Settling In
Finally, they arrived at the dwelling of the Takahashi family. Although it was a family that had dwindled down to two, thanks to that horrific accident that he couldn't even recall.
He found it strange, that he couldn't remember anything and it irritated him beyond all measure.
Unfortunately for him, not even his parents had been around, nor did he have a clue as how to contact them, but at least he had a friend to care for him. Takahashi Takahiro was a friend, wasn't he? Otherwise, why would he stoop to help someone as confused and disoriented as him?
Guilt began to claw up his throat, because he'd overheard everything. These Takahashi siblings had lost their parents in the same accident that had wound up disrupting his memories. Yet he had lived, while they had not. He was surprised neither seemed to resent him, because he'd lived and they had not.
Takahiro opened his door, once he'd parked.
Misaki got out of the himself and going up to the welcome mat, waiting for them while his brother helped Hiroki out of the car.
Takahiro offered his shoulder to him, "I'm sure you're still sore from the wreck and I'd feel terrible if you were to be further hurt in anyway should I not aid you."
He wanted to growl at him, that he was fine, but grimaced as soon as he set foot upon the ground.
While he didn't seem to have broken anything, his body was still covered in bruises, some that he couldn't even see.
Carefully, Takahiro shut the door of the car and helped the shorter teenager to the front door, where Misaki waited for them.
Misaki reached into his brothers jeans pocket and retrieved the keys and turned to unlock the door. Opening it, he called out, along with Takahiro, "I'm home!"
As it wasn't his home and he remembered at least some of his birth countries cultural things, he got out, "Sorry to be a bother."
Takahiro looked down at Misaki, "Misaki, can you go get a glass of water for Kamijou."
Misaki stared up at his brother with wide green eyes and once he was done with his request, he nodded, "Okay!" And turned around to walk hurriedly into the kitchen.
Takahiro looked around the room and then spotting a dark brown recliner, helped Hiroki over to it.
Once Hiroki was sitting down, Takahiro smiled, brushing his hands through the messy mop of light brown hair, without thinking. "I'm going to get a bed ready for you, okay Kamijou?"
The young man sitting in the recliner, stilled as he felt those fingers run through his hair. It felt vaguely familiar and yet, different.
'Why aren't your hands cold?'
He couldn't quite put his finger on as to why, but he also couldn't help but wonder why it had felt so good.
His brows furrowed upon that thought and swatted Takahiro's hand away grumbling, "Fine, go and do that!"
From beneath his lashes, he watched the dark haired man turn around and leave the room. Alone in the front room, he felt perturbed without the presence of the other man.
Surely it was because of his predicament, after something like that happened to a person, surely they wouldn't want to be alone.
The accident and memory loss had made him all too aware of how truly mortal one was and that in an instant, he could have lost everything. Of course he had lost everything, in so far as his memories were concerned. At least of events, but he could remember silly little facts, so insignificant, like how to hold a cup.
He blinked down at his hand, wondering when he'd gotten the cup, but he saw out of the corner of his eye a dark brown head of hair. Turning his head slightly, he saw large green eyes staring at him.
Yet as soon as he looked at the him, the kid ran away, down the hall. He soon heard what he could only assume was that of a door closing, probably the door to the kids bedroom.
Scowling, he lay back in the recliner, wincing as he felt a bit of a sting trail up his right side. Although it was his head that throbbed the most with pain. Particularly where the bump was on the backside of his head rather than where he'd been told glass had pierced his flesh.
Before the pain could get any worse, he took a sip of the water that the younger Takahashi brother had given him, though it did not ease the pain at all.
The older of the brothers reappeared, smiling at him, as though they'd been comfortable friends forever. Unfortunately, he couldn't remember if they had been or not.
"Here Kamijou, you might want to take one of these," the taller youth uncapped an orange bottle and tapped out a pill into the palm of his hand.
Glaring at the suspicious looking capsule, he asked, "What is that?"
"It's vicodin, it'll ease your pain. However since one can become addicted to them if not used properly, I'll just be keeping them as a safeguard and give you one as needed by the instructions."
"I'm not an idiot!" Did this guy think he was going to become addicted to some stupid little pill? He wasn't a drug addict! Sure he might like sake and things like that, but not anything else.
Thinking about drinking, he wondered if maybe he'd been a drunk driver as well.
His breath caught in his throat as he closed his eyes, paling at the very idea, because of what had become of the Takahashi brothers parents.
"Takahashi..."
"Yes, Kamijou?"
"W-was I d-drunk?"
Startled blue eyes gazed back at him, the pill still in his hand, already having placed the bottle in his pocket. "Why would you ask about that Kamijou?"
"Because...I think I was going to drink that night," but why, he didn't know.
"You're not old enough to be drinking. Beside's everyone was tested and you didn't have a drop of alcohol in your system and neither did my parents. Only..." he frowned, whenever he thought about it. He was adult enough now to take care of himself, but his little brother.
Why couldn't they have at least lived another ten years, wondered Takahiro silently to himself.
"Are you alright Takahashi?"
Takahiro blinked and then looked down at him, "I'm fine Kamijou," he placed the pill against the brunette's lips, "now open up, this wont hurt a bit."
Glaring up at him, his mouth parted to yell at him, but Takahiro took that opportunity to pop the pill in his mouth and placed a finger over his lips.
"Don't spit it out, you have to swallow it."
He continued to glare at the other man about his own age, give or take a month or more, thought he felt a bit of heat rise to his cheeks, unsettling him.
Turning his head away from Takahiro, he tilted his head back and took a few gulps of water to get the pill down and to quench his suddenly parched mouth.
What was even more disconcerting was how that smile played havoc with the tempo of his pulse.
"Good, Kamijou."
That had him tensing and slamming the glass down on the coaster readily available on the coffee table, "I'm not a damn dog!"
Takahiro blinked, "I know Kamijou. I was just glad you took your medication, otherwise I and Misaki would both worry..." he glanced around the room, looking over each of his shoulders. "Where is Misaki?"
"I think he went to his room," He said in a low annoyed tone, seething from being treated as though he were some kind of sick invalid.
'Wait I sort of am...but! That doesn't give him any right to treat me like some idiot.'
Takahiro smiled, "If there's anything else you need Kamijou, please let me know. Your bed is ready now, so would you like help, or can you manage it on your own?"
Hiroki blinked, having expected Takahiro to just help without considering his feelings and actually asking.
Once again, the older of the Takahashi siblings had amazed him. Perhaps he realized how much of an independent soul he was, filled with pride. 'I wonder, was I always this way or is this a result of the accident and amnesia preceding it?'
There were no answers yet forthcoming, but at least he wasn't alone and hoped that one day, he'd remember everything.
"I'd...appreciate...your help," he muttered beneath his breath. He'd prefer not to have relied on Takahashi Takahiro at all, but he could hardly move without feeling some sort of ache or pain and after that pill he felt just a bit dizzy.
Stepping out of his room and into the hallway, Misaki watched as his brother helped Kamijou to the spare bedroom that had been prepared for the duration of his visit with them.
Takahiro gently helped Hiroki down onto the bed, though so as not to jostle the other third year high school student, he'd had him hold onto the back of his neck so that he could slowly lower him onto the mattress.
Cinnamon red-brown eyes gazed up into a medium dark blue, but then after a few seconds he tore his hands from his neck, realizing that he no longer needed his support and was able to choke out a thank you.
"T-t-thank you Takahashi!"
Misaki peered into the room and piped in, "Nii-chan?"
Takahiro turned to gaze at his baby brother, "Yes Misaki?"
In one of Misaki's, he held a black silver shaded teddy bear with a thistle colored bow and eyes, while he nibbled the thumb of his free hand between his teeth.
"Are you going to tuck in Kamijou-san, Nii-chan?"
Overhearing that, Hiroki picked up a book to launch and startled the other two.
However Takahiro seemed to think Hiroki wanted to be tucked in and so, walked over to him and pulled the blanket up over him, tucking in the edges.
Hiroki growled, "What the hell?"
Once again that day, he felt two of Takahiro's fingers pressed against his lips, "Shh, everything will be okay Kamijou. I'll make sure to take extra special care of you from no onward until your parents have returned and your memories are once again intact."
"Idiot! That's not what I meant!"
Misaki nervously hugged his teddy bear tighter, "Nii-chan...m-maybe Kamijou n-needs a g-goodnight k-kiss so the m-monsters d-don't scare him."
Hearing that, russet eyes widened. His heart beat just a little bit faster than usual at least in comparison to that of which he could remember. Yet, he swore his body was used to it. Why?
Takahiro gazed down at Hiroki, "Well...to appease Misaki, I don't mind," though his eyes lingered far longer than necessary, before finally his mouth descended upon Hiroki's. A very light, very brief kiss when Takahiro pulled back and whispered, "I hope you sleep well Hiroki and will have pleasant dreams."
He highly doubted that, but when Takahiro left the room, he felt, somehow, bereft. He knew Misaki hadn't left yet, but he didn't have that much interest in him. Even when Misaki left the room, his feelings didn't alter much at all. He just wanted Takahiro to come back.
'Why the hell would I want him to come back?!'
Frustrated and uncertain of tomorrow, he pressed his head down into the pillows and closed his eyes. Plenty time enough to find out, tomorrow than to lay where he was the rest of his life.
