Strangers in a Waiting Room
6. Strangers are the Easiest to Talk To

Hospital bathrooms were surprisingly clean, Takuya thought. Maybe it was to stop germs from spreading or something like that, but they were a great deal better than most public bathrooms.

All Takuya needed to do was wash his face though, so he didn't spent too long admiring.

Which was probably a good thing, because he was just throwing a wet paper towel in the bin when the door opened again.

It was Koichi though and none of the adults.

'Escaping from the adults,' he said, when Takuya looked at him.

Takuya laughed. Though it must have been a little watery because the other turned away uncomfortably. 'I'm sorry, I'll…'

'No need.' Takuya felt his eyes. They were dry. 'It's just that…hospitals aren't good places to play pranks.'

Definitely need to think before I speak, he decided, once his ears registered what his mouth had said. Then he figured he might as well explain. 'See, I was planning on pranking Koji yesterday, but things weren't a little…umm, pear-shaped.'

No way could his mother scold him for that adjective.

Koichi leaned against the wall. He seemed to fight with words for a moment, then asked: 'Do you normally..?'

'Prank Koji?' Takuya finished. At a nod, he answered: 'Well, depends on what sort of mood he's in. He doesn't mind it as much as he pretends he does, so it's good for breaking him out of bad moods.'

Except he'd been a little late on the uptake this time.

'Thought so anyway,' he amended. 'It's just…'

'Shocking?' Koichi suggested.

'Yeah. Shocking.' Takuya grabbed the word. 'I'm sorry,' he added.

The other gave a half-shrug, the corners of his lips flicking in to a smile. 'Your Koji's friend.' But this time, the tone suggested something else.

'I'm Takuya,' Takuya reminded.

'Takuya said talking was good,' Koichi returned, somewhat teasingly.

'You got me.' Takuya grinned, before frowning. 'Now, if only Koji had gotten that –' There was frustration there, but he pushed it down. They'd known each other for more than a year, but Koji still wasn't the sort to speak about his feelings. His mind yes, but not his feelings.

Koichi was looking at his feet now. Maybe he thought he'd been too direct to a stranger.

'My favourite colour is orange,' Takuya said.

Koichi looked up again.

'Orange,' Takuya repeated.

'Purple,' Koichi said, after a moment's hesitation.

'Purple's a calm colour,' Takuya commented. 'Clashes horribly with my mum.'

'It suits mine.' After another hesitation.

'Is she here?' Takuya asked curiously.

'She's here. She went to buy breakfast before, but she's at the longue.'

With Mr and Mrs Minamoto probably. That sounded like an awkward mix. No wonder Koichi had escaped it.

'Hospitals are slow, aren't they?'

Real good conversation topic, Takuya, he berated himself after.

'Koji's fine.' Koichi's lips twitched into a frown. 'Or he will be, once he wakes up.'

Takuya wondered as to the tone of that, but he just said: 'Physically, but…'

'…but not mentally.' Koichi ran a hand through his fringe. 'I don't belong here.'

'Why not?'

Koichi's somewhat frustrated-sounding reply came at the same time as Takuya's own thought. And both said the same thing. The two brothers didn't know each other at all.