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He had nightmares every night. Gloomy, cold, and dragging, like a viscous swamp that gradually swallows you up, gripping you with strong vines and dragging you to the bottom as you flounder trying to swim out, grasping at the shaky bumps and knotty roots of ancient trees growing nearby, covered with damp-smelling mold and wilted, trampled flowers that had just poked their tops out from under the decrepit earth, hoping to be closer to the sultry sun. But Toji never floundered. He saw no point in it.
After all, he had nowhere to run to anyway.
His hands unconsciously clenched into fists.
A blow ran down his cheek. His lips quivered for a moment, throbbing with pain. He involuntarily ground his teeth, desperately trying to keep his face. He didn't like it when his father looked at him like that. He didn't like it when he looked at him at all...
Toji felt his father's heavy hand on his slightly grown hair. He clenched it roughly into a fist, silently pulling the boy behind him. He walked at a leisurely pace. Straight and heavy as always. Toji could feel his yukata rustling habitually on the wooden floor. He rarely resisted, trying to focus on the rhythmic fall of raindrops. Drip-drop, drop-drop.
...That blank stare that was filled with frustration and indifference. He knew he would be locked in the damp attic until the next morning. He hoped it would still be raining by then. Drip-drop, drop-drop
He heard the key turn in the keyhole.
"Toji?" He felt a warm touch on his cheek. Her hands smelled of violets and spiced coffee. No dampness or bone-chilling cold. "Toji, honey, wake up." He felt her gently take his wrist with both hands, gently stroking his palm with her thumb. He took a deep breath, trying to capture the scent around him as accurately as possible. The smell of them. The smell of their home. He could feel the soft fabric covering his legs. Felt the feather pillow under his head, tried his best to lean back against the thin mattress.
Suddenly he could breathe easier. He took his time opening his eyes, squinting a little. Her gaze was filled with sadness, a pinch of worry. Her hair was disheveled from sleep, and her lips were dry, slightly chapped. The dawn rays surrounded her frail figure, illuminating the dark corners of the old room. He involuntarily put his arms around her. Warm, thin, and delicate. His heart froze for a moment. Hump-thump. Hump-thump.
"Did you have another nightmare?" Her voice was quiet, soft and loving. She said it with her usual excitement, making his chest clench in pain for a moment. He wanted to snuggle into her soft pajamas, his nose touching her bulging belly. She leaned in slightly, gently brushing her lips against his soaked forehead. "Do you want to tell me?"
Toji lowered his gaze, shaking his head weakly. He pulled her gently to him, his nose resting against the top of her disheveled head. Kissing his neck lightly, she felt a calloused hand unobtrusively crawl under her shirt, gently touching her breasts. Hump-thump. Hump-thump. He's home.
Drip-drop, drop-drop. Drip-drop, drop-drop.