"Do you like him, Ember?" Nia repeated, tilting her head slightly.
Ember frowned, resting his cheek in the palm of his hand.
"It doesnt matter if I like him... I mean come on! The dude clearly has a bad track record with relationships, his ex-boyfriend literally tried to kill me today! And I am almost positive theres others in the Aviators he's messed with."
"But does that make him bad for you?" She replied, leaning back into the sofa and sipping on her tea now that it had a chance to cool down.
"Yes, it does. I don't want chaos and instability, nor do I want to be with someone who hurt his ex-partner enough to put him into a psychotic rage. I have enough of that going on in my life as is."
"Did you tell him that?"
Ember grit his teeth, his frown deepening as he shut his eyes. The boy eventually exhaled, attempting to calm himself as he answered.
"No, I didn't." He admitted.
"Well, I can agree with your philosophy. But I also think he deserves to know that. It would make you both feel better." Nia mediated, observing Ember a moment before setting down the now empty cup.
"Not that you need to apply this into the situation, but all relationships are messy sometimes. You are never going to find someone who can provide you with stability at all times. In fact, there are going to be times they need that from you." She added.
Ember idly nodded, sipping his tea as well, eventually leaning back and ingesting the entire cup in one gulp. He exhaled again, setting his empty cup beside Nia's.
"That's why I just don't do relationships," He admitted.
"I don't want to get hurt but... I'd feel even worse if I was the one hurting someone. That's why I like him, cause I know I hurt him and that hurts me. Even if I know I can't be with him."
"That's human, Ember. You should just tell him that!"
"I'll think about it." The pilot decided, abruptly standing up.
"I should get to bed. I have to be up early." Ember announced, turning to face Nia.
"Oh, of course baby! We don't want you tired for your big day. Just dont forget about that rent, alright?"
"Definitely. Thank you Nia, for everything. " Ember smiled softly.
The elderly landlord stood up, pulling her tenant into one last hug before saying their goodbyes. Ember left the apartment, idly untying the bun he made of his hair as he approached his own apartment door. The man then pulled out his key, unlocking the door and stepping inside.
The room was dimly lit, only the kitchen light appearing to be on. Ember's gaze would wander to said kitchen, the pilot rolling his eyes at the sight of stacked dishes overflowing the kitchen sink, a few dirty dishes even extending across the island that divided it from the living room. Not only that, an empty bottle of wine could be seen sitting on the corner of the kitchen counter, placed in solitude beside the refrigerator.
Ember didn't dwell on it, hanging up his coat as he walked through the living room, finding his mother passed out on the couch. For once he was happy to see Mira in this state, knowing that his landlord dealing with his drunk mom would've only made things exponentially worse. She wore a beaten up white tank top and pink pajama pants, the middle aged woman's mouth agape as her arm was resting upon her forehead.
Ember only examined her long enough to make sure his mother was okay before strolling into his bedroom, making sure to avoid stepping on any clothes that were strawn across the living room. Once inside his bedroom, Ember wasted no time collapsing face first into his twin sized bed. It was draped with a chestnut brown comforter which padded his fall. The boy laid in bed, eventually turning his head to rest his cheek upon a single pillow.
"Tindel, lights on."
A trail of fairly lights suddenly illuminated the room, the pilot squinting slightly as he adjusted to the illumination. The room was covered in posters of his favorite bands and artists, some punk while others were more soul oriented. There were also pictures of the various planes that Ember grew up loving, a couple including pictures of Ember as a young child, no older than ten, standing beside his father in front of the man's own airplane.
The plane was similarly colored to Ember's aircraft, a light brown with a boomerang shape. His father would be smiling just as bright as his son, his arm wrapped around his childs neck so that they were cheek to cheek. Ember smiled somberly as his eyes landed on that photo, the pilot's eyes shutting in relaxation as he had the reassurance of the sparkling lights and photos around him.
The morning was hectic. Ember was trying to get prepared, having on a dark brown button up paired with his father's jacket and his usual brown cuffed pants, held in place by the suspenders resting on Ember's shoulders. He was fixing his hair in the mirror, carefully putting it into a bun once again as he tried to perfect his bangs.
"Ember, can you please stay? Your body already got all cut up yesterday after just one day on the job! Im worried about you!" His mother approached, her eyes struck with fear for her son.
"Mom, I already told you, I fell on land. My job had nothing to do with it." He lied, brows knitting further in frustration as Mira continued to pester him.
The woman felt tears prick her eyes, Mira suddenly hugging Ember tightly from behind.
"Please... please don't go..." She whispered, Ember still able to smell the scent of alcohol as she buried her face into his back.
He sighed, shutting his eyes as he attempted not to lash out on her. The mornings were always hard, everyday being a transition from Mira being angry, to sad, to scared. Sometimes all three.
He bit the bullet, slowly turning to hug his mother back. Ember embraced her as she began sobbing, the boy resting his chin atop her head.
"Mom, it's going to be okay... I'll be back..." He cooed.
"N-No you're not..." She choked up.
"Yes I am. You know I've always gotten back. This isn't going to be any different."
"But your dad..."
"I'm going to get him back too." He added, leaning back to stare down at Mira, a determined look from Ember being shown for emphasis.
"I promise, I'm going to make us a family again."