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Shouta hated to clean up. He was not overly messy and he himself always found his things again, but every now and then Hizashi insisted on bringing the shared apartment back to shape. However, since the blond tended to sing loudly during this process, Shouta preferred to always be in a different room if possible. Just now, his choice fell on the chamber in which the couple hoarded all kinds of things that were not needed in everyday life, but also various mementos that they did not want to part with. Hizashi had asked him to look through everything and sort out a few things if necessary.
Shouta sighed, but at least the room was cool and quiet, so he set to work sorting through the shelves, some of which were very dusty.
Hours seemed to pass, with Shouta not really making any progress. Hizashi had given him all the freedom he needed to decide for himself what they no longer needed and what they would be better off keeping. However, this led to the black-haired stacking boxes from left to right, briefly dusting off various kitchen machines and then putting them back on the shelves or simply sitting on the floor and leafing through old photo albums.
A few years ago, Hizashi had taken the trouble to sort through all the photos from their school days. Shouta remembered well how focused, but also frustrated, his husband was back then. More than once he wanted to help him with the sorting, but after only a few photos he couldn't keep up or simply lost the overview and rather left it to the blond.
Right now he was looking at the album from their graduation year. He saw many pictures of the graduation ceremony for the first time and almost regretted a little that he had left the festivities then so early. He put the album back in the box and pulled out the next one. Unlike the previous photo albums, Hizashi had not labeled this one.
He opened the first page and his breath caught involuntarily. It was a group picture. Four people: Hizashi, Shouta himself, Nemuri, and ......... Oboro.
Shouta's heart grew heavy.
Oboro looked completely carefree in this picture. His infectious wide grin and the cloud floating next to him, elicit a small smile from the black-haired and he just could not take his eyes off this picture.
Hizashi was standing on the far left, sticking his tongue out and had one arm around Shouta's shoulders, even though they hadn't been a couple at the time. His other hand was on his hip and his short blond hair was standing on end. Shouta grinned. "Hizashi and his hair," he thought to himself.
Looking at himself in the picture, he quickly noticed that he was the only one not smiling. He had his usual sullen expression and his black hair covered almost half of his face. His arms were crossed in front of his chest and his gaze seemed unconcerned. He sighed, wishing in retrospect that there were more photos from this time of him and his friends. Especially with Oboro. But back then, he couldn't have known that his friend would only live to be 17 years old. A lump formed in his throat and he had to avert his eyes.
After taking a few deep breaths, his eyes wandered back to the photo.
Nemuri was standing between him and Oboro, smiling and showing the "peace sign." She was slightly bent forward and seemed to wink at the photographer. "Who actually took our picture back then?" Shouta wondered but surely couldn't remember after pondering for a while.
Only then did he notice that Oboro was standing quite close to her. And when he looked a little closer........
"ZASHI!"
It took only seconds for the blond to stand in the doorway and look questioningly at Shouta.
"What's up Shou?"
"Did Oboro like Nemuri?"
"Uhh, what?" Hizahis didn't immediately understand what Shouta wanted him to say, but when he saw the photo album, he smiled. He stepped fully into the room and sat down on the floor next to his husband.
"You mean because he put his arm around her waist?" Hizashi inquired mischievously, pointing at the photo. It was almost impossible to tell, but it did indeed look like Oboro had his hand on Nemuri's hip, thus embracing her.
"Yeah, that's pretty intimate for friends, isn't it?"
"Well, Oboro was a very open-hearted and physical person. How many times did he hug us without any warning?"
"That's true, but....."
Shouta did feel kind of stupid now. Hizashi was right. Oboro had absolutely no fear of contact and everyone who was friends with him got to feel that. So this gesture was just friendly and didn't mean anything. Shouta was about to turn to the next page when the blond stopped him and interjected, "But you're right." Shouta froze in motion and looked questioningly at his husband. Hizashi just grinned and continued, "Oboro really liked Nemuri and she wasn't averse to him either. I noticed that quite early on and that's when I asked them directly." The blonde looked almost longingly at the photo. "He wanted to ask her out, but never could overcome himself and then....." He broke off and Shouta knew why. He could remember that incision all too well. The villain attack, the fight, and the collapsing building that buried his friend. Again he felt the lump in his throat. His hands began to tremble, which did not go unnoticed by Hizashi. He slid a bit behind Shouta, reached under his arms and put his hands over the black haired man's. So they held the album together and Hizashi whispered, "Let's not regret his death, but rather let's see what his life was like. We can clean up later. He took a short breath and when he continued speaking, his voice color was different. More cheerful. "I mean, can you imagine that our Oboro couldn't muster up the courage to ask Nemuri out? I never understood that. He was so open-hearted, but that was probably just a different level." Shouta nodded and together they turned the next page. Again, pictures with Oboro. One where he casually crouched in his cloud and chewed on a blade of grass and one together with Hizashi where they both made silly faces. On the next page was a photo of Nemuri lovingly holding Sushi and then another with Shouta and Hizashi and Oboro in the background just falling off his cloud.
But one question still preoccupied Shouta. "I never saw how Nemuri dealt with Oboro's death. It must have been incredibly difficult for her." Hizashi was silent for a while and then replied, "Each of us suffered from his death, but each of us also dealt with it differently. Nemuri was grieving. But eventually, she could move on with her life. But I know that to this day she keeps a photo of Oboro in her apartment." Hizashi smiled at Shouta and Shouta returned this smile.
"Hizashi is right," he thought, leaning against his husband, and together they flipped through the album, Hizashi having something to say about each picture. Shouta enjoyed reminiscing, taking in Hizashi's body heat and realizing how happy he was after all.