Escape artistry

3. Stargazers (then)

Tobirama wasn't at dinner.

The boy, who had always sat alone to have his meals but still always showed up for them, was nowhere to be seen. Izuna thought that was lucky, considering how the other boys were talking and sniggering among themselves. It felt strange, Izuna thought, to not be the main target anymore. He had been teased for his lithe, girl-like appearance throughout his life, and had somewhat gotten used to it. He wondered if Tobirama was used to it, too.

When bedtime approached, Izuna worried. But then, at three minutes before the lights had to go out, he came in, wearing the same t-shirt as he had done in the two classes he had attended. Of course he wouldn't miss his evening prayer.

Izuna was surprised at how much part of his own evening that chanting had become. He doubted he would have been able to sleep without it.

When Tobirama rose up from his knees to go to bed, the other three boys sniggered.

"Probably just saying made-up words", one of them said loudly.

"He probably doesn't even know how to speak."

They laughed. Izuna was boiling with anger. He wanted to tell them that what he said were actual words, that he recognised Latin. But when he opened his mouth to speak, Tobirama seemed to sense it. He caught Izuna's eye, and very subtly shook his head.

So Izuna closed his mouth, pulled his duvet up to his chin, and discontentedly fell asleep.

The litterateur professor didn't ask Tobirama anything again. He let him sit by his desk, alone, following along as the other students were asked to read snippets and asked questions about their homework. The boys still sniggered behind his back, or even in front of his face.

Tobirama never said or did anything to prevent it.

Maybe, Izuna thought, Tobirama genuinely didn't care? But he didn't believe that. He could see the hurt in Tobirama's face as clear as he could see his nose.

Then came the night that would change Izuna's life forever. The night that would render his favourite time of day from morning to night.

He woke up in the middle of that night. He wondered why; it wasn't time to get up and go to the roof yet. His internal clock had never been wrong before! But then, he noticed a feeling that something was wrong.

Or, not wrong, exactly. But different.

He sat up, and noticed Tobirama's bed was empty. He also noticed that the window was open.

He acted immediately, without thinking. He stood up, tip-toed to the window, expertly rounding the squeaky floorboard as always, and stepped out.

The night was warm; it was summer. But it was so deep into the night that the sun had dipped down below the surface that was the horizon, and you could only see it as a green rim. There were stars, and a crispness to the air he wasn't quite used to.

His feet took him to the ladder and up to the roof and there he was. Sitting and looking up at the stellar constellations.

His milky hair was blowing softly in the fresh breeze. He wore a long-sleeved cardigan that was a little torn at the sleeves, and it made him look vulnerable, somehow. That urge to befriend him dawned on Izuna once again.

But he also realised what a situation he was in. Would Tobirama beat him up for finding him here? He certainly looked as if he could do it.

But Tobirama acted as if he hadn't even noticed Izuna coming.

"Hi", Izuna said carefully.

He was ashamed it came out as a whisper, and wished he had brought his voice down few octaves; this boy was way too cool to want to talk to a girly boy like him.

"Hi", he said back, still looking at the stars.

Izuna was taken aback at the answer. He wanted to say something more, but didn't know what.

So instead, he climbed up and sat next to the milky boy looking at the Milky Way. He made sure not to touch Tobirama, not wanting to offend him, but Tobirama didn't move a muscle, not to shuffle away but not to come closer, either.

The two boys didn't say anything, just sat there looking at the stellar constellations.

Finally, Tobirama moved.

"I should try to get some sleep."

Izuna looked at the sunrise. Usually, he had just come out at this time. Should he stay?

No. He shouldn't.

"Me too", he said and followed Tobirama inside. 

It became a habit between them. Izuna's body immediately adapted, waking him up at a new, earlier time, noticing Tobirama wasn't in his bed. He would go through the window and up to the roof, and there, they would sit in silence.

They didn't say anything until Tobirama said he should try to get some sleep, and Izuna would agree. Then, they would climb down in silence and go to bed, and Izuna fell asleep immediately. Then, the next night, they would do the same thing all over again. It was Izuna's favourite thing in the world. He had never had a favourite thing in the world before, except for books.

At mealtimes and during lessons, they never talked, never sat next to one another but alone. Izuna sneaked glances at him sometimes, honestly in the hope of catching him doing the same, but he never did; Tobirama was absorbed in his own world.

Tobirama never said anything in any class, and Izuna continued to excel in literature. The mistress would complain as heartily as ever.

"Such a shame you don't have talents elsewhere! You could have gotten a scholarship to university if you had the same talent for mathematics and chemistry. Maybe, hard work is the answer."

It wasn't, both of them knew; Izuna had worked hard his entire short life and not gotten one single bit better.

Izuna knew Tobirama struggled reading as much as he struggled counting. He never held any books when there was someone else around, too frightened, Izuna was certain, that other boys would notice and make fun of him. Or, rather, make even more fun of him than they already did.

But Izuna had caught him once, in the common room. When he walked past, he noticed Tobirama sitting on a couch, the book in hand, his face so close to it, it was as if he was trying to pour the letters into his eyes.

Izuna couldn't help but peek at him. He saw he was trying to mouth words, over and over. Then, with a frustrated hissing noise, he clapped the book together, stood up and went towards the doorframe behind which Izuna was standing.

Izuna ran away as fast and silently as he could.