Sorry this took so long, my week was swamped with things. I have classes from morning to evening, visiting my choir juniors at school and tutoring them, and also visiting my grandma who's..I don't think is going to last.. *sigh* So you can see why I'm somewhat upset.
I'm fine though, I'll be fine eventually. So I'm sorry again if the update took some time, I hope you enjoy..
Days slowly went by but with no signs that Fushimi would wake up. That serene face continues to stay lax and Yata somehow misses seeing those blue eyes staring at him and though he don't want to admit it, misses the way Fushimi would tease him in that somewhat creepy tone and making his blood boil. Now he realizes that those little quirks are actually what made Fushimi as himself.
Fushimi used to be someone he knew would always be by his side; there was a time like that actually. Where it would just be the two of them against the world and doing whatever they please whenever they please. And the Homra came along, and they got a family, but he supposed somewhere along the line, Fushimi wasn't happy.
He recalls the time when Fushimi was still in Homra, and that they had gone to the amusement park when they first met Anna. Totsuka had asked him a strange question then and it made him wonder.
"I wonder if Saru-kun, who felt the same way as you, is also letting himself be saved by us."
It was a question he'd never even thought of. It wasn't something he had thought of, but he tried thinking about it, and came up with a simple answer;
"I don't know, but isn't he?"
Yata's always thought that Homra had saved him from the cruelty of the world and that nothing matters more than Homra and the people who saved him. Was it bad that they got a family they can depend on? Why is it that Fushimi wasn't happy?
Grabbing the blue clansman's hand, Yata holds it close to his chest. He could feel the cuffs vibrating gently, as if massaging him and 'telling' him that things will work out for the better. His tears wanted to spill, but there's nothing more to spill for. Fushimi's comatose for almost two weeks, and there's nothing more the vanguard could do.
"Come on Saruhiko..." he calls out to the sleeping teen quietly. "I know you can hear me, so open your eyes. I want you to look at me again,"
But as usual, Fushimi doesn't even twitch and Yata continues to sit there from morning to night. The nurses and doctors are already acquainted with the vanguard and his friend's condition, so they hardly say anything when he'd visit everyday. Even Izumo, Anna or even Kamamoto could hardly talk him into resting anymore.
Anna had even tried to use her marbles to 'see' if Fushimi is alright or not, but the blue clansman's in such a deep slumber that even her ability couldn't pierce in. All she got was a white wall and a sharp throb to her head. Yata had thanked her for trying since she looked somewhat distraught and upset for not being much of a help, but that's all there is to it.
Ever since the accident, Yata only returns home to freshen up and change clothes, grabbing food from any random nearby store and head over to the hospital. Sleeping is hardly necessary to him anymore, the warmth in the bed had gone cold long ago and the apartment just reminded him too much of Fushimi for him to be able to sleep properly.
Resting the hand back against the sleeping body, Yata inches closer to Fushimi as best as he could from his perch on the chair. He then leans forward so he can rest the upper half of his body next to his friend and taking in his scent. The hospital rooms have altered Fushimi's natural smell, and Yata hates it to the core.
This new and sterile-like smell just doesn't fit Fushimi at all. To see him so quiet and lax isn't something Yata likes. Sure, Fushimi was a quiet and doesn't like to go around much back in their younger days but he still has that spark that makes him as who he is, and that spark lit the ones in Yata's soul.
I don't care anymore, I just want him to wake up and let me back into his life, he thought ruefully. But his mind then questions him back; or is it perhaps the other way around? Was Fushimi the one who betrayed him first, or he betrayed Fushimi? That question was never answered, and he had never thought about it until now.
Closing his eyes, Yata slowly reminisces the time he had shared with Fushimi before the betrayal, their hands brushing lightly against each other and the vanguard twitches slightly, wanting to hold it.
Back then, one won't be seen without the other. They practically go everywhere together and no one else could get near them. Yata was never good at making friends, what with his temper and vulgarity, and Fushimi's quiet and disinterested nature made him think that having friends are like having shackles tying you down. They both had ended up being frustrated over nothing, and that's when they had met and stuck together.
Personality-wise, they're as opposite as heaven and earth but they somehow managed to deal with that and become close. Yata would often bring Fushimi to the arcade and even begged him if the taller boy doesn't look interested. But Fushimi had never denied his requests, even if he doesn't want to go. He'd even go as far as get a new game and saving Yata from a group of bullies once before they both ended up at the vanguard's house, playing to their hearts content.
The laughs they shared, the pain, the tears, the anger, everything, and all only with each other. Without even knowing, a small smile graces the vanguard's lips as he finally reaches for his friend's hand again and brushing the knuckles with his thumb gently.
"Saruhiko, remember that time when we had to rescue Anna and you were upset because of what you said about her parents? That time when we met at the park? You were always so distant, but you always let me in," the vanguard mumbles out as he slowly opens his eyes to look at Fushimi. He then brushes a strand of hair away from that face before folding his arm again.
That's because you're an idiot, and I'm wary about that, even if I let you in, would be most likely what Fushimi would've replied, earning a light-hearted but hollow chuckle from the vanguard. He did nothing more after that and later that evening when visiting hours are over, he returns to Fushimi's apartment to get at least some bit of sleep.
While Yata is slowly making his way back to the apartment, he didn't realize that he's being tailed by both Yua and Ayame who's watching him with distant looks. The cuffs are glowing bright white, but it is yet to disperse completely and the girls are somewhat confused by this.
"Yua, shouldn't that thing disappear by now? I've never seen it so pure white before," Ayame says while leaning against the alley wall, her eyes continue to stare at the vanguard's back even as the sky starts to darken and people making their way back home. Yua stays quiet, and Ayame realizes that she's in tune to the cuffs to see what's going on.
With a sigh, the girl shakes her head. "The cuffs may be at its strongest, but the element of communication is lacking from them so it can't disperse just yet. If it does, that boy might get tired of his friend because the constant pull will no longer be there. Until the Scepter 4 agent wakes up, the cuffs aren't going anywhere,"
"I wish they'd just confess already, obviously there's something between the two that they're too much of an idiot to notice. I'm pretty sure Yatagarasu's friends can actually see their relationship, but given that he's the captain of their shock troop, his comrades didn't say anything," Ayame snorts out with disdain.
Yua only smiles at that, Ayame is always one to speak her mind as she sees the bonds between people, so she has no problem seeing the truth. Perhaps she's right, perhaps she's just too imaginative, but Yua has to agree that the boys have a lot more than what they see on the surface. Especially the taller of the boys, she can sense a deep attachment to Yatagarasu, an attachment he's valiantly trying to protect.
Upon entering the apartment, Yata stumbles into the bedroom, his skateboard tossed to the side of the bed and ignored. He hardly uses it nowadays anyway; Izumo didn't even call him for any assignments, possibly wanting to give him the time he needs for himself, and for that the vanguard is thankful. He doesn't need to see anyone right now, his chest hurts too much.
As usual, the bedroom is still strongly scented with Fushimi's scent, but Yata realizes that it's slowly disappearing, replacing with his own and it irks him. With an attitude identical to his friend for the moment, the vanguard clicks his tongue and heads over to the cupboard where he pulls open the doors, revealing Fushimi's clean and ironed Scepter 4 coats. Pulling one out, he dons it on himself.
Of course, the jacket is too big on him and Fushimi's teasing of him being 11cm shorter rang through his head and the vanguard grits his teeth with a crooked smile. Even if he misses the teasing, he's still rather sensitive about his height and had been on milk ever since the accident. Not only does he think he can still go on a growth spurt, he had overheard from a couple of girls that milk makes someone stay full a little longer despite not eating anything. And when he tried it, it was true. He had once gone only with breakfast the whole day without collapsing.
Putting the thought aside, Yata rolls the sleeves up and pins the neckline together with a pin he had found in the bedroom before looking at himself in the mirror. A blue Scepter 4 jacket with his white shirt underneath and his usual green shorts, what a funny combination. Yata couldn't help but smile sadly before collapsing on the bed. He had thought about showering, but he just wants a short rest for the moment, just to remember back the warmth he felt when they slept together.
Saruhiko, what am I to you? The vanguard thought tiredly as he breathes in deeply. He had thought of asking that question to his friend, but the words that came out were always Homra. Back when they had been stuck in the mole's cellar, he had asked Fushimi for his betrayal, but the blue clansman simply answers half-heartedly and with scorn without even an ounce of answer he had been looking for.
All this time, Yata have always thought of Fushimi as his comrade and partner, but Fushimi always has a disgusted look on his face after he said that, as if he doesn't like to be called 'partner' or even 'comrade'. Yata doesn't know what Fushimi wants to be called, so until Fushimi tells him himself, he'd stick to calling him partner or comrade no matter how many times the other looks disgusted.
A little voice at the back of the vanguard's head then asks him back; what is Saruhiko to me? That question made his interest perk. A comrade perhaps? Or a partner? Sure, they fought together once and were close, but was it really a 'partner'? Perhaps something more that he doesn't know the answer to.
Just thinking about it hurts his head and he growls angrily. He doesn't know, but he wants to know and yet the answer isn't even in his grasp. Normally Fushimi would do the thinking, being the brain of them while he's the muscle, but Fushimi's in a state of sleep and couldn't even hold him, that just makes it worse.
Was Fushimi important to him? Of course he was, and he still is. Turning to his back, Yata stares at the ceiling, hoping to find at least some answer as he continues to ponder. For that moment, his mind reels back and it's as if he's re-living his old middle school time with Fushimi. Since they had no one but each other, they count each other as family and Fushimi even calls him by his first name multiple times without being scolded.
Was there something more? Something he had overlooked completely? Somewhere at the back of his mind, he recalls how possessive Fushimi sounded when he had said he wanted to go off somewhere with some friends from school. They would fight and Yata would relent, and he realizes that when he does, a small smile would grace Fushimi's lips though it would be wiped out almost instantly.
And he also realizes that on the bus while going to school, he could feel Fushimi's head lightly resting on his while they listen to some songs on the earphone. He didn't mind then, probably Fushimi's tired and needed a short nap. Sometimes he too would rest his head on Fushimi's shoulder and the bus would be quieter than usual, though he doesn't know why that happened. More often than not, he'd also take a bite out of Fushimi's crepe and they both would end up bickering playfully with each other and laughing.
Slowly but surely, the vanguard realizes how many times they have slept on each other's laps, sharing food or even sleeping on each other's shoulders. His cheeks slowly turning into a rosy pink colour when he also recalled the times fujoshis would be smiling, giggling or pointing at him and Fushimi back in their younger days. Now he knows why.
"This can't be happening! No way! This is a joke!" he cries out as realization hits him in the face. The blush on his cheeks now a bright red when he also remembers that Scorpios –Fushimi being the prime example- are highly possessive over someone or something they hold dear and would want to keep them for themselves forever.
Sitting up and groaning in embarrassment, he starts to think whether Fushimi's someone he holds dear or not. Going through the pros and cons, he realizes that Fushimi is a wonderful friend minus his creepy behavior. No wonder the blue clansman knows so much about him without him ever saying anything, Fushimi was, and still interested in him beyond comparison. He'd go great lengths to know what the vanguard likes, dislikes and other little trivia.
"You creepy motherfucker, I should punch you the moment you wake up..." he grumbles alone and looking at the wardrobe angrily as if imagining Fushimi in his Scepter 4 glory standing in front of the furniture. Huffing, the vanguard takes off his clothes and went over to the bathroom for some ice cold shower. He needs to get that creepy thought out of his head before he gets anymore flustered.
When he's done and ready for bed, sleeping is another troubling thing as the bed feels too big and too cold without the extra body lying next to him giving off warmth. The thought again made him blush tomato red and turning his body away from facing Fushimi's side. Ever since he came to the conclusion that Fushimi is only interested in him, he just couldn't see the taller teen as the same anymore.
As he slowly drifts off to sleep, he came to a conclusion that Fushimi also plays an important role in his life, and he shouldn't stop looking at him just because there are other interesting things showing up. Maybe I should just talk to him like in the old days when he wakes up, that might be good for the both of us, he thought before sleep completely overtook his senses.
The next day, he went to the hospital as usual after getting a decent sleep for the first time. He had made some toast and drank his coffee and is now heading off towards the hospital on his board. The two Strain girls deftly and stealthily follow him as quickly as they can. Yua has a sharp feeling that the cuffs are sending some sort of signal to her.
And by lord she loves that signal.
As the vanguard reaches the hospital, the girls quickly leapt up the railings until they reach the window of the room Fushimi is in. Shortly after, Yata comes in and takes his usual seat beside the sleeping clansman, watching and talking to him about his day as usual. Outside the window, Yua focuses her powers on the cuffs binding the two together and smiles before the two leaps back down to the ground.
Yata remains oblivious to the girls and continue to talk about what he had seen and what he had been doing the past few days. Gripping the blue clansman's hand tightly, the vanguard pushes himself up and leans his face close to Fushimi's, blushing as red as a tomato all the while.
He wanted to say he misses the idiot, but his voice somehow doesn't work and he simply leans their foreheads together. A small twitch from his hand made the vanguard quickly look at their interlaced fingers. He waited for a few short moments, but when the twitch doesn't repeat, he felt his hope deflate.
Sinking back into his seat, he continues to hold on to Fushimi's hand in case there's another small twitch. And much to the vanguard's surprise, his hand is squeezed back lightly and for the first time, Fushimi clenches his eyelids tighter and groaning softly. The vanguard leaps up and starts to encourage his friend to open his eyes.
"Saruhiko? Hey, wake up! It's me!" Yata continues to call out. Fushimi slowly opens his eyes and stares at the vanguard before him. Not a few moments later, doctors and nurses pile in to take the blue clansman's readings as Yata moves back to give them some room. He could see the somewhat scared look from those blue eyes, so he reassures Fushimi with a gentle smile.
After a short while, the doctors turn to him with a smile. "He's completely stabilized. Fushimi-kun won't be awake all the time for the time being, but his consciousness will gradually grow longer and he'll be as normal as before,"
Hearing that, Yata can finally smile without anymore weight on his chest. He thanked the doctors and nurses just as they leave before returning back to his friend's bed. Fushimi looks tired and ready to go back to sleep at any given time, but he uses the last of his energy to stay awake and grace a small smile to the vanguard.
He was about to say something when a blinding white light engulfs both their visions. The cuffs glow brightly and the boys heard a small noise from the door. Turning to the source, they notice Yua and Ayame standing there, hand in hand and smiling at them. The girls nod slightly at the boys before the glow becomes too blinding and the boys have to cover their eyes.
When they come to, both the girls and the cuffs are completely gone and they no longer feel a constant pull to each other. At first Fushimi is completely flabbergasted, as does Yata, but he recovers from his shock to grasp the vanguard's wrist weakly.
The skateboarder looks down in slight shock but his posture relaxes completely and smiles when he realizes that all is done. Gripping Fushimi's hand in his own and happy tears slowly dripping from his eyes, he whispers; "Welcome back,"
Oh the fluff~! I tried making this as angsty as possible, but my mind is completely to my grandma who's at her home in the north right now and my mum and everyone else from her side visiting my grandma. I can't really go visit though since I don't have time. I really hope she passes on smoothly..
Anyways, the next chapter is most likely the last, but since quite a handful of you guys want some alternate endings, I shall go on with that! I won't do a lot though, maybe just two or three so the story won't have hundreds of endings and look so..dull. The next update will be up soon, because my body's immune system is breaking down again...and I'm falling sick again..
Physically, my body is strong, but when it comes to my immune system..I'm actually very weak. Meh..*shrugs* Do leave me some reviews and tell me what you think of this chapter!