(no subject)

[redpeacoat]

Who: Shinjiro and Akihiko
Where: Their apartment
When: Evening
Summary: Akihiko is getting sick...but not from lack of contact.
Warnings: Swearing is always a possibility with these two.

Shinjiro minds his own business most of the time,especially with his friends. He'd like for Akihiko to be a bit more on top of things, think more realistically...perhaps eat his vegetables every once in a while...but he's not Aki's parent. Akihiko can take care of himself a bit better than before. He got by while he was comatose, after all.

But lately, he can't help but notice that his best friend is pushing himself too hard. He looks frustrated and sluggish more and more as time passes. Occasionally he'd rag on him for overdoing things, but now he's beginning to worry.

When Akihiko returns home, instead of being passive and sitting on the couch, he rises and approaches him.

"Hey."

They needed to talk.

Comments

Shinjiro you're a buttface >:c

[emperor_with_no_groove]

Like hell Akihiko was going to take that lying down. He immediately moved forward and grabbed a hold of the sheets, pulling them partially off of his friend. He'd had enough of the same cryptic shit that Shinji started spewing at him, ever since he left SEES.

"Start talking, Shinji." It was a command, not a request. "Or you're not getting any sleep tonight. And if you even think about escaping back to your room, I'll just follow you there too."

As further proof of his stubborn nature, Akihiko leaned against him, resting his arms over his chest. Not bearing down hard enough to impede his friend's ability to breathe, but definitely driving the point across that he was serious about wrangling the truth out of him.

*RASPBERRIES*

[redpeacoat]

For once, Shinjiro shows a bit of shock at his friend's actions. He jumps a bit as Aki keeps him put. He's not holding on very tightly, and it would be easy to leave, but Shinji remains, giving the boxer a look of annoyance.

"I didn't expect her to..." Die. "Not be there. Anymore."

[emperor_with_no_groove]

“......”

Looking just as solemn, Akihiko nodded mutely. It didn’t surprise him to know that her disappearance affected his friend so much as well. Minako had that effect, leaving an impact on the lives of all the people she touched, whether or not she did it consciously.

“You guys went out together a lot,” he remarked, remembering all the times he had wanted to suggest going to get ramen… only to find both Shinji and their leader absent from the dorm. That, combined with speculation from the juniors, even the oblivious boxer had to wonder… “Was there… something going on? Between you and Minako, I mean.”

[redpeacoat]

"..." Something going on? Well, there might have been, had things continued on. She was nice, understanding, and entertaining. Shinjiro liked to hear her talk about her day; she made everyday things sound less tedious and more fascinating. She encouraged him to share his gifts, and to open up. With her around, he was starting to feel more like one of the group again, even though he didn't want that to happen due to the way things were going.

And she saved his life. Indirectly, but if she hadn't gone through the trouble of finding his watch...

But his time with her was brief. And that's all it will have been when he goes home. Even if she didn't die, she was still living her life while he was unconscious. There were others in her life to be there for her. And she more than likely gravitated to them. A sleeping boy can't provide for anyone.

"There might have been."

[emperor_with_no_groove]

"Might have?" He repeated, maintaining a curious gaze. Though, there was mild confusion in his expression now. It wasn't like he understood anything about romantic relationships, other than what he saw and heard from people around him. Shinji had always insisted that girls complicated life. So did that mean they weren't worth pursuit, just because it was challenging?

Akihiko lowered his gaze thoughtfully. The cogs inside his head were turning. He was ignorant and inexperienced, but not outright stupid. Things didn't bother Shinji in the same way - at least, not very easily. Then again, that might be part of the front he put up, acting like he was unaffected in order to hide the truth.

"She could come back, you know," he mused out loud, trying to keep his tone light and optimistic. That was his role, his duty, to look at the glass half-full and motivate everyone to trot forward, even when it seemed like darkness would overtake them. "And if she does, then you'll have a second chance to be with her. Just... stop holding back and pushing everyone away. How else is she gonna know how you feel?"

Girls and romance weren't exactly common topics of discussion for them, but Akihiko wanted to be supportive of his childhood friend. If Shinji was happy being with Minako, then he would encourage them to get closer. Be together, if that's what they both wanted. Because Shinji didn't see the way she cried over his... well, death, from what he remembered. Even so, in this other timeline, she had to have felt just as devastated.

"You mean a lot to her, Shinji. Don't ever doubt that." With the reassurance, he started pulling away, face turned to the side and unreadable, in deeper contemplation.

[redpeacoat]

He didn't want her to come back, because she would be stuck again. He wanted her to stay in Iwatodai, and be happy and alive. But it seemed that it would not be a possibility.

Did he love her? Love wasn't something Shinjiro was well versed in, either. With the way things were going, he didn't care about looking presentable to people. Having someone get attached to him when he thought that his time would soon be over would just mean that he would have caused more pain.

He hated the word. It was too complicated. Love. There was paternal love, which he did not know. There was passion, which he knew in terms of a hobby but nothing more. Love between two people certainly wasn't the same as the love for a pet either.

He was being quiet again, staring blankly past Akihiko and at the wall. He pulled his arm out from under the sheets and touched the side of Aki's, feeling the warmth of the energy they created.

[emperor_with_no_groove]

He wasn’t a mind reader, damn it. Whenever Shinji got quiet like this, it was hard to figure out what was going through his head. Akihiko sighed, thinking this might be the end of his probing for now, until the unexpected reach toward his elbow.

“Hmm?”

He blinked slowly, almost in surprise, and then moved his arm lower to clasp their hands together. Warmth flowed through his bare skin, drawing a small smile of affection across his lips. Direct contact felt a little unusual at initial touch, as always, serving as a reminder of his gloveless state.

Akihiko stayed silent for some time before finally admitting, “I don’t want to lose you too. Not again.”

[redpeacoat]

Hands clasped, Shinjiro pulled himself closer to Akihiko, so much that Akihiko could probably feel his breath on the back of his neck.

"Remember? You'd get in my bed and share the extra blankets." He asked, lowering his eyes and enjoying the warmth.

[emperor_with_no_groove]

A sudden shiver startled him, but he recovered and squeezed his hand, nodding in agreement.

“Heh… yeah. Especially after…” he trailed off at the reminder of his sister. After clearing his throat, he continued, “You were always looking out for me. It felt… well, safer. Being with you. Especially when I had nightmares…”

Fire, always roaring fire plaguing his subconscious mind. Melting, consuming, suffocating – keeping him at bay, weak and defenseless. He would never forget that night.

[redpeacoat]

"You needed it." Caretakers could only do so much. They wouldn't always be there. When you're little, you need someone to help you out. Somehow, Shinjiro assumed that role, even though he too was just a child.