blue skies

4: uncertainty, laughter

Reunions and baby steps.

____________________________________________________________

4: uncertainty, laughter

He touches Kai’s face slowly, gently; exploring the rise of his cheeks, the slope of his nose, his closed eyes. Kai patiently lets him. Aichi’s hands smell of freshly laundered sheets, and when two quiet fingers come to rest on his lips and linger there, he wonders what it means.

Aichi sits up with a small smile before turning to where he senses his mother is and reaching out to do the same. She gladly lends her face to curious hands and gives a watery smile as his patting reminds her of the time her son was a child and fit in her arms and patted her face the same way only with much smaller hands.

Aichi feels his mother’s cheeks heat and cool before he realizes she’s crying. He all but rises from his bed and gives her a fierce embrace which she returns with the same intensity.

Kai quietly excuses himself from the hospital room and joins Miwa sitting on one of the waiting benches in the hallway.

“It’s been some tough weeks,” Miwa remarks.

Three weeks and a half, to be exact. It’s already Wednesday.

Kai thinks it feels much, much longer.

“You skipped class yesterday,” Miwa continues. “If I’d known it was because Aichi woke up, I would’ve skipped too.” There is a pause and a small laugh. “Well, I’m skipping now.”

Kai looks at him.

“I was worried, you know. Can’t leave you alone with yourself. Goodness knows what happens when you think too much!” Miwa grins and Kai tuts in annoyance.

“What did you think I was going to do, kill myself?”

The smile ebbs from Miwa’s face as he looks down at his hands. “You looked like you were going to. Everyday.” As if doing so would bring him back. “That or murder everybody.”

Miwa weakly laughs again before checking his phone. Kai sighs before leaning back in his seat.

“Well?” he asks.

“Kamui and Shingo are taking the soonest flight back from New York. Naoki, Misaki, and Kourin are heading over here the minute classes are over. Gouki’s coming along with everyone from Otoko Mae—“ Kai’s eyes widen slightly. “—Rekka already knows since she heard it from Emi. They’ll be dropping by with Suiko and Mai after class as well. Ren and the others will be here around evening. Tetsu says he’s doing team captain stuff for once.”

“Isn’t that a little too many people?”

Miwa shuts his phone with a snap. “They’re not just people, they’re friends. Friends who’ve been worried about Aichi as much as we have.” There’s a ring and Miwa flips open his phone again. “…Izaki and Morikawa are dropping by too. ‘What happened. Why is he in the hospital. Does this mean we don’t have club today?’” he reads in a deadpan.

Kai frowns. “Who’s that?”

“Morikawa,” Miwa says with a smirk.

“What does he mean ‘what happened’? Doesn’t he know?”

Miwa lets out a huff of amusement. “You gotta give credit to Izaki for this one. They were at Okinawa when the Void business broke out. Izaki wouldn’t let Morikawa cardight anyone but him. It was a good thing too they were too busy to fight in the first place.”

“Okinawa? Why would they be at Okinawa?”

“Izaki’s uncle owns a small beach resort near Manza and they were asked to help out. It was summer break after all…”