Observing the Heavens cont.
Takeru sat on the edge of the lower bunk bed, the dorm which he roomed with Rico. He held up the coat that was tarnished with blood, gazing at it wistfully.
"Takeru, are you there?"
The blonde promptly stuffed the jacket back into the paper carrier. "Yes, sir! C..come in."
Ken opened the door and ambled in. "How's your arm?" His eyes flickered with worry.
"Well…it still feels a bit heavy." The boy blushed.
His handler smiled sincerely at him. "Can you come up to the roof?"
"…Sure."
"It's chilly. Put this on." Ken handed the cyborg a shopping bag.
He stared at the item in his hands. "Is it alright for me to keep this?" Takeru clutched the bag uncertainly.
The older boy turned his head and smiled secretively. "I'll be waiting for you up there." He left Takeru standing there.
The blonde carefully opened the bag and reached inside. He extracted it out with his right hand and felt his cheeks heat up. 'A new coat…' He closed his eyes in harmony and caressed the jacket close to his body.
*********************************He tiptoed up the stairs to the rooftop, sporting the pristine jacket Ken had given him. Takeru unbolted the door and peeked through the crack shyly.
Ken stood there, waiting with a tranquil smile on his face. A telescope was propped next to him. "C'mon over here."
Takeru opened the door wider and stared at Ken with huge eyes. In the cold night air, his breath could be visibly seen, in short white puffs.
"Hurry up, now." Ken pushed.
Takeru paced over curiously. "Is that a telescope?"
The boy with navy blue tresses beamed proudly. "I've been wanting to show you the stars with a real telescope, not just a rifle scope."
The younger boy grinned happily. "It's the first time for me to see the stars. What's going on, is everything okay?"
Ken exhaled. "Uhmm…" He was at loss for words. He tilted his head back and fluttered his eyes shut. "…It's a perfect evening for looking at the stars, don't you think? It's a reward for your good work today."
The stars shimmered in the sky like diamonds, upon the blanketed darkness.
Takeru paled. "…uh oh…are you going to scold me for what I did today?" His body stiffened.
Ken peered through the telescope. "Do you want me to scold you?" He asked evenly without looking up. "Come over here. You can see Orion clearly."
Takeru took timid footsteps and bent down to peer through the lens.
"Orion the hunter was mistakenly shot and killed by his lover, Artemis." Ken addressed. "The goddess Artemis was thrown into depths of sorrow."
Takeru tucked a lock of hair that fell in front of his eyes. "…"
"She asked to add Orion the hunter to the constellations so that she could see him whenever she flew in the night sky." The boy's scarf danced along with the wind as he spoke. "It's such a sad story."
Takeru looked up from the telescope. "Ken?"
"Yes?"
"You know everything, don't you?"
"…Yes, I do."
Two figures stood side by side gazing at the star-studded midnight sky, savoring the moment.
*********************************