Work Text:
Shihō let out a breath as he wiped his forehead with the back of his hand, taking off his hat and gloves. He was finally done with his double shift that day as a cook at a fast food restaurant. It wasn't a luxurious job, but he was good at it and it paid alright and he had decent hours, so he couldn't complain much. He washed his hands and clocked out, waving goodbye to his coworkers before making his way up to the front.
To his surprise, Yoichi was there. Shihō sighed happily, approaching his smaller boyfriend and giving him a hug. "Hey.."
Yoichi hugged him back, his arms wrapped around Shihō's middle, and it made him feel so much better already. "Hey, Shihō! I thought I'd come see you at work and we could hang out?"
Shihō frowned, pulling away to look down at him. "Ah, yeah, but.."
Yoichi smiled at him, a little more hesitant this time. "I was wondering if I could come with you again. I like going there...."
"Alright," Shihō murmured, grabbing Yoichi's hand and leading him out of the restaurant. "We have to stop and get flowers first, though..."
While Shihō was staring out the passenger window, he couldn't help the frown on his face. Four years ago today was the day that his little sister had finally succumbed to her disease and had passed away peacefully in her sleep. Shihō had been there when it happened, remembered the panic that he'd felt as doctors shooed him away to try and revive his sister. In the end, it hadn't worked, and she had remained cold and unbreathing. In the immediate aftermath, Shihō had been angry, and screamed at the doctors and nurses for not trying harder to save her. But over time, and with the help of therapy and his friends, he'd accepted her death. 'At least she's not suffering anymore', 'she's no longer in pain'. They'd been empty sentences at first and Shihō hadn't wanted to hear them, but over time he could accept the truth in them and wasn't bothered as much by it anymore.
Yoichi himself had helped. They'd been best friends for years (to the confusion of some people, since Shihō was a 'delinquent' and Yoichi was a pure soul), so it was easy to confide his frustration and depression with Yoichi. He was always so kind with Shihō, always lending him a shoulder to cry on, always listening to him go on about his stupid emotions. And Yoichi would patiently wait for him to finish, would hug him and promise that he would try to help Shihō as much as he could. He was the only person that didn't say 'it'll be okay' or 'it'll get better', and Shihō appreciated it. He didn't like empty promises.
And Yoichi had understood better than anyone. Tomoe, his older sister, had been killed in a break in when Yoichi was much younger. It was different circumstances, of course, but he knew what it was like to lose a sister. Shihō couldn't imagine losing Mirai like that- her death had been sad enough, but for someone to actively and intentionally take away her life.. Shihō wasn't sure how Yoichi smiled all the time, especially when Tomoe's killer still hadn't been brought to justice.
Shihō was grateful that Yoichi was coming with him, even if he'd been apprehensive at first. It was a private affair, a place to grieve the loss of his sister, but.. having Yoichi there helped. Any time he went to the secluded graveyard, he felt a deep sadness and longing. But with Yoichi there, it was more manageable. He couldn't really explain it. He just felt more... at peace.
Which was a rare feeling for Shihō. Over the last couple of years, especially before Mirai had passed, he had been incredibly stressed. He worked two jobs to pay bills and tried to visit his sister as much as possible, and after her passing it was still just as hard financially, since he had to pay rent and food. He got a nicer place at least, but it was still rough to afford it when he was just twenty with no college degree. Yoichi always tried to help, but Shihō wouldn't accept his money. How could he? Yoichi worked for his own money, and his parents were wealthy enough to not have to worry. Shihō didn't want to burden them, especially when he could survive on his own. He'd been doing it for a while now, he just had to work a little harder than some people in order to do it.
They stopped at a local flower shop before heading to the cemetery. Shihō was glad he wasn't driving, since he was tired from working his double shift and would have probably nodded off at the wheel. He must have fallen asleep, because when he opened his eyes, they were already at the cemetery. Shihō took a deep, silent breath, clutching the bouquet of fake peonies as he got out of the car. Yoichi got out of the car as well and gave Shihō an encouraging smile as they walked up the hill.
When Shihō got to the top of the hill, he dropped the flowers and stared in shock.
One of the problems of being tight on money was that he'd never been able to afford a gravestone for his sister. He was saving up the money for it, but every time he managed to have enough, something would happen. His car would break down or he'd be struggling to pay for food that month, or he'd owe someone money for some reason or another- usually gas money for rides- and would have to take it out of his savings.
But right in front of him, on top of the hill, was a beautiful black gravestone with a dove engraved on it in gold accents. The dirt was fresh around it, so whoever had put it here had been there recently. On the front of the gravestone, it read:
Kimizuki Mirai
March 28, 2000- July 15, 2012
A beloved sister and wonderful friend to many.
"I.. wasn't sure what you would like," Yoichi's voice came from behind him. "So I just kept it simple, you know? I don't think either of you would have wanted anything fancy," he rambled, trailing off nervously. ".... Shihō?"
Shihō turned to look at him, eyes wide and mouth gaping. He glanced from the rock over to Yoichi, his shoulders slumping and his hands waving helplessly. "You... When did you do this, Yoichi?"
"They came and placed it here earlier," he said quietly, looking down at the ground sheepishly. "I've been saving up the money, you know, since I live with my parents and everything, and I don't have to worry about it as much as you do, and I know you're having a rough time, so I just did it.." Yoichi looked up at him determinedly, gaining confidence. "And don't you dare try to pay me back for this, Kimizuki Shihō. I did this because you've taken care of me, your sister, everyone all your life and it's about time someone took care of you."
Shihō just kept staring at him. Yoichi, kind and considerate Yoichi, who was too good for him in every way, had done this out of the kindness of his heart. He knew that Shihō was struggling, even if Shihō didn't like to acknowledge it, and had helped him get something that not only he deserved, but also his sister. He felt a little ashamed that someone else had to buy his sister's gravestone, but there was no way he could be angry at Yoichi for doing that. He didn't realize he was crying until Yoichi's hands brushed his wet cheeks gently, smiling up at him so sweetly that it made Shihō's chest ache.
He gently pulled Shihō down so that they were sitting on the hill by Mirai's grave, the sunset reflecting in Yoichi's gorgeous jade green eyes as Shihō stared deeply into them. He pulled Shihō close, letting Shihō's head rest tiredly on his shoulder as he combed through his hair and watched the sun fade in the sky to the sound of Shihō's muffled sniffles.
"You both deserve this kindness."