Summary: Yukimi gets anxious every time Yoite leaves. Even though he always returns, Yukimi can't keep from fearfully dreading the day when he doesn't. One-shot.
Disclaimer: I don't own Nabari no Ou. That right belongs to Yuhki Kamatani.
Every time Yoite leaves, Yukimi feels uneasy.
His eyes constantly flicker to the door, waiting for it to open.
The long periods of time without background noise upset him and he spends these hours being anxious and agitated.
When the door opens again, he relaxes, releasing the tension that builds up in his shoulders.
He is at ease then, but he doesn't show it. He doesn't say it. He rarely tells Yoite anything, except when it's business.
Yukimi doesn't tell him not to leave, or to be safe, or not to di...
But instead he calls him a brat. The most endearing term he says.
He takes care of Yoite like a cat. He gives him food and water and a safe place to stay. He only gives any sort of attention when it's asked for.
He's always aware of the other presence in the room and hates when it's gone. The emptiness feels like a physical weight and Yukimi grows tired of holding it.
The brat leaves again.
Yukimi waits, trying to look patient and unworried. He tries to focus on his article, but instead he just stares at the one line written on the white document. He rereads the words until they became meaningless and he ends up deleting the whole thing.
The door opens and Yoite returns to his usual spot on the floor.
Yukimi never asks where the brat goes or why he goes out. He doesn't care. He just doesn't want to feel anxious.
With him there, Yukimi is able to finish his articles.
As time passes, the brat seems to be leaving more frequently, and the amount of time Yukimi spends being anxious begins to grow.
The blank articles become a recurring practice and he is in danger of losing his job. But he can't write except when Yoite is there, and he can't tell him to stay.
After a while, it starts taking Yoite more effort to leave and there is more effort in his steps when he comes back. The brat sleeps more and stays more.
Yukimi can get through his articles now, but it's too late for that. He's fired anyway.
Then, the brat rarely leaves anymore. This would be good, except it's because he is growing too thin and slowly fading to a pale ghost.
The anxiety now stays, even when the brat is there.
Yukimi is glad he was fired, because he's not able to write anyway.
The brat gets up to leave, using all of his strength to make it to the door.
"Yoite!"
The boy turns; an empty sadness reflecting in his eyes.
But Yukimi has nothing to say, so the brat leaves, closing the door softly behind him.
Yukimi watches the door for the rest of the day, even though he knows that it won't open again.