Chapter Text
It made sense that Haruna would have a two day wake. He was loved by so many, and this came as a comfort to Mihashi, on Abe’s behalf. They arrived after the mantras, and Tajima had helpfully gathered condolence envelopes for them before they met. Mihashi had made the mistake of turning on his phone, and so when they arrived, Mihashi asked Abe to go in without him as he talked down Abe’s family from completely flipping out on him for holding their son hostage.
Mihashi begged them to behave, to give Abe just a little more time to process his grief. He promised he would make Abe see them tomorrow, tomorrow, I promise, but please, we’re at the wake now, please let us pay our respects.
When he went back into the house, it was still fairly full, and he caught sight of Tajima before he located Abe.
“I saw him at the casket before. Taking his time.”
“He’s not there now though. Do...do you see him?” Mihashi asked, panic rising.
After two loops through the room and one outside, it seemed as though Abe had dissapeared.
After a near-breakdown by Mihashi, Tajima had the balls to ask Haruna’s sister if she had seen someone of Abe’s a description.
“She said he left with a guy named Kyohei,” Tajima said when he returned.
Mihashi didn’t know who he was, but for some reason, the fact that the name seemed familiar was comforting enough to let it go.
“Are you going to be okay, Mihashi?” Tajima asked.
Mihashi nodded. “Y...yeah. I’m...going to go back to Abe-kun’s house and...and wait...”
“No, you’re not,” Tajima said, taking Mihashi’s hand. “Come on, let’s go out.”
Mihashi shook his head. “No. No, Yuu, I’m... I’m really tired. If..if Abe’s okay then I...”
Tajima sighed. But he understood.
It must have been a while.
He heard someone come in. Rather, he thought he heard someone come in, but he might have also been sleeping, so he actually wasn’t sure. But after a few minutes of lulling back into the haze, he felt him nearby, and then he felt a gentle touch on his jaw, and his eyelashes and his heart fluttered open.
Abe was touching his face, tracing the topography of it as if to confirm that it was real and part of a living person.
Mihashi blinked slowly, and when his eyes re-opened, Abe was still there, hovering. Looking at him. Smiling.
Mihashi’s heart melted. Maybe it was the grogginess, combined with that beautiful, absolutely magical pink-orange glow of the rising sun. Maybe it was because Abe was smiling in a way he hadn’t smiled in, not just days, but ages -- serene and warm and adoring, and oh God Mihashi loved him so much, so so much. So much it hurt.
Maybe it was because now, this moment, was the beginning -- or maybe the ending -- of something important. Maybe both.
The kiss was natural, gentle. No intensity. Just gratefulness. They’d leaned into it mutually, and it was over in a second, Mihashi still blinking the sleep out of his eyes when they’d finished.
Mihashi leaned forward, intending to reconnect the kiss and write it off as confused half-awakeness later, if he had to, but Abe pulled away.
As Abe moved, Mihashi realized that this wasn’t a dream or a book or a movie, it was morning, it was his life, and now Abe was pulling the curtains open to look down on the painted, groggy morning streets of Saitama.
Mihashi wanted to ask Abe when he had gotten home. Where had he been? Who was Kyohei? How did he feel? Did he “talk” to Haruna? Was he better? Was he happy? Was everything okay now?
But all he could do was look, mouth hanging slightly agape. Watching Abe smile down on the city, colored like fire and roses. Mihashi didn’t want to disrupt it. Wanted to cherish it, this, the one moment only he would ever be privy to. A memory of Abe he’d never have to share with anyone.
But it was slipping away.
This week... this week was a blur. How many days had Abe been sick? How many days of class had he missed? Was Abe ready to see his family? What was--
“Thank you, Ren,” Abe said suddenly.
“A...be...?”
“You can believe me, now,” he went on, still looking out the window. “I’m going to be alright.”
“Abe!” Mihashi repeated, standing up from the couch. “You’ll...”
“I’ll eat,” Abe said. “I’ll leave the house, and I’ll go to work. And I’ll visit my mother and I’ll call Hanai back. I mean it.”
Mihashi’s chest got tight. Why...why wasn’t Abe looking at him? He took a few steps toward him.
“So... you can go. If you want. I’ll be fine.”
No.
No, that was not fine.
Mihashi reached out and put his hand on Abe’s arm.
The contact made Abe shudder, made him turn his head down, and made the tears come.
Mihashi opened his mouth to say Abe’s name, but his body moved and Abe embraced him hard, stifling his quiet sobs. Mihashi let his head rest on Abe’s shoulder, and wrapped his arms around his friend tightly.
Why did this feel so much like a goodbye?
“Thank you,” Abe choked out. He kissed Mihashi on the cheek, and it was a quick thing, just a step between hugging and not hugging, and just as quickly, they weren’t embracing anymore, and Abe was wiping his eyes.
“Ren,” Abe said, looking happy like he hadn’t looked since they’d qualified for Koshien.
“Abe-kun?”
“You... can keep the key.”