Chapter Text
He didn’t mean to be so nosy. He didn’t mean to pay too much attention to his neighbor who never seemed to leave his apartment anymore. But he was worried. He didn’t even know his name and he was worried. Now don’t get him wrong, it’s not as though they were complete strangers, but they didn’t know each other too well either. He’d been so kind to him, and all he wanted to do was return the favor...
The first time he met him, it was soon after Nagato’s “accident”. Call it what you will, but his legs simply would no longer function the way he wished for them to. He was trying to come back from the grocery store with some things for dinner, having gone out for the first time after the accident. He never thought something as simple as an elevator would be his greatest foe.
“Hey, you want me to carry that? I can get this for you too.”
When Nagato turned to look, he saw spiky black hair, dark eyes, and a bright, warm smile. He was holding out his hand, offering his assistance. And here was Nagato, struggling to press the button on the elevator and hold everything with one hand. His other hand was unfortunately trapped holding him up by his crutch, his legs trembling the longer he had to stand there. He’d been the only one who walked up to help.
“If... if you don’t mind.” It felt embarrassing at the time. He had not been like this for long, it was difficult, getting used to needing help for what was once simple.
He felt pathetic.
“No problem at all!” He’d answered as he took the bags in his hand and pushed the button to call the elevator. Entering with him and holding his hand up to the numbers on the panel. “What floor are you on?”
“Floor ten.”
“Oh, same floor as me then. Got it.”
And even during the ride up, the other made small talk with Nagato. Yet not once did he bring up the crutch, the bandages around his legs, nothing. Not a sign of pity. Sure, he could see the curiosity in those dark eyes but said nothing.
He appreciated that more than the other could know.
“And here we are, floor ten. You got it from here?” He asked as they stepped out of the elevator together.
“Yes, thank you very much for your assistance.” A short bow of the head in thanks as he took the bags back into one hand. It would be fine. Yahiko and Konan were home, all he’d have to do was knock.
“Don’t worry about it, I’m happy to help.” He beamed, though there was some slight embarrassment on his face at just how formal and serious Nagato was about it all.
Nagato could tell... he was someone he chose to help people. Be it to feel good about himself, to get attention, or just because he’s a good person... it didn’t matter. It was hard to find people like him in this world. Nagato smiled at him and bid him goodbye and wished him well, before heading back to his apartment.
He ran into him a few times after that, him always there to help him when his friends were not there to do so. They lived in the same building, and yet Nagato never even thought to ask his name. The only thing he ever started to notice was that he was in apartment 10B, the one right across from theirs on the left-wing of the building. He could see from their kitchen window the windows of the other man’s apartment.
One time, he remembers him noticing Nagato cooking in the kitchen and waving from his window. It took Nagato embarrassingly long to notice and wave back awkwardly, to which his roommates started asking all kinds of questions on “who was that” or “when did you get to know our neighbor?” They sure knew how to make anything even more embarrassing when they wanted to. And this didn’t only happen once... It had become something of a routine in the evening when the other seemed to come home. It was kind of nice.
But then one day, he stopped seeing him. The windows in his apartment were completely blocked by curtains, and they never opened to let the sunlight in. For a few weeks it went on like this, and Nagato knew no one had moved out, he had to still be there. He began to wonder if... something happened to him.
“If you’re worried, why not go check?”
It was Yahiko who suggested it, as though it were the easiest thing in the world. Yahiko was extroverted, he was social, and talking to others seemed to come easy to him. In comparison, Nagato was much quieter, and shyer than him. It made logical sense until he remembered that he didn’t even know his name.
“You really think he’d want a visitor that he doesn’t even know that well?”
“Come on you were waving back and forth with that guy on schedule for what, a month? What’s the worst that could happen from knocking on his door?”
“Do you want us to come with you?” This time it was Konan who spoke up. Kind-hearted Konan was of a much more relatable level of sociability for Nagato.
“Thank you, but... if I do this, I want to try to do it on my own.” He appreciated them, but... he didn’t want to burden them. He already burdened them enough with his injuries.
Did they ever regret staying with him after it happened?
“Then go for it. We’re not far if you need us. Just a few doors away.” Yahiko smiled encouragingly at him.
And with a nod and his crutch in hand, Nagato walked down the halls until he was in front of apartment 10B. The first thing he noticed was the pile-up of notices from the building’s owner. On the door, there were notes warning him to pay his rent or else he’d be out on the streets. They seemed entirely untouched. His concern only rose more.
With a calming breath, he finally reached over and pressed the doorbell. Immediately, he thought he heard a kind of shuffling, as though someone was startled. He almost felt like walking away, that he made a mistake. Just as he started to turn to the side to leave, the door creaked open slowly. A tired, dark eye peeked through the crack that was made.
“Who is- “
He paused, making eye contact with Nagato, who froze in place the moment he did.
“Oh, it’s... you.”
His voice sounded so tired, depleted of the same kind of energy Nagato remembered before. Something was very wrong. And he saw exactly what that was as the door slowly opened more and more... It was worse than he thought.
The first thing he saw was bandages. Too many of them. There was a crutch, something he knew about far too well. The bandages were not only showing through the loose shirt on his torso, but they also worked their way up to the right side of his face, over the top of his head. His leg trembling as it tried to stay up.
“I’m not exactly in the greatest state to greet you, but...” The other pushed forward a smile, but it was forced. “It’s good to see you again.”
It all made sense now... He knew exactly what it felt like, to have everything change in an instant...
And it hurt to understand the pain of another in that very instant.