They are cold, but they have always been cold since they'd started this journey together. It had began from the edge of their hometown, nothing but two bags and a radio between them. The radio hangs precariously from the zipper on his bag, a soft melody playing in the space between them, feeling the gaps they couldn't without words.
Quietly, he slips his fingers into the other's gloved hands and he squeezes it lightly, and smiles when his companion reciprocates. "Tired?"
He shakes his head and walks on. It does not snow, though the monotonous voice coming from the radio insists a blizzard will hit the city soon. He hears his companions scoffs and understands; there is only so much that a weather forecaster can do -- Christmas round the corner, and the children are all looking forward to building white memories with both families and friends…
At this though, he halts in his footstep, and turns back, his gaze unwaveringly as he looks and studies the tall buildings outlined against the blue sky, how the skyscraper in the middle of the city glows under the sun's rays, how amongst them all hides his home where his mother lies asleep…
He had expected the sadness to hit him the moment they stepped out of town, not now, not like this… He breaks down, falling to his knees as he cries and sobs. He feels arms wrapping themselves around him, and his companion's comforting words, comforting hushes, and he doesn't know why… "I'm sorry," he whispers and just clings onto the comfort the other willingly provides. "I'm sorry, sorry, sorry…"
"You don't have anything to be sorry for."
"No?" he asks. "But I…" Slowly, he throws his arms around his companion and stays there, in that embrace. He likes it, likes the warmth of the other's body pressing against him, the hot breath he can feel on his neck, making him shiver. "I…"
He feels, rather than sees, a finger on his lips, and quietens. The radio stops.
They stay there for a long time, until he feels fine again. His companion gets up first, and then pulls him up. With a hoarse thanks, he rummages in his backpack for a bottle and gulps half of it down, before handing it over. His companion drinks up, finishing the bottle and throws it over their shoulders.
He frowns, however slightly, but decides that they really can't do with the extra baggage. Eyes lingering perhaps a second too long on the bottle, he lets his companion tugs him back onto the road, and they walk again.
Once, or twice, a car passes them, and the temptation rises in him to stop the car, to hitch a ride… But they can't. Not since they…
It is healthier to hike, he reasons, and scowls when his companion hides a knowing smile.
"C'mon," he says, and tugs on his companion, and they break into a run. He chases his companion, and vice versa, as they run and try to outrun each other, until he stops abruptly before a street, his companion gazing at the split in confusion. They haven't been this far before, it's scary, and he slips his hands into the other's, seeking comfort, seeking warmth, seeking somebody to let him hold onto. "Which… way?" he manages out at last.
The radio suddenly crackles into life, and he catches a line from the unfamiliar song, before the radio fades out into static again.
In the end I wanna be standing
At the beginning with you
His companion is gazing at the crossroads and shrugging, but he's smiling and he's --
Satoshi watches as Shigeru smiles at him, and seemingly indicates he doesn't know, but doesn't mind which path they take, as long as it's not back to the city.
"In the end," he echoes the song, "I wanna be standing…"
"At the beginning with you…"
We were strangers, starting out on a journey
Never dreaming, what we'd have to go through
Now here we are, I'm suddenly standing
At the beginning with you
No one told me I was going to find you
Unexpected, what you did to my heart
When I lost hope, you were there to remind me
This is the start
And life is a road that I wanna keep going
Love is a river, I wanna keep flowing
Life is a road, now and forever, wonderful journey
I'll be there when the world stops turning
I'll be there when the storm is through
In the end I wanna be standing
At the beginning with you
owari.