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He didn’t know where else to go. He’d already been wandering the streets for hours, looking for a place that could give him even a bit of comfort, but nothing felt right, nothing at all. Not the live house, he came in and saw people crowding there, ones that he wasn’t in the mood to talk to. He tried to sleep in his coffin but ended up staring into the darkness for a few hours, getting more frustrated the more thoughts passed through his head. It was cold, too, making him aware of all the places on his body that were uncomfortably sore. So he ended up wandering in the night, avoiding the eyes of all the passersby, but even then as the hours passed, they got more and more rare.
It started raining some time ago, and he felt the droplets hit his cheeks, numbing coldness seeping through his clothes and into his skin. He forgot his umbrella somewhere, some time ago, it disappeared along with other things he carelessly misplaced. His fingers felt stiff from the cold, and he gave up on trying to warm them up in his pockets a long time ago. He just walked for what felt like forever, evening turning into a full-fledged night, streets getting quiet, and even the calmness of it all couldn’t soothe his heart.
He lost track of the time, his feet aching with fatigue, feeling weak as he tried to find answers to questions he couldn't quite pinpoint. Not only that, but he needed to calm down his inner monologue and free himself from the constant overthinking. Letting his lungs fill with cold night air, he allowed his feet to carry him.
He blinked and found himself in front of a familiar apartment building, looking up as the rain still poured down from the sky, water catching on his eyelashes. He counted the floors in his head until he found the window he was looking for, one of the few ones that wasn’t dark despite the late hour. He still hesitated though. It was late. He really, really shouldn’t, his brain trying to convince him it was a bad idea.
But, his heart craved comfort. He stepped into the building, dripping all over the tiled floor. Ah, he was making such a mess. But all he could do was run his fingers through his wet hair as he called the elevator, hoping not to be kicked out back onto the street. The ride up felt like forever too, the numbers on the screen turning in slow motion as he leaned against the cold mirror. The bell of the elevator made his head ache, though, and before he could regret all the decisions that brought him to this place, he walked down the hallway and knocked at the door at the end of it.
He waited and waited, ready to flee at any moment. Maybe he miscounted the floors when stared at the building from the outside? Maybe he wasn’t home at all. He took a step back, turning away to walk away with his tail between his legs, thinking to himself that he was so stupid. But then something caught his hand, something warm, squeezing his fingers gently.
“Rei?” he called his name, his voice sounding confused. “What are you doing here so late?”
Rei looked over his shoulder, suddenly feeling so weak, words catching in his throat. The truth is, he had no idea what he was doing here. He shouldn’t be here, it was a bad idea, he knew that at the very least. He should have never left his coffin at all.
But it was too late now to run away, purple eyes staring at him with concern, looking all over Rei’s body, noticing all the things that were wrong with him.
“Sorry,” he mumbled, trying to pull his hand away from Wataru’s grasp. “I didn’t mean to bother you by any means. I will go now, thank you.”
“Don’t be foolish,” Wataru sighed and tightened his hold on Rei’s hand, tugging him inside his apartment. “It’s still storming outside.”
And Rei let himself be yanked inside, looking away as Wataru closed the door behind them. It felt like a mistake still, he knew, and he wasn’t ready to explain his own logic and thoughts. He was just tired, now that he was out of the rain, he realized just how much his legs ached from pacing the city all night long.
“You’re dripping all over my carpet,” Wataru said in a surprisingly gentle tone of voice, pushing Rei towards the bathroom. He sat him down on the edge of the tub, pulling out fresh towels to pat him dry as best as he could. “Couldn’t sleep?”
At that, Rei closed his eyes as Wataru dried his hair. It was the short explanation he supposed and silently wished he wouldn’t ask any more questions. He just wanted to rest, even if for a little bit. Wataru told him to wait, as if Rei had anywhere else to go, and went back into his bedroom to bring Rei a change of clothes.
“You’re going to get sick, my dear,” Wataru scolded him gently, putting the clothes aside for Rei to change into. “Take a warm shower for me, and I will brew tea in the meantime.”
And Rei couldn’t say no to him. Watching him as he left the bathroom, his long hair swaying behind him, tied up in a ponytail. He waited until he saw the door close and until he heard Wataru walking away and pouring water into the kettle. Rei stood up tiredly and started taking off his wet clothes, dropping them onto the ground and shivering at how cold he felt now that he was more conscious of his body. He stepped into the shower, letting hot water pour down his skin as he pressed his forehead against the tiles. Everything catching up to him, and he felt the exhaustion settling in his body.
He needed to drag himself out of the shower before he allowed himself to sit down and fall asleep. So, he used all the energy he had left and turned off the water, instantly feeling cold again. Rei patted himself dry more or less and looked at the little pile of clothes Wataru left for him. It’s not like he could wear his wet clothes, but he picked up the baby blue shirt, looked over the colorful print and pressed the fabric to his nose a moment later. Taking a deep breath before he pulled it over his head.
Wataru was sitting in the kitchen, waiting for him with tea when Rei came out of the bathroom. Rei walked over to sit at the small table with him, Wataru simply poured him a cup, encouraging Rei to drink and watching him carefully as he took a sip.
“Feeling any better?” he asked, and Rei let out a little hum. He felt as the warmth started to spread through his body, warming him up from the inside out and calming him down a bit. His eyelids felt heavy, and he slumped against the table as soon as he finished drinking his tea.
“Can I stay here tonight?” Rei asked and looked away as he put his cup down on the table. He didn’t want to go anywhere else. He didn't think he had the strength to go anywhere else.
“Of course,” Wataru said, looking at him with a gentle expression. “I don’t have the heart to kick you out.”
Rei thanked him quietly and let Wataru take his hand again, and yet again let himself be pulled away. They crawled into Wataru’s bed together, Rei quietly pushing away the abundance of pillows to make space for himself. He was ready to turn around and curl up on the edge of the bed when he felt Wataru's arm sliding around his waist, pulling him closer and pressing his face against Rei’s hair.
He froze for a second. Tensing up and trying to calm down his heart, but Wataru didn’t let go. Just holding him, his arm warm even through the fabric of his clothes.
“You can always come here if you don’t know where else to go,” Wataru said, his words muffled with his face almost pressed against Rei’s shoulder.
And Rei let himself relax at that and nodded, closing his eyes. He felt Wataru’s breath on the back of his neck, soon slowing down as he fell asleep so close to Rei. And somehow, Rei’s head felt quieter than ever before. It was peaceful, no thoughts running through his head without the ability to stop, and Rei felt his body sink into the mattress as he allowed himself to relax.
It was just the sound of their breathing and Wataru’s bird moving around in its cage. And with that, Rei was able to fall asleep.