[Incoming Call...Kasahara Iku]

In one moment, a soft blue glow lightly colored the room as a familiar chime played. Besides one empty can of beer was a name he had been half expecting to read. And before the ring sequence had reached its half-way mark, he was pressing his right hand against his ear.

"What's wrong?"

By the time he finished his direct not-so-much of a greeting, Doujou had already taken his legs out of the room's kotatsu and was standing. Iku had Doujou's full attention, and though Doujou expected a distressed tone, he instead found a reply laced with a soft smile and a speck of laughter. A reaction he hadn't seen.

"Hmmn, does something have to be wrong for me to call you?"

"...statistically speaking, yes." Geez...why would you call if you weren't in trouble? It was hard to think of a topic that didn't concern work, advice, or a problem she needed help to get out of-He responded in the sudden situation with that mild retort that had his characteristic curtness. The moment before Iku gave a reply he nestled back unto the floor, and found himself idly toying with the metallic tab of the beer can on top of the kotatsu. Ah, perhaps-He frowned slightly.

The crackles of sound that had exploded in the air were still fresh in his mind.

"The prizewinning work you're gunning for is behind me! Shoot if you dare!"

Dare they did.

She is calling because she's having a hard time. We all are.

After thinking for that moment, there seemed to be a small pause before he heard that familiar voice over the line.

"Apparently, Supervisor Yokota has regained consciousness."

Even at 9 pm, several hours after the Ibaraki base had been notified of Yokota's awakening, Doujou could still hear the deep-toned voices of his other male dorm mates chatting energetically, the sound of their conversations about Yokota's health echoed through the hallways with their doors open.

Doujou had celebrated in kind, though only briefly, with the other members along Komaki until Doujou decided to leave early. Komaki had not returned yet.

"I heard. It's good news."

Another pause.

"Commander Genda...Commander Genda will wake up any minute now."

They say that a flame burns brightest in adversity. Any flicker of hope needed, and had to be captured.

But there was a sad irony, that even in a silver lining there was no denying that there were grand odds against Genda's life. Doujou tore away the tab off the can and let it fell to the floor. It was better to hope for something even in despair, even if that certain, small amount of warmth was difficult to obtain.

On the other end, Iku heard a deep breath. "...Yeah. I'm certain of it."

No. Seeing, or rather, hearing the faltering in his voice showed a fissure of emotion that leaked in his facade which led to sudden recognition of her own inner turmoil as well. No, I don't want to burden him like this, he had his own things to sort out himself, but the droplets continuously fell unto her pillow, down the side of her scrapped cheek and immersed themselves into the cotton cloth of the her pillow below.

"Yeah...right?" She didn't want to lean on him, but...Is alright to need someone this once? Even now? She hated herself for the inability to be completely dependent, even when it was at this time obviously unreasonable. Iku didn't want to be selfish...but she still needed to be selfish in front of someone so she could confide in them.

"Cry." Doujou laid the palms of his hands against the floor, his arms straight, and titled his head to the ceiling. "Don't try to act brave all the time. Sometimes it is much better to cry than it is to fight." Doujou cleared his throat. "I know you always try to do your best. But more than often you try too hard, and one day you will hurt yourself. So cry."

So stop making me always with so anxious about you.. and I can't look after you all the time. I cannot even reach you now. He masked his genuine concern with the casual gruffness.

I can all too easily imagine what kind of face she is making now. He saw that face so many times. And though he had gotten used to dealing whenever Iku cried, he still couldn't feel settled or nonchalant when she did, for whatever the reason. But he didn't mind it either, nor did he hesitant to remedy it. This was Iku, particularly pure-in-heart, who he wanted to take care of. He would choose to offer his shoulder, or even his hand, if it meant he could comfort her.

But he couldn't do one single thing with direct contact to help her if she was only over a goddamn phone.

If Iku was there, what would he do?

"...thump. I bopped you on the head. Now stop crying."

Now stop being heavyhearted. I'm here.

Silence. And then a burst of colorful, feminine laughter.

What!?

"N-no...no fair! Someone who's so damn serious all the time shouldn't be allowed something so stupid..."

It wasn't that amusing, idiot! Instead of a tender change in countenance in his attempt to cheer her, he surprisingly received a boisterous return. Doujou was peeved because the remark he just made was ironically more serious than Iku thought he had intended. Their reactions were unexpected on both ends.

But then came a tone he never would have even dreamed of, at the very least, in the nature or the minimalism of the conversation they just had.

"Anyway, Kasahara prefers to be patted on the head."

Her voice was so incredibly sweet, Doujou wasn't sure he could recall Iku speaking in such a way ever before. He also couldn't help the flashing, momentary image that sprung into his head-a quick hit of a ephemeral fantasy.

Instead of the usual center placement of his hand on top of her head, he saw it placed near to the side of her hair. A brilliant smile, with her small teeth showing, and she was looking directly at him, her head leaning towards his touching palm.

Her mouth had opened, "...hey, Instructor..."

And just as abruptly, the image went away and in an instance Doujou realized Iku's vocal phrase he thought he had just conjured was actually her continuing on the phone.

It was a seemingly innocent image, but he still felt a strange lost of words, and simply waited for her to finish.

"..don't worry so much about me, okay?" Though her voice was no longer teasing, it still hid that dazzling smile.

"I'll worry however I want."

And with that, he firmly shut the cover of his phone.

Komaki had stayed away from their room in order to give Doujou some space (since he, too, was constantly thinking of Genda) and was half expecting to return to a Doujou contemplatively staring absently into the wall, drinking another beer.

So when he came back at about 9:35, and saw Doujou rather had his head laid on his pillow, the back of his hands covering his forehead and eyes, and a cellphone clutched in one of the hands, Komaki couldn't think of it as anything but curious, maybe even a little amusing.

He knew Doujou only hid his face when he was truly embarrassed.

"Got a late night cal-?"

"Shut up!"

And before he could allow Komaki to sprout another word, Doujou sprung from his bed and swiftly interjected, "I'm getting more beers!" And left, the door forgotten to be closed.

Done by request and it sure was fun! I hope you enjoyed it.

I also hope I'm not making this too romantic, hoho. Let me know if I am, or any other constructive critique or comments.

In other things, I'm slowly trying to read Bessatsu I, and boy is it mushy and romantic and funny and turning me into goo. GOSH ARIKAWA-SAN.