Five years. It was hard to believe that Fire had been gone so long when sometimes it felt like just yesterday they would hear his mutterings down the hall or the constant yelling coming from Air's room. Water remembered a time when his brother would duck out of the kitchen to avoid meals and when they would sit together on the rooftops staring at the stars, saying nothing and simply enjoying each other's company. But Fire really was gone, there was no doubt about that. There was an empty space in the Batsu that no amount of pretending or forgetting would ever be able to fill. No one read in the library anymore or abused the practice rooms and ruined the equipment. No one threatened him on a daily basis anymore - although Lightning had tried, it hadn't had the same effect. Every time he walked by the vacated bedroom with the flame insignia etched on the door he was reminded of it.
Water shook his head and banished the reminiscing. He hadn't thought this much about Fire in a long time. It wasn't good to get emotionally worked up over or to dwell on the past. What he had to focus on was the present and the very promising fact that Fire was going to be coming home. It was a welcome surprise, but a surprise nonetheless. Air had apparently been putting together a plan in recent months to coerce their brother back into the Batsu but he had told no one of it - Water only knew because Air had so recently assaulted that librarian named Minobe who Fire had apparently been friends with. He had divulged the plan to Water with the same cold nonchalance he did everything else with and then he had instructed him to inform the others. And so he would, but that didn't stop Water from thinking about it.
It was all very... odd.
Leaning back on his elbows on the chilly roof and stretching his legs out in front of him, Water tilted his head back and closed his eyes. Heavy snowflakes danced from the sky in dreamy waltzes, settling on his clothing and in his hair, coating the world in a thin blanket of white. It would build up tonight he thought, a puffy sigh escaping his lips in the form of steam.
