Stray

Hand it over, Nemo.” Oliver arched his brows even higher.

“Eat yours,” Nemo responded angrily, intending to swallow his dinner quickly, but another hand came faster, and he was unprepared.

Ann grabbed the head of the bread solemnly and put it under her nose.
Then she frowned and quickly broke it apart.
After a slight tearing sound, turquoise mold emerged.

“Is this what you eat?” the female warrior sounded a little angry.
“Nemo, seriously.
If you’re short on money, you can just tell me—”

“No,” Nemo hurriedly denied.
“I am… Er, it’s for personal reasons.”

Oliver made an ugly face.
He lowered his eyes and opened his share.
The fresh aroma of wheat instantly dissipated into the air mixed with the smell of butter.

“Half for each person,” he said simply without a smile on his face.

Ann sighed.
She didn’t say anything but threw the book on her knee directly to Nemo.
“This is the only book that Oliver can’t seem to memorize.
I’m going out for a bit of fresh air.”

Nemo took the book and thought for a while before he leaned next to Oliver.

“Sorry,” he said without trying to defend himself.
“I didn’t mean to keep it from you.”

As he said, he untied the package behind him and carefully uncovered the fabric on it.
“I’ve been wandering around these days, and I took a few short-term jobs in my spare time… but the money is almost gone, and I can’t ask Ann for it.
After all…”

Oliver picked up the strange white ukulele without saying a word.

“But I can’t play,” after a while, Oliver whispered.

“I know,” Nemo scratched his head.
“But I think you need something to hide your sword in.
I found a good music shop.
They make customizations.
Go on, give it a try.”

He took the light instrument out of Oliver’s hand and fiddled with the head.
The neck suddenly slid a little bit, revealing a scabbard-like socket.
Oliver silently drew out his Rest in Peace and tried to put it in.
It was just the right size.

Nemo adjusted the mechanism on the lower head again, and the neck closed without any traces of a joint.

“I made the drawing myself.” Seeing the Oliver didn’t speak, Nemo plucked up the courage to continue.
“It just took a little labor, but it’s not expensive.
It’s just… Well, you know.
Almost all the money for the wanted task was spent on preparation, and I still wanted to give you something.
It’s okay if you can’t play.
I’ve seen Uncle Ramon play in the tavern.
I remember how he played at that time.
I can teach…”

The ukulele was placed on the untied cloth and before Nemo could continued, Oliver hugged him tightly.

“Thank you,” Oliver murmured.
“Thank you, I like it very much.”

The gold pendant was still hanging on Nemo’s chest, rubbing it under the squeeze of the hug.
Nemo knew it wasn’t a good time, but since he already started, the topic would continue anyways.

He gently kissed Oliver’s ear and then broke away from the hug and untied the gold pedant on the back of his neck.

“Ollie,” Nemo said softly, sending the pendant into Oliver’s palm.
“I’ve been looking for a time to tell you… I recovered a little memory from the skull fragment in the Abyssal Church.
Now I remember.
This is your father’s.
The woman inside is your mother.
At that time—”

An index finger reached his lips.
Oliver didn’t pick up the pendant but made a silent gesture.

“Do you remember the cause and effect of the incident?”

“…I don’t remember.” The finger moved away causing Nemo to lick his lips subconsciously.

“Then don’t tell me.” Oliver finally smiled.
“It’s not that I don’t believe you, Nemo.
My father has never told me about my mother, and I believe he has his reasons.
As for what happened back then, I said I will find the answers with you.”

Nemo was taken aback.
He didn’t want this pendant to be the spark of a disagreement.
He was ready to tell Oliver about the memories of the Tin Soldiers, of course, this included Oliver’s father, Flint Lopez, who was chattering with him about his fiancée.
He once listened to it, used him, then killed them.
He wanted to confess all the pieces he remembered as they were, even if Oliver would resent him for it.

He remembered every word Oliver had said during their initial escape in the Border Forest.

[…But I don’t know his birthday, what his wife looked like, or how she died, much less the story between them…]

He knew what Sonia Ramon’s appearance was in this pendant, and the story between Oliver’s parents, when Ulysses was guiding Flint Lopez back to his team.
At the bottom of the Abyss, he probably heard the other party recited it nearly twenty times.

He believed Oliver wanted to know this.
The was perhaps the biggest regret in Oliver’s life.
He never thought that the other party would refuse.

“I don’t want you to regret things that are not clear, Nemo.
This is not information we must have at the moment.
It’s incomplete and may lead to unnecessary misunderstanding.” Oliver took a bite of his bread.  “When everything is clear, I’m willing to listen to you about anything, so stop showing this expression— The expression that seems like you owe it to me.”

Oliver leaned out and cradled the ukulele in his arms.
Then he grabbed the book that Ann had squeeze into a crumpled mess.

“Let’s continue,” he said briskly.
“This is the last one and I want to finish it as soon as possible.
If there’s time left, will you teach me a little how to play it?”

“Yes,” Nemo squeeze out a single note from his dry throat and felt only his feet was finally grounded.
The happiness that had been slightly illusory for a long time had become extraordinary real.

He picked up the thick “Logistic Notes: How to Deal with Intermediate Demons” and grabbed the other half of the buttered bread.
His voice was a little slurred.
“Then let’s get started.”

The author has something to say：

Yes, Alban’s nursing is basically all done by girls.
But the reason is not so simple.
The girls in Alban are still…quite strong.
_(:з”∠)_

————

Oliver: I kinda miss White II.

Nemo: ? White I is in front of you.

Kinky Thoughts:

Ahhh yes! Gimme all this sugar.
I need this after that painful arc.