Home is where you are
Kind of tragic that I left your side
Left your side, left your side
I recall a smile, a kiss
When the sun did rise
By your side, I was by your side

Gotta tell you how it feels now
I'm ready to fall

Every part of me is broken now
I tried to scream but nothing came out
Drop my pride and I reveal my inside
And it all came pouring out

Eijun stared down at his blank phone screen, tempted to unlock it for the millionth time today to check his messages. It lit up when he pressed the home button. He felt the familiar ache of disappointment at the notification-less screen, swallowing as his eyes involuntarily fastened to the background picture.

It was of Kazuya and him, taken recently after they had managed to organise a practice game with each other's respective baseball teams. They'd both been sweaty and dirty, Eijun exhilarated to have won against Kazuya for the first time. Kazuya hadn't seemed to mind, judging by his smile and one arm casually slung over Eijun's shoulder. Looking at the picture now, remembering the feeling of winning didn't want to come. He couldn't recall the taste of victory, just that of hollow bitterness.

The screen went black again and Eijun could only stare for a moment before he pressed once again, determinedly swiping to the side. His thumb hovered over the messaging app.

"Ei-chan?"

Eijun looked up at the nickname, rolling his eyes and forcing a mock-scowl on his face in an attempt to hide his true feelings.

"I told you to stop calling me that, Harucchi."

"I'll stop calling you that when you stop calling me 'Harucchi'. Ei-chan." Haruichi gave back easily, teasing him as slid his backpack off his shoulder and deposited it on the bed on his side of the dorm room. "I just came to get ready for practice. You'd better show up this time, coach wasn't pleased with you when you missed the last one."

In truth, Haruichi had also come to check up on his best friend. He knew about the breakup, had even tried to persuade Eijun not to follow through. Clearly, he had failed – which now resulted in a strangely quiet, sad version of Eijun he had not seen since when he had had the yips in their first year at Seidou. Really, it may not even be an exaggeration to say that Eijun actually seemed marginally worse this time around. It showed in his behaviour, his grades and even his pitching. That had always been influenced by his emotions but usually he was always able to pull himself out of a slump. Except this time around, that is. This had been going on for weeks, resulting in infrequent, missed practice sessions and more and more inaccurate pitching. It didn't just annoy the team and their coach but also worried everyone. Eijun was just the type of person to draw in everyone he came into contact with, purposefully or not, and his state of being influenced the team much more than anyone was willing to admit.

Haruichi only got an affirmative noise from Eijun but saw no move from the pitcher to actually get up from where he sat slumped on his bed. Haruichi went to his closet, pulling off his shirt as he went in search for his practice uniform.

"Kimura said he'd catch twenty extra pitches if you got to practice on time." he tried to tempt Eijun. The third year student was their best catcher and had recently been scouted to play for a professional team. His term would start in autumn, so until then Kimura would still be on the university team. And given that both of them were first years, it was quite a feat to be taken notice of by such a prominent player.

Eijun barely even heard what Haruichi was saying. He was still staring at the text bubbles on his phone, re-reading the last messages Kazuya and he had exchanged. They were dated just over three weeks ago and filled with their usual bickering. Kazuya had even written 'bakamura', a nickname Eijun had never been fond of. But right now, seeing it didn't do anything but make his vision go blurry as he felt a dull ache in his chest. Kazuya.

"Eijun?"

The clear worry and edge of desperation in Haruichi's voice finally made Eijun look up as he hastily blinked away the oncoming tears. His best friend stood by the door, a hesitant look on his face; even his eyes were visible and reflected his tone just now.

"Uh, yeah. Coming." Eijun stood up, aggressively wiping at his eyes with his sleeve. He grabbed his practice uniform from his closet, deciding to change in the change rooms and immediately started chattering at Haruichi as they both left. It was a poor disguise, but Haruichi pretended it worked for Eijun's sake.

Eijun's phone stayed on the bed where it had been tossed earlier, the screen black. It was only later, while they were still out, that it started ringing. The melody was that of a familiar waltz, accompanied by a lit up picture of Kazuya.

Kazuya shivers, wondering if he's coming down with a cold. He's been constantly turning up the heat whenever he is at the apartment. He usually tries to avoid going back as much as possible, but he isn't just cold there, he's cold at practice, the few times he's gone to visit Youichi and Wakana's cozy, heated flat. Kazuya makes sure to wear layers, unnecessarily many of them, and drinks so much piping hot tea and coffee that he is sure he's running more on caffeine than actual energy at this point.

Just a couple of days ago, he got chewed out by his team's coach during practice after missing the fifth pitch in a row – a disgrace for the best catcher on one of Japan's best teams and thought to have been an impossibility before that day. This is how he finds himself at Youichi's office today – the hospital offers regular appointments for things such as check-ups but Kazuya can't get himself to go back. Not after all the time he's been forced to spend there. I could happily live out the rest of my life without ever stepping foot in a hospital again.

Strictly speaking, Youichi's office is still located on hospital grounds, but it's part of a small complex of buildings off to the side specifically for casual visits. Kazuya supposes he could have gone somewhere else but he knows he hasn't been himself lately. He's been stagnant, doing nothing but practise obsessively, sleep and eat before repeating the cycle over and over again. The latter two, he does less than is advised, but baseball is the only way he can distract himself from the gaping hole in his chest. Seeing a friend may be a healthier distraction than what he's done so far though.

A small flicker of a movement from the corner of his eye catches Kazuya's attention. It pulls him out of the depressing thoughts elicited by the white, sterile walls and silent corridor, replacing them with a racing heartbeat. A familiar rush accompanies it, a mix of fear and anticipation, when he recognises a well-loved silhouette and a flash of amber for just a split second. For a moment he can even hear his name being called by that voice he misses so much. But then he looks directly at the source and he deflates, greeted by nothing but cold air and empty silence.

He shouldn't be disappointed, Kazuya tells himself. It's been happening a lot lately, too much in fact. Other things too, like finding the radio switched on even he's sure he turned it off or doors open when they should be closed. It should be unsettling and it is, a bit, but he also feels like his name is being called a lot in a very familiar way, like he can hear loud, warm laughter - or even see flashes of amber eyes. Like Kazuya can feel him and it all constantly reminds him of what, who, he lost. It's too much and not enough. Kazuya squeezes his eyes shut, trying to ignore that vicious stab of pain and disappointment from allowing himself to be weak and hope. Ridiculous. He's dead. Get it into your head. One hand unconsciously clenches around the ring hung from a thin chain around his neck, its twin on his own finger.

Eijun swallows when Kazuya slumps back down, hands covering his face as he takes in controlled breaths. Eijun reaches out toward him, his hand hovering above his head. He wishes he could feel Kazuya's warmth and when he closes his eyes, he can fool himself into believing that he can.

"Kazuya?"

Both of them look up at Youichi's voice, a worried look on his face. To Eijun he almost looks like a stranger, out of his scrubs and instead dressed in a lab coat with a stethoscope slung around his neck. Kazuya stands up and comes toward him, Eijun right behind him.

"You don't look so good. Are you sick?" Youichi asks Kazuya, eyes narrowed as he scrutinises him. Kazuya looks worse than right after the funeral about a month ago and that's saying something. His skin has an unhealthy greyish tint to it and he's been wearing far too many layers for this late spring weather. Granted, some of that can be blamed on grief but...

Kazuya rolls his eyes but doesn't smirk.

"I don't know. I'm here to find out. Got time for a check-up?"

They both disappear into Youichi's office, quietly conversing. Eijun makes to follow when he spots a young girl crouched beside the row of chairs Kazuya was sitting in before. He stands for a moment, hesitant if he should try to talk to her or if it is pointless anyway when she looks up at him. They hold eye contact for a few seconds and it becomes clear to Eijun that she can, in fact, see him. He crouches down until he's on eyelevel with her.

"Hello. What's your name?" Eijun asks, a smile on his face. He has no idea what is considered part of ghost etiquette, but somehow he doesn't think that asking "What are you doing here?" or "So, how did you die?" are appropriate questions to ask.

"You can see me." It's a statement, not a question. The girl completely ignores what he asked, looking at him in wonder and then suspicion. "Who are you? What are you doing here?"

So much for ghost etiquette. Then again, Eijun hasn't come across anyone like himself until now and he doesn't particularly feel like wandering around invisible by himself for the rest of eternity.

"I'm Sawamura Eijun." he volunteers, trying to sound calming so the girl doesn't run away like she looks like she's about to do. "I'm here with a…friend."

The girl stares at him for a few more seconds, eyes flickering over to the door Kazuya and Youichi disappeared through, before nodding once.

"I'm Hinata."

"Like the flower?"

The girl's face splits into smile and she nods excitedly.

"Sunflower. It's my favourite."

"It's mine too. It's a pretty flower and name." Eijun adds as he sits across from her and Hinata nods in agreement. There's another short silence during which he thinks over whether he can ask or not and then decides to go for it. "So, why are you here?"

Hinata doesn't answer right away, just keeps staring, unblinking, then looks down.

"My daddy brought me here after I had an accident."

Poor girl. She doesn't look much older than six or seven, maybe.

"I'm sorry to hear that." Eijun says sincerely. He can't even imagine the pain her parents went through. Hinata looks up again, eyes wide and with a slight smile.

"No, it's okay. They'll wake me up soon. I just know it."

At that, Eijun can't help but feel surprised and then excited. Wake up?

"But…aren't you…dead?" he asks carefully, voice quieting at the end. It isn't like him to be so cautious, but he doesn't want to hurt her feelings or get his hopes up.

Hinata's wide eyes grow even bigger and she shakes her head so vigorously Eijun worries it might come off.

"What? Of course not!" She suddenly stands, waiting for him to do the same. He does so, after a few stunned moments, and then proceeds to follow her. He does look back over his shoulder at Youichi's office, not wanting to leave Kazuya, but when he hears Hinata calling him impatiently, he quickly catches up to her. Eijun's too curious to pass up this opportunity.

She leads them into a different building, not far away from Youichi, and they come to a stop in front of a single room with windows separating it from the corridor. The blinds are open, allowing them look inside without a visible barrier. Hinata stands on her tiptoes, pointing at the lone figure laying inside.

"That's me."

Eijun stares. He can see a slight resemblance between the Hinata here and the girl on the other side of the wall, but there are more differences than similarities.

To start with, the Hinata in the room is a teenager. She's also hooked up to several devices via tubes which disappear inside her body, mostly hidden by her blanket. She has a breathing mask over her face. The only sign she's asleep and not dead is the very slight rise and fall of her chest as her lungs get pumped full of air regularly. And the biggest difference of all is how frail this sleeping Hinata looks. Her skin is so pale it looks translucent, the visible part of her arms uncovered by the blanket or hospital gown are stick thin. Eijun glances down at the younger Hinata beside him, how she's beaming at the figure in the bed. She looks like an ordinary child, her hair parted in two pigtails and wearing a bright orange, cozy sweater with some kind of cartoon animal emblazoned on the front. Healthy and happy. She looks up at him, catches him looking and grins brightly. Something in Eijun's chest clenches uncomfortably at the sight of that gap-toothed smile.

"My daddy always tells me how pretty I am." Hinata tells him seriously, then looks back at her older self. "I like it when he visits. He talks to me all the time."

"What about your moth- your mommy?" Eijun realises she only mentioned her father so far. Hinata suddenly looks a bit insecure, chewing her lip.

"I don't know."

She looks at such a loss that he hastily backtracks.

"Sorry, sorry, it's not important." He searches for something else to say and blurts, "So, umm, how come you were waiting over there? If you're…your…is here." Eijun doesn't really want to say "your body", so he gestures at older Hinata. He's not sure his distraction works until Hinata beams. She somehow seems to understand what he's saying even he's sure he made no sense. His relief at her smile makes the knot in his chest a little looser.

"My daddy always comes that way, so I wait for him until he comes back."

The admission that she apparently can't leave this place and misses her father so much that she waits for his return even when she has no idea when that will be, makes Eijun feel a deep sadness for her and suddenly reminds him of his own parents. A hollow ache in his chest makes him aware that he misses them too... and that they must miss him. But he smiles, shaking the pain off; Hinata is the bigger priority right now. He holds out his hand toward her on instinct.

"Want to go back? I can wait with you for a little while."

Eijun hopes it's true; he doesn't want Kazuya to be sick but neither does he want to leave this girl by herself just yet. It's highly unlikely that anything will happen to her, but there's a part of him that wants to stay with her. Maybe because her name fits her so perfectly, maybe because she resembles a little ball of sunshine, or maybe because she reminds him of himself a little bit.

Eijun is surprised but immeasurably pleased when Hinata takes his hand – actually touches him. She doesn't feel warm or cold, simply solid. But it's incredibly comforting all the same. He grins down at her and she mirrors his face expression, eyes squished shut at how broadly she's grinning.

"Thank you. I'd like that very much."

Kazuya had been brooding over his phone for over an hour by the time Youichi came home. Several empty cans of beer littered the coffee table, another one open and forgotten in front of him. The phone's screen stayed black unless he clicked on it which he had done nearly without pause.

Three weeks. That was how long he hadn't talked to Eijun, heard his voice or seen him.

Well, that wasn't strictly true; Kazuya had several photos of him saved on his camera roll, a fact he had kept from Eijun. It was embarrassing how many times he had flicked through them since the breakup and even worse how often he had been close to crying.

But the point was that Kazuya hadn't seen him in person and, god, how he missed that, missed Eijun. He missed his ridiculous face expressions, how easy he was to rile up, how natural it felt to banter and simply be himself around him. He missed the kisses, the touches, how incredibly warm Eijun always felt, no matter if they were pressed up together skin on skin or curled up together on the too small couch to watch a movie or just talk.

Nowadays, Kazuya was always cold.

He had tried to keep his distance. He hadn't contacted Eijun at all since that night, no matter how much he wanted to. He had to respect that idiot's decision, no matter how infuriatingly stupid it was. He even had half a mind to call him just to yell at him; but no matter how much he was pining right now, Kazuya still had some pride left and wouldn't beg.

He was beginning to wonder if Youichi was on to something with calling both of them 'idiots' constantly.

So how exactly had Kazuya ended up in this situation, drunk off of cheap, canned beer and staring at his phone like a lovesick teenager?

"Fuck, did you drink all of my beer? I thought you didn't even like it!" Youichi slammed the fridge door shut, beyond irritated. He'd just come home from a long day at uni and then the afternoon/evening shift at work. He was in a bad mood. All he'd wanted was a nice, cool beer and relax. He wasn't exactly surprised to see his roommate slash friend moping on the living room floor but he only now realised why and to what degree.

Youichi stomped back into the living room to see that Kazuya hadn't moved an inch from where he was slumped on the coffee table. Against his better judgment, he actually started to feel sorry for the miserable idiot. Kazuya liked to pretend to be a rock and completely unaffected by the breakup but obviously that ability had gone flying out the window with the alcohol in his system. Youichi plonked down beside Kazuya with a sigh.

"Just do it already. If I see you like this any longer, I'm just gonna call him for you."

He was very well aware that Sawamura wasn't faring any better than Kazuya, thanks to receiving regular information from the younger Kominato via Ryousuke. They were both pitiful piles of misery at this point which was just sad in more ways than one. It made zero sense to Youichi and he doubted it did to Sawamura's best friend either. Why make life harder than it already was, anyway? Wasn't it something to be enjoyed?

"Morons, both of you." Youichi muttered, eyebrows drawn together in irritation. He reached for the phone, fully intent on going through with his threat when Kazuya suddenly moved, scooting away from him with the phone protectively cradled to his chest. Youichi was a bit stunned though he really shouldn't have been. After all, they were still on the same baseball team together and he saw Kazuya practice nearly every day. He could be insanely fast and had very good reaction time. Though it might have been how he hadn't responded earlier at all and also how glazed (and slightly insane) his eyes looked.

"No." Kazuya finally said after a small staring contest with Youichi. His friend's eyebrows twitched and he drew back his hand, crossing his arms as he scowled.

"Well then, do it!"

"Maybe I will!"

Another short silence ensued in which neither moved. Youichi broke it first, sighing as he got up. "Whatever. If you want to be miserable, be my guest."

It sounded crueller than intended, but Kazuya didn't seem to have heard. He was staring at his phone again. A feeling other than annoyance came over Youichi; it was honest worry. Kazuya never showed any kind of vulnerability like this, never looked this open and…crushed. Thinking about Sawamura now only made Youichi unexpectedly angry, and not in the usual 'no respect for your senpai' way. He was going to have a serious word with the other idiot if this wasn't cleared up soon.

Youichi left Kazuya alone at the table and after downing the rest of his lukewarm, stale beer, Kazuya finally, with trembling fingertips, pressed 'Call'. His heart raced; he was about to hear Eijun's voice again for what seemed like the first time in forever. His phone felt like it was slipping from his clammy hands as he waited with baited breath for the call to pick up and a loud greeting, enthusiastic and happy, to come.

It never did. There were countless ringing noises instead, Kazuya's heart feeling like it was breaking a little bit with each one. He hadn't thought it was possible to break a heart that was already shattered but he supposed he was wrong. Eventually, after what seemed like hours, the call went to voicemail, causing Kazuya to feel a little bit more whole.

"Heya, Sawamura Eijun here, also known as the sun whisperer – ouch – hey, Harucchi! What was that for?! Okay, whatever. Oh. Oh, right. Ah, yeah, so I'm not here right now, so just –"

A long, beeping noise signalled the end of the greeting and the line fell silent. Kazuya didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He didn't do anything but breathe for a few seconds, trying to think of what to say. What did one say, after not having talked to someone dear in weeks? Someone who didn't want anything to do with him?

"Eijun." Kazuya finally managed, a small quiver in his voice. He hoped Eijun wouldn't be able to hear it. If he even listened to the message instead of just deleting it right away. He closed his eyes, not wanting to think of that. This was possibly the only time he would actually break down like this and have enough courage to call. Kazuya cleared his throat, starting again. "Eijun, it's…it's me. Kazuya. I…I miss you."

He paused, breath stuttering inside his chest. The admission had been easier than he thought it would be but….what else? What could, should he say?

"I…I understand if you don't want to talk to me or even listen to this…no, actually, you know what? I don't. You just – ended it. Like that. You gave me a half-assed explanation which didn't really tell me anything. I get that they're your family – I just. Ugh."

Kazuya pinched the bridge of his nose in agitation, annoyed with how ineloquent he sounded. Feelings. God. They always reduced his usual wittiness to nonsensical ramblings so he sounded worse than Eijun. Funnily enough, loud-mouthed country boy Eijun was very good with expressing what he felt with his words. And actions. No, no, don't go there. Time and place, Kazuya.

"Look, I…I'd like to talk, if you're willing. Please. Like I said, I miss you. A lot. I –" Kazuya halted again, biting his tongue. He had a feeling if he didn't stop talking now, he'd say too much. On the other hand, how could this get any worse? It was worth a try at least. And the regret afterwards. Probably. He took a deep breath. "I miss us. I miss the way you talk, the way you look when you get pissed at me. I used to rile you up on purpose at Seidou, y'know?" A light chuckle. "I miss our talks, the ones where you talk about unimportant shit and I make fun of you for it and then you pretend to get angry at me. I miss making up with kisses afterwards. I miss catching for you. I miss seeing your face first thing in the morning when you stay over and that smile you give me. Actually, did you know you have several kinds of grins and smiles? There's this one where you kind of scrunch your nose and your eyes crinkle at the edges –"

Oh, god, Youichi was right. Kazuya was a total sap.

A warning beep sounded to signal another few seconds and he hastily continued, trying to tie up the call. "I miss how I can just – be myself around you. I miss you, okay? All of you. I think I might even –"

The loudest and longest beep yet signalled the end of the recorded message and Kazuya looked at his phone in disbelief.

What else had he been about to say?

To Kazuya (and Eijun)'s relief, Youichi tells him there's nothing seriously wrong with him, except lack of sleep and a cooler than normal temperature. It's most likely a common cold, odd during this time of the year. But then there's also…

"And don't pretend you don't know what I mean when I say you lost weight. You're not eating properly either, are you?" Youichi eyes Kazuya suspiciously as he pulls his shirt back on. Kazuya shrugs. There's no point in lying.

"I just don't have an appetite."

"No, the moron isn't eating. I swear, if I could cook without poisoning anyone I'd have made him eat a whole feast by now. Or maybe two." Eijun tells Youichi, aiming a glare at Kazuya as he crosses his arms. He knows they can't hear him but he likes to pretend. Hinata watches them all with wide eyes and he silently curses himself for using insults in front of the kid. At least it wasn't 'asshole'.

Kazuya freezes imperceptibly; he could swear he just heard Eijun calling him 'moron' and something about poisoning a feast. He wants to laugh and cry at the same time. It's just so Eijun and it's instances like these that make him feel like he's still alive. It's no wonder people get driven insane by grief.

Youichi shivers and goes to close the window he cracked open earlier. He looks back at Kazuya, still frozen in the middle of closing his jacket. His eyes aren't as vacant as they were before; they almost look alive, strangely relieved and hurt at the same time. Youichi can feel his throat close up at the grief in them as it prompts his own. The funeral is just too fresh in mind. It still feels like yesterday when he received that disturbingly calm phone call from Kazuya, asking him for help with the arrangements. He can still remember that drop in his stomach at the implication it brought.

"Kazuya?"

Youichi's unusually soft voice calls him back to the present and Kazuya finishes buttoning up his jacket, movements stiff.

"Sorry."

As Kazuya prepares to leave, Eijun crouches down on eyelevel with Hinata once again. He holds out his pinky finger. She looks at it curiously and then him.

"I have to go now, but I promise I'll be back. Okay?"

"Okay." Hinata nods, still eyeing his pinky and he chuckles. He carefully reaches for one of her hands and wraps her pinky around his.

"This is called a pinky promise. Just so you know I mean it." Eijun explains, grinning when Hinata's eyes light up in understanding. She smiles, her gap-tooth showing again.

"Thank you, Sawamura-san."

"Just Eijun is fine." He smiles reassuringly at her and her eyes suddenly look glassy. She blinks and looks at their still linked fingers.

"Eijun." Hinata looks up again, her lower lip trembling. She looks so lost again, so heartbroken that it breaks Eijun's a little too. "C-can you be my friend?"

She sounds so vulnerable, so young and lonely, that he can't help but take her small hand in both of his, making sure to look directly into her eyes. He still grins at her, prompting her to return it. "Of course."

That bright light in her eyes is back and she's bouncing up and down excitedly.

"Thank you, Eijun!"

Later that night, Kazuya gets ready to sleep, once again passing the achingly empty bedroom. He hasn't slept in it since the funeral, but he's so, so tired today and maybe that's the reason why, but he steps over the threshold once again. Kazuya only hesitates for a few seconds before he fully goes into the bedroom, switching on the light.

The bed is perfectly made, just the way he left it. The whole room is colder since Eijun died and it doesn't matter how much he turns up the heat, this is the room where it's the coldest in the whole apartment. He shivers at the nearly imperceptible breeze brushing past him. The strangest thing about the cold though is how Kazuya finds it strangely comforting. It's odd, because he never liked the cold. Not before…

He swallows and shakes his head to dispel the thought, resolutely going toward the bed and slipping under the cool covers.

Eijun has been trying to keep his distance, trying to stay away from Kazuya at least two meters at all times because he knows by now that he's the reason Kazuya's so cold all the time. As selfish as it is though, Eijun can't get himself to leave for extended periods of time. It hurts to be near and unable to touch him, to see in how much pain Kazuya is, but it would hurt more not to see him. But as it is, when Kazuya is asleep, Eijun can pretend that everything is normal, that he's still alive and he's just watching over him like he used to do.

Today seems to be full of surprises; hearing Kazuya's even breathing calms and relaxes Eijun to the point where he doesn't even notice how his own eyes fall shut.

Kazuya rubs his eyes, unable to believe what he's seeing.

It's Eijun, flitting around the kitchen and looking happy and healthy, humming to himself as gentle, flowing music flows from the radio.

"Eijun?"

His husband turns around at that, momentary surprise lighting up his face before it splits into a wide grin. "Morning!"

Kazuya comes toward him, reaching out a hand dazedly.

"Are…are you really here?"

Eijun frowns at that but seems to consider his question, looking down at himself and then up at the hand that's still hovering close to him, not quite touching. Eijun's hand trembles slightly as he slowly reaches out his own hand toward Kazuya's. There's no ring on his finger.

Their hands touch and Eijun grin grows even wider.

"Yeah. I think I am."

Those words make a weight fall off of Kazuya's chest and the hole in it doesn't feel quite so empty anymore. He grabs Eijun's hand and it feels solid, not warm, not cold, but there, and yanks him toward him, more roughly than intended. He can't even bring himself to feel sorry for the low groan that Eijun produces at the tight hug Kazuya's locks him into. On the contrary, Eijun wraps his own arms around him in an embrace just as tight.

"I missed you." Kazuya mumbles into Eijun's neck, his words muffled and not only from pressing his face into it so much. He can feel Eijun swallow, trembling slightly.

"I know. I missed you too."

They both stand there, locked together. Kazuya recognises their song playing softly in the background, but he doesn't feel the urge to dance, not now. Maybe later. For now, this is enough.