Pack What You...Can't?

Chase sighed as he put several belongings, small and reusable, back into a small box. It was one that Mia had brought along with her when she had come to stay with him, and it was one that would go into the back of a tiny carriage-type wagon that would transport Mia and her stuff back with her.

He smiled, a bit melancholy as he packed all of the odds and ends Mia insisted on carting around with her. There were some strange things in the mix, but there were also drawings, and scribbled writings, and trinkets that surprised him.

He sat down on one of the chairs nearby for a moment, looking around the almost-empty room, quite sad.

Mia heaved a surprisingly heavy box of various things in with the others and dashed back into the Inn for the next lot. It felt great to run again, even when speeding up and down stairs.

But she quickly stopped in her tracks upon catching sight of Chase, sitting on a chair looking... Well, down. The look on his face was like bullets through her heart.
"Hey..." She said, walking in slowly "Are you okay?"

You don't look okay... She thought to herself, walking closer and sitting on the ground in front of Chase, looking up at him with worried eyes.

At the sight of Mia, Chase instantly tried to smile. It wasn't a very taxing effort. "I'm fine," he said. She sat on the floor in front of him, and he ruffled her hair, like she was a small child. "You're moving out, like a big girl," he said teasingly. He moved aside and motioned for her to sit beside him. "Excited to be on your own again? No hovering figure to watch your every move?"

Mia quickly moved beside Chase, sitting by his side.
"It's lonely being alone." She stated, as if it were some amazing scientific discovery.
"I don't wanna go, but I suppose I have to, huh?" She admitted, looking down to the ground. Mia probably wouldn't even be in her own home alot of the time, after all, the Rooftops were her home.

"Man, it's gonna be weird, knowing you're not... Right there, in the other room..." She laughed dryly. She would certainly miss Chase's presence.

Chase, as if reading her mind, shook his head knowingly. "You're never going to be in that house," he laughed. "You'll be outside, running around every chance you get." He smiled crookedly, looking at her out of the corner of his glasses. "Promise me you won't hurt yourself." He knew she would be back on the rooftops the second she got a chance. He also knew she could take care of herself. But he still hadn't quite managed to beat the image of her on the ground out of his mind, and, frankly, it scared him.

Mia laughed. "You read me too well. I might as well live on the streets." She giggled.
"I'll try not to fall off too much stuff." She promised, looking coyly at Chase.
She was yet to figure out just how she could get to him. She'd tried near everything, puppy-dog-eyes, constant coy and cute attitude and such.
She had a feeling it was right under her nose, like the way was right there in front of her.

"I'm gonna visit you like, so often." She promised, pulling Chase into a bear hug, "And drop in on the streets. Quite literally." She added, smiling.
It was too bad, she'd break her limbs over again, just to stay a little longer.

She gave him a look that he couldn't quite interpret. She did that a lot. Sometimes, he could read her like a book, and other times, she was a total mystery to him. He bit his lip and nodded as he listened to her talk. "I'll go with you someday," he said suddenly. "On the roofs, I mean. I want to see the world the way you do." He looked up at her and smiled, a stray lock of hair falling in front of his face. "And visits are, like, required. Twice weekly, at least." He pulled her into a sudden hug, wishing she could stay, but knowing that she couldn't.

"You will?" She asked, stunned, but happy. Mia had been waiting forever for a chance to take Chase onto the rooftop with you.

"You're the best!" She giggled, hugging tightly. Still to short to go anywhere higher than his chest; His heartbeat drummed, familiar and warm in her mind.
"I'm visiting you several times a week, and you have no say on the matter." She laughed teasingly, half joking and half serious.

She didn't want to go, her heart stayed put with Chase, but her body said otherwise, they stayed firmly put on the rooftops.
"I'm gonna miss you..." She laughed weakly, frowning.

Chase laughed. "I should probably go ahead and get you your own key," he teased, wrapping one of his arms around her shoulder. He flicked her hair, and sighed. "These boxes are depressing me," he announced. "I don't want you to go." He rolled his eyes, sighed, and stood up. "Well, we better get a move on," he said, smiling half-heartedly at his soon-to-be-gone roommate.

Mia nodded, trying her best to smile like she meant it.
But she couldn't mean it, she couldn't truthfully smile now. It was a step forward, but a step backward.
She didn't want to leave either- she'd grown quite attatched to Chase, and though she'd likely be visiting him most days, it wouldn't be the same knowing he wasn't anywhere close.


Her heart felt heavy for reasons she didn't know, it wasn't like she'd never see him again. But then again, he wouldn't be practically next to her all hours of the day.
She shook the thought from her mind and grabbed the nearest box, consisting of various things, more particularly, some drawings she remembered from just being able to move her hands again.
It was bittersweet.

Mia pulled the box up, though a little pain remained sour in her arms.
I'm not going to cry, she told herself, looking away from the doodles and Chase and starting for the door, I can not, will not cry.

Chase pretended not to notice Mia's glistening eyes. He didn't know what he would do if she started to cry; he wasn't good with crying girls. He stammered, and was pretty awkward and made things worse overall, so over the years it had been much more beneficial to feign ignorance. He bit the corner of his lip as he hefted a box a little higher in his arms and walked out to the makeshift carriage. He loaded the last of the boxes in the wagon and stood back, looking at his handiwork.

"Ready?" he asked, smiling, though he was actually feeling a bit melancholy.

Mia nodded, looked down at the pavement, then back up to Chase.
She launched into a bear hug, squeezing Chase tightly, still careful not to strangle, as if it were the only way to get herself a place in his heart.

"Goodbye, Chase... And thankyou." She murmured into his chest, looking up and putting on a small smile. She hesitantly let go, and hopped onto the back of the wagon as it's guiding horses started to hop along, slowly watching Chase get farther and farther away.

He hugged her back, but he couldn't match her earnest, not if he tried. He let her go, putting his hand out to help her into the cabin, and then stood back, watching the carriage leave. It was strange, both the situation and the feeling locked deep inside his chest. He frowned, pursed his lips, and turned once more to watch the carriage retreat, a speck against the horizon as it pulled Mia farther from him.

He was alone again.