Akeno: [Let me help! Would you?] Was what she wanted to say though nothing came out of her mouth. Her hand twitched.
The rain had ended long before they had realised and hadn't noticed yet.
Gracie: "Look, I can handle it myself." She averts her eyes from Akeno's. She rubs her own cheeks, [It's kinda warm… Why though?]
She bit her lip, "... I can handle this on my own and you should… Let me." She repeated herself.
Akeno: "B–but you should also let me help you!" Her eyes twitched though her face said concern.
Gracie: She stared shocked at Akeno for the sudden sharpness in her voice. [So, she can be loud.]
Akeno: She kicked her leg forward a bit too aggressively. A sharp snap sounded, unheard by Akeno, who just pointed at her own foot. "You see? You did that, now you let me help you."
Gracie: She just stares at Akeno with silence though her mind was in a frenzy, [What was that snap? Was it from her?]
Silence…
Akeno: "... Start with a bandage right…?" She got up, then crouched down back to Gracie's level. "Um… Where is it though?"
Gracie was stunned by Akeno's stupid act. Though Akeno didn't seem to care or even notice how she just sounded. And how she's acting.
Gracie: She leans back… Then back forward. "Tch" her eyes wandered down to Akeno's ankles where she'd probably heard the snap sound. [That wasn't her ankle right?]
Outside the clouds movement quickened.
Akeno: [... Yeah I again screwed up… Didn't I?] Sighs, [Why do I hear my heart beat?] Her breathing quickened and lips open and closed just a bit more and a bit faster.
Gracie: She cracked her neck, then one knee and both palms on the floor and pushed herself up. "I can do it myself." She cups her left side of neck after she stands up, upright.
Akeno: "Hey! Let me—" her hands jump up to Gracie, though does not touch her.
Gracie: puts her index finger to her lip, "Shh. Don't make a fuss out of it…" drops her finger for a moment just to bring it up to her lip again and bite it.
A gust of wind blew crashing into the window.
Akeno: She stands up to Gracie's level "Ah… Sa—sa—something I can do?" She blinked a lot in the matter of a few seconds. [God I can't find words. How did I even say it?]
Gracie: sighs "Please, I can do it myself. You don't have to trouble yourself for me." She lifts her finger to her face, then points it to Akeno. "I–can–do–it–my–self. Ah–ke–no."
The rain again began, the tapping on the window and the roof which was unheard of before.
Gracie: Still pointing her finger at Akeno, [Why does it rain so much…? And why do I have a feeling that I'm forgetting something important… Very important, my guts tell me.]
Sighs… Again… Louder.
Gracie: Her earlier frustrating disappeared "... I have chores to do." She bends over to pick up the broom but Akeno grabs it first which surprised her.
Akeno: Gracie looks at her with big widened eyes, "I can do this one." Aekno's grip tightened on the broom. [Let me help you once. I have a debt to repay…! Why can't I say it in front of her!? Directly to her!?]
Gracie: inhaled "They're broken" Exhales "Shards. You might miss a few." hearing that Akeno's grip loosened. "And that'll cause even more problems…"
[Please don't say anything else. But if she does, I won't resist. This time. I don't want to work either… Please, ask again. This once.] Her grip tightened and loosened over and over again.
[No, not that, it stings.] She just recalled the cuts on her palm and fingers.
…
[Once!]
[Why aren't you saying anything!?]
Akeno: her eyes wandered around unaware of the storm in Gracie's mind. Her eyes venture towards the window looking outside.
Turning back to look at Gracie, "I just wanted to help—"
Gracie: pushes the broom towards Akeno, but makes sure it lands on Akeno's hand and does not drop. "Here. Do it." [Finally]
Akeno: "Oh, if you're saying so. I will."
Gracie: she cups her left side of neck and scratches it. While spinning her index finger in a circle to where the shards may be, "Make sure it's cleaned properly okay. So there'd be no… casualties…"
[Thank you, Akeno]
Sighs. "That being said, I'm… Thank you and I'm happy for your help." she bit her lip holding a smirk.
Akeno: "No problem–"
Gracie: "Thanks a lot, again."
Gracie didn't wait much longer and started walking towards the stairs, Akeno watched her from the doorway of the kitchen, then Gracie turned back around.
"Don't work too hard, your feet still need healing."
Akeno just nods.
Gracie went upstairs leaving Akeno alone in the kitchen with the broom.
Akeno: Look at the broom and touch the head of the broom, and dust comes out of it. [Now that I can do it, I should start working…]
She looks down at the floor staring at it with awe.
[... But I never used a broom before…]
"That being said… Lesson learnt: Sometimes silence is the best."
Upstairs.
Gracie enters Alina's room.
Inside Alina sat on bed, blanket over her legs, up to the waist. She was looking outside the opened window.
It was still raining outside and influenced by the wind the direction was towards Alina's opened window.
Yet no drop came inside.