Hopelessly Obsessed (KomaHina)

10: Darkness

Hajime's POV:

Komaeda and I continue to talk in a lighthearted tone, the original reason I invited him here forgotten. He looked happy and relaxed, and maybe I was staring at him a bit too much and made things uncomfortable from time to time, but whatever. "So Hinata-kun," he says lightly, the rain outside deafening, "When are your parents coming back?" His fluffy hair bounces slightly as he tilts his head to the side. Since it recently dried from being washed, it's extra fluffy, and it takes a conscious effort not to play with it all the time. "That's a good question," I mumble, barely audible over the downpour, "I should ask them."

I take out my phone to text them, watching Komaeda from the corner of my eye. He's sitting cross-legged on the couch, rocking back and forth. I grin at the sight, and after texting my parents, I give him my full attention. He sits still when he sees me looking at him. "W-What?" he stammers, a pink dust spreading across his cheeks. "Nothing," I say, still smiling at him, "Anyway, it'll probably be a while before my parents get back to me."

"Do you have any clue what they're doing?"

"Not at all. They don't really communicate with me much. I mean, we talk and stuff, we just don't really tell each other what goes on in our separate lives."

"Do you have siblings?" He asks, to which I shake my head.

"Well, that's kind of sad. If you're their only son and they don't really talk to you..."

I brush my fingers against one of my cuticles. "Well, I guess so, but I don't really talk to them that much either. If neither of us make an effort, I can't really blame them for our strange relationship."

"Have you tried to communicate?"

Have I tried? Yes. Did it work? No.

See, I couple of years ago, I came out to my parents as bisexual. They weren't homophobic or biphobic or anything, they just didn't understand it and thought it was weird. They don't say anything bad about it, it's just I can only talk about liking boys so much before it gets uncomfortable. Their reaction kind of made me mad at myself for being bisexual, even though I know I can't help it. That added on to the fact that we don't really have much in common anyway, and you get a strange parent-child relationship.

"Hinata-kun?"

"Huh? Sorry, I was just..."

He drops his gaze and speaks quickly, "I-I'm sorry if I'm asking weird questions or forcing you to talk about things you don't want to, trash like me should know his place-"

"Really, it's fine." I talk over him, silencing his self-hatred. "And don't call yourself that. You are not trash, Komaeda."

He gives me a blank look that tells me just how much he doesn't believe me.

"To answer your question," I say, trying to sound casual (to end the awkward silence and to make Komaeda think he hadn't asked anything too personal), "Yes, I've tried talking to them. But I don't know, we're very different people, it's hard to get along. Oh, but it's not tense all the time! We're still, y'know, a family."

He hums softly in response, followed by: "But they're still in your life, and they love you?"

I nod, "Of course." I start to think I've said the wrong thing, because he looks down at the floor, seemingly miserable again. "Lucky..." I hear him say under his breath but pretend I didn't.

"Oh, I got a response," I say idly, grateful for the change of subject. "Let's see..." I hum, "They said they won't be back until around midday tomorrow."

"Speaking of that," he says, also sounding grateful for the subject change despite the fact he started the last line of questioning, "What time is it?"