Once More (With Feeling)
Summary: [Kamen Rider OOO; spoilers for ending!] Eiji would always have a hand to hold.
Author's note: god fucking dammit this is a Japanese kids show why do I drown in my own tears im so upset
Disclaimer: If it was mine I wouldn't have made children from all over the world cry. #imout
One more thing! The cover is NOT mine. Can be found here: zerochan dot net slash 780863
The passage of time was an ebbing flow that winded down unseen paths. Sometimes it had to pass through the narrowest entrances, the steady stream choking down to a tiny trickle that held its breath with fear of drying up.
Eiji was on such a path. The sand between his toes was as warm as the sun on his back, and with tomorrow's underwear and Ankh's core medal in his pocket, he was prepared for the future that would take him to his friend.
"Idiot," Ankh snarled, and in such a familiar manner it was almost affectionate. "Why are you wasting your time?"
Eiji only grinned, practically emitting rays of sunshine and turned his head to face him. "You didn't think I'd let you stay dead, did you?"
The Greeed only huffed in irritation and pushed Eiji's shoulder, sending him stumbling forward a few steps and kicking up sand in every which direction. "I had hoped you would." the blonde clicked his tongue and spared a glance backward, like he was looking for something. "If you're going to do it then you'd better stop wasting time and get to it."
The traveler hummed his agreement and didn't bother to further engage in conversation, knowing that Ankh had already disappeared among the dunes and flat landscape. "Well," he said to himself brightly, no real objective being accomplished. "You have that much right. I need to find a place to start and work from there, I guess."
He took another step. It was all he could do.
The blanket next to him shifted and a flash of red crossed the corner of his eye. "Back so soon?"
"Tch. I had nothing better to do."
Eiji scooted closer to his friend. "I'm glad."
"Ha! Still as much of a fool as I remember."
The human chuckled and stretched out a hand directly above himself, as though he could reach the stars in the dark-palleted sky from his miniscule spot in the desert. He was lying on his back with all the world stretched out before him and decided he wanted all of it.
When Eiji turned, their faces were far closer than he anticipated. Ankh looked angry, but with the stars' reflection in his dark eyes it looked a little more like he was amazed. The Greeed's eyes narrowed, sensing the other man's attention zeroed in on him.
"Oi, Eiji," he said suddenly, disturbing the still air without moving a muscle. Eiji blinked in surprise, expecting a snarl rather than…well, whatever this was. "Did you ever find what you want?"
It occurred to him that Ankh probably wasn't talking about power—anymore, at least. "I think so," Eiji declared confidently, but when he made a move to interlace his fingers with sharp talons, his hand found nothing but air.
Next time I won't let go, he promised to himself.
"Hey, Ankh!" Eiji screamed out into the sand, arms spread like a bird's. "When I said once more I wasn't lying!"
He smiled, but there was a little too much sun and a little too less of his water supply left. He spun on his heel in a full circle, scouring the dunes with a hopeful expression—painfully hopeful. "Have you figured out what I want?"
A week later, on a lonely path with dried river beds, he felt a hand grasp his and he didn't say anything. He didn't need to.
Ankh told him he wasn't the hand that needed to be grasped anymore.
Maybe not, Eiji decided, but maybe it didn't hurt to have a hand to hold even if you didn't need it, either.