Chapter Text
An agonizingly hollow cough caused Kindaichi to open his eyes. He was lying on the futon in his room - one Ishikawa had shared with him ever since his illness made it too difficult for him to make it up to his room on the second floor.
Looking over, Kyousuke saw the blurry form of his friend, curled up beside him.
“Ishikawa-kun?” He whispered, in case the other was awake. However, he was only met with the sound of his friend’s steady, yet labored, breathing.
Kyousuke reached for his glasses before sitting up so he could get a better look at the other.
Beads of sweat had formed on the other’s pale forehead. The wet cloth he had previously placed on his head fell off when the other shifted to his side at some point during the night.
It ached Kindaichi’s heart to see his friend in such a pathetic state.
With a soft sigh, Kyousuke reached for the fallen cloth before cooling it off in the basin beside their futon. As he wrung the cloth out, watching the water fall back into the basin below, his mind filled with thoughts of better days.
Days when the two met up after work to grab a quick bite to eat…
Days when Ishikawa would drink more than he should (and fail to get Kyousuke to follow suit)...
Days when Kindaichi would make sure his friend got back safely, even after emptying his wallet to pay for a feast that was originally only meant to be a small meal…
When was the last time they were able to share a moment like that?
Kyousuke used the cloth to cool off the other’s skin. He wished he could relive just one of those frustratingly beautiful afternoons. Even if he couldn’t change the future, being able to see his friend happy and healthy again was something he could only experience in dreams – which, nowadays, were few and far between.
As Takuboku’s health declined, so too did Kyousuke’s ability to get a restful night’s sleep. The thought of something going wrong kept him awake, or too on edge to even hope of sleeping deeply enough to dream.
The seemingly insignificant moments they shared in the past were no more than memories now. All Kyousuke could do was stay by his friend’s side, keeping him comfortable as best as he could.
For every restless night Kyousuke had, he hoped that Ishikawa was able to return to better days – even if only in his dreams.