Visibility

By: Aviantei

Chapter 13: Patience

Tetsuya finished filling up the vase with water and sat it back down on Airi's bedside table. For having been in the hospital for three days, they were still holding up well. He would probably have to buy new ones if Airi had to stay into next week, but he could worry about that sort of thing later.

"I'm actually surprised that Aida-senpai has let you skip practice so many days in a row," Airi commented, a smile on her lips. The bandages were still wrapped firmly around her head, and Tetsuya hadn't had a chance to see under them. Airi had assured him that she was healing fine, and even the nurses had confirmed it.

Even so, part of him insisted he would feel better if he saw it himself.

"I have special permission right now," Tetsuya answered, settling back into the chair. He had moved it as close to the bed as possible, and the arm rest pressed against the white sheets. "Everyone has been worried about you, so Coach said it was my duty to check in on you." Tetsuya chose to leave out the part where Aida had mentioned it being his duty as Airi's boyfriend. His cheeks heated up a bit at the thought.

Airi frowned a little. "You have been telling them that I'm fine, right?" she asked. "It's true that I'm stuck here, but it's only to reduce the chance of an infection and to make sure there isn't any delayed trauma from hitting my head. I feel just fine." She pouted, and her cheeks puffed out a bit. Tetsuya reached out a hand to the unbandaged side of her face.

Airi's expression softened at the contact, and she leaned against his hand. Her skin was smooth. "I promise I'm telling them you're fine as much as I can. There's no need to scold me." Airi blushed, the tips of her ears turning red as well. "But to be honest, I don't think everyone's going to stop worrying until you're back at school again."

Airi sighed. "Even though I'm grateful to everyone, I think it's a bit silly," she admitted. Tetsuya hadn't noticed before, but now he could tell she was being more honest with her feelings around him. The Airi he had first met wouldn't have said something that she disliked so plainly.

Is it because we're dating? Because she just got used to me? Or maybe because of the accident?

Despite Airi's request to not worry about it, Tetsuya still thought about the accident. He had gotten over blaming himself—true, he had left his phone behind, but that didn't make it the only reason Airi had gotten involved. However, there were still reminders like Airi and Youta's empty desk and the fact that Tetsuya was even making hospital trips at all.

And then there were the bandages.

He tried not to think too hard about them, but he couldn't help it. Airi had said enough damage had been done to her right eye to make the surgery Youta had been working so hard for useless. Not being able to see it only made things worse. Airi would have mentioned it if something big had happened, so her eye was still there. But what did it look like? Did she have scars?

"Tetsuya-kun," Airi said, frowning. It wasn't an angry frown, but her lips still pursed together. She had to have figured out what he was feeling. "Don't just sit there and be so quiet. Talk to me." Even though they were commands at the core value, she still managed to say them in a way that was soothing.

"I just…" Tetsuya faltered. Hands shaking, he traded off their positions, his right returning to his side, his left touching the bandages without applying much pressure. Airi started in surprise again, but didn't stop him. She would want him to be blunt. "Do you know if you're going to have scars?"

Airi's lips parted slightly and her visible eyebrow shifted. "I really didn't think about that," she admitted. "The doctors seemed far more concerned about infections, and it didn't occur to me to ask." Airi fidgeted a bit, her fingers tangling together. "If you want me to, I can ask, though."

There was something—a gap in the conversation. Tetsuya realized that he was waiting for Airi to ask if it would bother him at all, if her face changed. He wanted to reassure her, to say that it wouldn't. Airi was still Airi, and judging her based on sight whenever she didn't—she couldn't—wasn't fair. She didn't ask, though, and Tetsuya understood that it wasn't necessary.

Because she already knew.

"This is the right room number, right?"

"It looks like it." There was a knock on the door. "Watanabe-san, we're coming in."

Tetsuya looked over his shoulder. Leading the entrance into the room was Onishi, the class representative. "How are you feeling, Watanabe-san?" she asked. The girl was smiling until she locked eyes with him, frowning in the blue haired boy's direction. "Kuroko-kun," Onishi said, a less than cheerful tone in her voice, "you do understand that as the person we asked to see Watanabe-san, you are supposed to remember to deliver her homework, correct?"

Tetsuya had completely forgotten—and judging by the small Oh Airi let out, so had she. In his haste to check on his girlfriend, he had rushed out of the school without stopping by the teachers' office. "I'm sorry," Tetsuya apologized. He would have to stay even longer to help with her assignments now, but that wasn't so bad.

"You better be sorry." Onishi's frown dispersed into a more neutral expression. "Sorry for sending him out here without it. I brought it along, though." The class representative dug through her bag, pulling out a manila folder. "We did our best to take notes for you. Kuroko-kun said he knows how to help, but if you need anything, don't hesitate to ask."

"Oh, thank you," Airi said. She held out a hand, and Onishi handed over the folder. Airi placed it on her lap, tucking it underneath her hands. "Don't be too hard on Tetsuya-kun, though, Onishi-san. He's helped me plenty over the past few days, even if school hasn't been the focus."

Onishi raised her eyebrows, sending a look in Tetsuya's direction. The boy blushed. Airi giggled, covering her mouth with a hand as if it would conceal the sound. Trying not to focus on it, he casted his gaze back toward the door, remembering that there had been two voices. There had been Onishi, and he vaguely recognized the other, but hadn't been able to place it.

He tensed up in an instant, and Airi stopped halfway through her small-talk composed sentence to Onishi. "Tetsuya-kun, what's wrong?"

"Why is he here?"

Onishi looked confused, turning back around. "What, Miura-senpai?" she asked. The class representative pushed her bangs out of her face before moving the hand to her hip. "He said that he knew Watanabe-san and just heard about the accident. He was worried, so he wanted to come along and see if she was alright."

That explanation didn't do anything to make Tetsuya relax. If anything, it just made it worse. Yes, they knew each other, but that didn't make them friends, either. Miura and Airi hadn't been in the same vicinity of each other since the day Youta had attacked him.

So why now?

Miura laughed a little nervously, scratching the back of his head. "Sorry, maybe I should have called ahead in warning?" he said. It was too casual, and the third year didn't even sound too guilty for what he had done. Airi may have forgiven him, but Tetsuya wasn't sure he did. "You look like you're doing well, Wata-chan. How are you feeling?"

Wata-chan. Youta would have punched him. For a second, Tetsuya considered doing it in his place before it faded. Getting so angry wasn't something he did, and violence wouldn't get anywhere. It was more likely to make Airi mad at him instead, and getting banned from her hospital room wasn't the situation Tetsuya wanted.

"I've been feeling fine," Airi answered, smiling as she responded. Tetsuya took a calming breath and reached for her hand. Their fingers mingled. "It was nice of you to come out here to check on me, Miura-san. Oh, wait. Onishi-san did say you're our senpai, correct?"

"Yeah, but it's nothing special." A third year. A couple of third years had been the ones to bully Airi. Even though they were older, they didn't know better. Tetsuya kept his mouth shut, and Airi traced circles with her thumb on the back of his hand. "Feel free to call me whatever you like. It's the least I can do."

"Oh, but I wouldn't feel right not referring to you anyway other than 'Senpai.'" Airi thought for a moment, frowning a bit before letting out a small laugh. "Sorry, I can't even convince myself to try. It just doesn't feel respectful enough."

Respect. Tetsuya hadn't expected the word to have so much of an impact on him. He tried to contain his annoyance—he wanted to protest, to say that Miura didn't deserve respect, not after what he and Sakamoto had done, that Airi shouldn't feel any obligations. Her fingers squeezed on his and Airi opened her mouth, taking a short breath.

"Listen, I'm sorry that I don't know your name," Miura said. He was speaking about Tetsuya, and the boy in question realized that they had never been properly introduced. "But I can get why you don't want me here. What Sakamoto and I did was shit, and we could have hurt Wata-chan a lot."

You could have, Tetsuya thought, the words harsher than anything he had thought in a long time. They dangled on his tongue, his lips. You could have done a lot worse.

Miura clenched his fist. "I know no apology can erase it, no matter how kind Wata-chan is." He was shaking, and Tetsuya realized he was, too. Airi's fingers slid up his arm, coming to a rest on Tetsuya's shoulder. "But I don't want to hurt her. I just want to try and make up for what I've done. I stopped being friends with Sakamoto, too. So if you want to protect Wata-chan, I understand that, but at least let me try."

"Tetsuya-kun," Airi whispered. He couldn't tell if they were meant to be a warning, a reassurance, or a question. She turned his face towards hers, making sure that they were speaking properly. "Tetsuya-kun, he's being sincere. I'd like to trust him. What about you?"

What about me? If he were to be honest, Tetsuya still wanted to throw Miura out of the room and make sure he never came back. But Airi was still willing to trust him, and that was her judgment. And even if she'd understand his reasons, Airi would still be sad if they turned Miura down.

And if he wasn't honest, she would be even sadder still.

Tetsuya let out a small sigh. "I don't like it," he admitted. Airi frowned, and Miura winced in Tetsuya's peripheral vision. Onishi was watching with a mix of her earlier confusion and odd detachment—a true bystander. "Even so, I think we can give him a chance." Tetsuya took Airi's hand back, returning the squeeze to her fingers. "I want to stay by your side if he's here, but other than that, I'll withhold my objections."

Airi nodded. It was such a visual based cue, and Tetsuya was amazed she still used it. "Thank you, Tetsuya-kun." She put her hands together in front of her chest, turning to address the others. "Now that that's settled, feel free to take a seat. Tetsuya-kun mentioned there should be enough chairs for all of you."

"No, thanks," Onishi declined. "I'm glad you're doing well, but it's obvious I don't have much of a place here. I'll just head out and leave you to it. If you ever need help, send Kuroko-kun back with a message. Kuroko-kun, you better not slack off on helping Watanabe-san with her homework either!"

Tetsuya blinked, not expecting the admonition. "I won't," he answered.

"I'll be sure to ask for your help if I need it, Onishi-san," Airi agreed. "I'm sorry for making you come out all this way, but thank you for delivering my homework."

Onishi shook her head. "No, it's no problem," she said. "After all, that's what a class representative is for." The girl picked her school bag up again, holding it over her shoulder. "I hope you can come back to school, soon, Watanabe-san."

"Thank you. Have a nice day, Onishi-san."

Onishi headed for the door, sliding it open. Instead of stepping through, she turned back, looking back to the bedside and those gathered at it. "Oh, Watanabe-san, about your brother…" she started. Tetsuya waited for Airi to flinch or squeeze his hand. She didn't. "Will he be returning to school soon, too?"

"I…" Airi stopped her words. There was silence. Miura looked to Tetsuya for guidance, but the latter just shook his head. "Nii-san's been busy because of the accident. Hopefully he'll be able to come back around the same time I do."

Onishi seemed satisfied. She nodded, said her farewells again, and closed the door behind her.

The silence only thickened, save for a bird chattering outside the window, the sound separated from the room by glass. Tetsuya wanted to say something, but he didn't know what. Youta had yet to visit, and Tetsuya hadn't seen him since the day he and Kagami had first come to see Airi. They had avoided talking about him, a silent agreement. But even that wasn't what bothered Tetsuya most.

Airi had lied.

"I'm sorry," she said, taking a shaky breath. Her words were on the verge of containing tears. "I just didn't want her to think Nii-san didn't have a good reason. He already missed so much school, and people might think poorly of him, so I…" Airi inhaled, a sharp sound merging with the action. She covered her mouth.

"Did something happen to your brother?" Miura asked, looking concerned. He moved one of the chairs in the room closer to the bedside and sat down, leaving some distance between himself and the couple. "I only heard that you were in the hospital, Wata-chan, I didn't think…"

Airi took another calming breath, but didn't say anything. Tetsuya took over. "Watanabe-kun didn't get hurt, but he hasn't visited at all. We don't know where he is, and the last time he disappeared, it didn't end so well." He left it at that. Miura didn't need to know all the details, and if they talked about them, Airi might lose her calm and start crying.

Tetsuya didn't want to see that again.

"I see." Miura frowned, crossing his arms across his chest. "Who knew a guy like that could be so much trouble? Sheesh."

Airi shook her head before Tetsuya could say anything. "No, Nii-san's not being any trouble at all," she protested. For the first time to Tetsuya, it sounded like a reflex. He couldn't tell if Airi actually believed it. He wanted to think she actually believed it, and that was why she defended him on instinct. Miura raised an eyebrow. "That is, I mean… Yes, I'm worried about Nii-san. But really, isn't that what siblings are supposed to do for each other? That's why he did what he did for me."

Tetsuya couldn't even say anything about Airi's defense because he was about to do the same thing.

Miura nodded, seemingly satisfied. "Yeah, I can't get mad at him for punching me in the face. He's just that kind of guy," he agreed. This time, Tetsuya looked at the other male, looking for an answer. The older boy chuckled. "Come on, don't you get that kind of feeling? When he's so honest about protecting Wata-chan, it just increases his charm by at least fifteen percent."

Tetsuya didn't know about that, but he guessed he could see what was admirable about Youta's way of life. Even if he was misled at times, he never gave up on taking care of Airi. His resolve was almost terrifying.

"Yeah, Nii-san's really great," Airi said. She smiled, even though her hands were shaking on top of the folder Onishi had left. "I do wish he would let me know he's alright, though."

"I don't think he's ready yet," Tetsuya said. Once again, he joined their hands. "Kagami-kun and I saw him the first day we came here." He had been meaning to keep the encounter a secret so as to keep Airi from feeling worse. As if on cue, she perked up at the sound of his words. "He seemed to feel bad about everything. Kagami-kun talked to him, but I don't know what about." He would have to ask. Maybe it could help.

"But Watanabe-kun was really thinking hard," he continued. "He has to know you've already forgiven him, Airi-san. He just needs more time to forgive himself."

"If you want, I can look for him," Miura suggested. "I mean, I don't know how much luck I'll have, but I can try."

Both boys watched Airi. She seemed to think for several minutes before shaking her head. "No, that's okay," she declined. "I trust Nii-san to show up when he's ready. There's no point in forcing him." She smiled, the faint curve of her lips making Tetsuya mimic the expression. "And he was here, so that means he's still watching over me. I know I said I don't like inconveniencing him, but that makes me really happy."

The door to the room opened, causing all three teens to turn toward the sound. It was such a perfect novel moment that Tetsuya half expected Youta to be standing there, even though a nurse was far more likely. But both instances were wrong, and instead a girl with wavy brown hair pulled up in a ponytail stood there, her gaze landing on Tetsuya.

"Oh, you're here Kuroko-san," she said. "I guess that means I'm in the right place."

(Gets shot for using such lame wordplay for the chapter title)

Thanks to CherryPop0120, unnamed Guest, NerdyPengy, chibianimefan26, FALLING-ANGEL24, dragfillia, scarletbleedsforyou, Sarcasm-Personified-17, DontWaitUpForMe, easily1994addictied, Blaze Mary, UNderworld Sin, and Amazing Amazon for your respective favorites, follows, and reviews!

An extra special shout out to nhiai93 for being the one-hundreth person to favorite Visibility! This is my first story to get so many favorites, and I really appreciate all the support.

The story has also reached over ten-thousand views (which I believe is the most I've ever gotten on a story)! I really can;t thank everyone who gives this story a chance enough!

Ah, last chapter seemed to hit everyone with feels. I'm glad to know that it made the emotional impact I wanted.

As for this chapter, it was a challenge. Tetsuya's emotions went in several directions through the course of this, and looking back at the writing, I'm impressed I managed to stay in character as much as I think I did. Since I may be biased, any feedback on the in character-ness of this chapter is greatly appreciated.

Ah ha! I bet you thought that Miura and Onishi were just one-off characters that were only there for their respective introductions/mini-arcs. If so, you were wrong. It wasn't always intended for these two to play a bigger role, but once I wrote them out, I knew I wanted to do more with them. I hope their character development was enjoyable.

I managed to drag another character into this mess, too...though you'll just have to wait to see what their role is until next time.

Also, thanks to everyone that cheered me on for getting a job these past months. I have finally been hired at Burger King. It's not the most lucrative job, but it is money and experience, so I can't complain.

Next life goal: get a driver's license...

But enough from me, time for the preview!

Next time, paths recross, help is offered, and Youta realizes things may be a little bit worse than he thought. Please look forward to it!

[POST] 082014