Chapter Text
“You have a little ghost friend, too?”
Your head snapped up, hand stilling just as you’d drawn an ‘x’ in the lower left corner of your game of tic-tac-toe. Someone was silhouetted against the sun, their features drowned in shadows for a few moments. You blinked, attempting to get used to the brightness attacking your eyes, finally getting a good look at the newcomer of your little corner of the park.
A boy stood there, dressed in shorts and a white button down shirt. His hair, a bright auburn that looked almost pink in the sun, swayed gently in the breeze, a long curled lock waving in front of his right eye. Speaking of his eyes, the bright violet orbs he owned bored holes into you, glinting brightly as he awaited your answer.
“Um, what?”
“Your ghost,” he repeated, pointing at your friend that now hovered behind you.
You blinked once. Twice. Three times before it clicked. “Wait… You can see her?” Your ‘ghost’, as he called it, bristled as a subtle anxiety wormed its’ way into your tummy.
He nodded excitedly, the lone curl bouncing with his action, “I can! I have one, too!”
In a moment, another ghost appeared, hovering next to him just a few inches off the ground. The green humanoid figure regarded you curiously, tilting its’ head to the side, watching as you did the same. Its body was green, but shimmered with an iridescence that caused your eyes to sparkle in awe. A mask wrapped around its face, with matching armor decorating its arms and legs. “It… Kinda looks like a scuba diver. Or a robot.”
The boy giggled, giddiness in his chest as he finally found someone like him! He quickly sat in front of you, making sure he didn’t disturb your unfinished game in the soft dirt, crossing his legs in front of him. “Can your ghost do anything cool?!”
“Um,” you chewed on your lip, tossing a glance over your shoulder at your hovering friend. She was still a little stiff, not quite trusting the boy or his ‘ghost’, and you used her apprehensiveness as a good way to gauge whether or not to openly share anything with this strange boy.
He seemed to pick up on this, his smile softening slightly. “Here, watch this.” He turned slightly, eyeing a lone vending machine across the park, nestled between a streetlamp and a bench. Within moments, his ghost shot across the field to the machine. You peeked around the boy, watching as the ghost’s fingers elongated, taking on the form of long, squiggly tendrils.
The appendages slipped into the machine through the flap at the bottom and began rummaging around inside. After a few seconds they retreated, the boy’s ghost now returning with two cans of juice in its reformed hands.
You stiffly sat back up straight as it held out one can to you, waiting patiently for you to take it. You blinked, eyes wide, but gingerly took the can, tilting your head down slightly and mumbling a small, “Thank you.”
The ghost seemed pleased, disappearing after it handed the other can to the boy. He promptly popped the tab on the can and took a swig. Your eyes flicked from him to the can in your own hands and, tossing another glance to your own ghost, opened your can.
The boy leaned back on his free hand, the grin back on his face as you took a small sip of the juice. “So? How long have you had your ghost?”
You shyly ran your thumb over the smooth aluminium can, “Um, about two years, I think…” Your (e/c) eyes flicked up to meet his amethyst ones. “What about you?”
He hummed, eyes flicking up as he pulled his mouth into his cheek before replying, “I’m pretty sure ever since I was born. He always showed up when I was scared or nervous, but now I can get him to come out whenever.” Snatching up a nearby stick, he began drawing little squiggles and swirls in the dirt. “I tried telling my mom, but she just said it was an imaginary friend and that all kids had them,” he shook his head, “But I knew he was different.”
You shifted a bit, setting your mostly full can down on the ground and tugging your knees up to your chest, “My parents said the same thing… I even asked other kids in my class to see their ‘imaginary friends’, but they thought I was weird for asking.”
“You’re not weird,” he rushed, leaning forward, “You’re like me! And even if that makes us weird, then we’ll be weird together.”
You felt your cheeks warm slightly but a tiny smile broke out across your lips. It felt nice to finally have someone who understands you and you can relate to. You finally felt your ghost relax as a wave of genuine happiness washed over you, your shoulders lowering a bit. “My ghost can’t do anything like yours, but I think she can fix things.”
He quirked a red brow, “Fix things?”
“Well,” you struggled to find the right words, “Maybe it’s better to say she can reverse the damage, but only on living things and I have to get to it really fast. I was able to fix a baby bird once, my cat knocked down the nest,” you pursed your lips a little, “I just held it and… The scratches closed up and the little feathers grew back.”
The boy fell silent, dropping the stick in favor of searching for something else. After a few moments of him dragging his fingers around in the dirt, he let out a little ‘Aha!’ and snatched a rock from the ground. It was mostly flat, smooth on one side, but had a sharp and jagged edge. Without missing a beat, he jabbed the rock into the palm of his other hand and swiped it hard, wincing slightly.
“H-Hey!” You flung yourself up to your knees, snatching the rock from his fingers. “What are you doing?!”
That bright smile was back on his face as he held his injured hand out to you, “Show me!”
Squeezing the rock in your hand, you were stunned, “What?”
“You said you can fix things, so,” he pushed his hand closer to you, minding the crimson that threatened to land on your pleated skirt, “Show me.”
You let out a sigh, tossing the rock far away before you cupped the back of his hand in your slightly smaller ones. “You could at least warn me next time…”
He ignored your grumbling, watching as your ghost hovered around you. Her arms reached out, semitransparent hands floating just a few centimeters above the deep cut in his palm. You closed your eyes, seeing the wound through her’s, and focused on the boy’s hand. A dim light began to swim around your conjoined hands, weaving in and out of your fingers to encapsulate his skin in warmth.
It was a strange feeling as the wound quite literally sealed itself back up, starting from the innermost damaged layer of skin and working itself outwards. The warmth seeped deep into his bones, acting as a pain reliever and he sighed, lashes fluttering against his pink cheeks.
“There,” you huffed, tugging a handkerchief from the pocket of your skirt, “Now, don’t do that again!”
The young boy couldn’t help the smile that breached his face, noticing somewhere in the back of his mind that he couldn’t remember the last time he’d genuinely smiled. You didn’t let go of his hand, quickly swiping up the blood that trickled down the surface of his forearm, ending with wiping the offending crimson from his palm. Your pink handkerchief was now stained red but you paid it no mind, inspecting his skin for any drops you might have missed.
He felt his heart pound a little harder, just noticing how soft your hands were against his own, and he quickly cupped them in his own. “Can we be friends?”
You blinked, stiffening under his bright eyes. No one had ever asked to be friends with you before… Heck, your own cousins didn’t even want to be around you if they didn’t have to be. You were the strange one in your family, spending far too much time with your ‘ghost’ and, in turn, spending time alone. But here, this random boy just pointedly asking you to be friends?
You gave him a small nod, not trusting your words out of nervousness.
If his smile got any wider you were sure it would split his face in two, squeezing your hands tightly in his before pulling the soiled handkerchief from your fingers. “Oh! Um, that’s…”
“Can I keep it?”
You furrowed your brow, “Uh, why?”
His eyes softened, holding the cloth tightly in his hand. “You’re my first friend, so I don’t want to forget today,” he answered, his voice just above a mumble, “I know it might be weird…”
You shook your head, “It’s not weird, but it’s dirty… Are you sure you want it?”
He nodded, “I’ll wash it! And then I’ll keep it in my pocket every day!”
A pretty blush dusted your cheeks and you placed your hands in your lap, casting your eyes down as you smiled. Suddenly, you heard your mother calling for you from across the park. You jolted up straight, “Oh, that’s my mom! I’m sorry, I’ve gotta go.”
You quickly stood and dusted off your skirt, the boy standing as well. You started to hurry across the grassy field but stopped when he gently grabbed your wrist. “Wait!”
You tossed a confused look over your shoulder, brows furrowed in a silent question.
The red-headed boy slightly tightened his grip, obviously upset that you had to go, “W-Will you be here tomorrow?”
Another wave of warmth kissed your cheeks. The way he watched you, waiting for your answer, made your tummy do a strange flutter and you grinned, nodding. “I’ll be here!”
Your mother called for you again and he released you, clutching the soft handkerchief tightly in his hand as you hurried across the field. He sucked in a breath, cupping his hands the best he could in front of his mouth as he shouted, “My name is Noriaki Kakyoin! I’ll be waiting for you right here, tomorrow, so don’t forget!”
You stopped a little ways away from your mom, replicating his action of holding your hands in front of your face, shouting your name back to him. “Don’t worry, Noriaki! I’ll see you later!”
Once you finally reached your mom, she gave you a gentle smile and took your hand, “My, is that a new friend over there?”
You nodded, swinging her arm happily as she led you away from the park, a little skip in your step as you walked home.
That was the first time you’d met the boy named Noriaki Kakyoin. He was strange, for sure, but then again so were you. And like he said, you were strange together, and it felt nice to actually have a person you could just… be yourself with.
After meeting almost daily at the nearby park, you’d come to find out he lived just across the street from you by complete accident, catching sight of his signature curl as he played alone in the small garden that decorated the front of his home.
You snuck across the street (after checking both ways, of course), ducking down to hide behind the stone fence that blocked in the yard. Stifling a giggle, you peeked over the ledge, tossing a small pebble over, konking the young boy on the back of his head.
“Agh!” Noriaki scratched the attacked area, standing up and looking around suspiciously. Furrowing his brow, he neared the fence, his ghost appearing just behind him in case someone dangerous was hiding.
You, on the other hand, heard his shoes crunching on the grass, and bit your lip to hold back more giggles. You heard him stop at the fence and knew he was about to peer over. You bent your knees slightly before springing up, shouting, “Nori!”
Noriaki squealed, stumbling backwards and landing roughly on his bottom. You heaved yourself up to rest on the top of the fence, flashing him a bright smile, giggling as he sputtered your name. “What are you doing here?”
You rested your chin in the palms of your hands, shooting him a playful glare. "You never told me you lived right across the street from me, Nori. We could've been hanging out all this time!"
Confusion crossed his face as he pushed himself up from the ground, raising up on his tiptoes to peer over the fence and eyeing the house that was merely sixty feet away. "You mean you live over there?"
"Yup! We moved in a few weeks ago," you kicked your dangling legs lightly, "My mom took me to the park in hopes I would make friends. And I'm lucky because my best friend happens to be my neighbor!"
Noriaki flushed at his sudden upgrade to best friend, dropping back down to the flats of his feet when he heard the front door opening.
"Noriaki! It's time for lunch!" A woman came to stand on the front porch, wiping her hands off on an apron tied around her waist. Her dark auburn locks and signature curl was enough for you to assume she was his mom, and you stilled as her deep violet eyes caught on you. "Oh? Who is this?"
Noriaki beamed, "This is the girl I was telling you about, mama!"
It took her a moment to recall but once she did, she placed a hand over her heart, a gentle and happy smile painting her lips. "Oh! You're Noriaki's new friend?"
You nodded, feeling strange being draped over their fence like a blanket being hung out to dry, and began to wriggle your way down as his mother made her way to the gate. She swiftly unlocked it and pulled it open, "Would you like to join us for lunch? There's plenty of food for all of us."
Suddenly feeling a bit nervous, your fingers clutched at the front of your skirt. Noriaki then poked his head around the corner of the fence, a silent plea in his eyes and you couldn't help but nod. He excitedly bounded over and took your hand, chattering on about how his mom was the best cook and that you'd love her grilled fish and pickled vegetables.
As time went by, you and Noriaki grew ever closer. You'd walk to school together every morning, waving goodbye to your mothers and chatting on about anything and everything. Being placed in different classes at school meant you would meet up and have lunch together in the courtyard, sitting under the same tree each day, sharing the delicious meals you'd each brought.
You'd learned that cherries were his favorite food, and made a request that your mom place a cherry into your lunch box every day, enjoying the way his face would light up each time you offered it to him. He also shared his dreams for the future and how he wanted to be a game designer when he grew up, sometimes even bringing some sketches he'd created of characters he wanted to bring to life in a video game someday.
Things changed when middle school started, however. You and the red haired boy had been friends for years, but you were growing into a young woman. Other girls in your class had started including you in more feminine topics, ones that you'd normally not share with Noriaki. At first it was simply at school, where you’d apologetically waved at him when the girls would escort you to the roof during lunch or invite you to go to different clubs with them.
He then noticed you’d drifting outside of school as well, breaking the tradition of watching movies with him on Friday nights in favor of shopping or spending nights at a classmate's house, doing whatever it was that girls did. He'd found this out the hard way when your mother answered the door late into the evening. "Noriaki?"
The young man offered her a kind smile, hiding the way his hands fidgeted at his sides. "Ah, good evening. I apologize for bothering you so late but is (Name) home?"
Mild confusion caused your mother to furrow her brow. "No, she isn't. She's staying at Mirai's house tonight to work on a project for school."
He flinched but hid it well, feeling the corners of his mouth drop a bit, "Oh, is that so? I wasn't aware."
She heaved an annoyed sigh, "Did (Name) not tell you?"
"She didn't, but it's okay," he shrugged, “She might have just forgotten.” He didn’t give your mother a chance to say anything else before he gave a quick bow and muttered another apology, turning on his heel and hurrying back down the walkway.
Your mother watched after him and shook her head, grumbling something under her breath before she made her way back inside.
You were reprimanded when you returned home the next day, pressing questions from your mother immediately sending you into a defensive mode.
“Why didn’t you at least tell the poor boy you had other plans?” She crossed her arms, disappointment on her face as you turned away. “Poor kid tried to hide it, but I could see it really hurt him, (Name).”
You huffed and dumped your schoolbag on your bed. “He’s a big boy, mom, he’ll be fine. Besides it’s not like he’s my boyfriend or anything, so what does it matter?”
Your mother was taken aback by your sudden cold response but said nothing else to you, instead turning to leave you alone in your room and your thoughts.
It wasn’t normal for you to react the way you did… But people at school had started to talk.
“They’re so weird… They never talk to anyone else.”
“Do you think there’s something wrong with them?”
“(Name) is so cute… She’d totally be my type if she wasn’t always around that freak Kakyoin.”
You squeezed your eyes shut at the burning embarrassment on your cheeks. You’d tried making other friends before, but every attempt had ended in failure once they started probing about your auburn haired friend.
Noriaki was a notoriously quiet guy, only answering necessary questions in class or basic mannerisms to pass by someone. But that changed when he was around you, which was great for him but not so much for you.
Part of you still wanted to ‘fit in’ with the crowd. You wanted to dress up and be pretty or gossip about boys or go on fun shopping trips like the other girls in your class. So, when Mirai invited you over for a study party at her house, of course you agreed.
What you didn’t expect were all the questions hurled at you by two other girls who attended.
“You guys aren’t like… Together are you?” Kaiya, a girl with light brown curls and big eyes, questioned as she leaned forward on the low table in the living room.
You flushed, warmth flooding the back of your neck, “Y-You mean Noriaki and me?”
The other girl next to you, tall with long, inky black hair, scoffed, “Well, duh. Everyone thinks so,” she tossed her locks over her shoulder, “Which is crazy because you’re so normal.”
“What do you mean by ‘normal’?” You tilted your head, genuine confusion in your eyes.
“Like, you know how to have a conversation,” Meiko clarified, “Kakyoin just doesn’t seem like he wants to talk to anyone but you.”
“Exactly.” Kaiya plucked a cookie from the plate that Mirai just brought in. “He’s just weird.”
Your flush only intensified as you shrunk down. “H-He’s not weird… He’s just-”
“Alright guys, leave her alone,” Mirai chastised, taking her spot across from you, “We didn’t invite her to hound her about Kakyoin. We have to work on this project.” There was grumbling from the other two girls but you were silently relieved, sending her a thankful smile.
“There’s nothing wrong with wanting other friends,” you muttered, retrieving your textbook and notes from inside your bag, “It’s not my fault Noriaki doesn’t want to talk to people…”
The following week was hard as you tried your best to steer clear of Noriaki. He still showed up in the morning to walk with you, so you left early. You pretended not to see him when you went to lunch with Mirai, Kaiya, and Meiko, but felt your heart thump when you opened your bento to find that bright cherry sitting in your lunch. After school you’d either go to clubs with your classmates or visit a cafe with Mirai.
Today was different though, your classmates being held up cleaning after class, leaving you to walk home alone. Noriaki wasn’t anywhere to be seen, and you were torn between being relieved and saddened. You knew your actions were no doubt hurting him, but the whispers had lessened and you actually began to feel normal for once in your life.
“Hey, (Name)!”
You stopped, casting a glance over your shoulder to find another one of your classmates jogging after you. He was a little taller than you and had spiky black hair, his school jacket unbuttoned and undershirt untucked from his trousers. You vaguely remember him being the one who made the remark about you being ‘his type’ and you flushed but offered a kind smile. “O-Oh, good afternoon, Taichi. Is something wrong?”
He stopped just a few feet away from you, huffing a few breaths but giving you a lopsided smile. “Nah, but I didn’t know you took this route home. Wanna walk together?”
Your blush intensified and your fingers tightened around the strap of your bag but you nodded, “Sure!”
Much of what you talked about slipped from your brain, unable to focus as Taichi walked rather close to you. You’d never been alone with another guy before aside from Noriaki and it was an entirely different feeling, especially when he would brush shoulders with you every now and then. It made you a little uncomfortable at first but then Taichi would flash you another smile and you relaxed. ‘He seems nice, I should really loosen up…’
“I have to go left here,” he said when the two of you reached a crossroads. He fell silent for a moment, seeming to mull something over with pursed lips. You opened your mouth to ask him if everything was alright when he suddenly grasped you by the arm and yanked you forward.
You stumbled a bit, the back of your left shoe slipping off your heel, and squeaked when he roughly smushed his lips against yours. Your (e/c) eyes widened almost painfully and you froze, brain flashing blank and blood running cold. Taichi looped his other arm around the small of your back, tough fingers digging into the plump roundness of your bottom before you quickly shoved him off of you. “Wh-What the hell?!”
Taichi chuckled at your flushed face, swiping his sleeve over his lips. “I’ve decided that you’re my girl now,” he snidely remarked, “Now that I know you aren’t a freak.”
That comment shot a cold arrow through your heart and you stiffened, immediately turning away to walk quickly down the road, anger and embarrassment burning in your ears. Taichi had shouted something after you but you paid it no mind.
It was when your house was in sight that you realized you’d started crying. The tears stung your eyes and landed haphazardly on your collar, and when you saw the infamous red hair of your friend you furiously swiped them away. He was exiting his house, dressed in his casual clothes, carrying a basket to retrieve the dried clothes from the clothing line on the side of the yard. You picked up the pace, intending to enter your house before Noriaki could catch a glimpse of your splotchy cheeks and red eyes.
Of course, the universe wasn’t on your side, and Noriaki had noticed you almost immediately. He called out your name and you fumbled with the lock on the gate, anxiety building up in your gut.
He noticed the subtle shake of your shoulders and dropped the basket, rushing down the walkway and leaping over the gate to his yard. He crossed the street in a few large steps, reaching you in moments, “Hey, are you alright?”
“I’m fine,” you bit out, cursing under your breath as the lock wouldn’t open.
“You don’t have to lie to me, (Name). You know I’m always here for you,” he gently pried, reaching out to place a hand on your shoulder.
You wrenched it away, turning with fresh tears on your cheeks and anger in your eyes. “I said I’m fine, Noriaki! Just leave me alone!”
He physically recoiled, taking a step back and watching helplessly as you finally shoved the gate open, rushing up to your door. Once you were inside, not sparing another glance at the silent boy, you darted to your room and locked yourself in.
You knew you were wrong for snapping at Noriaki but everything was so messed up, leaving you confused and angry. You were happy you were finally being noticed and looked at like a normal girl but… Raising a shaky hand to touch your lips, you grimaced.
The hot tears didn’t stop and you sunk down to the floor next to your bed, tugging your knees up to your face.
School was hell the next day and you considered not even going, but you pulled yourself out of bed anyway and somehow made your way to your desk. Taichi had spotted you on the way to school and promptly swung an arm around your shoulders. You’d tried to pull away a few times but he just tightened his hold and you relented, not wanting to make a scene in front of the other students taking the same route to class.
You did your best to focus on the teacher droning on about formulas and exponents but found yourself drifting, eyes floating to land on trees or birds passing by outside the window. Lunch rolled around before long and you moved to grab your bento, ready to take a break on the roof with Mirai.
A sudden commotion caught the attention of everyone in the hall and you tried to squeeze by, wanting to get away from whatever drama there was.
“Come on, someone’s fighting in the courtyard!”
“Really?! Who is it?!”
“Looks like that weirdo Kakyoin is going against Taichi! Hurry before a teacher breaks it up!”
Your blood ran cold and you froze, wondering if you’d even heard that right. Before you realized it your feet had turned and you were forcing yourself through the swaths of students trying to get a glimpse of the fight.
By the time you’d broke through the doors to the courtyard you were almost out of breath but pushed on, ignoring the screaming in your lungs and the fire in your legs. Off to the right was a growing group of students and you wasted no time in shoving your way through the wall of bodies.
Your breath hitched as you caught Taichi’s fist colliding with the side of Noriaki’s face, sending the redhead down into the grass. Taichi also looked worse for wear, Noriaki evidently able to land a few hits on him as well.
Taichi reared back his leg and swiftly sent a kick to the other student’s gut, causing his breath to come out in a harsh puff. Your brow furrowed and you rushed to push him away to prevent another kick from landing. He was sturdier than you thought but you were successfully able to knock him off balance a bit.
“Wh-What the,” his dark eyes flicked down to you and he scowled, “Get off me, (Name)!”
You shoved again, “Leave him alone, Taichi!”
He sneered, “Oh yeah? Or what?” He then shouldered you into the ground, whipping out a switchblade from his open jacket. “He needs to be taught a lesson in keeping his freaky mouth shut. Maybe a few scars would help him remember his place.”
Noriaki sucked in a breath, wincing and covering his abdomen, but quickly raised his left hand to shield himself from the oncoming attack. He grunted when Taichi’s blade sliced cleanly across his palm, recoiling down to the ground again.
With an aggravated cry you shoved yourself from the grass and headbutted Taichi square in his nose. He stumbled backwards with a loud curse and you hurriedly snatched Noriaki by his injured hand. He stumbled a bit but got to his feet and followed you, his long legs making it easy to keep up with your speed.
There were shouts and curses from behind you but you just kept running. You made it out of the courtyard, down the halls, and eventually to the track field out behind the school before you stopped. You leaned against the wall of the school, chest heaving as you sucked in deep breaths, Noriaki slumping to the ground next to you.
“What,” you gasped, leaning your head back against the brick, “What happened back there?”
Cradling his hand to his chest, Noriaki swiped his tongue across his dry lips and closed his eyes, handing his head down. “He was saying things about you,” he replied, wincing as he adjusted himself against the wall, “They were… Dishonorable. I asked him to stop.”
Noticing how his jacket was starting to become stained with crimson you knelt down next to him, gently tugging his hand away when you flinched yourself. You glanced down at your right palm, finding a deep, jagged gash decorating the skin. Red was smeared all across your fingers but you ignored it, choosing to focus on Noriaki's wound instead.
Just as you'd started to inspect his hand, a searing pain blossomed from your left palm as well. Tugging your hand back, you watched in confusion and shock as your skin split itself open, an exact copy of Noriaki's injury. "What..?"
He watched too, concern in his eyes when he looked up at you and noticed a bruise beginning to blossom on the side of your face. Exactly where he'd been punched. Then you doubled over, clutching at your abdomen, grunting as if you'd been kicked by a horse. He reached out to steady you, "What's happening?!"
"I-I don't know, all of these injuries suddenly started popping up," you grunted, holding out your right hand to him, "I got this one when Taichi shoved me down, but the others..."
"Wait, you grabbed my wounded hand with your right one, correct?"
You nodded, attempting to steady your pained breathing.
"So if our open wounds touched, then maybe..." He cast his eyes down, pondering for a moment before continuing, "Maybe this is another ability from your ghost? If any amount of someone else's blood enters your body, it seems you also take on their injuries." Noriaki suddenly hissed, opening his right palm to see the skin also rip itself open, "And it seems that person shares yours as well."
You furrowed your brow, huffing, "Well, that's a sucky ability." Shaking your head, you scooted forward on your knees, no doubt smearing green into the fabric of your stockings from the grass. You took his hands again, pulling them close and closing your eyes, focusing on the wounds in silence.
Noriaki never got tired of watching your ability at work, reveling in the warmth you provided when the phantasmal hands appeared and closed whatever injury he had. His gaze softened on you, lamenting when you pulled away and your hands were still split and bleeding. Your ability couldn't heal yourself, unfortunately, and it pained him. He turned away when your hand came up to his face, preventing you from healing the bruise that covered his cheek and jaw.
"Hey," you snapped, only half serious, "Stop moving, would you? I can't fix you when you're wiggling around like that."
He wouldn't turn back, keeping his attention somewhere far off, but spoke no louder than a whisper, "It's fine. I deserved this."
You knit your brows together in confusion. "What do you mean by that?"
He sighed, "I must have done something to upset you, and I got involved with your," he swallowed thickly, "Boyfriend. It wasn't my place, and I apologize."
You scoffed, catching his attention. "Taichi isn't my boyfriend. He's a creep who doesn't know how to keep his hands to himself." You placed your hand to his cheek again, leaning forward more to reach as he was quite a bit taller than you. Your voice lowered, "And you didn't upset me."
Eyelashes fluttering at the warmth that flowed from your fingertips through his skin, Noriaki asked the question that had been burning in the back of his mind. "Then why have you been so distant?"
You flushed with guilt, returning your hands to your lap once the bruise had shrunk and disappeared from his skin altogether. "I..." You nibbled on your lower lip, casting your gaze down to your knees. "People started talking about us. Calling us weird and," your shoulders slumped, "I didn't like it. I hoped that if I gave you space, you'd branch out and make new friends so they'd stop saying those awful things about you," you slumped more, hot tears biting at your eyes, "But I only made things worse..."
"Do you think I'm weird?"
Your head snapped up, blinking the tears away, "Of course not!"
"Do you think I'm a freak?"
"No!" You shook your head, (h/c) locks swishing around your shoulders. "Never!"
Noriaki's face relaxed into a genuine smile, leaning his shoulder against the wall. "Then that's what matters to me. What other people say isn't important, especially if they don't try to get to know me."
You sniffled, the guilt you felt increasing tenfold. You leaned forward until your forehead bumped against his chest, concealing your tears and blubbering face. "I'm sorry, Nori," you squeaked, "I'm sorry I was such a horrible friend to you... Please, forgive me."
He sighed, raising his fingers to gently pull them through your locks, "There's nothing to forgive, (Name). I understand why you did what.you did. Words can hurt, and a lot of people don't realize the damage that talking can do."
You lolled your head to the side, peeking up at the redhead through your thick lashes, sniffling. "Can... Can we watch movies tonight?"
"On a Tuesday?"
You nodded, "Please?"
Noriaki couldn't help the soft blush that painted his cheekbones and almost grinned, "Of course. I'm sure mom would love to see you."
Your dynamic changed after that. Throughout the rest of middle school and the first few years of high school, you were rarely seen without one another. Sure, you'd take days to go shopping with Mirai (who had become really close to both you and Noriaki), but other than that you stuck together like glue.
So when Noriaki had told you that he and his parents were taking a trip to Egypt you'd had a borderline (playful) breakdown.
"I can't believe you're leaving me!"
Noriaki chuckled as he folded another shirt before placing it neatly in his suitcase. "I'm not leaving you, (Name). My father has to travel for work, and I think it would be a good idea to do some sketching in a new place."
You groaned from your place on his bed, slowly flailing your arms in a mock fit, "But a whole week? That's a bajillion days!"
"Not a bajillion, only seven," he closed the suitcase, securely latching the locks and set it down on the floor, "I'm sure you'll be fine without me until then."
A grumble broke through your lips but stopped as he dropped his weight down next to you. A comfortable silence filled the room and for a few short moments you completely forgot about his upcoming trip.
It was late into the afternoon and the world was still, save for the slight breeze drifting through the branches just outside his window. There was the odd tweet of a bird or he honk of a distant car, all painting a serene background as you closed your eyes in content.
Your heart jumped ever so slightly when you felt Noriaki's slender fingers wrap around your hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. The action did little to quell the anxiety bubbling in your tummy. Of course you were going to miss him while he was gone, but that wasn't the reason you were so on edge.
You wouldn't be around to protect him. If anything were to happen, you would have no way of knowing. You'd learned shortly after creating the strange bond with him through your ghost that you couldn't be more than fifteen meters away or it wouldn't work. You'd also learned that the healing ability of your ghost had a time limit and after twenty minutes of the wound being inflicted, you'd be unable to do anything. If something happened to Noriaki in another country, how were you supposed to fix him?
Almost as if he could sense your apprehension he shifted, leaning over you on one elbow, regarding your stiff face in silence.
You flushed and pursed your lips, shooting your eyes off to the side before huffing out, "What?"
"You're worrying."
"So what if I am? You're about to disappear to an entirely different country." Your brow knitted together, twisting your skirt in your fingers to try and ground yourself, "What am I going to do if you get injured?"
Noriaki let out a gentle laugh, the feel of his breath fanning over your cheek and neck catching you off guard. "I promise I'll be careful. I'll even bring you something back, okay?"
You stubbornly shoved your pinky in his face, glaring hard into his violet eyes. "Pinky swear."
Without missing a beat he linked his little finger with yours, affirming his word.
As the evening wore on, you knew it was time for you to head home as you begrudgingly slipped your shoes on at the front door. You gave Noriaki one last, bone-crushing hug and gave his mother a much gentler one, her pressing a soft kiss to the top of your head.
After bidding goodnight you headed back over to your silent house, the door echoing as you walked in. The house would be empty for the next six months or so, your father on business in America while your mom went out to the country to take care of your ailing grandmother.
You didn't mind having the house to yourself, but that was when you could escape across the street when the silence got to be too loud. Heaving a sigh, you trudged up to your room, intent on burying your nose in a book until your head hurt.
It was just a week.
What could go wrong?