Putting Pen To Paper - Naegami Story

Eyeteeth Arc - 12

With the zipper scratching the nook underneath his chin and jaw, Togami stepped out into the blizzard that beat down onto the terrain of what used to be the Liberation Force's base. Through the sheets of snow whipping around him, he saw the shape of a tall building being stacked up into the air. And closer to him, he could make out the shapes of tents and smaller, simpler buildings.

"What an awful time to be building this." He said, but no one was around to hear. His lips were chapped and they hurt when he rubbed them together. His eyelids were pink and puffy, his glasses gathering snowflakes on their surface, so he could truly barely see the world around him. Shivering, heavy bags clenched in his hands, he approached the first building. His drive to the camp had abandoned him once he had gathered his things, reputation earning him no extra amiability.

After he struggled to twist open the doorknob for far too long, someone opened it for him. A slight warmth greeted him as his glasses were inexplicably taken off his head, and through snow frosted lashes he saw a woman cleaning the lenses. Her cheeks were flushed, hair wet and loose around her round head. "Good morning." he said. "Can you show me where Makoto Naegi is?"

When she said his name, she perked up, taking his bags and returning his glasses before guiding him deeper into the building, passing by tables of all sorts, some round and small, some long and spanning the length of the floor. Past another set of doors, and the next room was much warmer and was much less sparse than the last. A kitchen, it looked like, big pots of boiling water and plenty of canned and plastic wrapped food.

It wasn't long before the voice he had been anticipating hearing for the past few weeks worked its way into his ringing ears. "Lim! Is shift two already here?"

Heat worked its way to Byakuya's cheeks, any remaining flakes melting to small beads of clear water.

Slow padding of shoes against the floor sounded through the room, and his heart hastened. Then, emerging from curtains concealing the rest of the space, was him.

He crossed the distance between them in a heartbeat.

"My love-"

Before he could wrap his arms fully around him, a hand was pressed to his chest, keeping their bodies separate. "Togami?" Makoto looked up at him, causing Byakuya to almost vomit. His eyes were sunken, dark purple sagging the skin beneath them. His hair, longer than it used to be and tied behind his head, obvious knots poking out from where they were tugged back into a tie. His lips were blanched, and he could smell the sweat and exertion of his body. Beneath his shirt, which was much too thin for the conditions, he could see the knobs of his shoulders. Voice breaking, he said, "Don't take me away."

"Makoto, I'm not here to take you anywhere."

"Then what are you doing? I have work to get to." He turned, the palm of his hand falling from where it held him and moving to a box of pasta, flimsily tearing open the top.

"Then let me help,"

"What do you know about cooking?"

"I could ask the same of you." Byakuya's voice turned harsh, and he turned to the bags he had disregarded as soon as he had seen Makoto. He unclipped the latch of one, letting it fall open with the weight of its luggage. He pulled a wool sweater out, and held it out to Naegi, who was busying himself with cooking the noodles. "Here, for you. Put it on."

Skeptically, he looked at it before grabbing it (careful to not touch his hand and only the fabric) and then tugging it over his head. It hung a little loose on him.

"I thought I had the right size."

"Think you did."

"It's just boiling noodles, I can't mess that up. And I've made you meals that you've enjoyed before, haven't I?" Togami turned, swallowing thickly, to the many remaining boxes that all had notes on them reading, second shift . It was in handwriting all too wonderful and perfect.

A sigh. "Fine, take a box and put it in that one."

As he poured, he realized the woman who had brought him there had left. "Where'd she go?"

"She's busy." His eyes flickered over to look at him as he wrapped his knuckles on the counter idly. "Don't you have work to do at the Foundation?"

"I'll get it done. I've been doing extra time, anyway."

"I thought that you had been distracted."

"I've been okay."

"You shouldn't have come."

"I've gotten the feeling that that's what you believe." He studied him as they both swirled wooden spoons in their respective pots. Naegi was entirely focused on the food. His knuckles that gripped the smooth wood were pink, his brows furrowed. "I missed you."

"I know."

"More than everything."

That earned him another small glance. "I know."

"I brought you jackets and gloves, and pants, sweaters, shirts, socks, the whole lot. Since you didn't come prepared."

"I've been fairing fine with what I have."

Togami said incredulously, "Is that so? You look deathly."

"Hmm." Turning, he grabbed a jar of sauce and let its contents slough into a different pot. "Grab another box, will you? Second shift will be here any second."