The van had been quiet while the team infiltrated the taxidermy facility. There are some noises that could have been fighting, but it was no use listening since she promised she would behave. infultrated Evelyn considered that word while she practiced throwing stars into the cup holder. She could shut her eyes now and still make it, feeling muscle memory and her mutation weave together in harmony. Maybe she could keep working with Jude? He seemed to recognize her usefulness more than the Mansion staff did. Did black ops train kids? They didn’t seem keen on it, but she could hope, right?

There was finally movement and Jude returned with a boy practically drowning in an ugly jacket. He had a pair of bunny ears that dropped, and his body spoke more about what happened than Evelyn wanted to know. He looked, haunted. Instead of being relieved at his rescue, his body language kept playing the same thing over and over. [Disappointment. Self-loathing. Pain. Shame] Evelyn felt stunned. These people, they hurt him? Why did this boy feel so upset? Why wasn’t he happier they came? No, he was happy, but the other emotions were burying that, like ocean waves crashing down on him.

”He can sit here. I know what to do.” Evelyn said calmly. She put her stars in her backpack and let Zaid sit between them. Then she gently reached out a hand and touched him on the ear. The boy flinched initially as the echoes invaded, before Evelyn began to focus. Memories, she needed memories of happy things. Calm things. She focused on memories of painting, the excitement of putting color on paper. She focused on the thoughts of flowers, and walking through the park. She even thought of hanging out with Elke and the fun of having a new friend.

Like a hypnotist, she stroked his ears and let the playbacks smooth him. The bunny boy quickly grew peaceful and drifted to a deep sleep. As he curled up, Evelyn gave Jude a small glance, holding out the other hand if he wanted it. This was the only way she knew to be useful now, and she wasn’t sure why, but she desperately wanted to be useful.

He put Zaid in the van, but it didn't feel like it was over. Maybe because he wouldn't look at Jude.

Evelyn seemed to know what to do and even said as much. For the moment, Jude climbed inside the van with the two non-combatants. He hadn't shot anyone. Jude had done plenty, but his weapon hadn't been discharged. He found a place for it in the glove compartment in the front. Not that Evelyn couldn't get to it, but it seemed prudent to get it out of sight since the police were arriving.

His hands fluttered uselessly as Evelyn soothed Zaid to sleep. As tempting as that hand was, he couldn't accept. He ran the back of his hand along Zaid's cheek and pulled the string of his power until it met his own.

It didn't feel good, exactly, to have his ears rearrange themselves into rabbit ears, but he was not subjecting Zaid to questioning right now. Jude hesitated at the van door, instincts telling him that in here was safe, but leaving would keep them all safer later.

"Watch him... please."

And he went to field questions. Jude had enough knowledge to pretend he'd been the one in that cage. The bunny instincts did a bang up job helping him feel paranoid and ready to bolt so he leaned into that. He refused to go in for additional questions, but dd supply his number. They probably let them go despite the violence they'd used because no one died. And the inside of the taxidermist was horrific enough to warrant a little roughness.

Eventually everyone was back in the van.

"Was a pretty good show, all things considered." Sideshow stretched his legs on the way back to BlacTac.

"You think the Ranger'll go for a new hire?" Blair mussed Evelyn's hair.

Jude let them all go since they'd been on the job for longer than they'd originally payrolled for. BlacTac was close by anyway and he made sure they took all their luggage, guns, and assorted weaponry. Then it was up to him to drive the van back to the Mansion. Sometimes it sucked having to be the responsible one. He helped Evelyn down and carried Zaid inside, depositing him on one of DocProf's beds and melting into the closest chair. He'd wait all night if he had to until Zaid woke up, though he was wrung out. Once the adrenaline was gone so was Jude. He slept face-down on Zaid's gurney, forgotten ears tickling the other boy's cheek.

Evelyn kept Zaid asleep until the mercenaries all left. She had beamed at Blair’s comment, wondering if they could really be convinced to let her work more. Sitting around the school was so boring, and this was the first time she felt useful. Useful... she knew that part of this adventure would be one memory she would enjoy. The rest was just a consequence that accompanied that.

At the school, she gave Jude an awkward pat on the arm before she left, already knowing he had his own feelings to work through. That left just the two bunnies in DocProf’s office. It would have been cute if the whole ordeal hadn’t have been so horrible for them.

DocProf was a professional, and he kept his expression blank as he worked, even when facing such grusome memories that caused Zaid’s injuries. Of the three marks, two vanished to healed skin, but the last had already started to scar, resulting in a healed but ugly symbol on Zaid’s back. This caused a frown, especially when the translation arrived with the memory. The man had left a permanent tattoo labeling Zaid as weak... that was a psychological wound he wasn’t sure he could help with. The only blessing was few people would understand what it stood for.

”When he wakes he may be hungry, but nothing heavy. His body has gone through a substantial amount of stress,” DocProf warned. Healing was not instantaneous, even with mutants. He left them in the room to recover, and it was quiet with his departure.

For awhile, Zaid was in a deep sleep. Evelyn had done a decent job calming him with her own memories, but it couldn’t last forever. After a bit, his brow furrowed, and his body shuddered with fear. His eyes snapped open, body coiled like a spring to run.

Something soft was against his face that stopped him from bolting off the gurney. His nose quivered, only relaxing when he recognized Jude’s scent. Jude had ears again, perfectly matching his. It was a familiar sight that helped ground him in reality. Without thinking he curled closer and pressed his forehead to Jude’s. It was like an anchor in a violent ocean.
”Where are we?” Zaid asked, trying to keep his voice even. He didn’t hurt as badly, but he still felt dizzy and tired. How much blood had he lost? Who had healed him? His back felt stiff in some spots but it didn’t sting like it had. He was still bruised but that seemed like a small thing.

Nothing in this room registered to Zaid. The scents were all wrong, the noises were loud...he could hear distant footsteps and voices everywhere. It reminded him of high school, with the overlap of smells and noises in all directions.

School...school? Jude has once mentioned his mom working at one. Was she here? Zaid felt sick. He didn’t want to see anyone like this. He couldn’t even look Jude in the eyes. He felt himself shaking, panic drifting from his ears to his tail. His throat was on fire again, an invisible hand squeezing his lungs until he couldn’t breathe. He shut his eyes, trying to control everything going on inside his head. Be brave, be someone he can be proud of.

He made a noise between a hiccup and a sob and violently swiped at his eyes. The scar on his back felt like a burn to his brain. He was barely buoyant as reminders clawed at him from all sides.

Jude was a light sleeper. Not knowing what exactly had woken him, he stayed face down on the papery hospital type sheets. At least he did until Zaid got his breathing back to normal and came close, forehead to forehead. He wanted to jump up and wrap him up in bubble wrap, or at least his arms. Instead he planted a smooch on the other boy's forehead and sat back so he could stretch. If his hand found Zaid's in the middle of that and wouldn't let go? Well, he couldn't be held responsible for that.

"Welcome to Xavier's Sister School for the- no wait. Gifted Youngsters is in there somewhere. It's the school. They've got a healer on staff."

Zaid had made a soft little hiccup that threatened to break Jude in two. He hadn't the foggiest idea of how to pick up the pieces. Zaid even started shaking.

What was he supposed to say? That it was okay now? That he could leave that experience in the past?

He tugged at Zaid's arm to pull him off his current balance, to stop his current mental track, and he wrapped him up in his arms. Jude tucked his chin over Zaid's shoulder. If he'd been on the bed he would have wrapped his legs around him and gone full on octopus tackle, but unfortunately, he had to stand to make it work.

"We were really afraid, when my powers first took hold. Seemed like everybody and their dog wanted to figure out the mechanic of how my mutation works. To make a cure. To make a booster. Whatever, they all had reasons." He didn't have a plan, exactly. He'd just started talking. "I brought you here because these are the people that helped me. They taught me to defend myself from humans and mutants. I'm not... I wasn't good enough... for them. So you know they're good. And since it's a school full of kids, they're like super prepared." In other words, it was safe in here.

It was the school. Zaid felt the faint warmth from the kiss then the cold air sucked away that comfort. That explained all the smells and sounds. His heart raced a little faster as he tried not to panic. They were here because of a healer. Zaid anxiously felt his back, trying not to sob again when he found the remaining scars. That would have been too easy. Of course some of the marks had stayed. He shut his eyes and tried to remind his lungs how to work.

Jude pulled him into a hug and Zaid felt his muscles loose their will to work. He didn't care if it was embarrassing or stupid, he let his nose breathe in Jude's scent, pulling him closer and refusing to let him move away. Dating protocol could just back off. He would jump over five million social tact practices if it meant he could keep Jude close right then. Two dates and one kidnapping and rescue must have added up to something bigger on the dating scale.

Zaid felt himself shake slightly, even after listening to Jude's explanation. He wanted to look Jude in the eyes, but that involved pulling back from the hug, and he didn't feel like he could handle the sudden cold it would involve. "You're good enough for me. And if you were like the people here, I'm not sure you would have found me fast enough..." Zaid whispered, some of the fear giving way from his voice. "Jude, I like you because of who you are, and I had faith in you because of it. You wouldn't let someone hurt me and get away with it, even if it went against someone's idea of what was the right thing to do."

Zaid always wondered if he was a good guy, or a bad guy. Sometimes he felt inclined to be better because it was expected. He was a rabbit. He was soft hearted. He didn't want to see other's get hurt. Yet a side of him had been picked on most of his life. He had been teased for being small. He had been targeted because he seemed weak. That was the side that lacked pity toward the people who hurt him, who wanted to see them pay. That was the side who had been glad Jude came to the rescue because he would do what was needed to get him out of there.

This place was supposed to be safe though. Zaid tried to focus on that. "There are so many people. I just...I don't know if I can handle being around so many strangers. Everything smells wrong, and loud." There was a distant giggling down a hallway and Zaid's ear pivoted that direction. How was he going to do this? He knew his apartment probably wasn't safe right now, but this already felt mentally grating.

> "You're good enough for me."

Jude was sure he turned all kinds of colors. Good enough for Zaid. It was maybe the first time someone had told him that he was fine as he was. Especially when compared to the often hypocritical high standards of the Mansion and the X-men. Where did this bunny come from that he could so easily swoop in and expunge Jude's insecurities? He had faith in Jude. Just leaving a voicemail... just leaving a few crumbs... it hadn't occurred to Jude that Zaid had time for one call, and he'd used it up on him.

He hugged him tighter, too touched to formulate coherent sentences despite a few warbly attempts at words. There were a lot of things that almost happened that Jude was trying really hard not to think about right now. No doubt Zaid was trying quite hard not to think about what already had... after all Jude had done a first pass at healing him. He'd seen it as a silent film, helpless to stop what had already passed.

Jude hadn't regretted his actions exactly, but seeing everything had felt like an absolution. Being here in this moment made it feel more than worth it.

”You didn’t give up.” Jude reminded him. ”You—” You’re stronger than you know seemed inappropriate somehow. Taboo. If he was worried about his own power, as he’d confessed before, Jude didn’t want to add to that worry. Jude pivoted.

”You won’t be mad… if I asked my Ghost to come, would you?” Had he introduced his adoptive mother as Ghost yet? Already he was sensing that was unwelcome and he was backpedaling. ”I’m sorry. I will tell her no.” He moved to fish for his phone, but without letting go it wasn’t going to work.

Jude’s ear telescoped at the sounds, but he knew the voices, the cadence, the happiness. He knew the smells and the setting. This was his childhood. But it wasn’t Zaid’s. Maybe it was a mistake to bring Zaid here after all...

”Knock, knock.” She said it in a sing-songy voice instead of knocking since she carried a massive tray in her hands. A tall, willowy, and pale woman with brown hair pulled back into two low pigtails arrived at the door and waited politely to be invited in. She smiled so freely that her eyes almost disappeared from the apples of her cheeks.

”I’m sorry to interrupt, but I’ve brought orange juice to get that blood sugar going and a pot of tea for warmth, but then I thought we couldn’t have tea without scones and no scones without clotted cream and jelly and… I think I got a bit carried away.” With finger sandwiches and fruit as well, Jude thought that carried away was underselling it a bit.

”Uh- Maya Csendes, the X-man known as Ghost. Ghost, zis is Zaid Wylde.”

They were both a mess. It was one of the silliest hug puddles the infirmary had probably ever seen, with two bunny eared adults trying and failing to form cohesive sentences. Sometimes, there just weren’t enough phrases to express feelings. Sometimes, all you could do was be there.

Zaid knew what Jude started to say but was glad the topic was avoided. Zaid had plenty in his head to work thru, replaying the fights, the abduction, trying to decide what he could have done better or faster. He didn’t feel strong enough, but one day he wanted to be. That was his own mountain to climb, and it would take time to achieve.

Ghost... Jude invited...his mom? Zaid felt a different type of anxiety now, face flushing with color. He glanced down, relieved DocProf had put him in loaner clothing, but stars, he couldn’t imagine how he looked! He didn’t want to make Jude feel guilty, but his throat felt unusually tight again. ”I, it’s not that I don’t want to meet her, but, I mean, does she, I mean you...have you ever brought a boy home before?” ah, there it was. The other taboo topic. The girl’s snarky comments from the dinner had not quite left his head. He only ever talks about girlfriends. Not all parents were okay with their son having a boyfriend. And Zaid was also a mutant. A bunny mutant. Oh Stars and aces. Why was this making him feel so worried?

Before he could fully panic, she was there. She looked every bit the motherly figure Zaid could have imagined. She was beautiful, with a caring face and kind eyes, and an ethereal quality that put his heart at ease. His nose quivered as the smells from the tray reached him, stomach revealing how hungry he felt. The growl it gave made his ears flatten with embarrassment. But his eyes still managed to stare at the food greedily.

” Hajimemashite douzo yoroshiku,” Zaid blurted out, Japanese rolling off his tongue out of reflex. He dipped his head slightly, heat rushing to his cheeks. He was pretty sure staring down the plate of food was not the most respectful greeting. Or staring at her. He looked up once more, feeling an uncomfortable pang in his chest. Jude...would never get to meet his mom. But his was already more wonderful than Zaid could have dreamed.

”Thank you so much... you really didn’t have to make this much effort,” Zaid found his voice again in English, still feeling flustered. 

Had Jude ever brought a boy home before? No. In fact, Jude had only ever brought home people who needed help, who he believed needed to be here, even just temporarily. Jude did not, however, share Zaid’s insecurity there. As Ghost waited at the door he quickly whispered under his breath, loud enough for his bunny ears. Hopefully not loud enough for hers, though he knew she had her ways...

”Ghost’s husband was a cheating pansexual unicorn and her current honeybun plays a vampire and sword wizard in the movies. She has the worst taste in partners so she literally cannot make fun of mine.” Besides, Zaid was possibly the least offensive person on the planet.

Jude shifted to scoot himself up onto the bed next to Zaid, still keeping one arm in place, a clear declaration of ‘this is mine.’ It occurred to him that once upon a time he had been this protective of Ghost. Now, he knew that if it came down to it, he would protect Zaid from Ghost. That felt… significant.

Ghost, for her part, didn’t bat an eye. She mostly fussed about getting the tray in a spot where they might all reach it. She was pulling flowers from her back pocket (Had Jude ever seen her in jeans before?) when Zaid dropped the Japanese bomb. Of course he remembered.

And of course, Ghost now had stars in her eyes. She was easy to win over.

”Uaaaah! Yoroshiku onegaishimasu!” And then… she was off. Quick paced and animated, Jude didn’t often get to see Ghost in full on Japanese mode. It made her formal stiffness seem more like it belonged. She bowed and reached toward an ear of Zaid’s with a question… or, or maybe it was a statement? Bah.

There was no power within easy reach that would give Jude the ability to tune in to this conversation so he used his one free arm to inspect the spread. The orange juice, he scooted toward Zaid. Blood sugar, she said. And the tea… hmm. That actually seemed like it might need two hands. It was almost jarring when they changed back to English.

”Please! It’s no effort and Jude never comes to visit me unless he has to.” She ruffled Jude’s hair and he squnched his nose back at her. ”Allow me.” She spread the cups and poured three cups. She’d brought a fourth, but DocProf seemed to have been called elsewhere…

---

What Ghost said in Japanese:
"I am so incredibly happy to meet you. I know you've been through a lot, but I hope you know you are safe and welcome here. Always. And gosh, you're so handsome. I'm so happy right now!"

Jude wasn’t worried, which took away a fraction of Zaid’s concern. It was hard to keep his ear from twitching at the download of information though. Pansexual unicorn vampire wizard...say what? Clearly there was more of a story there for another day. He was not sure he really needed to know more now, however.

Having Jude sit next to him and refuse to let go was enough of a statement as it was. Jude didn’t give up before, he wasn’t running away now. Zaid felt a rush of gratitude in his chest. He wasn’t really sure he deserved Jude, but he selfishly wanted to hold onto him. Part of that desire meant doing his part to earn the approval of Jude’s mom. Although, Zaid has a feeling he would have been drawn to her regardless.

If the sounds at the mansion were frightening, hearing her respond in Japanese was the most soothing thing in the world. Zaid felt his ears relax as his mind clung to the familiar language. It also helped that she called him handsome, not cute. That was good for his ego. He responded politely before a stray comment slipped out You remind me of my mom. She loved cooking too. It makes me happy to hear familiar words again. He had to nudge his mind back to English after that. It wasn’t easy to let go of something he missed so much.

Zaid smirked when she messed up Jude’s hair. It was the first smile since his rescue, but it was hard not to laugh considering how much effort Jude took in his appearance normally. Now he had messy hair and bunny ears. Zaid wanted to do nothing else than put his chin on Jude’s shoulder and tease him for it. If Ghost hadn’t been there, he probably would have tried. He settled for the orange juice instead.

As thirsty as he was, it still felt difficult to swallow the first few sips. It was probably a good thing he hadn’t started straight into food, his body was still coming back from survival mode. It took a few gulps to feel confident he wouldn’t cough it back up. His nose wasn’t helping as it kept getting distracted by the food. As the tea was poured he traded one cup for the other. He didn’t even drink it right away just breathed in the herbal aroma. His shoulders relaxed, pulled into security by his surroundings. Safe, maybe Jude had been right bringing him here. It just took a good cup of tea to know for sure.

Ghost, seeing that the bed was quite full, pulled up a chair before wrapping her hands around her own tea cup. Tea wasn't always the answer as Jude was growing up, but it had been an often enough solution that it hadn't been all that surprising when Jude had learned of Ghost's British heritage.

Jude used his free hand to un-muss his hair. Well, he tried. There were ears involved and that made it surprisingly more difficult.

”I would love to hear more about you, Zaid. Where do you work? Have you seen Jude’s apartment? Isn’t it so cute?”

At first, Jude was motivated to stubbornly NOT let go, but as Zaid started to move, drink, and reach for things he realized that functionally it just wasn’t going to work. At least he got to be parked hip-to-hip. Jude tried to give Zaid a shy but encouraging smile. It was pretty obvious that he hadn’t said much to Ghost about Zaid, but then… Jude and Ghost didn’t talk very regularly anymore.

And Jude was not shy about the scones or clotted cream, he helped himself to both. The jelly could stay where it was. It did not appear to be of the quality he actually liked. The tea also could wait in his opinion.

Zaid let Jude attempt to fix his hair before reaching out, unable to stop himself from assisting. He untucked the wayward strands from where they caught on the rabbit fur, perhaps letting his fingers linger for a second before returning to his tea. It was difficult to balance how hungry he felt for contact and comfort right now with the manners his parents had engrained in him. He wouldn’t get carried away with PDA, but there was an evident affection in his actions.

Zaid listened politely to Ghost’s question before answering. She was friendly, but not at the point it made him uncomfortable. He had faced down worse with patrons at the store.. ”I’ve been to the apartment complex, but the dogs can get a bit excited around me, so I haven’t seen his actual room. I came by for one of the potlucks.” he explained. He continued into her next question. ”I work at a little coffee shop, Everyman Espresso? It’s down around SoHo. The owner has been really good to me to make sure I get what hours I need for rent... he trailed off, suddenly looking worried. He felt the metaphorical light bulb activate in his brain. He glanced at Jude while trying to keep himself calm.

”Stars, my job! My phone... I don’t have a way to contact Layne and let her know, and Andrea, I don’t know how to...find out if she’s...” he could feel the cloud all of those thoughts threatened to bring, hand shaking against his tea cup. He set it down, pressing a hand to his forehead. He took a deep breath and tried to push through the wave of anxiety. He didn’t want to make ghost feel bad. This was just an impossible mountain he was staring down. He was glad he hadn’t eaten yet. Even the orange juice felt hard to keep down.

Im so sorry, he said in Japanese before he collected himself. He looked at the ceiling to collect his thoughts and his hands stopped shaking. ”Layne will understand. Um, something about myself. I...I grew up in Japan until my parents moved us here. I don’t have siblings. Jude mentioned his brother once?” he commented, trailing toward a distraction.

At the mention of dogs, Ghost raised an eyebrow at Jude and Jude finally found use for his tea. Taking a drink was a fantastic way to put something between himself and his adopted mother. She had neither been invited to a potluck, nor been updated about his furry friends. Her eye brow was asking him why his boss wasn't back yet, but since Jude didn't know and was trying not to worry... He took another drink.

"Hmm. I don't know Everyman Espresso, but SoHo's so trendy. I did run a bookstore slash coffee shop off 57th near Carnegie Hall for maybe 8 years? That got too spendy with repairs, unfortunately. Riots and the alternate universe sucking stuff up and everything? Plus, we're getting ready to move to LA."

Jude choked on his tea. It could have been in reaction to Zaid realizing that his job was potentially in peril, or that Andrea was still MIA, or the move. Or maybe all three realizations all at once.

"I- we didn't find Andrea. The snake-haired girl, right?" Ghost's turn to choke on her tea.

"A-A-Andrea? Gorgon? Green skin? Big snake named Sloth?" She had her phone out now, a relic of the stone age in the form of a red candybar style dumb phone. Jude watched curiously as she texted. "She lived here a while, did you know that?"

Jude shook his head. He hadn't really noticed the adults who often came and went. He'd really just seen her in the memories. Realizing that his hand was shaking because the bunny boy next to him was shaking hard enough for the both of them, Jude abandoned his tea back to the tray and put his arm back around him. It was alarming, actually, to go from chatting to shaking so fast. Jude fished out his phone, a much sleeker and more modern model.

"I can look up the shop's number if you want? You don't have to say anything. I can handle your Layne if you need."

Ghost frowned at her phone and did something else before putting it away. She obviously was not done, but more obviously did not want to be rude.

"Aww. Jude told you about Rhys and Ro?" She looked again at the ears, putting two and two together all at once. "OH! Of course he did. Should I go... find them? Would you like to meet them? They're probably shooting blunted arrows at each other in the yard, or... did you hear the bell? Third period? I should go help clean up the lunch stuff and then I'll go talk with the police about Andrea."

"Ghost." Jude hugged his bunny for safety, feeling silly and 9 years old all over again. "You're moving to LA?"

She stopped, half in and half out of her chair and set a hand on Jude's knee.

"Well, you're all grown up now. I sold the shop, and... we figured we'd give Cafas' career a real shot. Be a family. You will always be my priority one, but you never really let me be mom."

Which was his own fault, really. Jude sulked.

"I'll send the kids in once I catch them." And she swapped to Japanese, bowing again before she disappeared out the door. "It was so nice to meet you, please take care of my foolish son. He acts tough, but he's quite melty on the inside."

Tea was a dangerous beverage when you were meeting someone's mom for the first time. It hadn't taken long for all of them to successfully choke on it, which was unfortunate because it had tasted really nice.

Zaid hadn't realized he could put his foot in his mouth so quickly, but between the dogs and the potluck, he must have slipped up somewhere. Since he lacked his own parental figures, he was not used to the concept of secrets. He spent more time wishing he had someone to talk to, instead of considering how much he should actually reveal. It was too late to really back out of that situation anyway, and Zaid's brain had too much left to process.

Riots? Alternate universe? Moving? He had so many questions for a future date when there wasn't so much peril involved. Also, unicorns. Yes, there were lots of things he needed to ask about.

Ghost seemed surprised when Andrea came up, and Zaid felt his ears droop. He regretted asking especially when Jude admitted there was no news. "Andrea is a close friend of mine. I busted some ribs a while back and she patched me up. Since I don't have a mom around, she has sort of been looking out for me. She...she was with me the day...We got separated though." He forced himself to drink more juice. It was easier when Jude's arm moved back around him. "She remembered you! She said you were a wonderful woman." Zaid recalled. He had to steer out of that topic though. He wasn't sure he could take the anxiety until he knew his friend was safe.

"Layne should be there tonight? Tomorrow? I...I don't have a great concept of time right now," Zaid struggled. There was a small silence until the conversation went through another loop. Meet Rhys and Ro? Now? Stars, that just seemed like a way to make awkward things even more uncomfortable. "You don't have to bother them, I mean, I'm sure there will be a time we can meet..." Jude was holding tighter now, and Zaid reached up to catch his hand, offering comfort. He didn't feel like he had much place to be involved in that part of the discussion, but still felt the need to be there for him. It was the only way he could return what had already been given.

It was very nice to meet you, Zaid returned in Japanese, returning the gesture. Thank you for letting me have a chance with him. It wasn't easy to be a mother letting go of their child, neither was it easy to be the kid letting go of a parents. He held Jude's hand tighter, understanding more than he knew. There were different types of obstacles you faced as an adult, and this was not the simplest to face down.

"She knows almost everybody." He complained, sulking more than he wanted to, but not yet feeling like he could shake it off. He put his cheek on Zaid's shoulder which put his ears somewhere in Zaid's hair. The ears were more troublesome than he gave them credit. One twitched, oddly tickled by a stray lock. "It's hard to not live in that shadow."

As far as time went, Jude wasn't the most up-to-the moment either. Ghost made it sound like a school day. "How could it possibly be a normal, average school day when the world only just finished crashing down?"

He clicked on his phone screen, showing an artsy lock screen that was cleared with Jude's thumb print. Inside, his background was Zaid eating noodles with only Jude's elbow still in the shot. He was meaning to share the time and date rather than the photo, but it was what it was.

"Buuuuuuut. This isn't about me. This is about you. Being safe and living it large in free mutant protected housing. Sure it's full of paste eaters, but the adult hall is quieter. Oh! You wanna go see my old room? Or pick out one for yourself? I know where they keep the keys."

Was he trying to distract Zaid? Maybe. But what else could he do? They couldn't just spill the tea in bed all day. Rehashing the past was an obvious no-go. Jude was alllll about the future, baby.

There was something insanely adorable about Jude's sulking, not that Zaid would admit it out loud. He really could have just let Jude stay like that, bunny ears managing to tickle his neck and disrupt his hair all at the same time. Somehow the little mundane moments made him feel the calmest. Jude was just an adult complaining about his mom, and Zaid was just his...well, they hadn't quite settled on a title. They were dating, that was enough.

Smiling down at Jude, Zaid laughed softly. "Everyone casts a shadow. If only you could see your own," there was a noise in his throat when he tried to stop the chuckle, and it came out sounding like a purr. He shut his eyes and breathed, wholeheartedly agreeing with the next statement. The world only just finished crashing down... Zaid wasn't sure it had settled. He still felt like everything was moving, leaving him too unsteady to function.

He saw the phone unlock, face turning pink when he caught his own face staring back. Stars, without Jude in the shot, he felt like he was staring at the most awful picture ever. But that was subject to opinion, he supposed. It still gave him happy memories, even if he was forced to see himself with a mouth full of noodles.

"It may be free but it's the paste eaters that worry me. You've clearly never had anyone grab your tail before," Zaid remarked somewhat sourly. Kids could be little punks sometimes. Somehow they never seemed to register the fact that the tail was attached quite solidly to his behind. "Oh, and if you think a crying kid is bad on human ears, the bunny ears make it way worse." He may have leaned closer to Jude's ear to say the next comment, knowing just how much it tickled to have someone breathe against your fur like that. Jude was trying to distract him, and he was letting it happen. He needed the distraction.

"Can we see your old room? I mean, if you're fine with that. It would...It would feel, safer, to me," Zaid flushed again. He coughed once and dug deep for something that didn't sound so cheesy. He put a hand to his forehead and pressed his eyes together tightly. "You make me say the stupidest things, you know that?" He let out a nervous laugh, running a hand back through his hair.