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The rundown motel stood still as a young man rolled a small suitcase to one of its many doors.
The soft chirping of the crickets and the buzz that came from the faulty lighting in the open hall were the only noises that filled his ears. Unlocking the door to his room, he walked into it with his suitcase in tow. The door creaked gradually as he closed it behind him.
Tired blue eyes surveyed the small living environment. A small chair by the door, its fabric wore due to time or maybe even the way it had been treated during it. The wallpaper that seemed to previously be white was now greyed with age and a yellowish grey was now its hue.
Two beds occupied the room. Both neatly made with the same sort of bedding. He walked over and lifted up the blankets and pillows on the two mattresses. No bed bugs, no pests. He sat down in relief, grabbing his small suitcase off the floor and opening it.
He had brought some clothes, mostly for the night and something clean to change into in the morning. He also brought some toiletries mostly being his toothbrush, toothpaste, comb and soap. The last thing however, had nothing to do with his stay here. In fact, he had just recently acquired it early.
Byakuya Togami didn’t have any real possessions especially since Enoshima came along and made his life a living nightmare. And even with this item acquired, he could still say that he didn’t have any real possessions of his own but he treasured this.
He had just come from a memorial for all the students killed in Enoshima’s wake. Though the bodies of all the students had been buried two years ago, they never really got the chance to fully unwind and process everything. And though Aloysius Pennyworth had insisted on taking him to his old manor, he insisted that he wanted to be alone with his thoughts.
So he drove to this little spot.
Anyways, at the memorial, he met face to face with a man he remembered meeting. Then again, there were a lot of people he remembered meeting once or twice before. But him and the young lady with him were all he could focus on.
The older man and the lady held a book and flowers in their hands. As she placed the flowers in front of the picture of Leon Kuwata, the older man turned to him and Byakuya immediately noticed that he looked exactly like his son (minus the piercings of course). He smiled genuinely at the former progeny before handing him the book in his hands.
Byakuya refused to take it at first. Telling him that he could keep it in memory of his son but he shook his head. Something in his mind told him he should give it Byakuya and so this was something he now possessed.
He opened the book and the pages of photos blessed his eyes again of memories that were once his. Memories of when he was younger and was free from fear. Free from pain and worry. In these photos were him and Leon Kuwata, enjoying each others’ company and glad to be alive. A lot of the photos were from a polaroid camera while others had been developed.
Memories flooded back to him all at once and at first, he wanted to close the book. But he kept it open, turning away from the page he was on. He looked to the bed next to him. The one that lied empty. He wondered what Leon would say if he was here with him now.
What would he do?
“Kuya~!” He remembered the nickname from the days before his death. Hours after Monokuma left the duo with a photo of them on a date at a local cafe. The memory of him and the boy that he once thought was a stranger. He didn’t know how to react. To Byakuya, that teenager in the photo had to be him from another universe.
At least that’s how it seemed anyway but to Leon, he adored it. Something always drew him to Byakuya and this picture was the answer he was looking for. Then the nickname and the quiet moments of hand holding was what came after and Byakuya had craved for more since then.
Even now, with the empty bed beside him, he wished that he could finally know how it felt to be held in someone’s arms. Be the only thing in the world they focused on. To be loved like a normal person but he knew that couldn’t happen.
In the past, he was seen as this untouchable heir. The richest man in Japan and the man everyone would dream of being like. Or being better than. People either feared or respected him with no inbetween and unfortunately, no one loved him then. And now, love was an afterthought. The rebuilding of Japan, running the Future Foundation, and moving forward with his business was all that he could focus on now.
And to make matters worse, people started to pity him. Then again, who wouldn’t pity a child who got the last remaining years of their childhood stolen from them? Who wouldn’t pity a child who had to grow up the moment he came out of the womb and was forced into a life or death scenario? Who wouldn’t pity the man who had it all only to be reduced to nothing. Nothing but his pride, his family name and the memories of when he could actually be a child.
Tears poured down his cheeks as his eyes went back to the book. With every flip of the page, he could hear Leon. His laugh, his quick comebacks, his voice. He wished he could have known what this felt like. What true love felt like. He wished that Leon could be here with him right now. To talk to him. To sing to him. To play his guitar for him.
But all of that died a long time ago. Everything died with Leon and romance was no longer something he wanted to obtain.
Especially with the fear of losing everything all over again.
He wished he could return the book. Though he loved the contents, he knew this was something he couldn’t receive again. At least, not in the way it used to be. But Byakuya Togami closed the bounded pages and hugged it close. This was all he had left of his lover now and he couldn’t just toss it away.
As much as it hurt him, he couldn’t toss it away. Memories were meant to be cherished, right?
Byakuya looked to the digital clock on the nightstand. 9:45 pm. He sniffled a little, wiping his face with his hands. Feeling sorry for himself was going to get him nowhere. He needed to calm down.
He breathed before gathering his things and leaving the motel room. And leaving love behind him.