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Thunder crashed outside and Onari flinched as he had every time it had happened for the past hour since it had rolled in. He knew the others had noticed as he tried not to react to the storm, but it was difficult when he knew Javert was out there. The umbrella Onari had given him wouldn’t have been enough for a storm like this. He was probably cold and wet. Hopefully he’d eaten before the rain had started… Onari tugged nervously at his sleeve.
Onari didn’t notice as Kanon nudged Akari. Akari nodded and took a deep breath, then rose from her chair. “Takeru! I want to check something in the monolith’s data! Come help. Shibuya! Narita! You guys too!” She took Takeru by the arm, dragging him downstairs as Kanon herded Makoto to the kitchen.
The room emptied suddenly and without warning and Onari suddenly felt very alone. No one needed him for anything, which wasn’t surprising. Onari rose and cleared the table, washed the dishes, and went to the door. He stared out at the black sky and the falling rain, wondering if Javert was safe. Was it alright to wonder if Javert was safe? Onari trusted him, after all of the letters they had exchanged. No matter how Javert insisted that he shouldn’t, Onari couldn’t help trusting him. Javert knew where they all were. He came close enough to the temple every day to receive food that could have surely gotten inside and hurt everyone during the night if he chose, but that never happened.
Lightning flashed, and Onari stared at the illuminated figure standing at the treeline. The umbrella was torn to shreds, hanging uselessly from Javert’s hand, dragging across the ground as he stared across the grounds at the light from the doorway. Onari took a step forward, hesitating only for a second before running out into the rain. He grabbed Javert by the arm and tugged him toward the front steps. “C-Come inside!!” Onari insisted. Javert simply walked forward, letting Onari pull him through the rain.
Onari looked around inside quickly, “Everyone else is still occupied. It is all clear for now.” Onari smiled, relieved. He helped Javert take his boots off and brought him inside, quickly moving him to his room. “You must be freezing…” Onari murmured, moving to his closet, pawing through for something he could let Javert change into. He looked back as Javert stood in silence by the door, dripping wet, watching him. Onari smiled, “It is alright.” he said softly, pulling a sweater, a t-shirt, and pajama pants from the closet. None of them were his, so he wasn’t entirely sure how they’d gotten into his closet, but he turned and offered them to Javert. “Change into these. I shall be right back so stay in here, all right?”
Javert watched Onari disappear through the door before he could protest. He stared down at the pile of clothes in his hands, shivered, then undressed. By the time Onari returned, Javert had retreated to a far corner, sitting cross-legged, staring at the floor. Onari slid the door shut quietly and set a plate of fruit and dried fish in front of Javert. “You must be starving.” Onari spoke softly as he crouched beside Javert and started to dry his hair with a towel.
Javert grunted, pushing Onari away. “What in the hell are you doing?!” Javert eyed the towel cautiously.
Onari tilted his head slightly, reaching out to try again. “Your hair is still wet. You will catch a cold.” He smiled as he rubbed Javert’s hair dry with the towel. “See? Does that not feel better?” Javert simply grunted, taking a piece of fruit and eating it. He refused to admit that Onari was right. He did feel less cold now that he wasn’t dripping wet. Onari folded the towel and set it aside, picking up the comb he’d brought and began to comb out Javert’s hair. Javert wanted to protest that too, but decided it was easier to let Onari have his way for now; At least until the comb caught and tugged. Javert hissed, shoving Onari away again. This time it was hard enough that Onari toppled over with a small yelp.
Javert had a hard time gauging his own reaction. His immediate instinct was to protect Onari from his own attack, which was an oddly conflicting feeling. But right on top of that came the worry that whatever shred of trust Onari found in in him had been broken, and he would call the others. He could easily pin Onari down, cover his mouth to keep him from screaming, kill him, and escape. He leaned over, not sure whether the intent of his own movement was to help or to harm.
“It is alright. I am alright.” Onari lifted a hand, pushing himself back up. Javert stared as Onari laughed and brushed himself off. “I suppose I should have expected it to be more tangled than that. Takeru-dono used to have that problem all the time when he would come in from playing.” Javert watched as Onari picked up the comb, still speaking in the same calm tone as the day they’d met. Did he not know fear? Was he not aware of his own mortality? “I am not sure how his father kept up with him at that age. I barely could.” Javert remained still as Onari began to comb his hair out again, though he seemed much more careful now.
Onari continued to talk about when Takeru was a child, as Javert sat in silence only occasionally grumbling when Onari tugged too hard at his hair. Javert took the information in, wondering if it would be useful later. He couldn’t see himself using any of this to hurt Onari’s allies. None of it was particularly useful. But Onari seemed so pleased to speak of them like this. He was reminded a bit of the Princess. She had always spoke that way about the Princes and Specter and his sister. Given his position, Javert had rarely been subjected to it but he remembered now and then running into her and ending up as her audience for some story or another.
“There.” Onari said cheerfully, “Good as new.” He set the comb aside with the towel. “Does that not feel better?” Javert grunted and ate a piece of dried fish. He looked at it after he’d taken a bite, then ate the rest. It annoyed him slightly how much he both needed and enjoyed food. Especially the food this man gave him.
Onari reached out and lightly placed his hand on Javert’s shoulder, smiling when Javert continued to eat instead of pulling away. “Stay here until the storm passes. I shall make sure you can get away without the others seeing you.” Javert looked to Onari for a moment, then went back to eating. Onari simply chuckled and started to rise, stopping when Javert grabbed his sleeve. He still wouldn’t make eye contact, but he gripped Onari’s sleeve tightly enough that he couldn’t pull away. Onari watched Javert flinch against the sound of thunder and wondered if his own anxiety from the sound had been as noticeable. It almost certainly had. When it wasn’t the thunder, it was the wind or the rain beating down on the roof.
Onari sat at Javert’s side quietly, allowing Javert to cling to his sleeve. Javert stared toward the ceiling, flinching every time thunder crashed overhead. Onari wondered about the Ganma World. Were there storms like this there? Or was this Javert’s first experience with thunder? He wondered, idly, if Javert was homesick. Was there anything for him to have left behind? Even if there wasn’t, the drastic change in his body, and in the way this world worked compared to his own had to be more than enough for Javert to feel lost.
“They can learn to accept you.” Onari broke the silence, but Javert didn’t turn toward him. He didn’t react to the words at all. “We accepted Cubi, and we learned to trust Alain-dono.” Onari reached over to touch the hand still gripping his sleeve, “You protected us. They will see how much you have changed.”
Javert scoffed and pulled his hand away. “I haven’t changed.” He grumbled, “You shouldn’t be doing any of this. You’d have been better off leaving me to die.”
“I would not. I could not have left you in that condition.” Onari’s voice was firm, “Even if you were our enemy, in that moment you were someone in need of help. As such, it was my duty to aid you.” Onari looked toward the ceiling as thunder rumbled by again. To Javert, the tone between the two was the same. “Even if, in the end, you choose to side against us, I am glad that I have helped you.” Javert took hold of Onari’s sleeve again. Onari took a deep breath and smiled, “But I have more faith in you than that.”
“Faith… in me?” Javert looked to Onari. He couldn’t understand why. “How many of your allies have I held hostage? All I do is cause you all harm.”
“You have not since I brought you food.” Onari smiled, “In fact, since then you have protected us. You saved my life.” Javert looked away, flinching as thunder rumbled again. Onari placed his hand over Javert’s again, pleased as this time Javert didn’t pull away. “You do not have to go back. But it is also your choice. I know that it must be hard living here, away from all that you have ever known. But, for what it is worth, I think you would be much happier here.”
“My time in this world has been full of misery and pain.” Javert grumbled. Onari just laughed. Why did he always find his pain to be so humorous? Onari patted Javert’s hand.
“We all have difficulties in life. It is enduring and making peace with that which allows us to enjoy life in spite of what troubles us.” Onari smiled at Javert, “And it is all so much easier when we do not have to endure it alone.”
Javert scowled and leaned his shoulder against Onari’s, “I cannot stay here.”
“Just until the storm passes.” Onari assured him, “I won’t force you to stay past that. You are able to make your own choices. But I will continue to leave food for you, and our door is always open for you should you want to come back.”
Javert closed his eyes, trying to tune out the sound of the storm outside. He gripped Onari’s sleeve tighter. “How often does this happen?”
“The storm?” Onari asked. Javert nodded. “Now and then. More often in the warmer weather. Akari-dono could probably explain the reasons behind it. She knows that type of thing. ...Does… the storm bother you?” Onari was careful not to imply that Javert might be afraid; With the way he clung to Onari’s arm, though, he was sure that was the case, no matter how well Javert’s face was able to conceal it.
“I just… don’t like the noise.” Javert mumbled.
“The sound cannot harm you.” Onari assured him, “Though, there is the lightning, but you are safe inside so that is not a problem.” Javert simply gave a displeased sound in response. Onari chuckled and squeezed his hand. “You can always come here if the weather is bad. I will find a way to sneak you inside so that you are not worried about the others.”
“It’s louder than the Gundari.” Javert scowled.
“It is probably right over us now. But it will have passed by morning.” Onari tried to keep Javert from worrying over it too much. “No one should come in here, so you should be able to rest without issue. I will stay, and if you need anything you can just ask.”
“Just… Stay.” Javert wasn’t convinced the storm was harmless. He wasn’t so worried about himself, but Onari was reckless and Javert didn’t have the energy right now to save him from something dangerous. Javert let his head rest against Onari’s arm, listening to the sounds of the storm. He still didn’t like the thunder, but the rain wasn’t so bad.
Javert wondered if he could really be happier here. Had he been happy before? Now that he thought about it, he wasn’t really sure what it felt like to be happy. Onari seemed to know, though. He had seemed happy when Javert had eaten the food he brought, and when he left meals out for him. There were other times too. Javert opened his eyes, glancing toward Onari’s face. He seemed happy now. Javert remembered the first time Onari had left a meal out for him. He had the same expression now that he’d had while sitting on the steps.
Javert looked to Onari’s hand still over his own. Maybe happiness was something like this.