This is Your Fight

Chapter Three

By KellyQ

Shin, Misaki, and Taishi made their way through the hallway to help Aichi pack his stuff and take him home. They were all excited. Shin walked in first, followed by the others. Emi and Kamui were helping Aichi pack some of his clothes and books.

"Are you ready to come home?" Shin asked.

Aichi nodded his head. "Yea…where's Kai?"

A teasing smile made its way to Taishi's lips. "He'll be around later." I'm hoping that he'll be there when we drop Aichi off.

Kamui scoffed. "You're wasting time thinking about that cold jerk."

Everyone chuckled nervously, knowing that Kamui had a hard time understanding where Kai was coming from when it came to his choices or behavior.

"I'm ready to go," Aichi said, lightning the mood.

Shin took the two bags from Kamui and Emi and stepped back to make his way out of the room. Emi and Kamui helped Aichi stand and guided him toward the door with Misaki and Taishi close behind. The walk to the van was quiet until they reached it.

"How about I meet you guys there," Taishi spoke up, seeing there was no room for him in the van, and started to make his way by foot.

"Do you need help in, bro?" Kamui asked, opening the side door.

Aichi 'hmmed' a no and started to get his good leg in first, but he started to have difficulty moving his other leg in. Misaki, Kamui, and Emi helped him in as with both Emi and Kamui helped Aichi sit in the back seat before they both sat next to him while Misaki got in the passenger seat.

The ride home was quiet and peaceful. Aichi leaned back and shifted his body so that he was looking out the window watching the scenery blur past. He didn't know that he fell asleep until the humming of the van stopped and the sounds of seatbelts were being unfastened, and Emi was shaking him awake.

Aichi slowly opened his eyes and smiled at the two.

"Hey, bro. We're here," Kamui said softly, helping him unbuckle the seatbelt.

Emi, Shin, and Misaki were already out of the van. Emi and Misaki waited to help Kamui ease Aichi out of the van as Shin got the stuff out of the back and hauled it to the front step.

"Thanks for helping me out you guys," Aichi said, giving his friends is thankful look.

Emi smiled and opened the door, and they all walked in single file and to Aichi's surprise and delight, Kai was sitting on the couch when they entered. Taishi, who was sitting on the other end of the couch watched with hilarity at Aichi's nervous look, but he refrained from laughing.

"Are you going to be okay?" Misaki asked, placing a warm hand on Aichi's shoulder.

"Well," Shin spoke up, breaking the tension in the air, placing the stuff down. "I need to get back to the bookstore. I put a sign saying that Misaki and I were out for lunch. Do you need a ride home, Kamui?"

"Huh? Oh." Kamui snapped out of this thought of staying or leaving. He turned to Aichi. "Are you going to be okay by yourself with him?"

For the first time since they had arrived, Kai moved from his spot and walked toward the door. Fidgeting, Aichi slowly turned to watch him walk out.

"Kai …?"

He stopped. "Get some rest, Aichi. I'll come back later, and welcome home."

Kamui watched Aichi closely to see that he wanted Kai to stay and Kamui wasn't going to let Kai's indifference affect Aichi.

"No. I'll go. There's no reason for me stick around when he's here," Kamui riposted. He started to walk out too when Aichi's soft—often timid voice called out to the both of them.

"I … I want both of you to stay!"

Kamui bit his lip, he really wanted to stay and he was about to speak up again, but Kai spoke in his usual monotone.

"I have things to do, Aichi. Now get some rest."

Taishi sighed and walked out, giving everyone an apologetic look, before following his long-term friend down the street.

"Do you still need a ride, Kamui?" Came Shin's voice from the living room

Kamui glared in Kai's direction before walking back into the house to see that Emi and the others had Aichi up to his room, and they were standing at the bottom of the stairs.

Kamui glanced at the stop step and shook his head. "I'm going to stick around just in case Aichi or Emi need anything."

Shin and Misaki nodded their heads and walked out, closing the door. Kamui went upstairs while Emi went to get something to drink from the kitchen. Kamui knocked on Aichi's door and waited for a reply, when he got one, Kamui walked in. Acihi's room was small and clean. The window was the first thing noticeable, the beams of light a soft light in the room. On the right side of the window was a small desk near the wall. The bed was on the left side of the window against the wall. Aichi was sitting at his desk, reading until he turned to see Kamui standing there.

"Hey, Kamui," Aichi acknowledged as he watched his friend walked to the bed and laid down to sprawl out, staring the ceiling.

"Do you need me to keep you company until Kai comes?"

Aichi smiled. "If you want ….But I'm just going to read until I'm ready to fall asleep."

To Be Continued …