Reo pulled out the chair on Kenji's other side and lowered himself into it.
Slow.
Controlled.
His expression gave away nothing, but the exhale when his weight finally settled told me everything.
My heart broke for Reo, but I wouldn’t risk babying him in front of the Fangs and Claws. However, once it was just Reo and me in the room, I would hold him for a long time and tell him how much I loved him.
I swallowed. "I’m so glad you're here and fine. You’re a fucking, warrior, Reo."
A warm smile spread across his face. "Thank you, Nyomi. I believe a lot of it had to do with Hiroko’s knowledge and your blood’s protection."
Toma gulped a beer and then burped. “Yeah about that. We should get the Tiger’s blood on our weapons too.”
Aki pointed to me. “On my knives.”
“On my guns.” Yuki grabbed some roasted broccoli off his brothers plate.
“Enough with your demands. My Tiger’s blood is not a group resource.” Kenji sneered. “Be grateful for this meal tonight and shut the fuck up.”
They returned to eating.
I whispered to him, “I could do it though.”
Kenji rolled his eyes.
Meanwhile, Reo looked around the table with this hopeful expression that was so out of place on the Roar's face that I almost laughed. "A dinner welcoming us home? How exciting. Nyomi, anything with cheese on the table?”
“No cheese. I kept it traditional for you all today."
Reo actually looked sad. His shoulders slumped, and coming from a man who had probably walked through a war zonewithout flinching, the defeat over missing mac and cheese was almost too much.
“I’m sorry, Reo. I’ll remember next time.”
"What about more of the braised oxtails?" He asked it the way someone asks about a loved one's health. Hopeful and bracing for bad news at the same time.
“Oxtails?” I blinked.
“Yes.”
"Hold up.” I thought back to days ago. “You tried the oxtails that I made?"
"Of course."
"I burnt those."
"It didn't taste burnt to me," Reo said it with complete seriousness. "The whole pot was perfectly fine."
My mouth fell open. "I know you didn't sit there and eat an entire pot of burnt oxtails."
"I ate it all."
Yoichi spoke up from across the table. "And by himself. Wouldn't even share any of them with us."
“It’s my jobonlyto taste the food.”
Everybody laughed. All of them—bruised, bandaged, and stitched continued to crack up and eat. The sound filled the room, and my chest felt a little lighter.
