Tall Trees PV Flash Finished

He wasn't spending his mornings with Anastasia since Easter, he had gone back to jogging by himself before breakfast, another cold reminder of Val. After having spent most of his year trying to distract himself from his fears, it became wholly obvious they would find him no matter where he ran. Not only that, but it proved just how easy it was to strip him of power. There was no helping it, he was stuck in this world and he would have to suffer through every second. Perhaps if he hadn't been hiding away, he would have been more aware, more prepared.

He tried not to dwell on regrets, though the regrets themselves had other ideas. At least he could rely on habits, even if they were bittersweet ones. He had to get back to normal, somehow. Routine was comfortable, he could spend his afternoon rescheduling his week to make sure his time was spent efficiently. No more slacking, no more relaxing. He thought it would make him feel better, but it didn't. He could never be like the other children, and this was a thing he would be constantly reminded of if he lost sight of it for even a moment.

It was at the end of one of these daily exercises that he caught sight of a bright kite flying wildly through the sky, someone fighting with it until ultimately it careened into a tree. Since it wasn't really out of the way at all, Flash headed in that direction. Helping someone would put him in a better mood, possibly improve the rest of his day if they were grateful enough. The closer he got, however, the more a creeping suspicion came over him. It almost looked like Burnett, though he was certain he saw the fox sleeping soundly just a short while earlier.

It was a Burnett. Ruka. Flash slowed, though his approach would not stop. Ruka was clearly trying to get into the tree that housed the escaped kite, but was just a tiny bit too short. Not that he hadn't grown since Flash last saw him, but he had always been on the shorter side for his age. Flash actually hadn't heard that Ruka was back, though it made sense that he wouldn't be gone all year. It felt increasingly awkward that this was about to become the first time he spoke to Ruka since the start of the school year. For as much as Flash regretted avoiding him, he found the scariness of speaking to him still alive in his heart. There was no turning back now that he was there.

"Good morning, Ruka." He began, a bit quietly and still catching his breath. "Can I help?"

Patience was not one of Ruka's virtues and waiting for absolutely anything was strictly against his nature, so it didn't take long for him to grow restless. His kite was up there, barely out of reach, and there had to be something he could do, right?

With a frown on his face he turned to face the tree again and swiftly kicked off his shoes before attempting to run at the tree, using the momentum to place one foot on the tree trunk and try to push himself just a little bit higher so he could reach that branch, but it was no use. Instead of getting any closer to his kite he simply dropped back on the ground with a thud and a vaguely concerning crack from his bones. If he wanted his kite back he would have to get a bit smarter than that, he determined with a sigh. However, before he really needed to come up with a clever way to reach his kite from the ground, a familiar voice offered help, and Ruka whirled around to face Flash with a bright grin.

He hadn't really seen much of the Slytherin throughout the year, and they hadn't had a conversation ever since they had promised each other to try and make more of an effort to learn how to talk to each other. Almost a year ago. Ruka hadn't particularly gone out of his way to avoid Flash, but it hadn't seemed like the other boy was interested in his company so he hadn't reached out either. The last thing Ruka had heard about Flash had come from the voices in his head, giving vague information that had had Ruka's head reeling and his fingers twitching with the urge to do something while he had been stuck in Cardiff with a whole book full of math exercises. With that memory in mind, Ruka found himself somewhat relieved to see Flash alive and looking relatively healthy all things considered. "Flash!" he proclaimed loudly and with far too much enthusiasm as he pushed himself away from the tree and towards the Slytherin. "You've come just in time, actually, come here." Without much regard for personal space, Ruka reached out to wrap a hand around Flash's wrist and pull him closer until they were both standing right beneath the branch Ruka had so desperately been trying to climb.

"The time has come for your freakish height to be useful," Ruka informed Flash with a grin as he grabbed both of the other boy's hands to bring them into the position that was most useful to him. Once Flash's hands were cupped together at a height that Ruka could easily reach - To achieve that Flash would have to slightly bend his knees, thank you very much - he put one hand on the other boy's shoulder and placed his left foot in the cup of Flash's hands. With the new leverage, Ruka managed to push himself up far enough to grab onto the branch and pull himself on top of it with a victorious yelp. From here the branches were close enough together to allow him to make himself a path up to his kite, but before he continued he settled down to sit on the branch, bare feet dangling inches above Flash's head.

"Are you coming?" he asked in a tone that did not want to allow for Flash to simply end their chance meeting right there just because Ruka had gotten what he wanted. Bending forward a little, Ruka found a new position on his stomach, one knee hooked across the branch to steady himself as he reached a hand out for Flash to take so he could climb up with ease. "Come on," he urged brightly. "I bet the view's much better from all the way up there."

Though he involuntarily held his breath in anticipation of how Ruka would greet him back, he'd gasp and visibly start when Ruka exclaimed his name loudly, smiling at him. It was small, but he was just a bit jumpier these days than he used to be. He quickly overcame it, in no small part because he had something to do. Help Ruka get his kite, of course. He finally got to be the hero just in the nick of time.

All Ruka needed in this instance however, was genetic. Seeming to be brimming with energy, he said as much, though a bit more colorfully. The remark caught Flash off-guard, earning a short, smug laugh with adjoining smile. In fact, despite a thrill of nervousness that held a quiet chord steady, he was quickly losing the tension the revelation had brought him. Ruka was looking more healthy and happy than ever, the sight of it really was heartwarming in its own right.

"At your service." His smile stayed, as contagious as Ruka's was.

Being manipulated around like a doll, Flash did exactly as he was shown, even bending his knees. With that, Ruka had much easier access to the branch. With how much effort he had been putting into trying to climb the tree beforehand, it wasn't a surprise that he wanted to climb it himself. Then again, Ruka was always doing things himself anyway, there weren't always boys to use as stepladders around. Even if it was only to be used in place of, say, a decently sized rock, Flash was glad he could be useful. He was sure this encounter would leave a lasting warmth in his chest.

With Ruka having a clear shot to kick him in the skull, Flash took a step back, looking up at the branch to make sure Ruka had his balance. He looked as giddy as could be, clearly not a stranger to climbing things. He had never seen Ruka like that before. He hadn't realized he'd been staring until Ruka called back to him again, declaring he should follow along. Wordlessly opening his mouth, Flash nearly protested. It didn't take two people to get a kite, that was obvious. If anything, he might get in the way. Then again, it wasn't like he was going to miss breakfast, it was Sunday. He didn't exactly want to leave anyway.

"Is it?" The words filled the space, even though Flash could care less about the scenery.

Taking Ruka's hand, he got the lift he needed to grab the branch. From there, he could lift himself up. He was not as quick or graceful of a climber, but the strength was certainly there. Now with the addition of Quidditch practice and learning the drums all year, he was starting to bulk up as he entered his teens. Not that it had helped him when he needed it. It couldn't keep Selim from knocking him unconscious, or break the restraints. That wasn't important now, though. All he needed it for now was to climb a tree, so it sufficed.

Not exactly sure how to properly perch, Flash rested one knee on the bough, another hanging off as he gripped with both hands in front of him. He'd probably stay on. Hopefully. After wobbling a bit, Flash laughed again, in short incredulous bursts. He hadn't had any hesitation in climbing up, but now that he was there, he felt a bit foolish. He quickly found another branch to brace one hand on to better stabilize himself.

"Ah," Flash sighed, looking sheepish, "I figured it out."

His awkwardness was inevitable, as his thoughts were an incomprehensible jumble. An affliction he had nearly forgotten, the one that had him at a loss for words. Was it that he still didn't know what Ruka wanted to hear? Or really, he knew what he wanted, but had more than a little bit of trouble giving it. Like pulling out teeth. Still, he said he would try.

"How was it? Your foray into general education?" Flash asked, genuinely curious.

@Flash Holmwood

It was to be expected that Flash wasn't going to protest Ruka stepping on him for the sake of getting what he wanted, and for once Ruka decided not to fault the other boy for it, instead just nodded with a grateful smile to show that he acknowledged Flash's assistance and was happy to have gotten help.

There was a smile on Flash's face, even a laugh had bubbled up from inside him, and it served to fuel Ruka's enthusiasm, made his own smile all the brighter, eyes sparkling excitedly as he observed Flash's next move now that Ruka was up on the tree and did not technically need anything else. For a moment it seemed like the other boy was going to disregard Ruka's outstretched hand, that he would excuse himself and shuffle away but something made him change his mind. Only a short moment later Flash had clasped his own hand around Ruka's to pull himself up enough to be able to climb up on the branch, clearly unpracticed as he struggled to find his balance.

Ruka allowed him the time to steady himself, watching fondly as Flash slowly figured out just where to hold on and how to position his arms and legs to make sure he wouldn't risk a fall. The short bursts of laughter Flash emitted made Ruka's grin even wider as he pushed himself up onto his knees, one hand holding on to the tree trunk's rough bark to stay steady as he got onto his feet. Having discarded his shoes had been a good choice as it gave him more control of how to place his feet securely on the branch.

"You're clearly a natural," he told Flash with an amused spark in his eyes as he carefully moved a little closer to the other boy, reaching one hand to wrap thin fingers around Flash's wrist in an attempt to steer him in the right direction; Up.

With one hand occupied leading Flash, Ruka took extra care of where he stepped as he deftly pushed himself onto a branch just a little higher than the one they were currently on. As they were moving together, Ruka made sure to avoid any branches that gave off even just the slightest sign of being too fragile to handle their combined weight. With Flash already quite clearly not accustomed to climbing trees it wouldn't do well to shock him with a branch giving way beneath his feet.

"Oh that," Ruka said slowly as he let go of Flash for a second to pull himself even higher, eyes focused on the swaying rope of his kite which was getting closer by the second. He wasn't quite sure how Flash knew of the nature of his absence but there was probably a chance he had heard it from Jack at some point so Ruka decided not to question it. "It's been... thoroughly uneventful." Compared to the happenings in Hogwarts pretty much everything seemed uneventful, but he assumed that uneventful was probably appealing to Flash these days anyway.

"Mostly math, really. Didn't exactly make me like numbers any more - Aha!" With a victorious cry, Ruka dropped back down to the branch he had left Flash behind on, his left hand safely curled around the rope of his kite, the orange fabric pulled against his shoulder to make sure it wouldn't get caught in any more branches. With that challenge accomplished, Ruka moved carefully to sit on the branch, tugging at Flash's trouser pant to urge him to do the same.

The view from here was indeed better than it was from the ground, and Ruka had always been fond of looking at the world from above, where he could truly appreciate it with a sense of freedom filling his lungs. From here the lake seemed alive somehow, every ripple dancing under the rays of the rising sun. The castle walls weren't quite so intimidating now that they were higher up, and Ruka took a moment to stare at his surroundings in complete awe, legs dangling off the branch excitedly. "It's good to be back though. Been getting a bit restless." Whether Flash had sat down next to him or not, Ruka would turn to face him with a smile, moving his hand to brush messy strands of his hair from where they had fallen into his eyes. "Still feels a bit weird though. Sort of expected things to have just stopped while I was gone." He shook his head to himself for a moment, then shrugged his shoulders lightly. "Turns out the world keeps moving even when you're not watching. Who'd have thought, huh?"

Flash let out a huff to Ruka's comment, though he still held a small smile despite his sarcasm. He only looked at him every once in a while, unable to keep a steady eye on his face for long. It was almost surreal to have him back, right in front of him. He hadn't really mentally prepared for it. He was even less prepared for Ruka to take a hold of his wrist and continue climbing. Even more? Alas, he would attempt to move ahead at Ruka's beckoning.

As they went, Ruka was scouting ahead, wiggling branches like testing to see if a tooth was ready to fall out. His reply about his general education was a deflated one, not seeming to have enjoyed it much. Flash was white-knuckling some of the branches keeping him upright, watching to see what Ruka did so he could emulate it. Above, it seemed Ruka rescued his kite at last.

"That's a shame." He said with a sigh, more concentrated on what he was doing than what he was saying. "I was hoping something might have inspired you. Maths can be quite interesting. Well... not for everyone, I suppose."

As they were once again on the same plane, Ruka directed him further, yanking on his clothes. The truth was, as much as Flash needed to be in control of everything, he actually just wanted to be told what to do. It removed so much of the endless discussion in his head about what was right, or proper. This way, he knew how to be, without causing a disturbance. Ruka was perhaps the only person who ordered him around, a very small fraction of the network of people Flash knew had any inkling of an idea what kind of person Flash really was. An insecure, sheltered brat who wanted attention.

Ruka's eyes were on the horizon, leading Flash to also look at this purported 'better view'. It was the same castle, the same lake. It didn't look any different to Flash from a few feet higher. If anything, it only made him realize that having a vantage point was useful for seeing more details in a wider range of area. He only looked for a short moment before turning back to Ruka.

Ruka was looking right back at him, smiling, talking, breathing. Flash was sure he had been upset at Ruka, but he couldn't even remember why in the moment. He wanted to reach out, finish fixing his hair, hold his hand, or kiss him on the mouth. Well, none of that was appropriate, and it almost had him zoning out instead of hearing what Ruka was saying. It looked like time apart hadn't relieved Flash of his problematic infatuation.

"O-oh. Right, the fear of missing out." He said, turning his gaze back to his own feet, his expensive running shoes looking out of place next to Ruka's bare feet. "I wouldn't mind... missing out... I think."

His words were slow, given they weren't something he would normally say out loud. He picked at the bark of the tree with the hand that wasn't bracing himself, resisting his urge to say something more interesting or what he thought Ruka would want to hear. He didn't like how it painted him, like a coward or someone with no ambition. These days, it was only getting more difficult to figure out what he wanted.

"Well... I would miss my friends." Flash said, a bit embarrassed that he was being so wishy-washy. "What are you restless for anyway? What's here that isn't there?"

Obviously Ruka was close to Burnett, but he didn't expect Ruka to say he missed all his friends. It was an honest question though, not a pointed one trying to call him out. If Flash had been called home for extra study, he would have missed all of the people. People who knew him, called him by the name he wanted, even looked up to him. As for Ruka though, he wasn't sure what was calling him back. He seemed miserable last year, and happy now. Wasn't that because of the Burnett family?

@Flash Holmwood

Flash didn't seem particular eager to move even higher up, but he did so at Ruka's beckoning, carefully stepping across branches and doing his best to learn from Ruka's practiced movements. For clearly not being very accustomed to climbing trees, Flash was doing well anyway; It didn't seem like he had properly tripped or slipped yet, which was definitely a good thing.

The last thing they needed was for one of them to fall out of the tree. From this height severe injury was to be expected.

"Well," Ruka said thoughtfully, clutching his kite to his chest. It wasn't that he hadn't enjoyed catching up on some Muggle education, but after having gone to a magic school, the names of capital cities and algebra just didn't seem quite as exciting. "Biology is interesting," he concluded as he made himself comfortable sitting down on the branch of his choice. Unsurprisingly, Flash did join him, making his presence known with expensive looking shoes dangling next to Ruka's bare feet. Ruka carefully nudged the toes of his left foot against the sole of Flash's right shoe as if to make sure he was there, tangible.

Letting his gaze drift across the lake with a gentle sparkle lighting up his eyes, Ruka puffed out a heavy breath. "Oh and they let me bake! Todd showed me how to cook some stuff, that was great." He grinned, childlike excitement softening his expression as he turned to face Flash again. "That's Jack's dad, he's a great cook." He nodded as if to support his words, then shuffled around a bit so his shoulder was pressed more closely to Flash's arm, searching for more physical contact.

It seemed like Flash was lost in thought for a moment, as if barely registering Ruka's words, but then he spoke again, proclaiming not to mind missing out if he were in that situation. Ruka couldn't quite imagine that to be true, despite everything; From what little he knew of Flash's personal life he would have assumed the other boy to take staying at Hogwarts over going back home anytime. Hogwarts, where he could go by whatever name he wanted to, could practice his influence on people willing to flock to him, didn't need to wallow away in someone else's shadow.

He would miss his friends, he had said, like an after thought. Ruka resisted the urge to place a comforting hand on Flash's thigh.

"Missing out doesn't mean things don't happen anyway," Ruka said quietly. "Just means there's nothing you can do about them." He smiled, giving up on any last efforts to keep at least a bit of distance between them to reach for Flash's hand and pull it onto his own lap. Forest green eyes fell to gaze across the lines edged into the other boy's palm, scarred fingers tracing them with innocent curiosity. There were people who claimed to be able to read someone's whole life in the palm of their hand. What would those people have to say about the gentle creases crisscrossing Flash's skin?

Slowly, Ruka lifted his head again to search out the blue around Flash's pupils. The light coming off the Great Lake's surface reflected in his eyes. "Control," he said simply, never letting go of Flash's hand unless the other boy made a genuine attempt to pull it away. "I like... I love having a family, I do." He pressed his lips into a tight smile, tilting his head to the side. "But there are people here I care about and... And there's nothing I can do for them from all the way in Caerdydd." He exaggerated the pronunciation of the Welsh word for his new hometown a little, giving Flash's hand a small squeeze if still allowed to hold onto it.

He lightly shrugged his shoulders. "I hate not being able to do anything. Wouldn't you?" Sighing quietly, Ruka carefully leaned against Flash's shoulder, casting another glance across the lake. "I like being up here," he said, seemingly offering a random thought. "Makes me feel like I can keep an eye on everything at once." He smiled gently, watching one of the Squid's tentacles creating a ripple effect on the lake's surface. The light reflecting off it shimmered captivatingly. Ruka revelled in its calming effects. "I guess there's no longing to get this high up when you're already as tall as you are, huh?" Chuckling, Ruka bumped his knee against Flash's playfully, though his eyes stayed focused on the light turning droplets of water into fairy dust.

A few more happy thoughts, and maybe that would suffice for him to fly.

The way Ruka had tested the branches seemed to have worked, as all of the footholds he took felt sturdy. It would be a thing he remembered for sure, and he could only imagine what other small things he could learn from him. Flash could have climbed trees growing up-- he spent a lot of time in the forest surrounding the Holmwood mansion. He'd been warned not to, since if he fell and broke something, no one would be around to save him. It was much more risk than any possible reward, as far as he could tell. At least now, Ruka could save him, if he felt like it. He did once say he didn't have an interest in saving someone who didn't want to be saved, though that had been in an entirely different context.

Flash's expression perked up when Ruka admitted to liking biology. He didn't expand on it, but Flash was glad he had liked something. His original talk made it sound like he hated it, but thankfully it wasn't all white noise. Ruka nudged him a bit with his foot-- what was that for? It was obvious that Flash was paying attention, wasn't it? "I wonder if our library has any books you'd be interested in..." Flash pondered out loud, meaning the Holmwood library. It wasn't one of his interests, so he didn't know what all was available on the topic. If he was lucky, something interesting.

Then, when Ruka lit up with glee talking about baking, Flash could feel his heart start to hurt in his chest. It wasn't like how it hurt when he was miserable, but like it had become too active, was beating too fast. He couldn't help but wonder if it was some kind of condition, it felt like it caused a fog in his brain, an excitement with no goal. Ruka pushed up against him closer as well, the touch certainly not unwelcome. As awkward as it made him feel, he treasured the opportunity. It was strange, ever since that time they talked at the end of last year, Ruka had become more physical with him. Part of it scared him, remembering how the kiss had been blamed on Flash being too close, how Ruka once yelled at him to stop hugging him. It was so confusing.

"Really?" Flash said, genuinely interested to learn something about Burnett's father. "I tried baking once. It's more complex than I thought it would be. My... my retainer had to help me with it." It wasn't a bad memory at all, it had been fun in its own right. He could respect anyone who could master cooking and baking, it was completely lost on him with all the small things about food he didn't know. "I wonder what your baking tastes like. It's a bit like art... I think. There are lots of opportunities to make it unique. I... well, maybe not. I don't know much about it. Sorry."

Further into the conversation, Ruka made a good point. Flash had only been thinking of it as things happening to him, how nice it would be to get away from all the stress. It was different when he thought of it being something that was happening to someone else. He already felt guilty for all the things he couldn't do for others' suffering, he could see how much worse that would feel if even being there for them in the flesh was also out of the question. Ruka felt that way? It was true that Burnett hadn't been having the most relaxing Easter vacation at Hogwarts, but... well, had Burnett already told him? Didn't they tell each other everything? What words did he use, how much did he reveal?

Before Flash could become too nervous with the possibilities, his free hand was taken by Ruka's, rested on him and tickled gently by his fingertip on his palm. Flash watched quietly, his mind returned to fog. It didn't really matter, this moment was one he didn't want to escape from. He could worry about that later, or never. He didn't really care. Ruka looked into his eyes, something that caused an unnecessary thrill each time it happened, like he was caught looking at something he wasn't supposed to look at. He described the feeling, that feeling of powerlessness. Even though it might have been rhetorical, Flash nodded silently when Ruka asked him if he would feel the same way.

Ruka looked away again, back at that view he had desired. Flash looked too, wondering what Ruka was seeing that made it beautiful. Flash used to be captivated by the beauty of nature, but now it all took on a pall of gray, all of it was just rot in motion. Dying, slowly, decaying into lifeless grains of dirt. The squeeze on his hand felt like an artificial pulse, keeping him conscious of the heat generated between them. He gripped Ruka's hand tighter in response, leaning his head on Ruka's. He knew he likely didn't smell great having just been on a run, but he figured Ruka would tell him if he was too offensive to the senses.

Flash rested like that for a moment as Ruka talked, feeling his voice vibrate through his skull, shamelessly nuzzling into his hair, becoming lost in the comfort he was feeling. He reiterated a similar feeling to what Flash had been thinking earlier, perhaps the first thing that they actually had in common, then finished it off with a joke. Always easily caught off guard by sudden humor, Flash grinned, a short snort making him have to pull away before his shaking shoulders could jostle Ruka. His instinct was to cover it with his hand like usual, but one was keeping him steady in the tree and the other was becoming woven into Ruka's. So he laughed out loud, trying to bury his face in the opposing shoulder.

"Stop, I'll fall!" Flash joked with an uncharacteristically light voice, the smile refusing to return to placid normality. "You're just like Burnett, I'll bet you'd like to live in a tree house too. It's hard to believe you two weren't born related."

It dawned on him though, they were both 'Burnett' now, weren't they? That could become confusing. Of course, he called Ruka by his first name, but Burnett had never asked him to drop the formality of referring to him by his surname. Funny, since they had been so intimate so often. Now that there were two Burnetts, it wasn't exactly distinguishing. In fact, he wasn't sure exactly what Burnett thought of him anymore. His smile faltered with the thought, remembering the reason he was captured in the first place. A sudden cold chill spread across his body uninvited, his palm now remembering pain and reflexively squeezing Ruka's hand again as his distant gaze started to glaze over.

@Flash Holmwood

Steadying himself a little bit with one hand to his side, Ruka shuffled just slightly to get more comfortable without jostling Flash in any way. He didn't want for this to be in any way uncomfortable for the other boy or make him feel uneasy somehow, so Ruka's movements were gentle and calculated. He knew how to move on trees as gracefully as possible.

With a bright grin, Ruka turned to face Flash, a puff of air audibly leaving his lips. "I'm sure it does!" he exclaimed immediately, fingers wiggling excitedly at the thought. He remembered having stated to want to see the Holmwood library, so that Flash had brought it up again made Ruka fill with giddiness that was reflected in the bright sparkle of his eyes. "Jack's parents have a lot of books," he told the other boy. "But a lot of them are History books." Curtesy of his brother. "Story books too. Not that much on biology. I could probably ask for some..." Trailing off, Ruka dropped his gaze to his knees with a small flush spreading across his cheeks. He didn't like asking his new family for anything considering how much they were already doing for him. Still, he was constantly urged to let them know if he wanted or needed anything so maybe...

Clearing his throat, Ruka looked back up at Flash with a smile. "Are there books on animals in your library?" he asked, voice tinted with premature awe. "Anything on lynx?" His voice grew as small as he felt, childlike fascination smoothing out his features as he looked at Flash with wide eyes. Would the other boy even know something this specific? Would he... check, for Ruka's sake? Feeling the tips of his ears heat up a little, Ruka straightened up, rolling his shoulders back a couple of times to regain his composure.

Closing the gap between them elicited no protests from Flash, so Ruka hummed contently as the other boy responded with his own thoughts on baking. A kind of art form he dubbed it, something that could be made unique by so many means. It was exactly what fascinated Ruka so much about it; Creating something out of unlikely components. "Don't apologise," he said quickly, an appreciative smile playing around his lips. "I'll bake you something sometime. If you want." Humming thoughtfully, Ruka took a moment to consider what kind of tastes Flash might appreciate in a pastry of any kind. "My raspberry lemon cookies are pretty good. I can probably learn something you like more though." His range wasn't exactly wide when it came to baking, but unless Flash asked for something complex, Ruka was confident he'd be able to manage creating something edible. "Did you make anything for that baking errand? Is that when you tried?" Ruka still remembered the excitement he'd felt to receive the task by owl early in the morning. The memory of Jack's admittedly cute but inedible dragon pastries brought a fond smile to his face.

As their conversation moved on, Ruka found Flash growing tenser. The topic they'd embarked on was admittedly more severe, brushed at events Ruka barely knew anything about and Flash probably wanted to forget, but the contact of their hands seemed to give the other boy some stability and reassurance. It made Ruka smile.

The nod Flash gave in response to his question wasn't unexpected, but Ruka stored the confirmation away anyway but remained silent for a moment, just letting his gaze drift across the lake. There was movement next to him, and then the gentle pressure of Flash's head against his own. They were close enough this way that he could breathe in Flash's scent, mixed with the sweat clinging to his clothes. Ruka couldn't bring himself to care as he relaxed his neck and shoulders to let his own head rest against the other boy's as well. They stayed like that as Ruka talked, with Flash's hand still in his own, until the other boy pulled his head away a bit to try and hide his laugh in his shoulder. The sound and sight made Ruka's breath speed up, made him squeeze Flash's hand a little tighter.

"I won't let you," he promised seriously to Flash's joke about falling, then let a bright smile creep on his face, a fond spark lighting up his eyes. The mention of Jack and how similar they were made Ruka hum with delight. "We have one!" he said proudly, baring his teeth with a bright grin. "A tree house. You should come visit, we can show you." It was a genuine offer though he felt belatedly that it maybe wasn't his place to be inviting people to their house. Still, he didn't think anybody would have any complaints. With a little sigh, Ruka carefully hooked his foot around Flash' closest ankle as if there was any need for them to be even closer. "I miss him," he admitted in regards to his brother. "Haven't really seen him around yet but he'll come to me sooner or later." That much he was certain of; For now he was happy to give Jack the time he needed until he felt ready to talk.

With a soft smile, Ruka returned the squeeze of Flash's hand, looked over to see the other boy's expression having shifted, all humour drained from him. It was a look he didn't like, Ruka decided. He had liked the failed attempt at hiding a snort, the smiles, the light tone of Flash's voice as he joked about falling out of the tree.

Instinctively Ruka let go of Flash's hand, gently so to not give the impression he was trying to pull away from him completely, and instead straightened himself up to be as tall as he could before draping his arm across Flash's back, fingers curling around the other boy's biceps. Leaning his head to the side and against Flash's, Ruka turned enough to press his forehead against the other boy's cheek. "Flash?" he asked quietly as his other hand worked deftly on securing the kite around the branch they were sitting on. Once accomplished he reached his second hand out to clasps Flash's in it again as if scared he was going to vanish if he didn't hold on to every part of him. "How are you feeling right now?"

Ruka's enthusiasm came as a delightful surprise, only incentivizing Flash further to pour through the entire collection. He had been fairly selective in the past, there were a lot of books of no interest at all to him that his family had gathered, but for as big as it was there had to be something. It was something to keep him occupied at the very least. He wondered how disappointed Ruka would be if he ended up finding nothing after all. In that case, he would probably just find something on the internet and buy it. He didn't really want to think about home at the moment, though. He was glad Ruka continued by talking about the Burnett household again. He was learning so much.

"I don't know, to be honest." Flash answered about books on animals. Biology, history, animals... all subjects Flash had zero interest in. His own shelves were full of science fiction and mystery, with the occasional borrowed tome about influence, behavior, and speech. "I'll have to see what comes up. I hope so."

After Flash had apologized for his rambling, Ruka shrugged it off, even saying he would bake Flash something. The offer made made Flash quietly scoff, at first thinking he was joking. When he described a sort of biscuit he was adept at, even suggesting he would try to make something specifically tuned to Flash's taste, Flash's incredulous smile turned sheepish, even more disbelieving.

"N-no, no, don't put yourself out. I don't even know enough to know what to ask for..." Flash quickly tried to squash the attempt to give him special treatment. "I'd like it best if it was something you enjoyed making..."

Then, Ruka hit the nail on the head, causing Flash to nod along with a returned smile. "Yes. Luis' grandmother... I- Luis is my retainer. He let me use his grandmother's recipe. A type of biscuit called 'sequilho'." Flash twisted his nose a bit, hoping he pronounced it right. "Does that mean you two participated as well?"

Flash felt thankful to hear the assurance that Ruka was planning on protecting him from himself after all, though his seriousness was so endearing he felt almost dizzy. The last he remembered, Ruka's appraisal of Flash was that he was 'not boring', which was a far cry from what felt like concern and even affection. Hearing about the fun he had with his new family, how Flash should join them in their tree house, snuggling up next to each other, it was like they were close friends. But... since when had they ever been so close? Why did it feel so jarring, yet so natural?

It was surprising then when he said he hadn't heard from Burnett. Concerning, even, given what had happened recently. Was he avoiding his own brother? Before Flash could ask about it, Ruka wrote it off, which allayed Flash's concern for the time being. He expected Ruka to know Burnett best, though the fact he stumbled upon Ruka coincidentally before Burnett even sought him out wouldn't be easily forgotten. Meanwhile, Flash did little more than make small affirmative noises to show he was listening.

Flash would be jarred from his rumination when his hand suddenly became vacant of the warmth of Ruka's hand. Confused, he looked over to see Ruka reaching around to his side and coming in for what looked like a hug. A bit nervous, he let Ruka situate himself without any resistance. They were only getting closer and closer, certainly at that point Ruka would be able to feel just how fast his heart was beating through his skin. Was he trying to prove a point? Trying to get a reaction out of him?

Ruka's voice was questioning, Flash feared what he wanted to know as their hands reconnected. 'How are you feeling right now' would follow, Flash immediately tensing under the scrutiny. He realized how obvious the change must have been, faces he didn't let other people see that Ruka had full access to. Ever since that day, a morning like this one, Ruka had easily dismantled the mask that worked so well on other people. From there, it only disintegrated further, both frightening and enrapturing Flash, causing all kinds of... problems. Now he could look back on his behavior the previous year and see it a bit more objectively, back then he was so confused and scared. Confused and scared...

"I was... that is... I'm sorry, it's nothing you've done. I was just remembering something." Flash's voice was quiet, Ruka's face was so close it wouldn't take much to hear him. There was something bothering him more than his feelings. "Why do you... care about my feelings anyway? Why are you being so..."

He didn't really even know how to ask it. He would have thought Burnett put him up to it, it seemed like something he would do, send other people to comfort someone, but they apparently hadn't talked. He'd like to argue that as well, but he at least knew Ruka was honest. Brutally honest.

"I haven't seen you in so long, yet... well... it's just..." Flash struggled to find the words, not landing on anything concrete no matter which way he started. "Sorry, I don't mean to imply that you... I don't know... s-sorry."

Not this again.