Izumo woke up with a jolt, sitting upright before he’d fully regained thoughts, his heart racing. It was with some difficulty that he brushed the sweat-soaked hair off his forehead, resting his hand there for a moment.
What day was it…? Doesn’t really matter. Since he’s awake, he might as well take a shower and head to the bar. It’s not like it’d be empty, no matter the time. And well…if it is empty, he can at least do things there; there’s always something in the bar that needs to get cleaned for more reason than he needs something to do.
Mind made up, he got out of bed. On his way to his shower, the date flashed in the corner of his vision. December 7th.
[blah blah blah nnot interesting currently sooooo]
He stopped, feet almost stuck to the ground at the sight before him. Tatara was in the bar, laughing as he swept up something that he’d probably gotten onto the floor with that ridiculous smile spread across his face.
He never thought he’d see it in person ever again, and the few pictures and recordings they had of him would never ever be the same.
No sound came out the first time he tried to speak. He swallowed, a lump rising in his throat. “Totsuka?”
The boy gave him a bright smile, different from the last one slightly. “Good morning, Kusanagi-san. Did you sleep well?”
Inside of him, a mass of words were trying to bubble out—you’re alive, you’re alive, you’re here, it must have been good sleep if my best friends aren’t dead anymore, I hope this isn’t a dream, but this probably isn’t reality…the words bubbled and boiled inside of him like his emotions and flames had so many times, and he tamped them down, just like his flames. Instead, he smiled, walking over and ruffling Tatara’s hair. “You bet.”
Tatara gave him a mildly disbelieving look and shrugged. “That’s good. Since you’re here, maybe we should get most of the stuff for Anna’s birthday today while both of them are still sleeping.”
“Sure,” Izumo agreed, looking down at his friend. “But if you’re planning on filming something for her tonight, I’m coming with you.”
Starting backward, Tatara stared up at Izumo. “Did I tell you about that…?” he asked, trailing off into thought at the end.
“It ain’t that hard to think you might want to, seeing as how you’ve been recording things a lot outside of this place recently.”
[skipping for now because]
Izumo swore, hovering over his friend’s body, already calling an ambulance. He was here this time. He’d been here and Tatara was still shot, still bleeding out on this rooftop, maybe still going to die.
He was here, and he wasn’t even able to stop his friend from being shot. Here he’d been thinking (hoping) that maybe this was another chance—a chance to actually see his friends grow old, or at least older, than they had in that nightmare.
The paramedics arrived, and rushed Tatara away. Izumo stood there, shock still freezing his muscles and stopping his mind from acting. It wore off. He pushed past the people there maybe to make sure he was okay, maybe to make sure he wasn’t going to rush off after the guy who did it (what good would that do? He knew how Homra would function after it lost Tatara and Mikoto, why would he ever try and see if they would work any better after losing him?), maybe to make sure he wasn’t doing what he was doing right now—following Tatara.
People stopped him, multiple times, but he gently (maybe less gently) got them to let go of him and so he continued, until he reached the actual ambulance with Tatara inside.
[‘ll add this stuff later more importantly--]
Sitting on the hospital bed beside him, Izumo carefully hugged Tatara, taking extra care to make sure he didn’t jostle his friend and his wound. Tatara’s head was almost pressed into Izumo’s chest; Izumo’s head was almost resting on top of Tatara’s. Taking a shaky breath, Izumo mumbled, “Never leave me again.”
Cautiously, Tatara wrapped his own arms around Izumo, leaning away slightly to speak. “I’d never leave you or King or the rest of Homra behind. Not on purpose. You know that Kusanagi-san.” There was almost a smile on Tatara’s face, despite the worried look not quite hidden in his eyes.
Izumo bopped him on the head, too gently to earn a cry of pain from Tatara. “Then don’t scare all of us like this again.”
Tatara frowned at him and rubbed his forehead against Izumo’s collarbone. “I didn’t do it on purpose!”
That earned a short bark of laughter from Izumo. “Yeah. Doesn’t make it any better for those of us waiting.”
“Well…” Tatara tugged lightly on some of Izumo’s hair, leaning backward to try and look him in the eyes. “It worked out, didn’t it?”
It’ll work out…sorry. The words from that dream rang in his head, but Izumo smiled anyway. “I guess it did.” This time.
The door opened, Mikoto pausing in the doorway with a raised eyebrow.
Izumo rolled his eyes. “Come over here, Mikoto. You should hug him too.” With that dream, he needed to hug them both. They were here still—they didn’t leave him alone.
--
I'd add more but I haven't been thinking of things that'd work in the blanks and Idunno okay. Sounds off to me but I don't really care at this point orz I just wanted to kinda finish something. maybe'll try and start writing that other option. on the bright side this is way happier than I thought it'd be?
Never leave me again
What day was it…? Doesn’t really matter. Since he’s awake, he might as well take a shower and head to the bar. It’s not like it’d be empty, no matter the time. And well…if it is empty, he can at least do things there; there’s always something in the bar that needs to get cleaned for more reason than he needs something to do.
Mind made up, he got out of bed. On his way to his shower, the date flashed in the corner of his vision. December 7th.
[blah blah blah nnot interesting currently sooooo]
He stopped, feet almost stuck to the ground at the sight before him. Tatara was in the bar, laughing as he swept up something that he’d probably gotten onto the floor with that ridiculous smile spread across his face.
He never thought he’d see it in person ever again, and the few pictures and recordings they had of him would never ever be the same.
No sound came out the first time he tried to speak. He swallowed, a lump rising in his throat. “Totsuka?”
The boy gave him a bright smile, different from the last one slightly. “Good morning, Kusanagi-san. Did you sleep well?”
Inside of him, a mass of words were trying to bubble out—you’re alive, you’re alive, you’re here, it must have been good sleep if my best friends aren’t dead anymore, I hope this isn’t a dream, but this probably isn’t reality…the words bubbled and boiled inside of him like his emotions and flames had so many times, and he tamped them down, just like his flames. Instead, he smiled, walking over and ruffling Tatara’s hair. “You bet.”
Tatara gave him a mildly disbelieving look and shrugged. “That’s good. Since you’re here, maybe we should get most of the stuff for Anna’s birthday today while both of them are still sleeping.”
“Sure,” Izumo agreed, looking down at his friend. “But if you’re planning on filming something for her tonight, I’m coming with you.”
Starting backward, Tatara stared up at Izumo. “Did I tell you about that…?” he asked, trailing off into thought at the end.
“It ain’t that hard to think you might want to, seeing as how you’ve been recording things a lot outside of this place recently.”
[skipping for now because]
Izumo swore, hovering over his friend’s body, already calling an ambulance. He was here this time. He’d been here and Tatara was still shot, still bleeding out on this rooftop, maybe still going to die.
He was here, and he wasn’t even able to stop his friend from being shot. Here he’d been thinking (hoping) that maybe this was another chance—a chance to actually see his friends grow old, or at least older, than they had in that nightmare.
The paramedics arrived, and rushed Tatara away. Izumo stood there, shock still freezing his muscles and stopping his mind from acting. It wore off. He pushed past the people there maybe to make sure he was okay, maybe to make sure he wasn’t going to rush off after the guy who did it (what good would that do? He knew how Homra would function after it lost Tatara and Mikoto, why would he ever try and see if they would work any better after losing him?), maybe to make sure he wasn’t doing what he was doing right now—following Tatara.
People stopped him, multiple times, but he gently (maybe less gently) got them to let go of him and so he continued, until he reached the actual ambulance with Tatara inside.
[‘ll add this stuff later more importantly--]
Sitting on the hospital bed beside him, Izumo carefully hugged Tatara, taking extra care to make sure he didn’t jostle his friend and his wound. Tatara’s head was almost pressed into Izumo’s chest; Izumo’s head was almost resting on top of Tatara’s. Taking a shaky breath, Izumo mumbled, “Never leave me again.”
Cautiously, Tatara wrapped his own arms around Izumo, leaning away slightly to speak. “I’d never leave you or King or the rest of Homra behind. Not on purpose. You know that Kusanagi-san.” There was almost a smile on Tatara’s face, despite the worried look not quite hidden in his eyes.
Izumo bopped him on the head, too gently to earn a cry of pain from Tatara. “Then don’t scare all of us like this again.”
Tatara frowned at him and rubbed his forehead against Izumo’s collarbone. “I didn’t do it on purpose!”
That earned a short bark of laughter from Izumo. “Yeah. Doesn’t make it any better for those of us waiting.”
“Well…” Tatara tugged lightly on some of Izumo’s hair, leaning backward to try and look him in the eyes. “It worked out, didn’t it?”
It’ll work out…sorry. The words from that dream rang in his head, but Izumo smiled anyway. “I guess it did.” This time.
The door opened, Mikoto pausing in the doorway with a raised eyebrow.
Izumo rolled his eyes. “Come over here, Mikoto. You should hug him too.” With that dream, he needed to hug them both. They were here still—they didn’t leave him alone.
--
I'd add more but I haven't been thinking of things that'd work in the blanks and Idunno okay. Sounds off to me but I don't really care at this point orz I just wanted to kinda finish something. maybe'll try and start writing that other option. on the bright side this is way happier than I thought it'd be?