Seetha had usually been quick to get up in the morning. If she hadn’t woken up with bad dreams already, she knew she had to be quick if she wanted to catch Raju before he left for whatever needed to be done. Would she linger instead in the cold, the way that Raju does? He doesn’t know. He knows what the dream had told him: she’d gotten up with a smile, and gone in that direction. Where their stove had been. She’d opened the shutters before she lit it, as much for the air as the bright sunlight; it was already warm enough without a fire.
The question pulls his focus to Francis again. He must be worried, or he wouldn’t have gotten up — he’s just said it’s too early for that. But Raju can’t see his face to tell. It’s going to be dim like this all day.
“No.” His answer is simple and efficient, words not quite clipped. He doesn’t know if Francis’ night vision is better than his, so he tries a smile that comes out quick and tight. “I had a good dream.”
Then he moves into the sitting room, finding tinder and his tools to strike a spark and kneeling in front of the fireplace. He should give Francis more than that, shouldn’t he? He doesn’t know. Speaking to one of… well, to the one about the other feels… cruel. Francis must know some day Raju will have to—
A bit of wood catches fire and Raju grimaces at it, shifting to hopefully block it from view and trying to strike a spark even more quickly for some real fire to disguise it.
Anyway, Francis must know… the state of things. The way things will have to be, some day. It seems cruel to say anything about the part of him that feels that time should come even sooner.
Raju takes a deep, slow breath that doesn’t clear much of anything churning inside of him but is at least something to focus on, on clear air and the work of his hands and on trying to think of something he can stand to offer Francis instead.
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2025-02-06 06:49 pm (UTC)The question pulls his focus to Francis again. He must be worried, or he wouldn’t have gotten up — he’s just said it’s too early for that. But Raju can’t see his face to tell. It’s going to be dim like this all day.
“No.” His answer is simple and efficient, words not quite clipped. He doesn’t know if Francis’ night vision is better than his, so he tries a smile that comes out quick and tight. “I had a good dream.”
Then he moves into the sitting room, finding tinder and his tools to strike a spark and kneeling in front of the fireplace. He should give Francis more than that, shouldn’t he? He doesn’t know. Speaking to one of… well, to the one about the other feels… cruel. Francis must know some day Raju will have to—
A bit of wood catches fire and Raju grimaces at it, shifting to hopefully block it from view and trying to strike a spark even more quickly for some real fire to disguise it.
Anyway, Francis must know… the state of things. The way things will have to be, some day. It seems cruel to say anything about the part of him that feels that time should come even sooner.
Raju takes a deep, slow breath that doesn’t clear much of anything churning inside of him but is at least something to focus on, on clear air and the work of his hands and on trying to think of something he can stand to offer Francis instead.