Carter was wondering where the woman would take him.
He was confused though. After all, to other’s perspective, the kid just woke up from his sleep, and was forcefully taken away out of his chamber. In Carter’s opinion, it wouldn’t be that healthy for a newly awakened patient to leave his bed right after a coma.
What he didn't realize was that she was too excited to consider.
For the boy’s mother, it was the best day of her life.
Her son had just woken up from a deep slumber that she didn’t know the reason of.
The doctors were adamant about not having a clue as well, and her husband, back then, wasn’t the experienced ray that he had become.
But even now, he was too sick to understand.
Nobody could blame her, for her excitement was palpable, the smile on her face plastered like an indelible mark.
She couldn’t wait to show her husband the fruits of their unyielding hope and efforts.
Behind her, the boy was taking in the direction she was heading in. He was curious about many things, but was also a bit distracted.
He exhaled, thinking about his other life and his own mother.
She was more of an air head than someone who would care. Partying almost every day and returning late at home, just to leave him at his own mercy.
She wasn't the best of them.
With that sort of people surrounding him almost every day, Carter was sure to get used to the treatment, but was also conscious enough to know it wasn’t the kind of normalcy a family should’ve had.
Comparing this woman to his mother would be like comparing a bottle of water to a can of coke.
He narrowed his eyes at how innacurate of a comparing analogy that was.
Though, he was really excited about what kind of experience he will live in this world with such intriguing new parent.
He twicthed his eye and shivered, the fact that he was already getting used to having new parents, even as a joke, daunting on him.
He really had a problem.
He chuckled self-deprecatingly, forgetting about taking in his surroundings.
Without him noticing, the targetted door was already near.
The boy’s father’s room was at the beginning of the hallway while the son’s was at the end where they came from. There was only one other door in the middle of the two, and at the opposite wall only one.
Carter snapped back into his senses.
Arriving in front of the door leading to the father’s room, he didn’t really feel much, he was curious though.
Looking at the woman beside him, he could still see the smile on her face, this time accompanied by a bit of anxiety.
She breathed deeply, smiled wider and knocked on the door.
A voice deep and rough unlike the one he heard from the mimic came out.
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It had just a bit of similarity but to Carter, that similarity was enough to remind him of the voice that traumatized him.
“You already gave yourself a free way to come in, Mili.”
Mili? It’s like that one singing group’s name. Carter thought remembering one of his favourite singer and the only reference he had with such a name.
“Coming in with a surprise then.” She answered mischeviously.
Still wearing her nightwear, beautiful and elegant, she slowly reached for the doorknob and opened it slowly.
While she did that, Carter, whose new name he still didn’t know, peeked inside through the crack.
The first thing he saw was the black voided eyes of a guy looking straight through it.
The room was lit, the window’s sunlight coming from the left side of the room, leaving the young boy’s father half illuminated, half in the dimmer parts, almost completely shadowed.
Unfortunately, the second half was his upper body, the voided eyes' countour apparently glowing in the dark.
The stare was as freezing as the laid guy’s body.
After witnessing his new father’s greeting gaze, Carter’s face froze as he looked away.
He did not know where, so his eyes moved up.
They met with Mili’s worried ones.
He had unintentionally clenched his hand that was in the hers which wer warm and soft but really unfamiliar.
He twitched his eyes, now truly confused on what to do.
The boy’s mother’s eyes blinked multiple times, surprised, with a funny look on them.
She chuckled, grinned towards him, and opened the already half opened door.
Hesitating for a justified second, the young boy looked in the room again and not directly to the man’s eyes which, unlike the first time, was already sitting up on the bed.
Was I imagining it? That look? He thought while exhaling.
When they entered the room, the woman’s hand still gripping lightly the boy’s, they made their way towards one of the chairs, pushing it besides the bed confronting the man who had inclined his back to the wall.
His face had a slight grin, his combed hair elegant and his black eyes fixated on the not reciprocating gaze of the boy.
Carter’s eyes, not daring to look at the ones that were on him, went to the actions of the cheerful woman, following them until she pushed him and asked him gently to sit on the chair.
It wasn’t a long one, but it was definitely bigger than Carter, which impressed him, as even now he wasn’t that short.
He proceeded to sit, finally looking at the gaze that didn’t leave him.
There, they couldn't leave them anymore, afraid that the ones in front would transform back to those chilling ones.
Fortunately, they stayed a normal black, with nothing wrong nor unsettling.
Carter wondered if he was just traumatized from unimaginable events, painting terrifying canvases into reality.
He kept his stoic face, fearing any mouvement or change he would make.
A woman’s joyous but soft and mature voice came out from behind him.
Mili’s… Carter thought as he familiarized himself with the voice.
“Look Ash, I’ve brought you your surprise.” She extended one of her hands on the chair Carter was sitting on and put it on the right side of it where she was standing, then continued. “Our little sleeping beauty.”
The man, Ash, didn’t respond immediately instead he still looked at Carter with his simple black eyes, the gaze listing wonder, doubt and a bit of joy; still, with an experienced past, the man didn’t show his worries on his face but only a slight smile, letting out only joy to the naked eye.
Carter didn’t see the hidden emotions, but wasn’t fooled by the smile, knowing well enough that something was behind those black eyes and mature face.
The middle-aged man’s build was lean, his shirt grey and wide, they still couldn’t hide it from anyone’s eyes. His silhouette was confident and his posture was laid back but with a stiffness to them; the cause was unbeknownst to Carter.
His face wasn’t an average one, his facial hair was shaved, letting out his cut and sharp chin. He had a triangular face, the features attractive but the darkness and tiredness in them cowering out those who would want to talk to him, the only ones who would want to stand beside him being his wife and those whom had familiarized themselves with his strangeness; his hair wasn’t too long but were already combed backwards, making him elegant even on his bed.
Ash finally said something with his deep and warm voice coming out like water, swift and smooth.
“That I can see Mili. Though it seems the one we’re talking about is still a bit confused.” He reached his thin left hand towards Carter’s head.
The boy’s shoulder was invisibly tense.
When Ash’s palm finally landed on the boy and with Mili’s right hand and body to the right side of Carter, the scene became warm, making it look like a joyous moment, the child surrounded by his loved ones.
The reality wasn’t too far from the opposite.
His head pushed down without force by the full weight of the middle aged man's hand, Carter’s irises went up to the top of his eyelids, not leaving the gaze of the man that was looking at him.
To him it was a cautious thing to do, though to anyone else, especially the one in front of him it was rather funny.
Finally, Ash’s smile became genuine and his words with a warm tinge, carried a chuckle through them.
“Jokes aside, I’m relieved that you’re back, Ciel.”