[ When Yzak returns home, it feels surreal. It's as though he doesn't belong here, doesn't fit where he knows he should when he realizes that he's going to have to fit back into place somehow. Because to everyone here who knows and cares about him ... they only just saw him, spoken to him, didn't they? And they'll expect to do so again, whether it's in an hour or tomorrow or a week from now. But Yzak Jule, as he stands at the window in his room, blue eyes scanning over the view, thinks to himself that right now, he truly doesn't know how he's going to just return to life.
And that hurts a hell of a lot.
Because life was always something Yzak looked at and had a path ahead of him for. Sure, before the Ximilia that path wasn't perfect and there were some things he'd gazed ahead at and didn't want to get closer to, but it was something all the same. He wasn't so keen on making a huge fuss about it, because he was lucky to even have a life and a future at all. And it was still difficult at times to feel as though he deserved even that. His time on the Ximilia changed everything, turned everything he'd ever expected of himself and his life straight onto its head. And he realized he did, perhaps, deserve more than he felt he did, and thus, deserved to look at the path ahead of him and make it into something he went down willingly. Ran down, even, because it was something he wanted, wholeheartedly, for himself.
But then he lost everything.
So here he stands in the rubble of those crumbled dreams, old path abandoned and impossible to return to because he's changed so much, and nothing ahead of him now because everything he wanted on that path and the person he wanted to walk it with is gone. And he wonders still if perhaps he didn't deserve and shouldn't have wanted at all and this was all some punishment for daring to reach for something so good. Now he not only has to have a painful reminder of that because he's got to begin to walk in some direction again, but he has to do so when the 'him' who stood here in this bedroom last feels like a completely different person than who stands here now.
Yzak is at his window because he figured he could at least deal with the immediate. And he's looking out because he's taking a note of the clusters of blue hourglass shapes he can see in the night sky, making the calculations of which cluster is which, seeing December and Januarius, and...
The PLANTs are intact; all colonies within each of the two clusters standing.
I did it.
What he'd sought out to do, spent the last near three years of his life to accomplish. It's a balm on his otherwise tumultuous and hurting heart because those millions of lives, of his people who he swore his own life to and whose deaths have haunted him since, were saved. He feels a pride that he hasn't felt so strongly in a while swell up in his chest ... but even that victory, it's only his, isn't it? Nobody else would be any wiser about the truth, unless Yzak decided to tell them. And if he did, he'd probably sound fucking insane.
For now, he's tired. Victory always brings some form of exhaustion, doesn't it? Not to mention there are a lot of things he's going to need to figure out, and fast.
He'll begin to do that tomorrow, once he's rested and feels, perhaps, that he really is home and that this isn't just some sort of fucked up dream.
What he also does is something that anyone who knows him would find peculiar: he takes off work. A few days, he figures, so he can sort himself out. Thankfully, he's got a great team working under him who can easily pick up the slack (and truly, he has no idea whatsoever what he was working on before he left, it's been so long) and he usually doesn't leave slack needing to be picked up in the first place. Still, his absence in the main office is something that won't go unnoticed the next day when he doesn't come in and any inquiries will only be met with a just as uninformative "Major Jule has requested the next few days off. No, he didn't explain why. I wonder if something's come up?" ]
[Rather unfortunately for Yzak, that competent team of his contains at least one person who isn't willing to just let an uncharacteristic and unexpected absence like that go uninvestigated.
Dearka could just call ahead; at least send an email or something to check in, see what the deal is. But let's be real: the relationship he has with Yzak is one of mutual trust, with boundaries as unique as their history together is long. It really isn't all that weird for them to just drop in on one another without much warning. So that's exactly what he does: he rolls up on Yzak's pad with little more than a quick text to let him know his intention to visit.
No room for argument is permitted; 10 minutes later, there's a knock at the door, and Dearka's voice calling out from the other side in his typical casual drawl.]
Oi, Yzak... You in there? It's me.
[He fishes his... Phone or whatever, out of his pocket to check and see if Yzak actually sent him a message back, having not bothered to look until now.]
Hearing Dearka's voice for the first time in so long is quite another.
And for sure something he wasn't ready for, because that was part of the point of taking off for a few days. (that, and his mother has, thankfully, chose the perfect time to return to Martius City for some personal affairs when she's a bit lower on the list on Things He Wants To Deal With so Yzak was lucky enough to return to an empty home) But leave it to Dearka to show up anyway, because if anyone could sense something off in Yzak, it's him.
He did in fact send a message back. A short I've got some things to take care of. in hopes that sounding busy would at least deter him enough to just keep things to text. But lo and behold, he's arrived and Yzak can't even be surprised about that.
Part of him doesn't even want to answer the door. If he didn't already think of at least some ways he could mitigate questions or avoid some things for now altogether, he wouldn't. But he knows that despite everything, Dearka can be just as stubborn as he can if he's got the right motivation to be, and this would be one of those times. Still, there's a very long stretch of silence before Yzak calls back from behind the door. ]
Hang on a second.
[ Unfortunately there's not much he can do about the pair of scars just over his left eye aside from whatever obscuring his bangs does for it. But one thing he has figured out for the time being is an easy way to hide his prosthetic arm, which would be a lot more 'what the fuck' inducing. Someone doesn't disappear for a couple of days and come back having lost a limb, recovering from it, and getting a prosthetic put in place. Sure, the solution to that is just "wear long sleeves and a glove" but it's a temporary solution all the same, until he can figure out how he's going to explain it. So once he's gloved up, the door finally swings open.
And he can't help but stare for a long moment as if he's seeing some kind of ghost because it's been so long since he's actually seen Dearka outside of dreams and/or fucked up memory shares. A simultaneous hurt because it's by far the longest he's gone without his presence and support (though at least he didn't think he was dead this time around...) but a relief because he's there, right in front of him and probably more than ready to offer it now.
Yzak just isn't sure if he wants to go all in on accepting said support. At least not immediately. (because he knows he's going to get it one way or another)
So for now, once that initial beat passes and he mentally kicks himself to get it together: ]
[Well. If he wasn't already suspicious that something was up before, he definitely is now, because there's no way in hell he's going to miss that weird look... Even if he doesn't quite understand the meaning of it.
Dearka frowns, cocks an eyebrow, and stares right back for another long moment, searching his friend's face. He's not sure what he's expecting to find, exactly... Just, hints, he supposes, as to what he's about to walk into here. Unfortunately, he's not finding much... Although he does note it looks like there's something a bit weird going on above Yzak's one eye. He doesn't comment on that yet though; he just logs it, and finally speaks up, that easy-going smile of his returning.]
Just wanted to check in... Not like you to call out of work so suddenly like that. Got us all a bit worried.
[There's an unspoken addition: All of us, but especially me. Because even if Yzak does occasionally have to miss work for whatever reason, at the very least he'll almost always tell Dearka the details in private.]
[ Even though Yzak more or less looks the same (Coordinator genes keeping them looking youthful) the look he gives, and perhaps everything else going on behind his eyes is rather unreadable. Or rather, too deep-running to really understand without context. But it's there, something definitely different and off. Proof in itself that while what he experienced affected him on a personal level ... the time passed also serves now as a rift between where the two of then were before Yzak left and where they are, who he is, now.
Not even this can be easy, huh. When it feels like Yzak's lost so much already. Sure, Dearka is right here in front of him, but... in a way he feels like he's lost him too, after all this time.
He frowns, and it's not edged with the usual sharpness he'd have. ]
It's like I told the office, I had ... something come up that needed - needs my immediate attention.
[ There's an apologetic tone to his voice, because time may have passed, but he can still pick up that extra layer of unspoken concern coming from Dearka that hits more personally. Yzak takes a step back, an offer for him to come in if he pleases. ]
Were you on your way somewhere?
[ The question is also an offer; if Dearka was just making a pit stop here or would rather be elsewhere ... he'll come along. ]
Nowhere urgent to be today. I guess that's another reason why I'm here... I suppose I just missed seeing your smiling face.
[There's a sort of sardonic edge to his words, but he grins and winks as he moves to slip past, taking Yzak up on his invitation. Since Dearka's off-duty at the moment, he's in casual dress, and so he slouches by with one hand shoved in a pocket... But the other hand? That he uses to try and give his friend a little drive-by, reassuring pat on the shoulder as he passes...
...And then he stops short when he feels hard metal hidden beneath the fabric.]
Hmm...? [He squints.] Are you... Wearing body armor under here or something...?
[ Little does Dearka know that his joke there about his smiling face was something he missed out on, too. Because Yzak found reason to do it a lot more at a point. Now his smile and optimism, gone. ]
!!
[ He immediately tenses up when Dearka's hand clamps down on his shoulder, feeling that extra weight press on where the housing system connects to the nerves in his body.
Shit.
Well, so much for that genius idea he had about keeping his arm under wraps until he could figure out how to explain it to anyone. Way to go, Yzak! Even it being Dearka hardly makes the sudden surge of panic feel any better. He jerks the arm away, sidestepping with a turn to pull back a small distance. And in that small window of time Dearka speaks and Yzak replies quickly, without thinking, in some desperate attempt to save this. ]
—Yes I am!
[ And then it hangs there for a long moment, his expression tense, strained, staring straight into Dearka's eyes. Yzak was never a good liar and still isn't. It's one thing if he had to lie or cover for something with Dearka, it was different when he had to go on a mission and act like he belonged there - that was business, that was work, that was for the sake of a goal. But something like this?
Even Yzak knows his expression betrays him right now and there's no proper way to bullshit his way out of this. ]
Not only is Yzak a terrible liar, but Dearka's not an idiot. That overblown reaction pings his attention immediately, and his expression grows both serious and suspicious.]
Yzak, what are you...?
[He looks the frazzled commander up and down, and that's when he fully clocks the gloves too. He doesn't know what they mean? But something about them in tandem with the shoulder thing and Yzak's cagey behavior fills him with an odd sense of foreboding.
Carefully, he reaches back and closes the door, not once taking his eyes off his friend while he does so.
He doesn't... Say anything. He wants to see what Yzak has to say first.]
[ It's been so long since he had an actual psychic reading every one of his thoughts and knowing every part of him, that Yzak's somewhat lost the familiarity to such sharp scrutiny. So this from Dearka when he wasn't prepared for it just feels uncomfortable. He leans his right side back defensively, and for all intents and purposes Yzak is moving in a way as though that arm is there and just fine.
And yet.
Countering Dearka's suspiciously concerned look, he lets out a sigh. Short, sharp, impatient. On edge. ]
It's not exactly body armor. But— just forget about it right now!
[ 'Right now', he relents that much at least instead of the kneejerk reaction of just demanding Dearka leave. But even after all this time (on his end) and everything that's happened ... he could never push Dearka away like that. And that fact is steadfast whether it's because he doesn't want to push anybody away because he feels so alone and lost as he does right now or if this was just a normal day on PLANT between the two of them, that's the strength of their bond.
Yzak turns around. ] I said I had things to take care of. Personal things.
[ But even when he says 'personal', there's a tightness there as though he feels bad about not elaborating, like he wants to speak of it. Yzak steps toward the nearest hallway, the one that leads to the lounge area and back to one of the bathrooms and the kitchen, but he pauses to look over his shoulder back to Dearka. ]
But now that you're here ... come in and sit down.
[It's another testament to their bond that Dearka doesn't doggedly insist Yzak explain himself right then and there. There's enough in Yzak's response for him to feel satisfied that he'll get at least something of an explanation eventually. How long 'eventually' will actually be remains to be seen, but. That's still enough for him to at least pull back with the questions, for the time being.
He is still worried, though. MORE worried than he was when he first headed over, that's for damn sure, because even beyond the weird reaction to the shoulder touch, Dearka can see that there's something off about Yzak's whole demeanor. There's something in him that wasn't there a few days ago... A deep pain in his eyes, which rattles Dearka with its unfamiliarity.
Dearka can't imagine what could possibly cause something like that. At least, he can't imagine anything that would cause it which he wouldn't also already know about by now, purely by virtue of their being on the same team and sharing many of the same connections.
Maybe... Is it just that the stress of the war finally getting to him...? No... As an accomplished ZAFT commander, it's hard to imagine Yzak's resolve wavering in such a way. The timing would make it especially strange too, coming on the heels of their team achieving such a massive win against the Earth Forces, foiling their plans and all.
Speculating will get him nowhere, he realizes. So he nods, and tries to smile reassuringly, even though it feels like there's very little to smile about at the moment.]
Just as he always is, like a powerful, supportive wind at his back. And done without missing a single beat. All per the norm for Dearka, and familiar enough to Yzak that it still wraps around his psyche with that feeling of assurance, though it feels thin and time-worn, like something put away for a long, long time.
And it's funny ... to Dearka, being here probably feels more comfortable than it does to Yzak and it's his damn home! Not even owing to the fact that Dearka comes by often enough and makes himself at home, since Yzak was so acclimated to where he's been that he still half wonders if it's just another dream (since he's had them often, of being back).
So he motions with his hand (the gloved one, the suspicious one) as he always did, the movement coming naturally to him as he signals for Dearka to do as he pleases; grab something from the kitchen, get himself a drink, get comfortable. While Yzak does the same for himself.
And since we're here to get to the meaty stuff, Yzak sneaks in a few questions about work that serves to also remind himself of what he was ... doing, before he left. Asking Dearka what he's handled and what the others at the office are taking care of. So he'll know in the near future what he'll need to focus on to get back into a stride and step properly back into life again.
Even if the life he looks ahead at isn't what he wants anymore. At least, not in this exact form because there's a enormous void in the center of it.
Yzak can usually talk about this or that easily with Dearka, which is why even to him this feels rigid, off, imbalanced, the longer the elephant in the room remains that Something Is Up Here, and that frustration can be noted in his expression, tighter than usual, a lot clearly going on behind those blue eyes of his, even when he takes a sip of his tea (because of course he made himself tea, some things truly never change). A reminder of something he's already well aware of: that time can sometimes be a cruel thing. ]
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[xim] something something post game
And that hurts a hell of a lot.
Because life was always something Yzak looked at and had a path ahead of him for. Sure, before the Ximilia that path wasn't perfect and there were some things he'd gazed ahead at and didn't want to get closer to, but it was something all the same. He wasn't so keen on making a huge fuss about it, because he was lucky to even have a life and a future at all. And it was still difficult at times to feel as though he deserved even that. His time on the Ximilia changed everything, turned everything he'd ever expected of himself and his life straight onto its head. And he realized he did, perhaps, deserve more than he felt he did, and thus, deserved to look at the path ahead of him and make it into something he went down willingly. Ran down, even, because it was something he wanted, wholeheartedly, for himself.
But then he lost everything.
So here he stands in the rubble of those crumbled dreams, old path abandoned and impossible to return to because he's changed so much, and nothing ahead of him now because everything he wanted on that path and the person he wanted to walk it with is gone. And he wonders still if perhaps he didn't deserve and shouldn't have wanted at all and this was all some punishment for daring to reach for something so good. Now he not only has to have a painful reminder of that because he's got to begin to walk in some direction again, but he has to do so when the 'him' who stood here in this bedroom last feels like a completely different person than who stands here now.
Yzak is at his window because he figured he could at least deal with the immediate. And he's looking out because he's taking a note of the clusters of blue hourglass shapes he can see in the night sky, making the calculations of which cluster is which, seeing December and Januarius, and...
The PLANTs are intact; all colonies within each of the two clusters standing.
I did it.
What he'd sought out to do, spent the last near three years of his life to accomplish. It's a balm on his otherwise tumultuous and hurting heart because those millions of lives, of his people who he swore his own life to and whose deaths have haunted him since, were saved. He feels a pride that he hasn't felt so strongly in a while swell up in his chest ... but even that victory, it's only his, isn't it? Nobody else would be any wiser about the truth, unless Yzak decided to tell them. And if he did, he'd probably sound fucking insane.
For now, he's tired. Victory always brings some form of exhaustion, doesn't it? Not to mention there are a lot of things he's going to need to figure out, and fast.
He'll begin to do that tomorrow, once he's rested and feels, perhaps, that he really is home and that this isn't just some sort of fucked up dream.
What he also does is something that anyone who knows him would find peculiar: he takes off work. A few days, he figures, so he can sort himself out. Thankfully, he's got a great team working under him who can easily pick up the slack (and truly, he has no idea whatsoever what he was working on before he left, it's been so long) and he usually doesn't leave slack needing to be picked up in the first place. Still, his absence in the main office is something that won't go unnoticed the next day when he doesn't come in and any inquiries will only be met with a just as uninformative "Major Jule has requested the next few days off. No, he didn't explain why. I wonder if something's come up?" ]
no subject
Dearka could just call ahead; at least send an email or something to check in, see what the deal is. But let's be real: the relationship he has with Yzak is one of mutual trust, with boundaries as unique as their history together is long. It really isn't all that weird for them to just drop in on one another without much warning. So that's exactly what he does: he rolls up on Yzak's pad with little more than a quick text to let him know his intention to visit.
No room for argument is permitted; 10 minutes later, there's a knock at the door, and Dearka's voice calling out from the other side in his typical casual drawl.]
Oi, Yzak... You in there? It's me.
[He fishes his... Phone or whatever, out of his pocket to check and see if Yzak actually sent him a message back, having not bothered to look until now.]
no subject
Hearing Dearka's voice for the first time in so long is quite another.
And for sure something he wasn't ready for, because that was part of the point of taking off for a few days. (that, and his mother has, thankfully, chose the perfect time to return to Martius City for some personal affairs when she's a bit lower on the list on Things He Wants To Deal With so Yzak was lucky enough to return to an empty home) But leave it to Dearka to show up anyway, because if anyone could sense something off in Yzak, it's him.
He did in fact send a message back. A short I've got some things to take care of. in hopes that sounding busy would at least deter him enough to just keep things to text. But lo and behold, he's arrived and Yzak can't even be surprised about that.
Part of him doesn't even want to answer the door. If he didn't already think of at least some ways he could mitigate questions or avoid some things for now altogether, he wouldn't. But he knows that despite everything, Dearka can be just as stubborn as he can if he's got the right motivation to be, and this would be one of those times. Still, there's a very long stretch of silence before Yzak calls back from behind the door. ]
Hang on a second.
[ Unfortunately there's not much he can do about the pair of scars just over his left eye aside from whatever obscuring his bangs does for it. But one thing he has figured out for the time being is an easy way to hide his prosthetic arm, which would be a lot more 'what the fuck' inducing. Someone doesn't disappear for a couple of days and come back having lost a limb, recovering from it, and getting a prosthetic put in place. Sure, the solution to that is just "wear long sleeves and a glove" but it's a temporary solution all the same, until he can figure out how he's going to explain it. So once he's gloved up, the door finally swings open.
And he can't help but stare for a long moment as if he's seeing some kind of ghost because it's been so long since he's actually seen Dearka outside of dreams and/or fucked up memory shares. A simultaneous hurt because it's by far the longest he's gone without his presence and support (though at least he didn't think he was dead this time around...) but a relief because he's there, right in front of him and probably more than ready to offer it now.
Yzak just isn't sure if he wants to go all in on accepting said support. At least not immediately. (because he knows he's going to get it one way or another)
So for now, once that initial beat passes and he mentally kicks himself to get it together: ]
What is it?
no subject
Dearka frowns, cocks an eyebrow, and stares right back for another long moment, searching his friend's face. He's not sure what he's expecting to find, exactly... Just, hints, he supposes, as to what he's about to walk into here. Unfortunately, he's not finding much... Although he does note it looks like there's something a bit weird going on above Yzak's one eye. He doesn't comment on that yet though; he just logs it, and finally speaks up, that easy-going smile of his returning.]
Just wanted to check in... Not like you to call out of work so suddenly like that. Got us all a bit worried.
[There's an unspoken addition: All of us, but especially me. Because even if Yzak does occasionally have to miss work for whatever reason, at the very least he'll almost always tell Dearka the details in private.]
no subject
Not even this can be easy, huh. When it feels like Yzak's lost so much already. Sure, Dearka is right here in front of him, but... in a way he feels like he's lost him too, after all this time.
He frowns, and it's not edged with the usual sharpness he'd have. ]
It's like I told the office, I had ... something come up that needed - needs my immediate attention.
[ There's an apologetic tone to his voice, because time may have passed, but he can still pick up that extra layer of unspoken concern coming from Dearka that hits more personally. Yzak takes a step back, an offer for him to come in if he pleases. ]
Were you on your way somewhere?
[ The question is also an offer; if Dearka was just making a pit stop here or would rather be elsewhere ... he'll come along. ]
no subject
Nowhere urgent to be today. I guess that's another reason why I'm here... I suppose I just missed seeing your smiling face.
[There's a sort of sardonic edge to his words, but he grins and winks as he moves to slip past, taking Yzak up on his invitation. Since Dearka's off-duty at the moment, he's in casual dress, and so he slouches by with one hand shoved in a pocket... But the other hand? That he uses to try and give his friend a little drive-by, reassuring pat on the shoulder as he passes...
...And then he stops short when he feels hard metal hidden beneath the fabric.]
Hmm...? [He squints.] Are you... Wearing body armor under here or something...?
no subject
!!
[ He immediately tenses up when Dearka's hand clamps down on his shoulder, feeling that extra weight press on where the housing system connects to the nerves in his body.
Shit.
Well, so much for that genius idea he had about keeping his arm under wraps until he could figure out how to explain it to anyone. Way to go, Yzak! Even it being Dearka hardly makes the sudden surge of panic feel any better. He jerks the arm away, sidestepping with a turn to pull back a small distance. And in that small window of time Dearka speaks and Yzak replies quickly, without thinking, in some desperate attempt to save this. ]
—Yes I am!
[ And then it hangs there for a long moment, his expression tense, strained, staring straight into Dearka's eyes. Yzak was never a good liar and still isn't. It's one thing if he had to lie or cover for something with Dearka, it was different when he had to go on a mission and act like he belonged there - that was business, that was work, that was for the sake of a goal. But something like this?
Even Yzak knows his expression betrays him right now and there's no proper way to bullshit his way out of this. ]
no subject
Not only is Yzak a terrible liar, but Dearka's not an idiot. That overblown reaction pings his attention immediately, and his expression grows both serious and suspicious.]
Yzak, what are you...?
[He looks the frazzled commander up and down, and that's when he fully clocks the gloves too. He doesn't know what they mean? But something about them in tandem with the shoulder thing and Yzak's cagey behavior fills him with an odd sense of foreboding.
Carefully, he reaches back and closes the door, not once taking his eyes off his friend while he does so.
He doesn't... Say anything. He wants to see what Yzak has to say first.]
no subject
And yet.
Countering Dearka's suspiciously concerned look, he lets out a sigh. Short, sharp, impatient. On edge. ]
It's not exactly body armor. But— just forget about it right now!
[ 'Right now', he relents that much at least instead of the kneejerk reaction of just demanding Dearka leave. But even after all this time (on his end) and everything that's happened ... he could never push Dearka away like that. And that fact is steadfast whether it's because he doesn't want to push anybody away because he feels so alone and lost as he does right now or if this was just a normal day on PLANT between the two of them, that's the strength of their bond.
Yzak turns around. ] I said I had things to take care of. Personal things.
[ But even when he says 'personal', there's a tightness there as though he feels bad about not elaborating, like he wants to speak of it. Yzak steps toward the nearest hallway, the one that leads to the lounge area and back to one of the bathrooms and the kitchen, but he pauses to look over his shoulder back to Dearka. ]
But now that you're here ... come in and sit down.
no subject
[It's another testament to their bond that Dearka doesn't doggedly insist Yzak explain himself right then and there. There's enough in Yzak's response for him to feel satisfied that he'll get at least something of an explanation eventually. How long 'eventually' will actually be remains to be seen, but. That's still enough for him to at least pull back with the questions, for the time being.
He is still worried, though. MORE worried than he was when he first headed over, that's for damn sure, because even beyond the weird reaction to the shoulder touch, Dearka can see that there's something off about Yzak's whole demeanor. There's something in him that wasn't there a few days ago... A deep pain in his eyes, which rattles Dearka with its unfamiliarity.
Dearka can't imagine what could possibly cause something like that. At least, he can't imagine anything that would cause it which he wouldn't also already know about by now, purely by virtue of their being on the same team and sharing many of the same connections.
Maybe... Is it just that the stress of the war finally getting to him...? No... As an accomplished ZAFT commander, it's hard to imagine Yzak's resolve wavering in such a way. The timing would make it especially strange too, coming on the heels of their team achieving such a massive win against the Earth Forces, foiling their plans and all.
Speculating will get him nowhere, he realizes. So he nods, and tries to smile reassuringly, even though it feels like there's very little to smile about at the moment.]
Alright. Right behind you.
[And so he follows Yzak's lead, as always.]
no subject
Just as he always is, like a powerful, supportive wind at his back. And done without missing a single beat. All per the norm for Dearka, and familiar enough to Yzak that it still wraps around his psyche with that feeling of assurance, though it feels thin and time-worn, like something put away for a long, long time.
And it's funny ... to Dearka, being here probably feels more comfortable than it does to Yzak and it's his damn home! Not even owing to the fact that Dearka comes by often enough and makes himself at home, since Yzak was so acclimated to where he's been that he still half wonders if it's just another dream (since he's had them often, of being back).
So he motions with his hand (the gloved one, the suspicious one) as he always did, the movement coming naturally to him as he signals for Dearka to do as he pleases; grab something from the kitchen, get himself a drink, get comfortable. While Yzak does the same for himself.
And since we're here to get to the meaty stuff, Yzak sneaks in a few questions about work that serves to also remind himself of what he was ... doing, before he left. Asking Dearka what he's handled and what the others at the office are taking care of. So he'll know in the near future what he'll need to focus on to get back into a stride and step properly back into life again.
Even if the life he looks ahead at isn't what he wants anymore. At least, not in this exact form because there's a enormous void in the center of it.
Yzak can usually talk about this or that easily with Dearka, which is why even to him this feels rigid, off, imbalanced, the longer the elephant in the room remains that Something Is Up Here, and that frustration can be noted in his expression, tighter than usual, a lot clearly going on behind those blue eyes of his, even when he takes a sip of his tea (because of course he made himself tea, some things truly never change). A reminder of something he's already well aware of: that time can sometimes be a cruel thing. ]