Riko's ears buzzed as the silence around her began to make itself painfully noticeable. She didn't know how long she had gone without hearing anything, well besides herself moving things around the room. Being surrounded by such lively people from the village she had just shortly visited was an entirely different situation than where she was now.
The stark contrast was almost like whiplash. Where she was at the moment, Riko couldn't be sure if she was happy or not. On one hand, You was with her and she was safe. On the other hand, taking in the young girl's condition, it was like Riko was alone once more with no one to speak to.
You was in bed and resting full time, like before, after Riko had found her by the door after arriving back from the village. Definitely giving her the most traumatic experience in her life if she had to recall.
Perhaps You had used all of her energy to move about, that could explain why she had been asleep for nearly twelve hours. It was exciting to see her have more movement in her sleep than before, but Riko didn't dare to raise her hopes when every minute You still didn't respond to her calls of awakening.
While You slept, it gave Riko time to clean her, slowly wiping away the sweat, as well as the remnants of the black fluid that exited her body at an alarming rate.
Riko didn't want to see whatever the substance was, especially when it was everywhere hours before. She tried her best to wipe at every part of You it touched, even going as far as to wipe away at her teeth. She knew You wouldn't want the smell to stay in her mouth.
While she tried her best to not even look at it, Riko couldn't help but find it matching the previous infected patients she had come across before. Except, rather than her body pushing out maroon blood from every pore, it was flipped with You in which the black liquid didn't wish to remain inside of her any longer. Again though, Riko didn't want to raise any hopes.
As Riko finished her job, she set aside her water and rag to let her body rest from nearly an entire night of You-watch. She sat back on her sore hands as she thought about everything she had done. She didn't know what time it was, what day it was, or even where she was half the time.
All Riko knew was she had given it her all.
She thought of the patients she had seen when she had worked as an apprentice for a short time, to the infected that she had come across with You when they were scavenging for supplies. There were things that had worked at the hospital yet failed later, as with Riko's trials, but they were all stepping stones to the big picture. Using those small bits of knowledge truly benefited her.
She had exhausted every possible lead. There was no more she could think of to save You, only her body could fight the virus now.
As Riko finally rose to her feet, letting out a small yawn in the process, she took everything that laid around the office and began to put it away. From the scattered around pieces of cloth, to the furniture that had been pushed aside in a frenzy. Slowly organizing the room to not feel so cluttered, Riko started her cleaning process.
As Riko walked around the room, she looked at everything and what it had done for her. She looked at her countertops, remembering every glass disk lined up in a row as Riko patiently waited for the results each day. Riko passed by her desk, where way too many of her nights were spent hunched over with a single candle to light her messy chemical formulas she came up with.
Dragging her finger along the desk, Riko looked at its messy contents. She scraped the papers together as she began to put away her documents that scattered across its surface. Opening her drawer to toss them aside, Riko came to notice the pictures that Kanan and Mari had found long before. They all still laid at the bottom of the drawer, waiting to be rediscovered.
Riko picked them up, spreading them out before grabbing at a random one. She had seen it so many times, yet it still brought her memories flooding back like brand new every time.
It was a picture of You and Riko, both in the final year of high school. You was in her usual aquarium work-outfit, as they were short staffed in the concession stand that day, while Riko sat right next to her, awkwardly giving a peace sign. They both held egg sandwiches Riko had made while smiling at the camera that You's boss was behind. The blush on Riko's face could be seen miles away, and it always gave You such a good laugh when she looked at that picture. That laugh, with the little snort at the end, was the only reason Riko hadn't destroyed that picture the moment it was printed.
Riko set the photo down slowly, eyes still fixated on the younger versions of themselves before everything. So young, ignorant to the world before them. If only that young girl would know this was her future, a future of falling in love with her best friend and fighting against death itself to save her.
As Riko was about to pull the chair out to sit at her desk once more, she instead looked back at You.
The cover was falling slightly past her shoulders as she slowly took in her breaths. Just with the tick of a second, Riko noticed how lonely You looked by herself. So far away, yet so close. Walking over, Riko instead took her seat by her sleeping beauty.
As she sat down, her hands went to You's blanket, slowly bringing it up to cover her more. The light touches of their skin grazing one another caused You to shiver, sinking further into the blanket. Taking a sigh, Riko's heart ached a bit as she saw how cold You looked. She was already susceptible to the coldness, running a fever did her no justice. Unfortunately, they only had one blanket, as the room tended to be very hot at times so they never had to find another.
As Riko wondered how You could be so cold, even more than previous times when she had fallen sick, the answer came across her mind.
Every time they would sleep, they would be right by one another.
As her body moved without thinking, Riko got up, gently crawling over You as she too got underneath the covers. She wrapped her arms around You's waist, snuggling her head by the young sailor's shoulder to keep them close.
Riko's eyes glanced up, taking in You's sleeping form, before looking over to see her desk. She couldn't help but think of every night, where she was now, was always You's perspective. She would sit on this same bed and just watch Riko's agonizing nights of discoveries. Always staring at her.
It was almost as if she was waiting every night for her to come to bed, yet Riko never did.
Closing her eyes tightly, Riko sighed. There was no use crying over things she couldn't change. Everything she did was for a reason, there was no use in doubting her actions now. Instead, Riko focused on being a human heater at the moment.
That soon became an easy task, much to Riko's luck. The new found difficulty Riko faced though was how tired she was becoming in the process. Her blinks were taking much longer, and even her thoughts were dozing off.
Riko yawned out as she grazed her arms further up You's shivering body. Riko could feel her sailor's hip bones across her forearms, and even though they contrasted greatly in body temperatures, Riko tried her best to ignore it.
She ignored the slowing of You's breath each hour, she ignored the fact that You hadn't woken up the entire day, and she truly ignored the rate she was beginning to lose hope.
Swallowing the lump in her throat, Riko whispered to You in their quiet room,
"You know, every night has been a different story. I'd ask you if you remember something, even if you never responded, and then I'd say the first memory that came to my head. I don't know if they were really for you to hear, or maybe it was so I wouldn't forget even the smallest things about you."
Riko tightened her grip, almost afraid she'd break her already fragile sailor, as her voice shook.
"I never gave up hope that you would maybe one day talk back with me, maybe even add in something I didn't remember, but now… Now, I don't even know if you'll ever wake up."
Riko's tears dampened the cover on You's shoulder. Her breath came out in heavy shakes,
"Please don't go. I promise, I-I'll stop boring you after all of this. We can make m-more memories if you want."
Riko tearily laughed out at her own joke, remembering the blank faces You would give her when she'd tell each story.
"But, at least let me tell one more story, while you're still here."
Though Riko said 'one more story', even she knew that was a lie. Instead, she spoke and spoke until her body finally caved into her fatigued state.
Riko's shoes echoed in the hallway that she nervously strode down. It wasn't common that she was called to the principal's office, especially on her first day of school, but things were very strange in her life right now.
Moving to a new town was strange, even going to a school that looked older than her great-grandparents was strange, but it was her life now, unfortunately.
Riko felt like she had been walking the halls forever now, passing by the same door every minute. She wasn't even sure which floor the office was at at this point.
As she reached another flight of stairs, Riko stopped as she placed her hand on the rail, wondering if she should go back up to class to ask for help or keep searching on her own. That was if she could even remember where her class was.
A person, however, was stopped at the top of the staircase. As Riko's eyes traveled up her legs, she was met with her face. It was the girl who sat behind her, and that was asleep nearly all class period. She had silver hair, bouncy and wavy, and now that they had made eye contact, apparently sapphire gems that could put the sky's blue to shame.
Though it was a quick glance, Riko was swift to look away as if she hadn't seen her, but the grey-haired girl was sure to make her presence known,
"Hey, new girl!"
Mentally slapping her forehead, Riko was caught in her sad attempt to avoid human interaction. She turned to face the girl, only to see her sitting onto the railing, sliding her way down to Riko at a fast rate.
As she jumped off the ending, she stumbled a bit forward into Riko's personal space. Backing up, Riko was a bit surprised at how energetic she was compared to in class.
As the grey-haired girl gathered her stance, Riko slightly bowed in greeting,
"Nice to meet you."
When Riko looked back up she saw You with her hands behind her back, swaying side to side on her heels as if she were a child. Riko awkwardly looked around to see if anyone else was around to be her saving grace in this moment.
"So, what's your name?"
As the question left the girl's lips, Riko was a bit confused. She had already introduced herself at the beginning of class before the day started, had she been asleep that long?
"Riko, and yours?"
The cheerful girl raised her hand to her forehead, giving Riko a salute with a bright smile to match her personality,
"Watanabe You's the name, sailing is my game!"
Riko raised her eyebrows, slightly taken back by how loud You was. You's hand moved from her forehead to the back of her head as she nervously patted it,
"Sorry, I fell asleep in class today. Swimming practice is way too early in the morning for my liking. By the time I woke up, I saw the empty desk in front of me already filled and math on the board so I had to hit snooze again. That, unfortunately, has landed me in the principal's office."
"Oh, that's not good."
Riko tried to keep her responses dry but the "You" girl in front of her kept it going, almost as if she wasn't entirely getting the hint Riko wasn't there for small talk,
"What are you doing out? If you're looking for the bathrooms you didn't have to go this far for them, they're on our same floor."
Riko pursed her lips together, already silently embarrassed for being lost in general,
"No, no, I'm heading to the principal's office as well. I just took a little detour is all."
You giggled at Riko's explanation, already seeing through her lie with her blush to give her away. Rather than questioning her more though, You figured she'd lend a helping hand. Riko looked too hard-headed to admit she was lost anyways.
"Well, Riko, I'm in no rush to get to the office either. Why don't I take a hold of this "detour" of yours and show you around our school?"
Riko immediately brightened up, happy at the idea that she didn't have to embarrassingly tell the truth. The young girl shook her head up and down,
"Y-Yes! Then for our final spot we can go to the office together!"
You smiled, already thinking of every small detail to show Riko of their school in order to keep her own punishment for sleeping in class as far into the future as possible.
Stepping a bit forward down the hall, You looked back at Riko,
"Well then, how about we head to the pool? It's on the other side of school, but I promise on our way back I'll show you more stuff, that way you won't get lost again."
You stuck her tongue out a bit to tease Riko only for the girl to gasp out,
"I-I wasn't lost! I was just, sight-seeing!"
Chuckling out at how red Riko's face had become, You knew she was going to have fun with the new girl very quickly.
"Okay, okay, I believe you, Riko. Now come on, the future memories of this place await!"
Riko walked alongside You, slightly anxious she would get in trouble for not reporting back immediately. However, with how relaxed You seemed about the entire situation, Riko put her faith in her.
Making a friend was hard for Riko in general, but if You was making the effort here, who was she to deny a fun time?
"Alright, lead the way."
Riko's feet swayed at the edge of the roof, watching the dolphins below her perform tricks for the snacks the trainers were giving out. She sat at the top, only a glance towards the sky from being caught. Sure she could've eaten lunch with You anywhere else, but being alone always felt more special than the mess hall.
As Riko watched them and their noises they would make, she could hear You come up behind her. Her Uchiichi outfit already gave her away long ago with its squeaks.
Turning around, Riko could see You walking towards her with two cold beverages in her hand and her costume head in the other.
"Sorry for the wait, can't finish off lunch without a nice drink afterwards."
Riko smiled, grabbing a hold of the beverage being handed her way. It was a huge temperature contrast to her skin as soon as it made contact. She had been sitting under the umbrella You had set up, but that didn't stop the natural heat around her from burning her up.
"You're fine, You. Sorry I forgot to bring them. I lost track of time when I was making us lunch."
Plopping down, You's costume let out a squeak as she got situated. Riko had to quickly turn as to not give away the laugh she was trying so hard to contain. You didn't notice though, instead she just leaned back, opening her water, as she let out in a sigh,
"I can't believe it's our final year already. It feels like just yesterday I saw you in the hallway getting lost."
Losing the laughter, Riko feigned a gasp as she gently hit You's shoulder,
"I'm telling you, I wasn't lost!"
You let out a laugh at Riko's weak strike. At times like these, she was glad she sneaked Riko in so much, despite her constant warnings from her boss. It would be boring to sit alone during lunch without anyone to talk or really enjoy life with. And of course, with You being happy, it only brought a smile to Riko's lips as well.
As they both settled into their silence, Riko thought back to what You said. School was but a couple months from ending, meaning their freetime was bound to be cut short very soon. Not wanting to turn the conversation serious though, Riko instead grabbed at the padded palm of You's costume,
"Oh how I'll miss you in this costume, You. So defenseless, so soft. Just a giant marshmallow of fluff."
Bringing her hand dramatically to her heart, Riko pretended as if she were in her final stages of saying goodbye to the costume. You blushed though as she saw how close Riko put her hand to her chest. Retracting it back, the future sailor instead laughed at Riko's little show,
"C-Couldn't be me. I'm sure as heck not gonna miss this sweatshop. That scholarship is finally gonna give me the extra money I need to quit this day job. I mean look at me,"
You motioned to her costume, moving her hands up and down her large round body,
"I have the body of Mister Potato Head! That's not exactly dating material in anyone's eyes."
Riko didn't look at You's body though, only her face. Though there was sweat lined at her forehead and her curly baby-hairs stuck to her face, the way her cheeks were tinted that perfect pink let Riko's words flow without a second though,
"I still think you're cute."
You opened her mouth for a moment before shutting it again. Great time for her words to get stuck. Now being the embarrased one, You pushed Riko's shoulder,
"You say that a lot when I'm at work, I'm starting to think you like the costume more than me."
Riko only laughed at You's joke as she looked elsewhere. Her hands set her drink to the side before moving towards her lap as her feet stopped swaying. At times like these she couldn't help but think it's perfect. There's no one around, it's just them and the sound of the water to fill their silence. Riko pressured her mind, trying to get out those words.
'Just say it.'
Riko just didn't know how to though. Words had become much more difficult to articulate around You, and that was on a good day.
How could she tell her first best friend that 'cute' isn't the proper word to describe her, but rather 'Beautiful' is. How could she possibly function long enough to tell You that being snuck onto the top of the roof was the one thing she looked forward to each weekend, and the only reason she was sometimes late was because she would spend hours finding the perfect outfit to wear, even imagining how maybe this was the day that would be so much more different from the others.
There's no way she ever could when her heart soon started to beat louder in her ears than her own thoughts. Instead, Riko swallowed the idea. Everything was much easier to deal with when it was just her in her room, not when negative outcomes circled her head in front of the one her heart desired the most.
Riko changed the subject with a slightly clenched throat,
"You know, even though we're both going to the same college, I don't feel like we'll really have a lot of time for each other. I mean, we're going to be two totally different majors."
You dismissed Riko's moment to herself, blaming it on the idea of their friendship fading away over time to make her silent.
You looked over towards the dolphins below them, thinking of her words. She didn't want to make a simple promise, but rather a guarantee to her best friend. If only it hadn't started to become much more difficult to look her in the eyes.
You took a quick drink, washing down the egg sandwiches Riko had made for both of them earlier. As the water went down smoothly, You looked down at her feet as they kept swaying in the wind,
"It's okay. We could be in two totally different words, but no matter what, I'll always be there for you."
Riko wasn't sure if those were the words she wanted to hear. She didn't want whatever that was happening to her heart when You spoke to her to last forever, but yet that glimmer of hope that one day everything about them might change kept Riko's smile ever so present,
"I'll hold you to that."
Riko's eyes fixated on the lights of the stars before her. They shined so brightly against the night sky. She snuggled deeper into her scarf, wondering if she stayed quiet enough would the world stop at that moment.
It couldn't be a greater wish, just her, the moon, and her future sailor whose foot was stretched across the floor to touch hers as they were seated in a ferris wheel cart with no one else around.
"Riko, are you okay? You haven't talked a lot recently?"
Riko's eyesight finally broke from the sky as she looked at You. Her nose was bright red and she was shivering from head to toe, despite having on as many layers as Riko did.
Riko only gave her a half smile though,
"I'm okay, I'm just thinking about some stuff right now."
You pursed her lips as she tapped her foot rapidly in concentration. She had the day all planned out, but if Riko wasn't feeling good, who was she to force her along? It was all that she had been doing since they started college. You kept taking Riko to every place she wanted to go, all to get Riko out more. Now though, the thought of being the annoyance in her life scared her more than ever.
Riko could see the thoughts almost as if they were written across You's face. That and You had a tendency to tap her foot when she was too focused on her words. Riko moved a bit forward, but immediately recoiled as she felt the cart move. Instead, she stayed still to speak,
"Sorry, I don't think I've been a very good friend recently. I just can't stop thinking about what will happen when this is all over, when we get back to the ground it'll be the same routine again and again. I'm just... a bit tired."
You could see Riko's forced smile as she said her words. By now it was killing You to see Riko like that, beaten down slowly by the world, only continuing on by a thread.
"No, Riko, you've been a great friend, probably the best person in the entire world! I'm the one that hasn't been so great."
You looked down at her mitten covered hands for a moment. She wanted to say more, but to throw herself on Riko when she was having a hard time didn't seem right. Instead she began to tap her foot once more. Riko chuckled out a bit, seeing how strained You was over apologizing over the same thing,
"You, I can guarantee you've been a better friend. I mean, if you didn't get me away from my desk I'd probably still be there, ignoring everyone while the world went on without me. You look out for me a lot, so on a friendship level I think I might-"
"What if I don't think of you as a friend, Riko?"
You was quick to interrupt as soon as Riko voiced their relationship. Right when those words left her lips though, You could feel the regret all throughout her body. She wanted nothing but to let the world swallow her whole. Riko only looked at her in confusion though,
"You mean, like a better best friend?"
Riko smiled, unsure at what You was trying to get across. It wasn't until You wouldn't look up at her that she couldn't help her mind into thinking of everything she ever did wrong between the both of them. Was this some way of You telling her she didn't want to be best friends anymore?
Riko kept waiting for a response but You only rubbed her mittens together in her lap, shaking from the combination of weather and her frightened state at just what she was about to do.
The only thing Riko could see were You's ears as they poked from her hair. They shined a bright red and not before long, Riko pieced it together. The constant little touches, shy smiles from across the classroom, even waiting hours after class for Riko to be done with her studies so You could walk her back to her dorm room. Those were You's signs, that maybe she too was starting to feel the same way.
"Oh."
It was all that rose from Riko's chest. What was there to say, You was the one who had to confess. Of course, Riko could make it easy and just lay it all out on the table, but a small part of her didn't believe what was happening. A more realistic situation would be if You told her she didn't want to ever see her again, never in a single one of Riko's dreams could she imagine herself like this, yet here she was.
You finally looked up at her, face painted red while she shook from head to toe, yet her eyes stayed directly on Riko. Nothing nor no one else was around them for their moment. It was as if You was looking right through her, and now Riko couldn't help but be the one to be embarrassed.
"I don't want us to change, I-I still love being us. But I just wanted you to know how I felt so I can walk away from all of this a-and have no regrets."
Riko felt like she was drowning in her thoughts, but she needed this. Just one confirmation.
"And, how do you feel? About us?"
There was no walking away from it, how could either of them when they were hundreds of feet in the air. Then again, You was a high diver, but there was no pool of water to save her down there so they were stuck.
The anxiety rose around the both of them yet You stood taller than she had the entire day with Riko's eyes on her,
"Riko, I like you. In every way you can imagine,"
You's previous brave facade began to crack down, she let her shoulders relax as her words began to slip from her lips,
"I like when you laugh really loud at my bed head when I stay over, I like when you're on your phone and you whisper what you're reading under your breath, I like the smile you greet me with every morning and the tired one you give me by the end of the day. The list goes on and on,"
By now You could feel how embarrassing her words were. She would rather feel the cold than the heat burning her alive from her face but she had to spit out the last half,
"I know, now isn't the perfect time for really any of this, with either of our situations. A-And I won't do anything about this feeling to make you uncomfortable, but I just had to say it. In case, in some way, you might feel the same way?"
You smiled at Riko. It was a bit awkward, but the small glimmer of hope brought it out.
Riko wasn't entirely sure what to say. A confirmation of her feelings was the first thing on her mind, but was it the right time was the question.
Doubts circled Riko's head at everything that could go wrong. Their friendship could go sour or her parents might not approve and that in itself would rip her from everything she had tried so hard to achieve. Yet, as Riko could see the town lights shine in You's eyes, she couldn't bring herself to speak those doubts out loud. Rather than fearing the possibilities, for once, Riko wanted to face them. Dreams only came true every so often anyways.
Taking a deep breath, Riko finally spoke,
"I'm at an... awkward time in my life right now, You. I'm sure you know, I mean, you see how badly I want to actually do something with my life. I literally gave up playing the piano just to give my parents one good thing from their daughter."
Riko looked away from You, finally taking sight of just how bright the city looked around them with her own eyes,
"And it's not like I haven't dreamed of a moment like this, ever since high school. I'm just a bit scared, like you, to say 'yes' and ruin this, everything we have here. I'm comfortable, to say the least."
By now You could only bite her lip, she wouldn't tell Riko to stop as whatever she had to say she wanted her to say it and just get it over with. The way it was coming out though wasn't what You had planned.
"However,"
Riko looked back at You. Their eyes met for what seemed like the thousandth time. They had spoken so many words to one another, yet this was different,
"If you're patient with me, and everything I can be at times, I would love for us to be more than what we are now."
You smiled in disbelief at what she was hearing, Riko could see how excited she was getting by the passing seconds though and quickly confessed,
"I'll still mess up, and you might have to explain things very simply because I've never done this before. But, if I'm being honest, if I were to think about a dream come true, it would be you."
You by now had her mouth slightly ajar. She didn't think Riko could ever think of her in such a way. A confirmation to her confession was honestly a shot in the dark, but now, this was a game changer.
Without thinking,You leaned forward, as if she were going to hug her best friend. As soon as she sat up from the seat though, the chair they were in leaned with You, pushing Riko backwards.
As Riko's hands quickly grabbed at the rusty handlebars around them, she quickly yelled out in a panic,
"You! Sit back! Sit back!"
With their seat moving, even You lost her balance as she plopped back into her chair, swaying the seat back and forth. As their hands tightly gripped the bars near them, their heavy breaths, along with rusty squeaks, filled their silence as they waited for the dust to settle.
You looked up slightly, though she was going to apologize for her actions, the face Riko was making was too much for her. Her eyes were wide in terror as she desperately clung onto the barely stable handlebars around them, she looked similar to a cat shaken in fear.
Removing one of her hands from the handle bars, You put it over her mouth as she began to giggle. Riko turned her way, almost shocked at how she could laugh at a near death experience like that but as her giggles turned to laughter it soon became too contagious.
Riko too began to join. Their laughter burst through their chests, having them grab at their stomachs to calm themselves in some type of way.
Between their laughter, Riko let out,
"Why don't we wait until we're on the floor to talk more about this? Cotton candy on you, for nearly giving me a heart attack there."
You's smile never dropped from her face as she beamed out,
"Sounds like a deal!"
While You knew Riko wasn't ready to take that step into a relationship as soon as she was, she wouldn't mind waiting until the time was right. If it meant finally getting a chance to make one dream come true, she'd wait forever for her. Besides, a little Watanabe charm goes a long way.
Twigs snapped beneath Riko's feet as she followed closely behind You. The woods were dark, and You was really the only one with a weapon. Or at least one she knew how to use. Riko's flashlight quickly scanned behind them as her fingers clenched onto the fabric of You's shirt.
Riko didn't really know how long they had been traveling, but apparently You knew the woods like the back of her hand and constantly reassured her they were going in the right direction. Did she doubt it; slightly. Then again, really anything was better than staying at their apartments in the city for another day.
While You didn't mind how close Riko was to her, given their situation she'd probably be doing the same if Riko were in front of her, she did mind the amount of noise they were making.
Lightly putting her finger over her mouth, You let out a quick hush,
"Step after my foot prints, we can't risk making much noise until we get inside."
Riko nodded her head, grasping onto You's backpack instead as she looked down, placing her foot after where You would step.
They continued on for just a while longer, listening out for anything that might be around, before they finally cleared the forest.
As they reached the fence bordering the building, You turned to face Riko, placing her hands together on her knee to motion for Riko to step on her to give her a boost. Placing her hand onto You's shoulder, Riko stepped up onto You as the young sailor assisted Riko over the fence. As she jumped down to the other side, Riko quickly glanced at the open area around the building before resting her hand on the fence, where You's fingers were,
"The place looks clear, let's see the inside though."
Nodding her head, You lightly tightened the grip on Riko's fingers before quickly climbing up on the fence. Considering she had more upper body strength than Riko, You always went last when it came to fences, just in case they were too loud and someone were to hear she could easily jump over faster. So long as Riko was safe first that was what mattered to You.
As You jumped down onto the otherside, she too looked around. They were in the open. Not a very good spot in theory, however, it gave them a full advantage over what they could see around them, unlike the forest where every pass of the tree was a mystery.
You and Riko looked around as they walked together towards the door. They stayed close by one another, a bump of the arm from alerting the other of any danger.
As they neared the door, Riko looked behind them while You grabbed the keys from her pocket.
You unlocked the door for both of them before shining her flashlight into the lobby to see what was around. The place looked tidied up, chairs were stacked to the side, allowing an abundance of open space for nothing to hide. All around the walls were a baby blue painted color as the signs of facts about sea life were still hung up.
You stepped in once her light shined every corner she could before Riko did as well. Riko locked the door behind them as they both stood in the empty area with nothing but the soft wind from the outside to fill their eardrums.
You took her backpack off, only taking a hold of her gun, flashlight, as well as pocketing the keys she was given to every locked door. Riko followed in setting down her backpack, only grabbing her own flashlight as well as her old reliable pocket knife. As soon as they were free of anything heavy they had brought, Riko finally spoke. Her voice was a bit shaky, not used to feeling secure as deep down she feared something would appear from around the corner,
"Are you sure it's safe here?"
You honestly shrugged her shoulders,
"We should probably check, but from the last thing I heard from my old boss, I'd like to say it is."
You started to walk forward, shining her light down the hall. She began to tap her hand against the wall, seeing if anything was out there. Usually once the infected heard any noise they would let out a groan or even a scream of some kind before attacking.
Riko followed behind, helping You by quickly opening doors that were left unlocked to see that they were clear as well.
"What exactly did your boss say, You?"
You kept her eyes ahead as she double checked every sketchy looking shadow,
"Apparently she lived here for a little bit after they began clearing out the animals and things started getting really bad. I'd say she spent about a month here alone before she decided to get out while resources were still around. That's why she passed by the apartment a few weeks ago. She gave me the key to this place, saying if I ever needed a place to go that it was mine."
Riko hummed as she followed along. She recalled the women being in such a hurry to get out when she paid them a short visit. At the time Riko and You thought things were safe, and that the government would have everything under control after a while. That proved to be wrong when it took only two weeks before they were running out of food around every corner and not a single soul could be seen walking the streets.
"Where did she go?"
"Up North, apparently she had family up there and she was going to wait until everything blew over with them. Luckily though she said she couldn't take everything with her so she left some supplies here for us."
As You explained her story, she felt herself stop at the start of the exhibits hall. She could remember spending so many hours entertaining children in her mascot suit, dying on the inside every day from the heat but it always felt so nice to give a smiling child a balloon.
You walked up towards one of the glass windows, looking into the now empty area. It still had the rocks in which the animals would sunbathe, and even the glass roof to let the light shine through. Riko noticed You's silence as she followed right next to her. She looked down at what animal used to be in the home before smirking,
"Missing your old brothers and sisters, I see."
You shot Riko a confused look for a moment before seeing her pointing at the information stand right by her. In large font it read across it, 'Walrus Exhibit'.
You rolled her eyes jokingly as she laughed out at Riko's teasing.
Riko giggled along as she followed behind You. She didn't want You to think about the possible fate of any of the animals, it would only sadden her. Any little thing Riko could do to bring a smile, she'd definitely try.
The duo continued on down the halls, making noise every so often while they checked anything they could.
They had begun to reach the backrooms of the building. With only a few spaces left to check, the two were getting excited with their luck.
Each door Riko opened usually led to a janitor closet of some kind, so as she opened another silver handle she didn't expect to make such an amazing discovery. As Riko caught sight of it, she gasped out loud, gathering the attention of You. Rushing behind, You shined her light towards Riko,
"What is it?"
Riko's hands went into the closet, taking a hold of it before turning around, showing her hidden treasure to You. The curiosity from You's face dropped instantly as Riko's joy shot through the roof. In Riko's hands was You's old Uchicchi costume from when she was a teenager, still in good condition too.
Riko brought it to her chest, hugging it lovingly,
"You have to put this on for old time's sake! Please?"
You blushed at the idea of trying to fit into that costume again. She had definitely grown taller, meaning the outfit would look entirely too awkward on her. Plus, the utter shame she had when she squeaked everywhere she went was something she could never live down.
Turning around so Riko wouldn't see how red You was, You crossed her arms as she continued on down the hall,
"Sorry, but you couldn't catch me wearing that thing again in my life, Riko. Now come on, we have to see if my old boss left any gas in her generator. Maybe we can get some lights in here by tonight, if we're lucky."
Riko laughed at how quickly You wanted to escape the situation. Placing the costume back in the closet, Riko ran her hand over the thin hair on it,
"Don't worry, Uchicchi, I'll get You into you again. For now though, be patient."
Closing the door, Riko smiled at the mental image of their youthful days before hearing You further down the hall,
"Riko, I found the generator!"
Walking down the hall, the young girl walked towards You's voice. Finally some things were turning around for them, in just the perfect time too. They had maybe a week of resources left at their apartment in the city, maybe less with the criminals ransacking every store around them. With the aquarium though, it was located more on the outer parts of the city where there was still plenty to be discovered.
Though they hadn't explored much, Riko already couldn't wait to get freshly settled into their new home, and more importantly towards her own personal project she had been working on since the beginning of this all.
She knew You would be more than happy to make a trip as soon as possible to gather her more supplies, but for now Riko just wanted to relax and really enjoy her time with You.
Riko's eyes felt heavy. They begged to let her body sleep for just a few more minutes… or hours. That wasn't the case though as slowly she was becoming more aware of her surroundings. She could feel herself laying on the bed, scratchy fabric tickling her cheek, with You right beside her. She was laid on her chest, hearing her soft breathing.
There was no say in whether she was dreaming or not, as she hadn't felt so peaceful in so long. That was until she felt something. Soft fingers massaged her scalp, almost lulling her back into her dreams of memories.
Riko's fingers that laid upon You stiffened before she began rapidly blinking to rip the tiredness from her eyes. She had to know it wasn't a dream. There's no possible way she could imagine You's fingers with such detail against her skin. What confirmed it though was the raspy voice, struggling hard to push out every syllable from her chest,
"G-Goo...d Mo-Mo...rn… Hmm. M-Mor...ng"
You took a deep sigh though, agitated that her words weren't coming out properly. Her fingers kept at Riko's hair, practicing her words to say when her love would wake up.
You didn't ever imagine she would be in the spot she was now, not after the best last thing she could recall was Riko crying in front of her at the hospital and the salt of her tears against her lips. Yet, when the room stopped spinning, all she could see was red hair splattered all across her chest. When everything started to piece together, all You wanted to do was speak, yet her mind and mouth didn't seem to want to cooperate. Mumble after mumble struggled to come out, leaving her in her mind once more.
Riko didn't say anything as she heard You's practice, instead she kept as still as she could. Her eyes were wide open, feeling her tears beginning to slide down her face. Every noise that came from You didn't seem real.
Swallowing the lump in her throat, Riko shakily let out,
"You?"
You's hand stiffened in shock of Riko being awake. For how long, she wondered.
The reality of the situation didn't take long to hit. This would be the first time she could speak properly, even think, without having so many things going on inside, and yet she struggled with every word.
"Y-Yes."
You tightly closed her eyes, almost as if those simple words had hurt her.
All she wanted was to talk with Riko again, she had been trapped inside her mind for so long, screaming at herself to say something, anything. Now, when she needed communication the most, it just died at the tip of her tongue.
Riko, however, slowly got up from You's chest. She hadn't turned yet to see her, a part of her was afraid. What if it was all a lie? There was no way she, Riko; the girl who couldn't do anything right for her love, had saved her.
Yet, when her head steadily turned to see You, she was really there. Though her skin was pale, and she looked about a few minutes from passing out, she was there. That light smile she'd give when she was embarrassed never looked so perfect. The blue in her eyes never shone so brightly. Even her wavy hair that frizzed out intensely during summer days had its bounce back.
All in all, Riko had her You back.
Riko broke into a smile. Her giggles escaped her lips and not even a moment later it turned into laughter. She couldn't control her tears from falling faster than before. Every emotion she had suddenly felt the need to surface in that moment.
You laughed alongside her, with her own set of tears falling as well.
You pushed herself up from the bed, feeling like she had just run several marathons. She shook as her arms tried to lift her. Riko grabbed at her body, helping her stand up fully as she rested her back against the wall.
Though it pained her, You still smiled at Riko with every heavy pant of struggle she let out.
Riko's hands moved up from You's body, patting all over her face, really seeing if she were actually real in that moment.
Though she was going so fast in her frenzy of disbelief, You placed her hands over Riko's as they stared at one another. Golden sun locked with oceanic blue, for the first time in a long time. Riko tearily let out,
"I… I did it, You. I really did it."
Riko started to shake as the situation was too overwhelming with every second You was awake. She placed her head onto You's chest, covering her tear streamed face. She just wanted to say those words for so long.
You took a breath, slightly coughing, before whispering at her highest volume,
"I-I kn-knew… you... c-c-could."
Sniffling while trying to rub her tears away from her vision, Riko couldn't stop smiling.
It had been the hardest month of her life. Everyday not knowing if they were on the winning or losing side of the virus. No struggle she had faced could ever compare, not when she was just a hair from losing the love of her life.
You too couldn't describe the immeasurable pain she had been in. It had felt like a lifetime of just being trapped. No way to say what she felt, nor even be able to act upon half of her actions. She had to rely on her own instincts to do what was right when she couldn't see the light.
The process had been slow in waking up, she could still see little moments of life in between what she believed was dreams. She remembered the rocks in the exhibit, the anger in her screams when she'd pound at the walls, even seeing Riko sleeping at her desk with her hair splattered across her face. But one thing that especially stayed with You was the change in Riko's voice when she'd speak to her.
When You couldn't remember the entire day, feeling herself slowly slipping, it was like she was lulled back every night with that soft voice again.
What started as mumbles slowly turned into words that soon changed to You wanting to finally speak back. It all slowly chipped away at the strange world she rested in.
Now that she was finally awake, all You wanted to do was talk like she had been trying to before. She wanted to say everything she had felt, everything she was screaming in her head every night.
Yes, she remembered the night they went to get supplies. Yes, she remembered the day they moved into their apartment, the promise of them wanting to start a family, and especially giving Riko the pocket knife on her birthday.
Yet, her voice continued to fail her. For now though, her simple actions would have to do.
You softly slipped her hands from Riko's grasp, instead slowly wrapping them around her waist as she embraced her lover just like it was the first time again.
You gritted her teeth in the pain of not being able to speak, but Riko understood what she was trying to say.
Riko wrapped her arm around You's shoulders, being sure to stay above her wound, before trying to catch her breath between her sobs.
Riko moved herself more backwards, letting You rest her weak body onto her as they held tightly onto one another. The action was simple but You felt so vulnerable. Never had she had to physically rely on Riko, as she thought it would be too much for her. Now though, after everything she had done to bring her back she could see how much Riko grew, and that she couldn't be more proud of.
In between the sniffles that escaped both of them, Riko whispered the words replaying in each of their minds since the start of it all,
"I've missed you, so much."