Upset, Sora grabs a pillow and throws it out the open window.

He freezes.

Muttering a string of curses under his breath, he quickly walks out of the castle, finds the pillow, dusts it off, and brings it back to Kuro's room.

Four days.

Four. Days.

It's been four days since Sora has last seen Kuro in his room.

Sighing, he briefly considers closing the window, but he shakes his head, figuring Kuro might want to come back the same way Sora assumed he went out. He fixes up Kuro's bed and takes a seat next to the window.

He might as well wait.

xx

Sora winces, waking up to a stiff neck and numb fingers. He stands up and tries to stretch without moving his neck too much. He quietly closes the window and moves the chair back to its original position.

He looks around. The bed is the same as he left it.

Sora bites his lip.

xx

"You look worried."

Sora turns, sharp words at the ready to launch at Montblanc, and pauses.

"Hello," Hatori says.

"H-Hello," Sora replies, quickly training his features into an expression more appropriate for someone he isn't close to. "Um, I'm fine, really. Thank you for you concern."

Hatori stares. "There is no need to put up a front with me, Sora."

Sora flinches. He looks away, eyebrows furrowed. "What are you talking about?" he mutters.

"I am saying that you can trust me, Sora."

Sora looks up at him, eyes hard. "Don't think so highly of yourself," he sneers.

Hatori's eyebrows shoot up in surprise. Sora has never snapped at him before. Sora has always been carefully polite--or at least, not rude--around him. Around everyone, really, except for Montblanc.

And Kuro.

He sighs quietly as Sora briskly walks away.

"Kuro, you better come back soon," he murmurs.

xx

"If you knit any more, you're gonna hurt your hands," jokes Montblanc.

"Shut up."

Montblanc pauses. Sora's words hold more venom than usual. Montblanc pulls up a seat across from Sora.

"Hey," he says softly, "what's wrong?" He reaches out to brush Sora's hair out of his eyes.

Sora stops knitting but doesn't pull away from Montblanc's touch. Montblanc's mouth quirks. Despite Sora's volatile mood, Monty can't help finding him endearing. He's like a wild animal, Monty thinks. But a baby one.

"...Nothing's wrong."

"We both know that's not true." Monty looks down at Sora's hands, watches as they tremble.

"And we both know I'm not one to speak the truth." His words are sharp but quiver in the air, like notes plucked from a violin.

Monty smiles helplessly. "Of course." He pulls Sora's head against his chest and pretends not to hear the quiet sobs.

xx

Sora stares at the slow rise and fall of Montblanc's chest as he sleeps. Even though Monty has his own room now, he still ends up spending many nights in Sora's room out of habit.

Though Sora figures this time isn't out of habit.

Nonetheless, he sighs and climbs in next to Monty. The least he can do is act as though he appreciates the other's concern.

And maybe he really does appreciate it. Just a little.

xx

Sora snips off the excess yarn and takes a look at his handiwork. Yet another scarf. He runs his fingers over the stitches, his mind wandering back to his dream from a few nights ago.

He recalls how his shirt turned red, how his fingers turned numb. His chest grows tight once more.

And yet, he feels calm. Comfortable, even.

He lies back on the bed, taking a breath. Kuro wouldn't mind him lying there, would he? He's done it countless times before.

He stands up, puts his knitting supplies on the desk, and lies back down on the bed, this time rolling onto his side. He sighs.

In the end, he doesn't mind the dream. He wouldn't even mind if it comes true.

xx

Sora blinks, sluggishly rolling onto his back as he rubs the sleep from his eyes. He pauses, wondering how he ended up under the blanket. Someone must have tucked him in.

He glances at the window.

It's shut.

Sora's face crumples, and he rolls once more to bury his face in a pillow, trying to keep his breaths even before slowly falling back asleep.