Nowhere Haven

Bellyache Scenarios

Oliver casted another glance outside the window in suspicion. Rays of sunshine dazzled his eyes, but the cars outside on the public parking lot were shimmering with a crystal layer covering them. He wasn't the type of person to check the weather report, however, these bizarre changes of temperature haven't been too reliable lately. For a second he wondered whether to bring a thicker jacket.

A shudder shot through his body when thinking about having to go to the closet in Fukase's room. Looking down on the car keys in his hands, Oliver reminisced about the argument with Fukase a few days ago.

Things have been different since then. Neither Oliver nor Fukase brought the issue in the car ever up again, so silence buried the tension eventually. Even so, the blond still kept thinking about his partner's reaction. The sadness in his eyes hit Oliver hard, making it even more difficult for him to provide the right consolation. He felt like he betrayed Fukase by being so straightforward. He knew best that bringing up the past was a bad mistake. If it didn't end in a slap in the face, something inside of him died at the sight of Fukase.

Oliver checked the fridge and sighed at its empty appearance. He couldn't remember the last time he went grocery shopping. Oliver himself most often merely bought takeout; he wasn't too sure how his constantly shut-in lover survived. He didn't bother asking either - not that a healthy lifestyle was a priority for the two of them anyway.

Even so, Oliver packed a bit more of money into his wallet and got ready for work. Fukase had disappeared in his room quite a while ago and didn't make any signs of coming out soon, so he just yelled across the apartment that he'd come home late. He didn't receive an answer, but also hoped for none. That was a sign that things were about to get normal again at least.

Checking the time on his phone, Oliver gulped nervously and remained in the car a little longer. He was a few minutes early and didn't want to come across a certain coworker that always showed up around that time. Oliver hadn't gone to work for a little while; he expected Kazehiki to assail him with questions regarding it. With all his willpower, the blond tried to avoid that. He didn't have the mental strength to bear another obsessive person.

Eventually, Oliver got to work as well and quickly started to catch up to his normal routine. Despite him doing the same work for years, he always needed time to catch up again whenever he had a few days off. His eyes travelled across his surroundings in regular time stamps. He felt glances fixed on him, but couldn't find Kazehiki anywhere. Instead, he noticed another coworker to be turning back to him every now and then. She was a familiar face, but he didn't know her name. He doubted she knew his as well.

Trying to get rid of his assumptions, Oliver got up and walked off to the building's terrace. He wasn't a smoker and thus never used the cigarette break, but he made an exception this time. It was still fairly early, so he hoped for there to not be too many people outside yet.

Oliver breathed in sharply the icy air. Breathing was painful whenever strong waves of wind clashed against his face, but he embraced it as a good way to clear his head. However, this peaceful silence wasn't granted too long to him as a familiar figure entered the terrace as well. Kazehiki let out a heavy sigh as he got out. He halted for a second in surprise as he spotted the blond staring at him.

"Hey, you're back. Where have you been all this time?"

"I still had unused holidays," Oliver said and calmed down a bit again. Kazehiki appeared fairly relaxed and not as curios and concerned as he expected. Instead, the man focused on his cigarette and tried to light it up while fighting against the wind. Oliver's eyes fixated on the floor. This sight didn't seem right to him. Smoking didn't suit Kazehiki at all.