Chapter 98: Friends reunite

"Are you going to go in or just waste my time?" Parc said with a hand on his hip, having watched Tatsumi nervously hold his fist over the door leading into Sayo's room for nearly five minutes straight. When Parc had joined the others in the base, he'd run into the group of Jaegers being shown around by Lubbock and Leone.

Having passed them by with a few words and a muttering that he was going to say hello to the other girls he hadn't seen in a while since his imprisonment.

Hearing this, Tatsumi had jumped at the opportunity to get Parc to take him to Sayo. And that is exactly where he had taken him… only for the boy to hesitate finally seeing his friend he hadn't seen in half a year.

"W-what do I say to her?" Tatsumi said retracting his hand from the door. Turning to face Parc.

"Hello? It has been a while? Both? I honestly could not care. It's Sayo, you know her better than I do, least, the past her." He shrugged getting a blank stare from Tatsumi in return.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Now it was Parc's turn to give Tatsumi a dead eyed stare, letting a groan follow behind it not long after, massaging his temple with one hand. "You know what," Parc pushed himself off the wall, unceremoniously pushing himself between Tatsumi and the door. Reaching a handout to the handle, "why don't you just see for yourself."

Twisting the handle down, Parc gently threw the door open, hearing it thump against the wall. His foot raising halfway into the room but pausing on the downwards descent as he saw Sayo on her bed, "is this supposed to be an offer or something?" he asked with a smirk to his expression.

It was not just that Sayo was on her bed, it was the fact the she was leaning over the side of it, reaching a hand down to the crutch laying flat on the floor next to the bed. Her butt held aloft, showing off the fine definition of her cheeks with only panties to cover the essentials. Also giving Parc a good shot of the scarred area of her stump and several small scars across her bottom and other whole leg. 'should get stylish in here soon,' he thought stepping further into the room. Leaving behind a wide eyed, red cheeked Tatsumi.

Jumping at the sudden voice resounding through her room. Sayo ended up putting a little too much strength into her leg, sending her flipping head over heel, floundering onto the floor with a loud thud and rausous chuckling of Parc.

"What!? No! I'm not offering anything-" Sayo threw her hands onto her bed, prying herself over the edge to peek towards the doorway opposite her bed. Her words halting when she saw the Cheshire smiling Parc striding towards the bed.

"P-Parc!" Her eyes sparkled for a second before realizing her unclothed bottoms were on full display for him not moments prior. A fact that sent her cheeks to a furious red. "Y-you're back," she lowered herself behind her bed, hiding the lower part of her face, leaving only her eyes and raven locks visible for him.

"Yup, thought it about time I got back and showed you that scars don't make you ugly," he teasingly winked at her, knowing she would see the truth veiled behind his words. Which she did, apparently, judging by the steam rising off her head. 'that cannot be healthy.' He thought blinking at the rising cloud.

"Stop teasing me!" Sayo ripped a pillow from her bed, hurling it towards Parc, only for it to come to a soft collision with Parc's knees before falling to the floor.

"You throw like a disabled girl," Parc chuckled.

"I am a disabled girl!" She retorted trying to drag herself onto her bed enough for her to get a stable foot on the ground. Just about getting it as well were it not for the sudden flurry of feathers and squishing sensation on her bottom that pushed her up with enough strength to get her onto the bed.

"Hna?!" she chirped in surprise at the sudden grope Parc had given her. Taking more liberties with her than he should. Rolling onto her back, Sayo gripped the bottom of her shirt, pulling it over her pantied crotch, giving Parc the cutest, deathliest glare, she could. "Pervert."

"I know," he chuckled, glancing up to the doorway where Tatsumi was still standing, the redness faded from his cheeks as he stared down at the scared left stump of Sayo. Having not wanted to believe everything that said she lost it. Now it was coming as a shock to him when he saw it in person. "The longer you stand like that, the higher the chance you'll end up eating a fly becomes."

Hearing his words but seeing his eyes not on her, Sayo turned her head. "Tatsumi?" her voice cracking at the simple name of the boy standing awkwardly in the doorway.

Realizing all eyes were on him, Tatsumi straightened his back, raising a hand to scratch the back of his neck, "uh, h-hey, Sayo. It's uh, been awhile?"

Parc's shoulders slumped, planting his palm onto his face, "smooth, real smooth. It's almost like you didn't ask a question…" Parc's words trailing off as he glanced down to Sayo, seeing her hands release her shirt and shoot up to her mouth, covering it as tears quickly began to trickle out of her eyes.

Chuckling Parc could tell he would be nothing but a nuisance to their reunion if he kept talking. Now if only Tatsumi got the hint that he should move up to his friend and check on her sniffling form. 'Oh, for the love of-' sending a sharp glare Tatsumi's way, he caused the boy to jolt, his head bobbing as an indication for to move or so god help him, he'd make Tatsumi's life a living hell.

Getting the hint, Tatsumi shivered and stepped forth. Making small strides towards Sayo's bedside. The girl in question opening her arms to him when he got close. Tatsumi pausing for just a second before his expression softened, growing a shade of guilt at her tear-stricken face.

Opening his own arms, Tatsumi leaned over her bed, hooking his arms around her back and her doing much the same. Both burying their faces into the other's shoulders. Sayo incapable of holding back her sobs any longer.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," Tatsumi muttered, guilt filling him that he had taken this long to get back to her.

"Shut up," she whispered in return.

"O-ok."

Looking down warmly at the scene, Parc took a step back. Moving himself to the small desk set up nearby the window overlooking the forest before pulling out the chair and seating himself atop it. Watching as the two parted from each other's arms, beginning to talk about all that had happened since they had parted from each other long ago.

"You're doing okay? They haven't been treating you badly?" Parc just about heard Tatsumi say.

"Oh no, they've been really good to me. Maya and Eris, two other girls, they've been really taking care of me the last while. They're like sisters to me now," Sayo said wiping away a tear stain from under her eye. "Though…" she turned her head to Parc, getting a small wink from him that sent a spike of red through her cheeks, "Parc has a tendency of teasing me."

"Not too bad I hope?" He asked, "cause I'll beat him up if he is."

Sayo rose her brows, giving him a doubtful stare while Parc snorted. How he'd love to see Tatsumi try.

"You do realize he'd kill you right? Like, really kill you.

"Y-yeah, but still. I'm sure I could get a hit in."

'Yeah, if I was sleeping.' Parc shook his head in response.

"Just don't try anything with him. I've already lost Ieyasu, I don't want to loose you too." Sayo placed her hand atop his, giving it a soft squeeze.

"I make no promises."

After a bit more of chatter between the two, knocking noises came from the doorway. "I'll get it," Tatsumi said already walking towards the doorway. "Seryu?" he said opening the door to reveal the auburn haired girl.

"Can we talk?" Seryu said, her right hand gripping tight on her left arm, "now?"

"Uhh, I'm actually-"

"Yes he will!" Sayo interrupted Tatsumi, eyes sparkling as she stared at the new girl.

"What? But aren't we-" Tatsumi turned his head back to Sayo, pausing when she gave him a light 'shooing' motion with her hand.

"Go ahead, I'll be fine."

"But-"

Sayo shut her eyes, sucking in a deep breath through her nose, holding it in for a moment before screeching, "GO!" in an octave that could nearly rival that of Eris's from how it shook the window and practically vibrated Tatsumi out the door with his tail between his legs. "God, I swear he never gets a hint," she huffed as the door slammed shut.

"Seriously. A cute girl wants to talk with him in private and he thinks about me first. Idiot."

"I'm actually surprised she even came to get him. Normally he's the one having to take the first step," Sayo jolted at the voice whispering in her ear. Her head shooting to face the origin. Only for her eyes to burst open as she felt velvet press against her lips.