The Space Between [RanTaku] [MuneTaku]

t w e n t y - f i v e

i didn't realise I'd be writing this book for this long and it's just hit me that it'll be finished soon... wow. it's come a long way thank you guys for reading! It's gonna go up to chapter 30.

"Shindou! I'm so happy you're still alive!" Tenma said, flinging his arms over Shindou's neck when he saw him. The impact of the hug made Shindou's stomach lurch unpleasantly: he wasn't about be sick for the second time in the day.

"It's good to see you too, Tenma."

"Tenma, you should be more careful, you could've hurt him." Tsurugi said, walking in with Kirino, Kariya and a lot of food.

"Sorry, I got too excited, but Shindou's alive! Doesn't that make you happy!"

Tsurugi's face showed a hint of a smile, "Yeah."

"Nice to see you're back together." Shindou said, grinning as Tenma half-tackled Tsurugi to the ground with his hug.

"Yep! We're stronger than ever! We're going to Okinawa this summer to stay with my parents. That reminds me, Kyouske and I wanted to ask—"

"Just you, you wanted to ask." Tsurugi interjected, correcting him.

"Fine, fine, I wanted to ask if you wanted to come too, we have a lodge near this really nice waterfall and it's got— well nevernind that, you're all invited, and Ibuki can come too."

"So like a couples getaway? That sounds fun." Shindou said. He thought it would be nice to get away, he didn't realise how long he'd been out of school for and was more than shocked when Kirino told him that summer break was only two weeks away.

"I'll bring the drinks!" Kirino said jokingly.

"That's such a good idea! We should all get pissed off our heads."

"That reminds me, your mom told me to give you this." Kirino said, fumbling around in his pockets before handing him a small card, with the words 'do not, on any occasion, sell the individual in possession with this card any form of alcohol' written in bold capitals.

Shindou sighed, his mother really went all out this time.

"So no drinks, I guess." Kariya shrugged, leaning over Shindou's bed to read the card.

"No way, don't let me stop you from having your fun, I can be the sober friend that sits and films everything."

It was his fault that he'd ended up here, and as considerate his friends were being, he didn't see any problem if they wanted to drink. He was one of the unlucky few who were unable to get drunk, no matter how much they drank, making over drinking all the more dangerous since they couldn't physically see the damage it was causing.

"Can we eat? I'm starving."

They decided to watch a movie and settled on 'Jurassic World', another movie Kirino didn't like due to the severely flawed logic: why create animals that could potentially kill masses of humans and keep them in captivity? As dramatic as the film was, all Kirino could imagine were the millions and millions of lawsuits and all the people who'd gotten eaten. Sometimes he hated being an overthinker.

"You know you can't roll your eyes through the whole movie." Kariya said, noticing his boyfriend had a constant 'not impressed' expression since the movie started.

"Just watch me."

Kariya responsed by shifting closer towards him and wrapping his arms around his waist and planting a ghost of a kiss on his neck, making Kirino flinch.

"I told you to stop doing that."

"You didn't say you didn't like it." Kariya smirked, kissing him again, "I can't keep my hands off you." He whispered.

"Well maybe you should try to, and don't give me that look! I'm not gonna disappear." Kirino said, sighing at how childish Kariya was being. He supposed that was what happened dating a younger person.

Shindou couldn't help feeling slightly jealous. Everyone around him were so immersed in their partners that they had forgotten the movie was still playing. Tenma had gotten tired and put three chairs together to lie across, his head resting on Tsurugi's lap. Tsurugi had also eventually dozed off with his arms folded. Kirino and Kariya were whispering silently in the corner of the room, and it made Shindou smile seeing Kirino look so incredibly flustered. Seeing everyone so loved up made him miss Ibuki more, wishing he'd finish his shift quickly. He knew that Ibuki had a ton of schoolwork piled up recently, along with his job to help his parents pay off his uni fee. How he managed to balance his work and school life while also having time to see him was a mystery to him.

He reached for his phone on the small cabinet next to his bed and sent a text to Ibuki.

'Are you nearly finished?'

Ibuki: 'in four hours'

'That's too long :('

Ibuki: 'you've got everyone else there right?'

'But they're not you.'

Ibuki: 'i can't change when my shift ends. I promise I'll come as quick as I can, okay?'

'Okay'

Ibuki: 'i'll see you later, love you'

'Love you too'

Shindou sighed and tossed his phone across his bed, taking a moment to look at his arm and all the wires and tubes he had coming out of it, glad he only had to stay there for two more days.

After a few more hours, Shindou's company we're hastily ushered out of the room by one of the nurses while Shindou sat waiting for Ibuki to finish work. It had already been more than four hours, so what was taking him so long? The buzz of his phone brought him back to reality

Ibuki: 'can't come and visit, got an assignment due in a few hours that I completely forgot about and I need to finish it, sorry'

'It's fine, I was just about to go to to sleep anyways.'

Ibuki: 'you don't sound too happy.'

'How can you tell that through a text?'

Ibuki: 'because I know you. You only say it's fine when it's not fine.'

'I was expecting a goodnight hug.'

Ibuki: 'I'll give you a virtual one then

'It's not the same.'

Ibuki: 'well of course it's not'

'By the way, we're going to Okinawa'

Ibuki: 'huh? Why? When?'

'Summer break, take time off work because you're coming with me'

Ibuki: 'can we talk about it later? I need to finish this assignment.'

'Seems like uni is going great lol'

Ibuki: 'haha very funny, Takuto. I'm gonna go now, I'll see you tomorrow.'

'Okay. Goodnight, I love you.'

'Goodnight, love.'