Chapter Text
Fuyuhiko is eight and tied up on the backseat of a car that he had just been thrown in. He tried to resist, of course. He kicked and punched and bit one of the kidnapper’s hand, and was finally knocked down. Peko was smarter : she obediently followed the two guys’ orders, and even if he knows it’s ridiculous, he is angry at her for not backing him up.
When he wakes up, only a few minutes later, Peko is next to him, whispering that all is going to be fine, that he can just let her do her thing that she is going to take care of everything. He keeps his mouth shut, but he can’t help the tears from rolling on his cheeks. He knows Peko thinks these are tears of fear, but he is crying of rage, of frustration, because he can’t do anything on his own, and weren’t his parents right to ask Peko to always be by his side ?
Fuyuhiko is nineteen, and he wants to scream at Hinata to be quicker. Peko’s vitals have started to display some changes these last few days, and the hope and anticipation is destroying him from the inside.
“Are you okay ?” Hajime says. “I’m going to start waking her up, you can’t do anything for now.”
Fuyuhiko nods, but he tightens his fists so much that his nails pierce the skin on the palm of his hands. It’s pointless to be angry at Hajime - they are friends, Hajime has been doing his best with everyone who has woken up so far, it’s going to be fine - but what wouldn’t he give to be the one waking Peko up.
Eight-years old Fuyuhiko tries to not stare too much at Peko, while she is slowly freeing herself, the cord her wrists are bound with being slowly cut off by the back-and-forth against the little knife she hid in her underwear and that she managed to wriggle out easily.
Fuyuhiko had a little knife himself, in his pants, but even if he bends his hands until the pain almost makes him black out, it’s useless and he doesn’t reach it. Noticing his efforts, Peko smiles to him, reassuring.
“It’s alright, Young Master. Don’t do anything that could put your life in danger.”
Fuyuhiko wants to slap this smile off her face, but it’s only because his hands are bound and that he is so helpless. Give him the power to do something, and he would save and protect Peko, for once, and stop being so useless.
“It’s going well” Hajime tells him. “Now come the critical part.”
Fuyuhiko nods shakily, and now that the pod is open, he can hold Peko’s hand. She looks pale and sick, but that’s miles better than bloody and dead, so Fuyuhiko doesn’t mind. Hajime looks at the gesture for a second, then decides it’s not a risk for Peko’s life, so he lets him do it. Hajime turns off the respirator.
Suddenly, the machines become crazy. The ‘beep-beep-beep’ are loud and endless, and Fuyuhiko’s hand tightens around Peko’s.
Please, he thinks, he pray, he begs, please let her make it. Let her come back.
Peko stabs the two guys so quickly that it doesn’t seem real. Then she helps Fuyuhiko, who jumps out of the car and vomits all the food inside him, and even more : soon, it’s just his stomach, and the painful contractions that make him want to die.
“Look at me - Just breathe” Peko says, crouching beside him. Her voice is less cold than usual, one of her hand almost touches his shoulder but he flinches - her hand is covered in blood.
Peko blinks, and for one second, Fuyuhiko thinks that he sees something pained in her eyes, but then it’s gone.
When Peko opens her eyes, she immediately starts thrashing around. She kicks Hajime in his stomach and tries to get up, to run away.
“Peko !” He screams and sobs at the same time - he cries and he doesn’t even care. “Calm down !”
She freezes, her eyes just as panicked as before, but her entire being identifying Fuyuhiko’s voice. Her lips open in a silent scream, and then the machine is back at it again with the awful beeping. Fuyuhiko doesn’t wait for Hajime’s permission and collects Peko in his arms, feeling her, touching her skin, her hair.
It’s like coming home.
“Look at me” He whispers, his chin on top of his head. “Just breath.”
She does, and the machines progressively calm down.