Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Of all things to happen after he died, he sure as hell didn't expect to wake up in a hospital bed.

In pain.

In the dark. 

All alone. 

And boy did that scare him. More than the very thing that killed him. Killed by his previous passion and the sport that had given him his legacy. Fucking baseball .

If he didn't hate it before, he sure as hell did now. 

But none of that mattered. Not now.

He was alone, in a hospital bed, in the dark, feeling as if his body betrayed him. 

His hands shook, raising them to his eyes as they poured with tears. His ears rang, and his world began to blur. The pain in his body began to grow, feeling as if metal balls were colliding with his skin. Colliding agents his bones . He could feel something around his neck, tightening more and more. He wanted to scream but he couldn't breathe . 

His hands lowered, trying to claw away whatever it was around his neck. But nothing was there . He clawed and scratched but he was only met with skin. But the tightening feeling was still there. Choking him. Suffocating him. Killing him . 

It hurt. God it fucking hurt . He couldn’t take it. He needed it to stop .

But all he could do was choke out a pathetic, web sob as he sunk into the bed beneath him. It hurt too much to move. It hurt too much to breathe. And yet his heart raced. And he gasped for air that refused to come.

And yet he was alive. He was alive .

And that gave him hope.

.

.

.

He took a deep breath, shaking from the agony that was his own body. He let himself breathe, forcing his hands away from his throat. He could feel his heart beating agents his chest. He could feel the ringing in his ears. He could see the ceiling above him through foggy and tear glazed eyes.

He forced his mouth open, gagging slightly as the cold air made it feel oh so dry. Took a long deep breath.

And let himself scream .

Chapter Text

His room was too dark. Again. He hated it. It made his skin crawl. It made him feel nauseous to his core. It made him feel like something was watching him. He couldn't take it! 

His mind screamed at him to run . To escape and get out of there Immediately. That he wasn't safe here. He knew, logically, that he was just fine. Nothing was watching him. He was completely and utterly alone. But somehow, that made him feel even worse. 

With a groan, he threw his legs over the edge of the hospital bed, and pushed himself to stand. He knew it wasn't a good idea, but he did it anyway. He leaned against the wall, using it as a support as he forced his wobbly legs to move .

If it weren't for the hospital staff shoving pills down his throat he'd probably be in absolute hell right now. Trying to walk like a moron. But he couldn't take it anymore! He could have sworn the darkness was consuming him. Suffocating him.

Shivers ran up his spine, resembling that of sharp spikes being dragged across and up . It hurt, but he continued onwards anyway. Walking was annoying. He didn't like it. 

But he kept going anyway.

Using the wall as a form of support, he exited his room and began to wonder. There wasn't anywhere in specific he was going. He had no plan. No layout or ideas.

He simply walked. 

The halls were dimly lit with white walls and ceiling, benches scattered across the place, and many closed doors to other patiences. There were no windows, only artificial lights. Weren't hospitals supposed to have windows? It reminded him too much of a place for the insane without them. It made him feel insane. 

But he kept walking. 

All the doors were a pale shade of green, and so were the benches. There weren't any pictures or cool shapes. Only white and green. Weren't those supposed to be positive colors? He didn't know. But they were kinda pretty. The white was too bright though, couldn't they have used gray instead? Or put more green? Green is nice. They should put more green. 

He kept walking. 

It was quiet, and empty. No one else was around. It was creepy, but also kinda nice. A good pass time, maybe. Made him less scared. 

So he kept walking. 

How far has he walked by now? Everything looked the same. Even with the benches. Didn't matter, a nurse will find him eventually and bring him back to his room. He didn't really want that though. Maybe he could avoid them. Stay away longer. Stay out of the dark. Yea, that sounded nice.

And eventually, he stopped. 

He had no idea where he was. He didn't even know how to get back. Was that good? Was that bad? He didn't know. Maybe he should go back. But he already went so far. 

He wanted to keep going. So he kept going. And going. And going. Until he couldn't. 

Maybe he pushed himself too hard. Maybe the painkillers were wearing off. But everything started to hurt. So he sat on one of the benches. And he stayed there. 

Minutes went by. Maybe hours. He wasn't sure. Time didn't really matter now.

He sat there, alone, and waited for something to happen. Eventually, something did happen. But it wasn't a nurse finding him. No. It was someone else. 

"Kuwata-kun?" A quiet, soft voice spoke out. A small person, in a large robe, hazel eyes, and light brown short hair stood in front of him with a concerned expression. "Are you alright?"

Chapter Text

Leon stared at the person in front of him for a moment, frozen in thought. "Oh uh, yea-... I'm, I'm fine." He finally spoke up, a rather crooked smile on his face. "You're uh... Chihiro Fujisaki... right?" He asked nervously. That was their name right?

The person in front of him smiled softly. "Yep! That's me!" They started cheerfully with a warm, welcoming smile. "I'm surprised you remembered me. Do you... remember anything else?"

He immediately straightened up, looking fearful at the mere thought of remembering anything else. The killing game. The person he murdered. the way he was brutally killed. It was all to clear within his mind. It scared him.

"Nope! Not even a little bit!" He lied through his teeth, the crooked smile on his face painting a very clear picture of how nervous he felt. But the other didn't seem to pay it any mind.

His body ached. Everything was starting to hurt.

"That's ok, I don't really remember much either." Chihiro chuckled softly. "Um, you seem lonely... do you mind if I...?" they pointed to the seat beside him. It took him a moment, but eventually he moved closer to one of the sides.

"Nah man, of course not!" He stated, gesturing to the now more open space on the bench. "So uh... what were you doing anyway? Like- were you just walking or something?"

"Well uh-... I guess you could say that." Chihiro nodded, nervously fidgeting with their hands as they sat down. "I was trying to find someone but I uh... well- I kinda forgot who I was looking for.” They let out a rather skittish chuckle as they mentioned this, shrinking in on themselves slightly. “So now I um, I kinda... got myself lost. I know I have a room somewhere but... I'm not sure where exactly... uh... well, where it is. What about you? What are you doing out here? All by yourself?"

"Uh- well... um, great question!" Leon stretched out his arms only to immediately regret it. He let out a small whimper before sighing. "I actually have no idea."

"Oh... so... I guess we're in the same boat then?" Chihiro questioned.

Leon let out a small chuckle and shrugged. "Sure, I guess so."

And then there was silence. But not the good type of silence. That type of silence that makes one feel weird. The awkward kind of silence. But the others didn't seem to mind as much. So maybe it was just him being weird and awkward. Oh no, is he awkward?

"So... Kuwata-kun-" Chihiro started.

"Please," Leon interrupted, "Just call me Leon. We're friends right? I think. And my friends call me Leon so-"

"Right, I'm sorry." Chihiro nodded, fidgeting with their fingers. "So uh... do you know your way back to your room?"

He sat there for a moment, thinking. Did he? He didn't think he knew. I mean, maybe he could retrace his steps. But everything looked too similar to try that. He'd might as well get himself more lost if he tried. "No." He sighed, bringing his knees up to his chin so it would be easier to hug himself. It wasn't comfortable. In fact it hurt like absolute hell. "No I don't."

"Ah, ok." They sat in silence for a few more minutes, before they let out a small, optimistic gasp. "Maybe we can find a nurse! They'd probably know where the rooms are!"

He sucked a bit of air through his teeth. Although a logical conclusion to come to, considering their in a hospital, he would rather get lost even more trying to find his own room over finding a nurse. Or worse, being found by one. "Nah." He shrugged. "I mean, you could, if you wanted to. But I'd rather sit here and wait."

"Oh... right, of course. Sorry." They apologized, looking a bit ashamed.

"What?" He perked up, confused. "No dude, you don't have to apologize for that. It was a good suggestion. I just..." He paused for a moment, "It hurts a lot to walk right now, ok? Your suggestion was good. Great, even."

Chihiro turned around, immediately lighting up with a warm smile. "Well, I don't want to leave you all alone, so I'll just stay here and wait with you! So you're not alone!"

Well, that caught him pretty off guard. "Wait... really? Are you sure?"

Chihiro nodded with a confident nod. "I'm sure! Besides-... I don't know where else to go. And I don't think wandering aimlessly is, well... a good idea."

He chuckled a bit. "Yea, guess not." He thought for a moment before getting a huge grin on his face, stretching out a bit, letting out a loud whimper as he did so, before turning to face the other. "Hey, you wanna hear a really shitty knock knock joke?"

"Oh, sure!" Chihiro chirped.

"Alright-" He smiled, placing his hands behind his head. "Knock knock..."

Chapter Text

As the doors creaked open, so did people began to pour inside his room. But it wasn’t anyone he knew, or frankly, cared about. It was just your average nurse. Or well, there were multiple of them. They all spoke to him one after the other, or even at once. But none of it registered.

The voices were all muffled as static clogged his hearing. His vision was foggy, his mind felt loopy, and his body ached . And it never stopped aching.

This was his life now. A never ending loop of his body betraying him and nurses constantly coming in often hour after hour to stuff him full of liquids or medication. Sometimes both. Every once in a while he’d be given food, poked with needles, have his blood drawn, or forced through some kind of bizarre test. 

It wasn’t fun. The nurses weren’t very nice about it either. But in the end, he was all alone.

Sometimes he’d have a guest come in and would be brought something nice. Makoto showed up a few times and gave him words of affirmation and encouragement. Toko was nice enough to bring in some mangas for him to read if he got bored enough, though she was still kinda weird about it. Yasuhiro brought him food most of the time; sushi, rice, ham, burgers, soup, bread, burritos, cookies, gummy bears, really just anything he could get his hands on and sneak inside.

He appreciated it, really. But by the end they would all leave. Apparently they were staying in a different part of the wing. Was it the floor below? Or was it the floor above? He wasn’t sure. All he knew is that it wasn’t this floor.

So, when no one else was around, not even the nurses, he’d go off into the halls. He’d often be alone, simply wondering and internalizing the layout. But even then, it all looked the same. It was dull. Sometimes he wished he could ask for a bucket of paint so he could make the walls at least a little more lively.

It was always quiet, but peaceful. It was like the hospital would become abandoned, or at least understaffed, when it became night. Or maybe it was actually day time. Kinda hard to tell when there were no windows. Or clocks. They didn’t have either of those here. At least none that he remembered.

His footsteps would always echo within the halls. Just subtle tap, tap, tap, tap wherever he walked. He’d half expected his bare feet to make more of a slapping sound, but he didn’t mind the taps. He wondered what would happen if he got socks. Could he slide down the hallways? Would he crash into a wall? Or would he be fine? Maybe he could find time to test it out another day.

Sometimes he wondered where everyone else was. Surely, just like him they're on the same floor right? Or were they like Makoto, Toko, and Yasuhiro being kept somewhere else? He wished he knew.

Every so often, he’d come across Chihiro again. Every time they’d cross paths it was always because they were looking for someone, but they would never remember who once they met up. He’d try to help, really, he tried! But nothing ever jogged their memory. So, sometimes they stayed put. Sometimes they’d wonder.

Regardless, a nurse would find them every time. A nurse would always hurry them back to their respective rooms. And they’d always be scolded for leaving their rooms by themselves.

He didn’t like nurses very much.

Chapter Text

They had been wandering the hallways for what felt like hours now. The hallways were dimly lit with walls lined with doors. Chihiro had clung by Leon's side the further they went on. The place felt more abandoned then it normally had today. Leon simply chalked it up to the place being understaffed, but Chihiro was sure it was something else.

Regardless, they continued. Leon peered through the very doorway windows the other could not reach, squinting his eyes as he tried to see through the fogged windows and dark rooms. While he had looked through the windows, Chihiro would fiddle with the doorknobs in hopes to perhaps open the door.

In return, they were treated with poor luck. Each door, each time, without fail, nothing would happen. He was starting to think all this effort was useless. But nonetheless, they kept doing it.

Over and over again. Still nothing.

Leon sighed, swinging his head back with a quiet groan. “Remind me who we’re looking for again?”

“Uhh…” they hummed, shuffling on their feet slightly as they did so, “someone with purple eyes?”

He sighed and slouched forward. “You don’t sound too sure about that, Chi. Are you sure you're remembering this guy correctly?”

They nodded with a determined look as they turned on their heels to face him. “I’m sure of it! I know it’s not much, but it’s all I remember!”

“Wow wow!” Leon quickly exclaimed, an awkward smile on his face as he raised his hands defensively. “Chill dude, I get it! Damn!”

They sighed, “well, it’s all we have! So let’s keep going!”

“Are sure, Chi? We've been walking for hours now!” He groaned, “they’re gonna find us eventually.”

“I know, I know-” they sighed, “but I need to find them! I… I can’t forget again! I just can’t!”

“Ok,” he began, placing a hand on their back and pulling them close into a warm embrace, “first off, I get it. You want to remember and find this guy, and I respect that. And sense you refused to leave me alone, I'm not leaving you alone either. We’re in this shit together, mmk?” He paused, turning to the other. “Second, clearly what we were doing before wasn’t really working. So, we need a new plan.”

“Right, yea!” The other nodded with a confident smile.

“Preferably one without the help of nurses?” He stated, a bit more coldly than he would have liked.

“Oh…” they’re smile fell slightly.

“And lastly,” he continued, “I don’t mean to doubt you, I know you're trying.”

Chihiro smiled, pulling away to stand in front of them. “Thank you.”

“Yea,” He chuckled, ruffling up the other’s hair, “sure thing nerd.”

“Hey!” Chihiro exclaimed with a rampant laughter.

“So,” Leon leaned forward, allowing himself to be at the other’s eye level, “what’s the new plan, Chi?”

Chihiro, pacing around in thought, hummed allowed. As they began to spitball ideas, only to immediately dismiss them, Leon leaned up against the wall and began to look around. Internally, he added the newly discovered hallway to his internal map. He never really expected himself to start mapping the place out, honestly, but it was one of the few things keeping him sane, so he won't argue. The more he thought about it, the more he realized just how big this place was. Where the hell were they anyway?

“Hey Chi?” Leon piped up.

Chihiro quickly whipped their head to look at him. “Yea?”

“Do you uh, well-” he paused, pushing himself off the wall and stepping forward, “do you have any idea what kind of hospital this is?” 

“Honestly?” They looked around, “no.”

“Yea,” he sighed, “me neither.”

“Why do you ask?” The other questioned, taking a step towards him.

“I dunno,” he shrugged as he rubbed the back of his neck, “maybe it might help or somethin’?”

“Well…” they hummed in thought, “I could figure it out if I had access to a computer. Though, with how many hallways there are, I don’t think finding one would be too easy.”

“Ah, so that wont work then.”

“I’m afraid not.”

The two remained silent for some time after that, unsure of what to say. There wasn’t much to say. At this point, he was starting to wonder how long they had really been walking. It must have been a few hours at the least. They had found so many different hallways, and yet they all looked the same.

“How about we just keep going, there has to be something eventually, right?” Chihiro questioned, sounding hopeful, yet worried at the same time.

Leon gave an awkward smile and nodded. “Yea, right.”

At this rate, they had to find something right? Or maybe something would find them? There couldn’t just be nothing! They were sure of it! They would find something.

Anything.

Chapter Text

All this walking was starting to make Leon feel sluggish. His whole body had started to ache, but his legs had it the worst. His mind felt foggy. His eyelids felt heavier than ever. And overall, he was just so damn exhausted . Even his own body began to betray him, stumbling as he forced himself to continue. He was left walking around practically aimlessly, forcing himself to stay awake as the beginning claws of exhaustion dig into his back and into his mind.

But he kept going.

Chihiro had intertwined their hand with his, and he would be damned if he not only let go, but stopped walking beside him all together. There was no way, in hell, he was gonna fall asleep now. Not even close.

“Hey,” Chihiro spoked softly, “have we been down this way already?”

“Nope, this is a new hallway.” Leon answered, letting out a small yawn as he did so. “The paint on the walls are a lot more chipped off then the other ones, see?” He added, pointing at the walls around them.

As he spoke, the other looked around before nodding with a hum. “Now that you mention it, it does look older than some of the other hallways. Do you think we’re finally getting somewhere?”

“God, I fucking hope so!” Leon groaned, leaning on the other slightly. “I’m this close to passin’ out.”

“Leooon!” Chihiro huffed.

“Whhaat?” Leon whined with a small, smug grin. “Did you seriously expect me to stop your fun or somthin’? Relax man, I’m fine, I can keep going.”

Chihiro rolled their eyes before dragging him to the nearest bench and shoving him onto it. “If you're gonna pass out, you're at least not gonna do it standing up.” They stated, folding their arms as they now towered over him.

“You don’t intimidate me, Chi.” Leon stated, grinning smugly. “In fact-” he began, wrapping his arms around the other's torso and pulling them close. Chihiro squealed as they burst into laughter, squirming as they tried to escape, “you remind me of just a cute, itty bitty, little bunny! Going thump thump thump to scare me off, and ooooh! I’m sooo scared!”

“Leon! Let go!” Chihiro shrieked with laughter, trying to pull away.

“Nope!” Leon exclaimed happily, resetting his chin on the other’s shoulder proudly.

Chihiro chuckled as they sprawled out in diffeat, “jerk.”

They both laughed as they stayed there for some time. Every so often Chihiro would try to wiggle their way free, but Leon simply pulled them closer and held on tighter. If he was gonna be stuck on this bench for who knows how long he was at least gonna keep the other there with him.

But it didn’t last long. As the two began to continue their mischief, a loud and echoing ting bang rang out from the halls close by, stopping them in their tracks. As if on instinct, the both of them turned to where the sound had come from. Chihiro quickly slipped out of his embrace just as quickly and Leon himself stood.

“What the hell was that?” He questioned, his face scrunching up slightly before looking at the other.

“I’m not sure.” Chihiro responded, grabbing ahold of his hand. “Should we go check it out?”

Leon shuffled on his feet slightly, but nodded. “Yea.”

The two of them stayed close and alert as they moved forward. Logically, there wasn’t really anything to be afraid of. It was probably just a nurse or a patient. So, really, they shouldn’t be that freaked out. But here he was anyway, his hair basically puffing up like he was some scared kitten.

But they stayed together, and that kept them both somewhat at ease. As they excited one hallway and entered another, there wasn’t much to note. It was the same paint walls as before. Same colored doors. Same empty feeling. But as they furthered onwards, they both noticed something.

At the end of the hallway was something new. Something that neither have seen in quite some time. At the end of the hall, in all its metal glory, was a large metal box with glass in the front. A mental box full of sweet treats and drinks.

“A vending machine?” Leon questioned, turning to the other as they shrugged.

Frantically, they approached the machine to get a better look. As they did so, Leon quickly made a mental note; the hospital had at least one vending machine. And that vending machine was most likely, if he had to guess, close to a room with an elevator. Or lift. Whatever it’s called.

And if that room had an elevator, he was sure that must be where the receptionists are. Alongside computers, paper, colored pencils, and many other things like a waiting room. They could finally figure out what floor they were on.

“Leon?” Chihiro called out quietly. “Are you ok?”

“Hmm? Oh, yea. Just thinking.” Leon reassured, waving his hand slightly in the air.

Chihiro nodded before pointing to the machine. “Do you think this might be where that noise came from?”

“Probably.” Leon shrugged. “I mean, it makes the most sense if that was the case.”

Screeeeeech.

The both quickly turned to where the sound came from. It appeared to have come from the hallway up ahead. They shared a glance, then bolted in that direction. Neither of them knew what that was, but they would figure it out.

They just had to follow that sound.

Chapter Text

For as long as he had been awake there had always been something watching, waiting. Eyes white as sheets, ripped open wide peered through the cracks in the door. Dark blue hair drenched with water clinged to the pale skin that had belonged to it. It dressed itself in a blue and white school uniform, one that a girl would usually wear. A pink torn up bow rested on its chest as a blooded knife was plunged into its stomach.

He knew who this was. It was a girl he knew. They had met before. They had talked before. They had known each other before. He knew her name. It was on the tip of his tongue.

But he couldn’t remember.

It would always watch him, so he learned to ignore it. He turned his head to the sky, praying that maybe this time he’d see the stars. But there were no stars. Only, old, rotten ceiling. The same ceiling as the nights before. So many nights before. He thought maybe, just maybe, he could close his eyes and it would go away.

Every night, he would shut his eyes. Every night, he would be shown the same story. He had entered the girls bedroom and came out covered in blood. The image of the girl with a blade pierced into her skin, his name painted on the walls, with her limp body laying on the bathroom floor. The very image was burned into his mind. The near thought of it brought shivers down his spine. The simple idea of it made him nauseous.

But he didn’t want to remember.

Every night, he’d force his eyes open. Every night, he’d force himself to stair at the ceiling. There were no stars. There was no girl in the hallway. It was only him. And there was nothing else.

But maybe, there will be stars.

Next time.

Chapter Text

“Ok, I think we're going in circles.” Leon sighed, resting his arms behind his head. “This is the same hallway we were in three hallways ago.”

“Again?” Chihiro asked, bouncing on their heels in anticipation. “Did we get lost?”

“Probably.” Leon shrugged, dragging his feet beneath him. He was regretting not staying on the bench. The other groaned in frustration, allowing their upper body to go limp as they did so. In all honesty? He wanted to do the exact same thing.

“This is worse than decoding Monokuma's files-” Chihiro sighed, “and that's saying something.”

He let out a bitter laugh. It wasn't funny, he knew that.

Things fell silent after that. The silence was a little too quiet if you asked him. He hated it. The silence made him feel drowsy. But after all they had just done? Nah, he wasn’t about to fall asleep. He needed something to break the silence, and he knew the perfect thing.

“Man, who's ever's great idea this was sure as hell must have had a real kick out of making it.” He joked. 

The other let out a small snort in response. They turned to him, raising a brow with a stifled laugh. Good, it's working. 

“I mean, really, turning a hospital into a maze? What is this? A Silent Hill rip off?” He continued, “I mean come on ! Just add a little bit of fog and it would be perfect!”

“Oh my goooood-” Chihiro groaned with a laugh, covering their face. “Leon, seriously?”

“Your right, your right. I can do waaay better.” Leon snickered, leaning his head back with a cocky grin.

Chihiro dropped their hands to look at him with a bewildered expression. “What is wrong with you?”

“Oh so many things!” Leon chimed, throwing his arms in the air. He frowned, arms lowering. With a sigh, he shrugged and rested his arms behind his head. Something in him screamed to keep his composure. “None of which I really wanna talk about right now.”

Chihiro grimaced. “Agreed.”

They walked in silence for a moment, avoiding eye contact. The air felt heavy, weighing them down like thick sludge. They would have to talk about it eventually , and they both knew that. But right now? Hell no.

“Sooo, now what?” Leon questioned. The other opened their mouth to answer, but a loud thud interrupted them. They both turned to look at where the noise had come from. A cryptid, animalistic shadow could be seen leaking into the hallway they were in. But as soon as they noticed it, it slipped away.

Chihiro turned to him with a confident smile. “I bet one crayon that it was a cat.”

“Are you kidding? That was totally a dog!” Leon argued. “I bet two crayons.”

“Deal.”

Chapter Text

Well, this was surely the last thing he expected to happen today.

Sitting in front of them was a small, fluffy, white cat with black patches on their face, tail, and paws. It wore a soft pink vest with the words Emotional Support Animal in bold white letters on each side. Its round blue eyes stared into his soul.

Without skipping a beat, Chihiro placed their hands on their hips. “I told you it was a cat.”

He groaned. “Fine, what colors do you want?”

“Green and purple,” they stated rather confidently.

“I guess I'll get those for you later then-” he groaned, rolling his eyes. As he turned back to face the cat, it stood. The cat’s short legs carried them swiftly as they began to circle around his legs with an abrupt purr. He let out a small chuckle, crouching down to pet it. “Well, aren’t you a sweetie?”

“I wonder what their name is.” Chihiro hummed, leaning forward to take a better look at the feline.

He hummed, lowering his hands to check around the cat's neck. After a little while, he shrugged. “Well, it doesn’t have a collar.”

“Maybe they’re name is on the vest?” They suggested.

Gently, he turned the cat to get a better look at the vest. Well, it was pink, and it looked legit, but no name. “Nope.” He shook his head, scratching the cat on the chin. The cat purred, leaning into the affection lovingly.

“Huh.” Chihiro shrugged, scratching the cat behind the ears. “They’re pretty cute though. I wonder who they’re owner is.”

As if on cue, the cat swiftly turned around and began to trot away, its tail sticking straight up in the air. But right as it was about to turn the corner, they stopped. They sat down, and they staired.

Waiting.

“What is it doing?” He asked, tilting his head to the side. In return, the cat also titled its head.

“I think it wants to be followed.” Chihiro chuckled, walking up to the cat. With a shrug, he followed not too far behind. The cat meowed excitedly, spinning around before turning the corner.

This ended up repeating a few times as the cat would stop and wait for them every time it would make a turn. It would meow excitedly every time they would catch up before it continued onwards. The weirdest part however, wasn’t the cat. It was what happened while following it.

Despite the surprisingly lack of nurses, every time they encountered one they would hand the cat a treat before walking away, completely leaving him and Chihiro alone in the process. It was as if the cat was a part of the staff leading them back to their respective rooms. It was rather bizarre, but hey, the less nurses to deal with the better.

But as they continued onwards, the more ground they covered. He had never gotten this far before! It was both exciting but also rather nerve racking. These hallways were unfamiliar, and yet too familiar. It all felt like an overly complicated maze to him. One that, sure, he could probably figure out within a good week. But that didn’t change the fact that it completely creeped him out.

Eventually the cat stopped in front of the door, looking up at both of them. It meows before turning to paw at the door. It spun around over and over in between pawing at the door and meowing at them.

Chihiro titled their head, looking at the door in front of them. It looked like all the other generic doors within the parts of the building they had explored. They hesitated, but he didn’t.

With a confident stride, he stepped in front of Chihiro and gently nudged the cat to the side before gripping the handle. He tugged it, but it wouldn’t budge. So he tried again, pushing the door forward. The door creaked loudly as the cat sprinted into the room with a cheerful meow. With a final push, the door fully opened.

The room was completely dark other than the hallway light illuminating the room inside. The cat had made their way up onto one of the hospital beds as someone sat on the edge. The cat rubbed their head against the person’s arm as the person slowly turned their head to look at him and Chihiro.

Bright eyes met theirs as the person slowly stood up. Short, spiky, jet black hair with small strands of white stuck out like porcupine spines. The broad shoulders and furrowed brow, the proud and proper stance, dressed in a similar robe to that he and Chihiro wore. He recognized this person.

He took a step forward, opening his mouth to speak, stretching out his arm to reach . But before he could even mutter a word, the person had bolted to him, wrapping their arms around him in a tight embrace. His breath hitched as he could feel the person sob into his chest.

“Oh thank god you’re alive . ” He spoke, his voice cracking as he looked up at him.

“Taka?” Chihiro called out, a smile growing on their face. “Taka!” They repeated, quickly bolting into the room as the other person, Kiyotaka, hugged them tightly. They spun around softly, laughing.

“You’re alive! Both of you!” Kiyotaka cried out, whipping a few tears away. “I’m so happy to see you’re both ok. I was so sure that you were both gone for good I-”

“Hey man, it’s ok.” Leon spoke softly, pulling them both into a small group hug. Kiyotaka buried his face within the crease of his neck as Chihiro wrapped their arms around his waist. He pulled them both as close as he possibly could, placing a hand on Chihiro's back and running a few fingers through Kiyotaka’s hair. He smiled as a few tears ran down his face. “We’re ok."