getting ready.

Tetsuo and Bianca brushed their teeth, and changed out of their armor into more comfortable casual clothes. Quietly, they closed the door to the bedroom, sliding into bed together. The bed was still rather small, but at least Tetsuo could stretch his legs out all the way. Bianca rested  her head on his arm but faced away from him.

“Good night.”

“Night."

Tetsuo closed his eyes and tried to sleep. He felt her slow breathing rising and falling rhythmically as she tried to relax as well. He could feel how tense her back was, telling him she likely wasn’t falling asleep anytime soon.

Bianca quietly breathed out. “Tetsuo?”

“Um… yeah?” He whispered back.

“That night, when we were fighting, back on Earth. Do you remember what we were fighting about?”

Tetsuo gulped. Carefully he responded, “You told me you were worried about me. Because I didn’t talk to my friends anymore. Because I seemed miserable at my new job. And because I was trying to avoid telling you any of it.”

“When I was with Lunette, all the way back when she found me. I asked her if she had seen you. And she went on and on, raving about you. How you were helping people as a knight, protecting her crush while he was drunk, that sort of thing. I was so excited to see you again, not just because I missed you, but also because it sounded like you were finally starting to seem like your old self again. How you were back before we moved into the city.

“When I saw you again. I was so excited. Until it seemed like you were ready to throw everything away again, just for me. I felt like a burden. Like being with me meant you’d never get to be happy.”

“That’s not true. I could have just found a different job, or made new friends. That new job meant so much to you.”

“You mean so much to me! Honestly… You know I can make some sacrifices too. But if you don’t tell me when you're not doing okay, how am I supposed to know what’s going on.”

“Sorry.”

Bianca shuffled in the bed, moving closer to Tetsuo, pressing her back against him. She cautiously asked, “That night, why did you leave?”

“I wanted to buy you brownies to cheer you up. But the bakery had thrown out their brownies that night, so I ended up buying macarons instead. I was bringing them back, and then, well, this.”

Bianca slowly rolled over in place, her face now only a few inches from him. “You’re telling me the reason you left that night was to buy me brownies?!”

“Well, yeah, what else was I supposed to do? You were upset and I wanted you to feel better.”

“I don’t know! You could have stayed and talked it out! Or even just told me what you were going to do!”

“I thought it was obvious!”

“What was I supposed to think when you walked out of our apartment, mid argument, while I was crying?”

“That I was getting brownies!”

“How in the world am I supposed to know that if you don’t say anything?! You weren’t telling me anything about what was going through your head by that point.”

“Bianca. If you knew anything about me, you’d know I’d do anything to be with you.”

“I guess… I just thought you'd finally had enough… It felt like you became so withdrawn ever since we moved. I thought maybe the weight of everything, the fact I let you live like that for so long…”

“Hey we both agree, that was my fault.”

“But still, what kind of a wife just lets her husband be miserable for so long–”

“Enough with that. Look, we both made mistakes. It’s okay now. We’re talking now.”

Tetsuo leaned forward and kissed Bianca on the forehead. She looked up at him, teary eyed.

“You want to know something I learnt? After everything that’s happened, you're still my number one priority.”

Bianca seemed concerned by this statement. Tetsuo tried to hold back his smile, to avoid giving away his plan.

“So is helping Tervana. And helping other people. And making life in Alvania better. And spending time with friends. And trying to get Alon to ask Lunette out already. It’s all my top priority.”

Bianca couldn’t help but giggle a bit. “Honey I appreciate the sentiment, but you’re gonna get burnt out trying to do all of that.”

Tetsuo smiled. “I know, but I can’t help it if it’s what I want to do. Besides, if I get burnt out, you’ll look after me right? It sure would be a shame if my beautiful wife took care of me because I worked too hard. And told me that I was an idiot and she loved me.”

Bianca couldn’t help but smile. “You are an idiot.” She pushed up and gave him a short peck on the lips. “And I do love you.”

“I love you too.”

She wrapped her arms around Tetsuo and buried her face into his chest. He held her tightly, although he told himself it was to make sure she didn’t fall off the bed, he knew better. Quietly, they both snuggled together and slowly drifted away to sleep.