"We're so sorry to say this, but your son has autism." The faceless doctors tell his parents, and his mom bursts into tears.
"My poor child. What ever shall we do now?" It's like she's mourning, while his father stands in shock.
"Is there any way to treat it?" asks his father, and the doctors nod.
"Yes, we can recommend some therapists to you."
Josh sighs, staring at the ceiling. He throws that memory into the mental box for past memories.
"Hey kiddo. I've been looking into your files, says you're autistic?" Josh flinches, ready for the negativity associated with that word. His parents considered tossing him out for it, they settled for therapy to make him normal. He expects the same response. It doesn't come.
"It's okay," Hanekoma continues, "not gonna get mad about it or anything. Just wanted to know if you needed anything. What sorts of stims do you have? I can get you some toys, maybe a weighted blanket. We've already established that I can read sign-language, but if there's anything I can do, just let me know."
A memory from this life. Hanekoma had learned sign language for him the first life, and he'd managed to remember it.
^Joshua please, for fucks sake, text me back. It's been a week what the hell?^
A text from Neku. He groans, watching as the message becomes obscured, the notification on his lock screen continuing its count, showing the last message received.
He now had over a hundred texts from Neku, and ten missed calls. At least Neku learned quick that he was in no mood to answer the phone, but the non-stop stream of texts he refused to open didn't end.
^I'm coming over and you're not allowed to turn me away again.^
The last message pops up on his screen, and he frowns, tossing the phone to the other side of the bed.
Hanekoma had let him take sick leave for the first two days after he'd remembered, but then it was back to school. He'd taken a different route every day, dodging Neku, making sure he wouldn't be spotted. His insides churned at the thought of seeing him, his crush amplified knowing they had been together in their past life, but also he'd been the cause of Neku's death, again. The guilt ate away at his heart, aching from the weight of his sins.
Josh shook his head and sat up when he heard the knock at his door, not bothering to move to unlock it.
"I know you're in there, Josh. Stop sulking and come let me in!"
Hearing Neku prompts Josh to stand, and he grabs a notebook and a pencil from his desk. He sits and leans against the door, scrawling a big NO out on the paper, then slipping it under.
He can hear Neku pick it up, and sigh. "I'm your friend, Josh, you can tell me what's wrong. You being nonverbal about this is making me more concerned. So please, let me in, tell me what you're thinking, what's going on. I promise I won't react bad."
It takes Josh a moment to think, but in the end, he writes You wouldn't understand on the next sheet of paper, and under the door it goes.
Josh starts to rock side to side as silence falls, Neku taking far too long to contemplate his next words.
"Josh. I know. I remember everything." His voice is quiet, calm even as he shakes Joshua's view of the situation so bad that cracks form along the wall created just last week. An earthquake to his hideaway from the world.
"I'm going to get in there, no matter what, Josh. Make it easier and open the door so we can talk."
He can hear Neku sigh as another note with No written on it gets passed to him.
And then Neku is standing in his room, a few feet in front of him, causing him to flinch backwards and smush himself up against the door.
[No. You aren't supposed to be able to teleport. This isn't- you can't-] Josh is shaking his head, frowning, hands doing half-signs as he tries to find his words, but this isn't right. Neku teleported into his room, Neku shouldn't be able to do that, not if he got reincarnated.
Neku sits down in front of Josh, leaving some space between them. "Hanekoma told me you remembered, so I decided to let you have some time to work this out. I figured you'd probably be avoidant, that seems to be your go-to reaction to feeling guilty, ya know? I'd hoped you'd give that up and come chat, but I ran out of patience."
Josh can't look up at Neku, staring at the ground instead. [What happened after I got Erased?] He has a guess, connecting the dots between Neku remembering and teleporting, and the last events he remembered.
"After you saved me from that attack, I snapped. You always did say I was super powerful, heh," he says. "I saw you get hit, and next thing I know I'm shooting lightning bolts at the Fallen. You'd already worn them out, and before they could gain any Composer powers from beating you, I'd taken them down. Which is why I'm here now, as Shibuya's Composer."
[So, not only did I get Erased, but you got stuck with my job. I don't know if that's better or worse than you getting reincarnated with me like I thought.]
"It's not that bad, a bit taxing now and then yeah, but I've still got all my friends, and Uzuki makes a fine Conductor nowadays. Shibuya's still super happy to have you around too, by the way. She missed you. I missed you, too." Neku's words prompt Josh to look up at him, and when he sees Neku's smile, he gives a half-smile back.
[Thank you. Thank you for being my friend, for pretending to grow up with me. You didn't have to do that.]
"I know, I didn't have to, but I wanted to. I remember, one time you mentioned how I was your first friend. Or, twice, I guess, once in this life and once in the past, but still. I was determined not to let you go 19 years without a friend this time, so when you showed up, I decided to make sure you had at least one friend as a kid." Neku pauses, looking to the left of Josh. "Can I come sit by you now so we can cuddle or would you prefer to not do that?"
Josh blushes, but responds with a quick [Yes, get over here,] to Neku's question.
Neku grins and scoots over, wrapping his arm around Josh. "So, should I ask you out this time, or would you rather try again? I know you've been trying to think up some way to ask me out for ages. You're so adorable when you've got a crush, ya know?"
Josh groans, burying his head in Neku's side. "You're horrible. Also that 100% just counted as you asking me out, so there's no need for me to fail miserably again."
Neku laughs. "Aw, alright That means it's your turn to kiss first, though."
He rolls his eyes, but pulls himself up away from Neku's side, before leaning in and kissing. It's not magic, it's not perfect, but the kiss is nice, and warm, and familiar.
The future was nebulous, he had no clue what might be coming, and he and Neku still had lots to discuss, but for now, Josh decided to relax, and enjoy the moment.