TIMELINE: Post-canon; pre-relationship.

"Look both ways."

Ever since he regained his memories of the car...accident, Parad has been wary of both water and road crossings.

Water because it always reminds him of drowning and that cold rainy day. And as for road crossings? It's only natural that he'd be wary of 'em. That's why, whenever Emu has to cross the road, Parad has taken up the habit to check the surrounding area for any oncoming traffic.

Obsessively.

But can anyone really blame Parad, when it involves Emu's well being? And Emu; bless him, doesn't laugh or even jokes about Parad's habit. If anything, the doctor takes it in stride and waits patiently until Parad is satisfied.

"...Parad?"

Floating unseen above the doctor, Parad stares unblinkingly at the crossing light. "Yeah?"

The bond pulses with guilt.

"...I'm sorry I dragged you down with me that day," Emu whispers into the quiet, empty street. "I just wanted—"

When Emu trails off with a shuddering sigh, Parad leans down to wrap his arms around Emu's neck in a hug as he finishes quietly. "A restart."

"...yeah." Emu lets out a hollow laugh and ducks his head. "Stupid, huh?"

"Not really," he muses, chin resting on Emu's head. "You were a kid and wanted a better life. And well, with a father like Kiyonaga, who can blame you?"

It hurts to remember that cold, rainy day now— makes him despise Kiyonaga even more for causing Emu to feel so alone and such despair that it drove Emu (who was an eight year old kid for goodness sake) to try to take his own freakin' life. Even if it was by proxy, something like that should never have happened.

While the stress and despair triggered his virus into Emu's system as well as intertwining them so closely, Parad hates that it was even necessary at all or that he couldn't do anything to stop Emu from stepping into that oncoming car.

Raising a hand, Emu squeezes his wrist. "I had you."

"You didn't know that though," he gently reminds the doctor. "As far as you knew, I was just an imaginary friend that you see in reflections. I wasn't enou—"

"Yes, you were!" Emu refutes, almost shouting his words out and it's a good thing that they're alone or there'd be a lot of staring right now. Taking a deep breath, Emu ducks his head. "You were enough— you are enough for me. I just...didn't understand that."

The light starts flashing across from them.

"Thank you," he says eventually against the lump in his throat. "You've always been enough for me too, y'know? I don't remember much anymore but I do remember that I was happy that you were my host."

Emu leans back against him. "Thank you, too. Not just for being my Player 2 back then but also for that day too."

"...what do you mean?"

"I'm a doctor, Parad." Emu tilts his head back to give him an even look, mouth twisting into a wry smile. "I've looked through my files and I know that with the rain, the speed, and not to mentioned that I was this scrawny eight year old— that accident should've killed me upon impact. And yet, I was only brought in for an abdominal injury."

Parad looks away.

"Before Kyoutarou-sensei, it was you who saved me that day," Emu states. "And you even kept me alive long enough for me to be brought into the hospital."

"I didn't want you to die," he says before his shoulders slump with remorse. "But I can't say it was just because I cared. I also saved you because I didn't want to die if you did."

Emu chuckles as he turns to look at the flashing light. "You don't have to feel guilty for that. In the end, you helped save me and I'm grateful for that."

"Guess we're even?" Parad jokes weakly and looks both ways. "You saved me back too."

The doctor looks up at him with remorse. "Not in the best of ways though."

"Maybe not," he agrees. "But you did anyway despite my screw ups."

Emu rubs his eyes with a sniffle. "Seems like we've made it a habit of saving each other, huh?"

"Seems like," Parad says with a hum and blinks as the light finally turns green. He checks the road one last time and grasps Emu's shoulder. If his grip trembles just the slightest bit, Emu doesn't comment on it. "Look both ways."

There's a plea in his voice that Parad knows that he can't hide and Emu reaches up a hand to answer his grip before the doctor does as Parad asked.

Once satisfied, Emu crosses the road with quick yet careful steps while Parad anxiously glares at both sides of the road; staying vigilant.

Parad knows he's being ridiculous, especially since Emu has survived far worst ordeals and Parad himself can easily teleport them to safety if anything happens but he can't help it— Emu is his best friend and his life is precious to Parad.

When Emu is safe on the other side, Parad slumps in relief and winds his arms around Emu again; chest to back.

"You can laugh, y'know," Parad mumbles into Emu's neck as they weave between other pedestrians, none of them the wiser at the invisible bugster hanging onto his human. "I know I'm being ridiculous."

Emu shakes his head and leads them to a secluded shade nearby. When Parad materialises in front of Emu, he's promptly wrapped into a hug as Emu winds his arms around him; tight and almost desperate in his hold.

"I'm not laughing," Emu whispers. "Why would I?

Parad returns the hug just as fiercely. "You're not like that anymore."

You're not the same kid that wanted to die in hopes for a better restart.

"I'm not," Emu agrees, craning his head up to give Parad a solemn look. "But that's not going stop you from worrying about me and that's okay."

Snorting, he turns his head away with a sardonic smirk. "It's probably annoying for you though."

"It's not," Emu states firmly, gently guiding him back so that their eyes locked. "Was it annoying for you when I didn't want you to be involved in a battle for awhile after you resurrected?"

Brows furrowing in confusion at the sudden change of topic, Parad shakes his head. "No, why would— oh."

For weeks, Emu refused to let Parad out of his sight— to a point where the intern requested that Parad would sit out their battles and just settle within their shared mindspace. Parad hadn't complained despite wanting to throw himself into a fight; not when he could feel Emu's stress levels spiking whenever Parad is within proximity of any sort of danger. If anything, the obvious concern had made Parad happy.

Emu breathes out a helpless laugh, brushing his fingers through Parad's bangs. "Yeah. So I get it alright? Just as my life is precious to you." The doctor then cups his face and rests their foreheads together. "Your life is precious to me too, Parad."

Snickering, he mirrors Emu and lightly sways them side to side; heart full yet light at the same time in his chest.

"Guess that means we havta always look out for each other so those kind of things won't happen again, huh?" Parad murmurs, nuzzling into Emu's face and causing his friend to laugh.

With eyes bright to match his grin, Emu raises a brow at him in challenge. "You up for it?"

Parad smirks in answer. "Bring it on."