At first Takao hated the boredom. He could do nothing when he was alone, but when he was together with other people he hated it even more. It was really frustrating at first, but Takao learned to live with it. Now he would shut the world off while listening to music with headphones. In fact he listened so loud he never heard his parents calling him for dinner, or when they had something to askr talk about. Sometimes he did it deliberately. His parents were awkward with this whole situation. They tried to help but didn't understand that their pity and sadness was making everything worse. Takao hated dealing with that. He also found out that there were so many different kinds of music to listen to. Songs with texts or just some soundtracks from some movies, they all were different in a sense. They all had another story to tell. They also made him forget about reality and let him sleep.

"Kazunari, I said!" he was suddenly pulled away from sleep by his mother's voice. He blinked, she had taken his headphones off.

"Your phone is ringing." she informed him. Now that she mentioned it, he did hear his cellphone.

"Sorry." he mumbled and reached out for his nightable. The sound came from there after all.

"Let me-"

"It's fine." After a few times patting the table he found his cell. Before his mother could disturb him any further he took the call. "Hello?" He heard his mother sigh and leave his room, shutting the door behind her.

"It's me."

Oh right.

He did tell Midorima to call him.

"Takao, are you there?"

"Ah, sorry, sorry. I didn't think you would actually really call!" Takao felt his heartbeat incraese it's pace.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing, nothing." He laughed. He really did not expect Midorima to call him. Somewhere, in the dark places of his mind he still believed that their meeting at the resturant was actually a dream.

"About your exam... you said it was this weekend. What day exactly did you mean by that?"

"Saturday." Takao was still too surprised to think clearly, so he just answered.

"What time?"

"Afternoon. 3 pm."

"I see."

"..." the last part had not been a question. Now Takao was a a loss. Should he say something? What did they talk about in the past?

"Takao."

"Yes?!" Takao did feel really dumb by getting startled like that. But this was his name, said by this voice, in that very manner. It was too familiar for him to not be affected, but at the same time it felt utterly strange. Like he had never talked to Midorima before in his life.

"I will pick you up on Saturday morning."

"...Eh? What? You don't have to-"

"See you then." Tut tut tut

"Hah? Eh? Shin-chan? Wait a second!" But Midorima had already hung up on him. What did he mean by picking him up? Why WOULD he pick him up in the first place? Ah right, I am nearly blind, he thought. But that didn't mean Midorima had to pick him up. There were other ways to get to the train station after all.

This situation was completely nuts. Everything just didn't make any sense anymore. Midorima and he didn't talk properly in months. A year even? Ever since Takao decided that just going to practise in order to sit around and watch was useless and did him no good in the process.

Takao finally was able to cope. Finally. And now Midorima came back. What the hell. Should he be happy about this or should he cry? He let himself fall back on his bed. Dealing with Midorima was always such a pain. Well, okay, he couldn't deny that he enjoyed that pain in the past. But not anymore. Now it was impossible for him to be part of that world. Talking to Midorima feels like a dream, like he can't accept the truth and clings to the past.

Which he kind of does, but not on the outside. On the outside he is fine. He is normal. He moved on. That's why he doesn't talk much to his former teammates anymore. They all were just friends because of the club anyway, so now it seemed pointless.

He let out a deep sigh. He was tempted to call Izuki. Izuki knew how to calm him down and always had the right words... or the right pun. He sighed again. It was really a wonder why Izuki wasn't fed up with him yet. Somehow Takao couldn't remember the last time HE was the one comforting Izuki. So he decided not to call him.

Never could he have guessed that his phone would ring a second time that day. At first Takao was scared. Maybe it had been Midorima again... but he couldn't be sure, so after a while he took the call.

"Hello~?"

"Hey..." This made Takao jump up from his bed.

"Izuki! What is it?" He didn't like the tone of his voice. At all.

"Could you come out for a bit...? I am in front of your house."

"Wait a second. I am coming right now!" he hung up, took his jacket and dashed downstairs. He took these stairs everyday in his life so it was really no problem to him.

"Wait, Kazunari where are you going-"

"Just outside. I have my phone with me!" Nor was it a problem for him to quickly jump into his shoes without uncecessary fussing. "Izuki?" he called the moment he was outside. It was already past sunset, so it was impossible for Takao to see anything anymore.

"I am here." Takao dashed forward, with a few uncertain touches he found Izuki's face and took it into his hands.

"What is it, Izuki?"

"It stung." Izuki whispered. "It stung and for a moment..." Izuki sounded so lost. Takao cursed everything he could think of that might have had anyhing to do with this situation. Fate, God, Coincidence... whatever.

He hugged him. "It's okay." that was all Takao could do or say. "Does is still sting?" He felt Izuki shaking his head on his shoulder. "Did this happen before?" Again he felt the answer on his shoulder.

"No... the only time was when we first went to the doctor."

"Okay. That's good." Takao really did feel useless. But it had beem a good sign. Izuki's symptoms were developing a lot slower than Takao's since the very beginng. "You will still be able to read the clock." He heard Izuki's smile. He heard the small breath he let out while doing so.

"I will be needing glasses though."

"I looked pretty cool with glasses, didn't I?" Takao joked and rubbed Izuki's back. Just like the other boy did a few days ago.

"Hey Takao..."

"Hm?"

"Do you think... that birds die when they cannot fly anymore?" He whispered. Face still burried into Takao's shoulder.

Takao's hand stilled.

He felt Izuki shaking in his arms... but that could have been he himself. Maybe they were both shaking.

Takao let out an uncertain laugh. "You can't make our lifes into a pun like that, Izuki..." He tried his best to stay cool and calm even though right now he very much felt like crying.

But he stayed strong and started to rub Izuki's back again. He let Izuki cry into his shoulders and stayed strong for him.

Izuki was his lifeline. And he always did feel guilty about it... but in moments like these he realized that he was Izuki's line as well. It made him feel less guilty about his dependence and happy to be needed at the same time.