[ Jaime doesn't quite grimace. Instead, his mouth bunches up to one side, his brow creased in both understanding and sympathy - or, no. Not quite sympathy. Empathy. It hurts when people leave, when you're left with nothing but an empty house filled with the echoes of what's been lost. It must be harder still when it's family.

When his parents had been here, they'd lived next door, but he had never made the move to move in with them, nor did he ask them to move in with him. Maybe he should have. Heck, maybe it would have been expected. But there was a part of him that knew with a terrible sort of certainty that he would be here long after they left and the idea of going back to what he had once considered to be normal only to be left alone again seemed too painful a notion.

Ruka had doubtlessly expected Rua to leave. Frankly, Jaime had too. It seems like the closer you are to someone back home, the more likely it is that their stay here will be a short, fleeting thing. For Jaime, it had been worth it. For Ruka... he's not so sure. ]

It only sucks being around an empath if they always point out how you're feeling. You never do that. But I get how it'd make things harder for you. [ He bumps her shoulder with her own, a small gesture that can be mistaken for carelessness. It's what he specializes in. ]

I'm sorry about Rua.