Chapter 2 - Dissonance
The window in the hospital room was slightly open letting in the crisp winter air.
Arata sat on the bed propped up by many pillows. His smile, the one that made even Taichi's heart skip a beat – no kidding – was firmly fixed on his face. Still, Taichi couldn't help thinking there was something off about it today. Something wrong.
This whole situation must be a cosmic joke, Taichi reasoned, because Arata didn't look sick to him.
Yet, the plate outside the door clearly displayed the name "Wataya," signs that he's been staying in this room for a while obvious in the pile of books on the night stand, potted plant on the window sill, the Snowmaru blanket thrown over the bed railing and the Daddy Bear plushy in the chair in the corner.
"How long..." Taichi trailed off, unconsciously clenching his hand around the edge of his coat. How long are they keeping you? How long have you known? Why didn't you tell me sooner?!
Arata answered a different unspoken question.
"It's hard to say. Six months? Maybe a year?" His smiled had faded away and he looked at Taichi with weary eyes.
It took Taichi a brief moment to fully process what he had just heard and another second to comprehend what it meant.
You mean how long do I have left?
His eyes widened.
"Arata-"
The door behind Taichi slid open. Chihaya entered sending them a warm smile, before closing the door behind her.
"Sorry, Taichi. It took me a while before I found a vending machine that sold your drink. Here you go." He stiffly accepted it, his mind still on Arata's revelation. He turned the can in his hand. Vanilla coffee. He only drank black now.
Chihaya smoothed out the covers over Arata's legs and fluffed up the pillows. Arata looked at her with eyes full of adoration and love. His smile was back again and Taichi idly noted it wasn't so off anymore but it wasn't quite right either.
He felt an irrational urge to scream and cry and shake them by their shoulders.
How can you act so normal?
How can you still smile?!
Taichi watched as Chihaya gently brushed away the hair from Arata's forehead before kissing it lightly.
"I talked with the Doctors. They want to run a few more tests later this afternoon."
"No problem," Arata said giving Chihaya's hand a reassuring squeeze.
"And tomorrow too."
"Uhuh," he smiled up at her.
"Maybe...maybe they will be able to find something new," and Taichi didn't miss how Chihaya's voice broke for a brief second, nor did he miss how Arata's smile slipped for an instance and the one that returned was again wrong.
He realized that the sense of normalcy was all false and with that realization Taichi felt as if he couldn't breathe. His ears started ringing, the buzzing sound refusing to go away even when he shook his head a few time. The room suddenly felt too bright, too hot, too small, too cramped, too stuffy...
He needed to get out. He clawed at his neck trying to loosen the scarf around it.
"I..." he started and both of his friends – is he still allowed to call them that - turned to look at him. He cleared his throat, "I..." I'm so sorry, "I have to go. I'm supposed to meet up with my family." He cleared his throat again, "For lunch."
Lies, lies, all lies.
The buzzing in his ears still refused to go away.
Chihaya nodded and smiled "You shouldn't make Mrs. Pressure wait," and they all shared a laugh, although to his ears it sounded too forced.
He opened the door turning around to send the couple a final look.
Chihaya was still the most beautiful girl he had ever known, but the confidence and energy from her youth was gone, and even though she stood tall she somehow looked much smaller to him.
And Arata was still handsome, his features having grown sharper and more defined over the years, but his skin was paler and the dark bags under his eyes were visible even from behind his glasses.
Taichi felt a lump forming in his throat.
He saw Arata wince, hand flying up to his head. In the blink of an eye, as Chihaya turned around to look at him, the flash of pain was gone and he was back to smiling serenely, hand now clenched firmly over his lap.
The ringing in Taichi's ears suddenly stopped and he could breathe again.
"I'll be back," he said loudly.
Arata looked at him. He nodded smiling,
"We'll be waiting"
A/N: minor edits. Thank you for the review!