Chapter Text
Shu stood in front of the door, hesitant to knock. He knew it would be alright. And yet…
“This is ridiculous, I am alive”, Shu muttered, as he took a deep breath. He paused.
But what if fate hadn’t been altered fully yet? No it had – definitely it had. The last year had been proof enough, right? Right? But this was what he was so afraid of all this time – more than of his own death.
He knocked twice, before slowly opening the door. Relief washed over him when he saw that Mika was breathing. Ritsu was lying on top of him, sleeping as well.
As usual, they couldn’t be separated at night.
“Nnah… Oshi-san? ‘s already mornin’?” Mika asked, opening his beautiful eyes.
“Yes… yes, it is”, Shu said, feeling all the joy of the world in his heart that Mika was alive.
Mika finally opened his eyes fully, before pushing his arms high above his head, stretching. Ritsu did the very same.
“I didn’t know I had adopted two black cats”, Shu muttered, as he walked closer to the bed.
“Ya knew that”, Mika laughed, “Nah, Oshi-san. ‘s it so late already?”
Shu shook his head. He waited until Mika shifted in bed, before he could sit down. “I am just glad we are both alive.”
“He he”, Mika laughed, “Yer weird, sometimes. Why shouldn’t we be?”
Shu hadn’t told him the truth. And he never would.
“You know that today is a busy day, so no staying in bed for too long”, Shu warned him, “it’s the busiest day of the year. Oh, did you finally finish your presents for Amagi-kun and Shiratori-kun?” His head pointed towards the wrapped gifts on the table. For nearly one year these two had been working with them already. Hiiro was indeed extremely talented. Though Aira was struggling a bit more, he was working hard. And Shu gave him the time to learn. After all he had seen how far Kuro had come with hard work.
And not to mention how much easier Shu’s life had become since he had hired Rinne to deal with the middlemen when it came to fabrics. Though he had seemed shady first, and he would often annoy everyone in the office, he was slowly becoming another irreplaceable member of Shu’s little team.
“Nnah, I could finish the presents for Hiiro-kun and Aira-kun successfully yesterday as I had nothin’ better to do”, Mika pouted, “Ya didn’t let me sleep in yer bed yesterday.”
“As far as I am aware, I had told you that this is your room right from the moment you moved in”, Shu said, “I am not sure why you two always end up sleeping in my bed.” Not that Shu really minded, but he wouldn’t be Shu if he wasn’t complaining about it.
“Because it’s big enough to fit us all”, Mika laughed. Ritsu stretched once more.
“Can I go to yer room and say good morning to Mado-nee now?” Mika asked.
“No”, Shu shook his head, “You will wait.”
“Nnah, but ya can give me ma present now already!!”
“No, later. With the others. Until then you stay out of my room.”
“But then I can give ya ma present now as well!” Mika still tried to convince him.
Shu shook his head. He didn’t actually need a present – Mika was the biggest present that he had ever received in his life already – he would forever be grateful to his four friends, who had opened his eyes and his heart to see what a gift Mika was.
Mika giggled as he moved closer, letting his head rest on Shu’s lap.
“Sleepin’ here reminds me of the first weeks when I moved in. Ya wouldn’t allow me to even leave the bed.”
“Because Hasumi-sensei had said you need a lot of rest for your heart to recover”, Shu said, before his fingers gently stroked Mika’s fluffy hair.
“Ya always brought me breakfast and dinner, and sat with me until I had finished”, Mika recalled, “And during noon, ya’d send over Hiiro-kun and Aira-kun, t’ make them stay with me till I had finished ma meal as well.”
Shu did remember those weeks. Keito had told him that Mika was dangerously malnourished and that his heart was very weak already. He had ordered a strict diet that would help him regain strength and lots of rest, until Mika’s heart would fully recover. The first days weren’t easy, especially because Mika was surprisingly picky about what to eat – which collided brutally with what Keito had written down as the diet. The endless fights until Mika would eat vegetables were something Shu didn’t miss. Luckily fruits were a bit easier, but a lot of meals had included endless discussions and persuasions why Mika had to eat it. The not eating properly for so long was so prominent with his thoughts, Shu was glad that Aira and Hiiro were fully supporting him in this task and that they knew how important it was that Mika ate. Both seemed to guess how serious the situation was. He could count on them in those first difficult weeks, and this was why Shu would make sure that both were never missing anything in their lives – he owed them not only his life, but also Mika’s.
He would also never forget the daily fights he and Mika had over the codliver oil, among other medication. Keito had emphasised how important this was for Mika’s recovery – despite the awful taste. The only way Mika was convinced to take it was when Shu also ate a spoon full. He did it – and saw it as his own punishment for how he had lived his life until that point. He had redeemed himself with that.
Also Arashi had been visiting them frequently – though Shu would gladly like to forget the first time when she had shown up at his house, had pushed him against the nearest wall and whispered if he ever made Mika cry, she would not forgive him. He dully noted to never pick a fight with her – he wouldn’t stand a chance.
She had been a lot nicer lately, but Shu was still wary of her. However her cheerful laughter was something Shu didn’t want to miss either. Though she and Mika usually were among themselves when she came over, it was so nice to see how close they were – and hopefully would always be. It was nice to have a best friend – and even though Shu couldn’t see his best friends anymore, he still carried them with him in his heart. Forever.
“Why yer smilin’, Oshi-san?” Mika asked, carefully touching his face.
“Am I?” Shu asked, “Maybe just because it’s Christmas. But. You have been in bed long enough, now up with you. You need to get ready for today as well. But, are you really fine with picking up the order from Dead End café without me? You know it will be a lot and the streets are busy.” It had become Shu’s and Mika’s favourite café. Very often they would have dinner there, especially when they had to work longer.
“Yep!” Mika said as he sat up, stretching again, “Hiiro-kun and Naru-chan will help me. And I have felt healthy since summer, I told ya! I am better than ever before! And Hasumi-sensei said so as well, so ‘m able to carry everythin’! Ya don’t hafta worry ‘bout me anymore.” Though Keito had told them months ago already that everything was fine and indeed Mika had fully recovered, Shu still insisted on check-ups four times a year.
Shu nodded, content with the answer. “Wonderful. Then Shiratori-kun will help me finish the decoration. It’s our first Christmas party, so people will judge us critically. Better not risk anything.” Their little sweet meeting was over the moment Shu thought about all the work that was still waiting for them to make a wonderful festival for his friends. Mika seemed to notice it as well, things were getting serious now!
“Ya have it easy, Ritsu”, Mika complained, snuggling his still sleepy cat, “Ya can still sleep in today.”
“As if he ever would not”, Shu said as he got up from the bed.
“He’s tired, ‘cause he kept playin’ with the bat yesterday night.”
Shu blinked, “He… he did what?”
“The bat, that is often around our house”, Mika said, “Ya never saw it?”
Shu’s heart beat faster, “I… I did. But only once. It is still here?”
“Nearly every day! He he, the bat seems to like Ritsu a lot”, Mika laughed, “Though Ritsu usually hisses at it, I think Ritsu likes the bat as well; never really hurts it.” Ritsu finally sat up, placing his paw right over Mika’s mouth.
Mika giggled happily, “Nnah, what? Are yer tryin’ to act all cool now? I can see yer havin’ fun with the bat. Yer friends, right?”
Shu smiled, “So… then next time, please tell the bat that I wish him well, Ritsu. And that he is always welcome in my house.”
Ritsu stretched, before hopping off the bed, fully ignoring Shu. He walked outside, right across the hall.
“When I said you are not to go into my room, I meant both of you!” Shu shouted after him. Naturally Ritsu walked straight into Shu’s room – of course not listening to him.
“Nah ha ha”, Mika laughed.
“He’s really a handful”, Shu sighed.
Shu shook his head in disbelief. There was no winning with a cat after all – he had long given up to fight with Ritsu. Or Mika.
“Ah! I forgot!” Mika finally got up from the bed. Shu turned to him.
“Ne, Oshi-san?” Mika said as he suddenly hugged him tightly, “Merry Christmas!”
Shu smiled softly as he returned the hug. He couldn’t put into words how happy he was to hear those exact words from none other than Mika. His Mika. He would never forget what his four irreplaceable friends had done for him – they had given him the biggest joy of his life.
“Merry Christmas to you too. And to all our friends.”
And they did have a merry Christmas – the first one of many more to come.