Chapter Text
The traincar was empty save for me, it's large windows filled with light as I sat in a small seat tucked into a corner of looking on at the wilderness passing me by. It was the fall now, but snow had yet to hit the ground so the bright warm yellows of the wilting trees painted myself and the empty seat next to me in a brilliant hue. I pulled out my small memo, going through the notes I had left for myself after talking to some of my old classmates after I asked them about why Tachyon was back. Of course, they all basically knew nothing just as I did, but Air Shakur did bring up that her career would have been better off if she just stayed in Europe instead.
The trained pulled into it's station as I disembarked to transfer over to the local rail network. Walking by the glass sealed pillars pointing towards the various shops for people looking to buy a last minute gift or snack for their family & friends in the hall one of the sweets stores caught my eye. I already had a couple manjuu from some of my old friends that I hadn't seen in ages that I could share, but I wasn't sure how they would pair with the black tea that Tachyon usually drank. I had set out early in the morning so it was still just barely past noon by the time I got here. I had more than enough time.
I stepped into the small shop; it was a small stand, with a glass sliding door and a small storefront in the space that was barely larger than a row of seats on a train. Bending down and peering into the display case mixed with cakes, tarts, and prepackaged goods I saw a couple of financiers laying on a small pastry dish. I remembered Tachyon bringing some back one day for me; it was a perfect snack for the both of us as it was just sweet enough that Tachyon could enjoy it with her tea and it was just light enough to balance with my coffee.
I rang the bell next to the cash register. A young girl with a bowl and whisk in her hands peeked out of the curtain before she said a quiet "ah," and set her current work aside and stepped out, greeting me with a smile. I bought two financiers and placed the small wax paper bag I got them in into my bag as I said goodbye.
By the time I got home, it was already in the middle of the afternoon; the sun was no longer at it's highest point in the sky and had come down to enough of an angle that I could see the stark shadows of the streetlamps hit the facade of the buildings as I walked through my neighbourhood.
"Tachyon, I'm home." I said as I took my shoes off in the entryway and wheeled my small suitcase in.
"Ah, Cafe? Home already? I thought you said you were coming back tomorrow."
"I was, but I finished seeing everyone early and I figured that I may as well just come home."
Tachyon smiled, she leaned down a bit to pick up her suitcase as she rested her chin on my shoulder. I could feel her laugh as she said, "you just missed me and wanted to come home as soon as you could didn't you?"
"No. If you keep on acting like this I'm not sharing the manjuu or the pastry I got at the train station with you."
"Awww." Tachyon pouted as she stood back up, bringing the suitcase up to my bedroom.
I poured myself some coffee; Tachyon had already made a pot of tea and I saw her tea cup filled so I pulled out a small plate for the financiers. Setting my cup and the plate of pastries next to her cup I went up to my bedroom to see Tachyon placing the suitcase down at the foot of my bed.
"I had to live off of instant noodles for the couple days you weren't here y'know~ Don't you pity me? Can you make something good tonight?"
I sighed.
"I left some food I made before I left frozen in the freezer. I left a note and texted you."
"Oh. I must have forgot."
"Is your research really that important?"
"Why of course! don't you know-" She went on and on, talking about her usual spiel about how this will bring about a new horizon for girls to chase after, and that nothing will be the same after she figures it out. I had already had everything memorized so I just tuned her out and sat on the bed next to her as she talked.
"-So. Y'see, it is important! I'm doing important work."
"That so? Then why didn't you just stay in Europe where the facilities were better, you had more resources there didn't you?"
Tachyon sat there for a moment, she was hunched over from all her hours spent in front of a computer and didn't look away from me, just staring blankly. Her usual bad habits when she was speechless never really went away either.
I remembered the information that Air Shakur gave me. I walked up to her and grabbed Tachyon's sweater, my fists balling up the fabric as I pulled her to face me.
"Air Shakur told me that you left a really promising lab that you seemed to be doing well at to come back. Why?"
"…"
"You could have gotten to your goal more effectively, I don't need you here to prove things to me, why did you come back?"
She still refused to say anything. Was it guilt? Fear? I couldn't tell, Tachyon's face was like a splotch of still wet coffee on the table; not quite stable, not transparent, only reflecting the light coming in through the window.
I dragged her down towards the bed, lifting myself as she fell to get on top of her as I sat on her stomach while the yellow knit fabric was still balled up in my fists.
She laid there, her head turned as her cheeks pressed against my comforter as she refused to look me in the eye. I didn't expect anything out of her but it still angered me knowing that she wouldn't be willing to admit even an inch of regret.
"Fine. I'll get it out of you eventually. Lets just go have some pastries and I'll heat up some food." I said as I let go. Standing up and walking out the door I looked back at her from the hallway. My bedroom window faced the east so almost none of the sun was coming into my room directly anymore, the diffuse light bouncing off the environment outside painted an overlapping mirage of Tachyon's shadow.
"How mean, I was on my best behaviour and you do this to my favourite sweater? Ah, well, I'll be down shortly, I just need to finish my last bit of the train of thought I had for my paper!"