Chapter Text
Sakae knew he wasn’t like other kids his age. The other kids were out running around in the parks, playing with each other and making up stupid games. Maybe they were showing off their new toys or going on about whatever comics they were reading. Those kinds of things just didn’t interest him. He preferred to be in his families shop, tinkering around with whatever was passed his way. Helping out with cooking or chores were things that he enjoyed.
So it was safe to say he didn’t always fit in with the other kids.
That was fine with him though, he had a friend and he was very precious to him. Sakura Haruka, another weirdo just like him. While Sakae didn’t fit in, no one really bothered him about it. He held an air of maturity about him that kept the bullies at bay. When Haruka first arrived though, that wasn’t the case for him. His unique appearance drew the bullies to him like a moth to a flame. The adults never did anything about it either, which struck Sakae as odd.
The first time Sakae caught the bullies messing with him, it had his blood boiling. It wasn’t just name calling or something stupid like that. No, he came around the corner to find them dousing him in a cold bucket of water. He could see Haruka didn’t have any shoes on, and the pair he usually wore was in the trash can next to him. The red marks on his face were clear as day against his pale skin, just the right size for some of these kids fist.
He saw the fire in the smaller boys eyes, the hurt and rage he wanted to release but for whatever reason couldn’t. The bullies seemed to have thought they found an easy target, someone who wouldn’t fight back. He could hear their mocking words as they grabbed the boys hair and pulled, taunting him for his appearance. Sadly for them, Sakae did not have the same reservations as the other boy.
It was the first time he ever got into a fight, but he couldn’t stand by and watch them torment the other kid. He came out the victor, but for some reason both him and Haruka were sent to the office for it. He tried and tried again to tell them it was all him, that he was defending Haruka from the bullies. The adults didn’t listen though, for whatever reason they wanted to pin the blame all on Haruka. The other boy didn’t say a word. He just sat there with his hands clenched in his lap, eyes glaring with that same fire he saw before.
Sakae remembers leaving the office with the other boy. He got a talking to about how fighting was wrong and not to do it again. Haruka was practically painted the villain saying they were going to call his guardians about this incident. They gave him a hoodie that was too big to replace the wet one he had on, but other than that there would be no other action taken against the ones that bullied Haruka.
Sakae tried to get him to talk, tried to convince him to go back in there and explain this wasn’t his fault. Haruka didn’t even look up at him. Instead he barely caught his voice as he softly muttered out.” It’s better this way.. You should stay away though.. Im nothing but bad luck.”
Never in his short life had he heard someone sound so sad, so defeated. The guy just moved here a week or two ago, and already he had resigned himself to this fact. It stirred something in Sakae that day. He knew he couldn’t just leave this alone like the other boy wanted.
So he didn’t. From that day forward he sought the monochrome boy out any chance he could. It was a slow process, especially because the boy was pretty good at hiding, but Sakae was used to being patient. Nothing good ever came from rushing.
He was glad he took his time to get Haruka to open up to him, because now he had a best friend he wouldn’t exchange for anyone else. Haruka was awkward, he didn’t know a lot of things and got easily flustered, but he was a really genuine guy. The first time he dragged Haruka to his families shop, he couldn’t help but fill with pride at the stars that took over the smaller boys eyes as he took it in. Most kids their age would think it was boring, or that it wasn’t interesting enough. Haruka looked like he wanted to explore every inch of it.
They spent the entire day in there, Sakae explaining what each item did and Haruka listened closely. He never tried to touch anything, no he always kept his hands firmly in his pockets. It was the same when they hung out at his house as well. Haruka never tried to touch anything unless he was prompted several times.
His mother explained to him that Haruka probably didn’t have a very good home life, so that’s why he looked so sad and afraid when he came over. Why he flinched when one of the adults would go to touch him.
Sakae just couldn’t fathom that though. Why did everyone want to be mean to Haruka? Haruka was amazing! He was nice and sweet. He always wanted to give treats to the stray cats and always picked up trash that people left on the ground. Haruka got embarrassed easily and got red in the face, yelling at Sakae for picking on him. Sakae never took it seriously though because Haruka always gave him a smile afterwards, and he really liked his smiles. He never did it around anyone else, those smiles were just for him.
He could never come up with a bad thing about his best friend, so why did the world want to be so cruel to him? It didn’t make any sense. The closer they got, the more Sakae knew that Haruka was his most precious friend and he would do anything to protect him.
Which is why he couldn’t help but feel his heart break one night. He had volunteered to go to one of the near by corner stores so he could get some eggs for dinner. It was raining out, and his father wasn’t back yet from getting supplies for the shop. He didn’t want his mom or grandparents to go, so he took the job for them. They worked so hard, he could handle grabbing some food for them.
What he hadn’t expected was to find Haruka sitting on the side of the building, curled in on himself with his hood over his head. What was he doing out here in the rain?! He was going to get sick like this.
Sakae ran up to his friends before he knelt down, bringing the umbrella he had with him over the both of them.” Haruka? What are you doing out here??”
It took a moment for his friend to look up at him, but when he did he nearly dropped his umbrella. He had never seen Haruka look so empty, he looked almost close to crying. His usual bright and vibrant eyes looked dull as he stared up at Sakae. Haruka let out a small sniffle before he looked to the side, a hard shiver running through him.” I-I got kicked out for the night..”
Kicked out for the night? He knew Haruka didn’t even live in the main house with everyone else, so how could they kick him out? What could he have done to earn that? He would ask, but he knew no matter what it was it wasnt a good enough reason to do this.
Sakae felt his brows come together as he clenched his fist around the umbrella handle.” So what? They expect you to sleep out on the street? It’s going to rain all night!”
All he got in response was a half hearted shrug before Haruka clenched his fist around the cuffs of his sleeves.” They said it’s not their problem…”
He hated Haruka’s guardians. He never hated anyone before but he knew from the bottom of his heart he hated these people. No one should ever make Haruka look this upset. If they didn’t want to let Haruka stay there then fine, he knew exactly where he needed to be anyways.
Sakae stood up before going to hold a hand out to his friend.” Their loss then. You are coming to my house and staying the night.”
Haruka’s head snapped up to look at him, his dual colored eyes wide with surprise.” H-Huh?! I-I cant just stay over like that…”
“Why not? My parents love you and grandma is going to be thrilled to see you.” He threw on a small smirk and he waved his hand down to him again.” Plus grandma is cooking tonight, so its going to be way better then whatever those jerks will be eating.”
Food was always a good motivator for Haruka, Sakae learned that quickly. It was how he convinced him to become his friend eventually. He would bring his home cooked treats with when he would sit with Haruka. The delicious smell broke him with time, getting him to finally talk and ask what he was eating. That lead to him sharing with him and the rest was history.
So when he saw that same shine appear in his eyes when he mentioned that his grandma was cooking, he knew the deal was sealed. The minute Haruka’s cold hand slid into his, he pulled him up and went to hold the umbrella out to him. He made a mental note that he didn’t like how cold he felt. They would have to warm him up soon.” Hold this while I grab the eggs. I’d have you come in with me but we don’t want to get the store too wet.”
Haruka nodded as he took the umbrella and held it close. He didn’t look as sad as before but it was still lingering there. Sakae would have to make sure to get him to smile soon. He double checked their surroundings to make sure no one was around to mess with Haruka before he went to run into the store.
Luckily he knew exactly where the eggs were, so he wouldn’t have to keep his friend waiting outside for long. He tapped his foot when he got to counter and waited to get checked out, checking out the window to make sure he could still see the top of the umbrella.
Maybe it was silly to worry so much, but trouble always found its way to Haruka.
Once he had his change and his bag, he ran right back outside and let out a sigh of relief when he saw Haruka still right where he left him. Sakae took note of the fact that he was shivering still and hoped nothing got in their way on the way home. He made his way over to the shorter boy before he went to hold the bag out to him.” Haruka, switch me for a moment.”
Haruka tilted his head at him out of confusion before he went to hold the umbrella out to Sakae so he could take it before he grabbed the bag from him.” Why am I carrying the eggs?..”
Sakae just gave him a wide grin as he switched the umbrella to his other hand, reaching over to take Haruka’s free hand in his.” I cant hold both, but if I can hold one of your hands then maybe it will get warm. I’m taller too so I can keep the umbrella over both of us.”
He tried to not laugh at how red his friend’s face got but broke when he stomped his foot on the wet ground.” H-Hey! Im not that short!”
That was better, he liked when Haruka was ready to argue with him then when he got sad and quiet. Sakae calmed down to a chuckle when he heard Haruka let out a huff at him before he went to pull him along towards his home.” Come on, the sooner we get the eggs to grandma the sooner we can eat.”
“O-Okay..” He noticed when Haruka moved to walk closer to him, feeling small smile creep onto his face. Seeing Haruka feel comfortable with him always made him feel some bubbly pride in his chest. He adjusted their hands so his fingers were intertwined with Haruka’s, hoping to spread some more warmth through them. The last thing his friend needed was to get sick from being out in the rain.
It was a quiet walk back but neither boy seemed to mind. They spent a lot of time usually just enjoying each other’s company anyways. Haruka liked to just observe him while he did things, though sometimes he did like to join in. He could tell Haruka liked to learn, so he always explained what he was doing while he did it or while his friend attempted to do it himself.
Sakae really liked the proud smile Haruka would get whenever he managed to do something himself. It always made him want to help him learn more things so he could keep seeing it.
The minute they got back to his home, Sakae when to let go of Haruka’s hand so he could open the door for him before he folded up the umbrella.” Mom! Im home! I brought Haruka with me!”
The sound of his mother rushing around the corner caught both of their attentions. What started as a wide grin on her face quickly morphed into worry when she saw just how soaked Haruka was. She rushed over to the poor boy before going to kneel in front of him.” Haruka, honey, why are you all wet?”
Haruka looked down at the ground, always getting a little bashful when Sakae’s mom fretted over him.” I-I got kicked out for the night…”
Sakae looked at his mom, a determined look on his face as she went to push some of Harukas hair out of his face so she could check on him.” I told him he could stay here tonight. Is that okay?”
His mother looked over at him, a warm smile making its way across her face before she turned so she could gently pet the white side of Haruka’s hair.” Of course that is okay. We will just need to find some warm clothes and a spot for him.”
Sakae couldn’t help but smile widely as he went to move over so he could sling an arm around Haruka’s shoulders, which caused him to blush once more.” He can wear some of mine! And he can sleep in my bed with me. Then I can make sure he is warm.”
His mother stared at him in shock for a moment before she burst out in a small laugh, bringing a hand up to her mouth.” You already have it all figured out, don’t you Sakae? If Haruka is comfortable with that then we can do that.”
Two sets of amber eyes turned to focus on the monochrome boy, causing him to stiffen up a bit. He looked between the two of them like a deer caught in headlights before he went to look to the side, the warm glow seeming permanently in place for the time being.” T-Thats okay with me..”
Sakae’s mother clasped her hands together in front of her before she went to stand up.” Alright then. Sakae, go find some clothes for Haruka. Haruka you come with me, we need to get you out of those clothes and into a warm shower.”
Haruka’s eyes went wide for a moment as he looked back at Sakae, looking unsure of what he should do. Sakae just fixed him with a reassuring grin before he went to reach over to take the eggs from him.” It’s okay, Haruka. By the time you’re done, we will have food ready. If you need anything just yell for me, okay?”
That seemed to bring a little peace to his friend, his body relaxing as he looked up at Sakae’s mother.” O-Okay..”
It took him a full minute to take the hand his mother extended to him, but as soon as he did to follow her was when Sakae moved to get his task done. After delivering the eggs to his grandmother, he quickly ran to his room in search of clothes. He was a few centimeters taller than Haruka, so all of his clothes would be a bit big on him. It should be fine. They would wash his clothes and they would be good as new by tomorrow.
The goal was to make him comfy and warm. He had to have been freezing out there. It made that anger bubble up in him again but he pushed it down. He could be mad tomorrow.
Once he found a long sleeve shirt and some sleep pants that would work, Sakae went to make his way to the bathroom so he could deliver the clothes.
He left the clothes with his mother as she made her way out of the bathroom. He would have delivered them himself, but he knew if he helped his grandma then the food would be done sooner. The minute his grandmother saw him, she gave him a proud smile before motioning to the task she already had prepped for him.
No matter what, he wanted his friend to smile tonight. It might mean he had to do a bit more work but that was okay.
Sakae wished Haruka could just stay with them. He asked his family once if that was possible. Sadly they didn’t have the space for another person. Sakae would give him space though. His room wasn’t very big but he would share it if he knew his friend was okay.
He was dragged out of his thoughts when he heard the sound of foot steps coming toward the kitchen. He had just finished mixing something for his grandma when he turned to find Haruka wondering into the kitchen. His clothes were definitely a bit big on him, but he looked like he would be warm now. There was no containing the chuckle that slipped from him when he noticed how his hair was still dripping wet.” Haruka, you have to dry your hair. You look like a wet cat!”
The poor boy flushed a bright red before he went to cross his arms over his chest, a pout directed right at Sakae.” I-I don’t know how! Don’t pick on me!”
Sakae’s grandmother went to look at Sakae before she went to give him a playful look.” Leave that poor boy alone. Why don’t you help him while I finish this up, I’ll have your plates all set up for you.”
Sakae went to pass over the ingredients he had been working with, giving his grandmother a smile.” Okay. We will be back then.”
He didn’t wait for his friend to follow, instead he took him by his hand and lead him back to the bathroom.” I’ll blow dry your hair this time, then next time you can do it yourself.”
“W-Why cant I just do it myself this time? And why do you keep pulling me around?!”
“Because I want to do it for you, and because you will probably miss a spot.” He didn’t address the grabbing of his hand again because honestly, he didn’t know why either. It just felt like the right thing to do. Haruka didn’t pull away either, so it must be fine.
As he let Haruka grumble at him that he would in fact not miss a spot, he dragged him back into the bathroom and grabbed their stool so he could set it in front of the sink.” Here, sit down.” Haruka let out a small huff as he went to sit down on the stool, pushing his sleeves up so his hands weren’t covered.” Has anyone ever told you that you’re bossy?”
“Maybe once or twice.” Sakae snickered softly as he grabbed the hair dryer and a brush before he went to move behind Haruka.” You don’t mind though, or you wouldn’t hang out with me.”
“Maybe I only hang out with you for your treats, did ya ever think about that?”
Sakae turned the hair dryer on before going to get to work on Haruka dual colored hair, trying not to get distracted by the way the two colors mixed when he dried against the split. He noticed how Haruka’s shoulders slumped down, seeming to relax a little.” Oh yeah? Then what about the times you hang out with me when I don’t have treats?”
A few seconds go by and he spots how red the other’s ears get as he moved to blow dry the white side of his hair.” J-Just Shuddup about it already.”
Oh he definitely wasn’t going to shut up about it. Sakae felt his face morph into a smirk as he went to move to the black side of his hair.” You like hanging out with me, don’t you?”
Usually this would be where Haruka would blow up, yelling at him and telling him off. He would never go too far, but he would let Sakae have a piece of his mind. That didn’t happen today though. As Sakae went to turn the hair dryer off so he could brush Haruka’s hair, he froze when he heard his friend softly speak.” I-I do.. I like hanging out with you a lot..”
Sakae stood there for a moment, mostly in shock because Haruka never admitted stuff like this. He would rather bicker than say what he really felt. He felt his grip on the brush tighten as he set the hair dryer on the counter before he got to work on brushing the soft monochrome hair.” Good.. It would really stink if my best friend didn’t like hanging out.”
Haruka’s head leaned back into the brushing, giving Sakae a peak of his eyes closed. He always thought his friend had really pretty eyelashes and they only stood out more like this.” Im your best friend?”
“Well yeah, who else would it be?”
This dragged a small chuckle from his friend before he finally saw a hint of a smile work its way onto his face.” You’re my best friend too..”
Why did hearing that make him so happy? He figured as much since he was Haruka’s only friend, but he still felt giddy either way. Before he could respond both boys stopped when Haruka’s stomach gave a rather loud, angry growl.
There was a beat of silence between the two of them before Sakae burst out laughing at this.” It sounds like you have a monster in there!”
“S-Shut up! It’s not funny!”
Sakae smirked as he went to finish up with his hair, putting away everything he had gotten out.” It’s very funny. Don’t worry though, we are about to eat!”
From the scent both boys could smell wafting through the house, it definitely smelt as though it was done. Both of them made eye contact before they were off towards the kitchen, not necessarily running but definitely not walking.
The minute their butts were in their chairs, Haruka’s eyes shined as he took in the delicious spread that was laid out before them. This wasn’t his first time staying for dinner, but he always looked just as awestruck every time he saw whatever was brought out. It always filled Sakae’s chest to know his families cooking brought him so much excitement.
As everyone said their tanks and got into their meals, Sakae couldn’t help but be grateful for his family. They had a great ability of making everything comfortable. Even with Haruka’s distrust towards adults, he couldn’t resist but talk when his mother asked him questions about his day. Everyone knew that he had it rough, so they all listened carefully as he forced out a story about a cat he came across today.
His father and grandfather would always talk to him about new things they were tinkering on, offering to show him the next time he came by the shop. Even with the reserved look Haruka always wore, Sakae could tell by the twitch of his lips that he was excited about the idea.
His grandmother would always make sure to get Haruka more food when he finished his plate. He always seemed like an endless pit, so left over were never really a thing if he was there for dinner. It took a a couple times to convince him it was okay for him to have more if he wanted it, but once he felt comfortable enough he had no reservations with taking seconds. Especially if his grandmother was the one cooking.
It became clear half way through his second plate though that he was starting to get drowsy if the way he rubbed his eyes was anything to go off of. Sakae’s mother gave a gentle smile, looking over at Sakae.” Why don’t you to go get ready for bed, we can handle the dishes tonight.”
Here came his pout once more, Haruka not seeming satisfied with that.” But you cooked for me.. I should help clean.”
Sakae went to get up from his chair before he offered his hand to Haruka.” We can help clean in the morning. I’ll show you how to help with the morning chores.”
There was a brief moment where Haruka chewed on his bottom lip before he gave a nod, reaching up to take his hand before he went to get up.” Fine, but I’m helping with most of it then.”
Sakae’s grandmother let out a pleased hum and went to give Haruka a satisfied smile.” What a good boy you are, Haruka. We are so lucky to have you staying with us tonight.”
Sakae was almost impressed with how red his face got from this, his dual colored eyes going wide and shimmering almost like he might cry. The gentle squeeze he gave his hand seemed to bring him back from the bridge before Haruka bowed his head a little.” T-Thank you.. for having me..”
Before his family could overwhelm him anymore, Sakae went to drag him to his room. He knew Haruka wasn’t used to adults that weren’t mean to him, so he wanted to give him some space if he needed it.
As he opened his door and went to pull Haruka in, his face scrunched up when he felt Haruka stop in the middle of the room. Sakae looked over at him but tilted his head when he saw the way Haruka was staring at the bed, like he had never seen one before.” What’s wrong, Haruka?”
Gold and black eyes flickered over to him before they flickered back to the bed.” Ive never slept in a bed like this before..”
Huh? He never slept in a bed like this before? He knew Haruka slept in a futon at the place he was at now but did that mean he never had a bed anywhere else?
Sakae let out a huff now before he let go of his hand so he could put his hands on his hips.” Well you can use mine whenever you want. I have plenty of room.”
Haruka looked him in the eyes now, his face looking pleasantly surprised.” So I can stay over again?”
“Of course! You can stay over whenever you want.” It took a moment for that to process for Haruka, the confusion clear on his face. It only lasted for a minute though before a bright smile worked its way across his face.” Thanks Sakae…”
Sakae felt like he looked pretty dumb, staring at his best friend like he was looking directly at the sun. He had never seen a smile like that on his face before though. It made his chest feel all fuzzy the longer he stared. Quickly turning to the side, Sakae rubbed the back of his neck as he felt his face go a little red.” It’s what best friends do.. why don’t you get comfy and I’m going to go change.”
Haruka chuckled a little at him before he went to make his way over to the bed.” Okay.”
He watched his friend for a moment to make sure he actually got into the bed. As soon as he saw him get under the covers Sakae went to get his own sleep wear before heading for the bathroom. He could hear his family talking about Haruka, going on and on about how they should invite him over more often. It made him puff his chest up happily as he went to shut the door.
Maybe this is what he could do, since they couldn’t necessarily take him in. He would just invite him over as much as he could. Even though they hadn’t shared the bed yet, Sakae doubted he would mind. How could he when he had his best friend with him, safe and warm.
It was sad to think, but he doubted Haruka’s family would care much if he wasn’t around. They didn’t even care where he went when it was raining out. What could he have possibly have done to deserve that?
As he left the bathroom and made his way back to his room, he smiled just a little when he saw his friend comfortably snuggled up in the blanket. He had taken the side closest to the wall and only had just enough of the blanket for himself. Sakae could tell he was trying to be mindful not to take it all, though they could always grab another one if needed.
He shut the door behind him as he made his way over to the bed, climbing into the open spot next to Haruka.” You comfortable?”
Dual colored eyes open as they looked over at him, the corner of his lips pulling up into a small smile.” This is way better than the futon.”
Sakae snickered as he laid on his side so he could face Haruka.” Right? You’re free to come and stay in it whenever you want.”
Haruka looked away from him for a moment, his eyes focusing on his hands that were curled up in front of him.” Y-You really mean it?..”
That caused him to scrunch his eyebrows together as he gave him a firm nod.” Of course I do. I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t mean it.”
It was hard to see it with only the streetlight from outside illuminating over them, but he caught the way his friend’s eyes looked at him. They wavered with something he couldn’t quite put his finger on, but he knew whatever he was about to answer was going to be important.” You.. you promise you wont ever leave me then?.. I don’t want to be alone anymore.”
Sakae sucked in a breath at this. He knew there was only one right answer, but he didn’t want to be a liar either. He looked down at Haruka’s hands that were between them before he went to reach over to take one of them in his.” I cant promise that but I can promise this. Even if one of us has to go away, I’ll find you. We might not always be together but I’ll find you, and then we will make a home for ourselves. No mean adults or stupid bullies. Ill.. I’ll cook you yummy food and show you all kinds of things! So even if we aren’t able to be around each other, just know we will see each other again.”
He couldn’t look at Haruka as he said this, instead he watched their hands. It was a big promise he was making, hell he was still a kid for crying out loud. He knew this is what he would do though. He would do it for his best friend.
The moment Haruka squeezed his hand tightly, Sakae looked up at him. He didn’t see any tears, no Haruka never cried, but he did see that bright smile he had seen from earlier on his face. His voice came out wobbly from all the emotions he was feeling.” Y-You better.. and I’ll become strong. Strong enough that no one will ever mess with us. I want to keep you safe like you have done for me.”
Sakae felt that fuzzy feeling in his chest once more, watching his best friend closely before he felt his own toothy grin take over his face.” It’s a deal then. You better be able to kick my butt when we are older.”
All he got in response was a small yawn as Haruka settled more into the bed, his eyes closing as his smile shrank to just the corners of his lips being upturned.” I will. Just you wait and see. I’ll be so strong, no one will ever pick on me ever again.”
Sakae couldn’t help but feel himself become a little drowsy watching Haruka before he went to close his eyes as well. He didn’t let go of the others hand, and it didn’t seem Haruka was in any rush of letting go either.” I cant wait to see that.. Goodnight Haruka.”
“Hmm.. Goodnight Sakae.”
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Sakae clenched his fist as he made his way up the stairs of Furin, already annoyed and he hadn’t even been here a whole day.
He had been unable to attend the school for the first semester since he had been busy taking care of his grandmother. Now that she was in the hospital it opened up time for him to actually come in person to classes, but why was the first thing he was hearing about was some outsider that only recently showed up. Were these people idiots or something?
The hatred he held for outsiders burned bright. Outsiders killed his grandfather. Outsiders broke his family apart. Outsider constantly messed with the town he loved. Outsiders also stole away his one and only friend.
They took everything from him, so if some guy thought he was going to show up and mess with his school they had another thing coming. He had no quarrels with putting some new guy in his place. He had years of anger that he was more than willing to share.
As he got closer to the roof, he heard other first years yammering away about the guy. Just how amazing could he really be that everyone was so enamored with him already? The excitement in their voices almost made him seem like some sort of celebrity.
He almost faltered when the name Sakura bounced around a few times. That name brought back memories he tried to keep locked away and safe. His hand clasped around another and a promise shared between two hopeful kids. Carefree laughter he hadn’t expressed in who knows how long.
Sakae took a deep breath as he clenched his fist tighter. He didn’t want to taint those memories now. Those needed to stay safe and pure, the innocent boy he once knew didn’t need to be dragged into all this ugliness. He needed to stay with the rest of the good memories he barely had left.
It was probably good the other boy hadn’t been around. Sakae seemed cursed to lose the ones he loved.
Pushing down the old memories, he went to open the door. He was a man on a mission and he needed to not get sidetracked. First things first, he needed to set things straight with Umemiya. Sakae respected the guy quite a bit, and he liked his vision. He was going to handle things his own way though. As he took in the roof he saw most of the first years were surrounding someone he couldn’t quite spot yet. Must be the outsider. Of course they would be surrounding him like some shiny toy.
He couldn’t contain the scuff he let out as he made his way toward the third years. If they wanted to accept someone like that then that was their business. Him on the other hand? He would make sure this guy wasn’t going to wreck everything they were building here.
Even as he spoke his mind to Umemiya, Sakae could hear the excitement around him dying down as they realized he was here. It did seem like he had made quite the name for himself, not like he cared though. Everything he did wasn’t for the fame of it, he just wanted to hold onto something without it getting destroyed.
Umemiya was ever the understanding type. He didn’t fight back on him wanting to handle things on his own, and even said he trusted him. Whether he thought Umemiya was right on that was still up in the air, but he appreciated it never the less.
As Sakae turned to finally see who this outsider was, he felt all his built up anger come crashing down around him. He didn’t know when the crowd had moved, but they had almost parted like a sea for him. At the end of the passage stood monochrome hair he never thought he would see again. Black and gold eyes wide with equal part surprises and disbelief as he stared back at him. It felt like all the air had been knocked out of him as his hands unclenched at his side, a single words falling from his lips.” Haruka…”
It was no mistaking it was him, even with the obvious differences. He was taller now, even from here though he could see he was a little shorter than himself. He wasn’t as much of a shrimp as he had been before, no even if his clothes were a little baggy he could tell he had some lean muscle to him. He held a different air about him, something more confident than he had before. All that aside though, this was definitely his Haruka.
It was a quick thought, but he couldn’t help but find Haruka beautiful. He always found his friend pretty back when they were younger. Seeing him standing here now, wind gently blowing soft locks and his eyes shining in the sun, he felt like his breath was taken from him. Sakae didn’t know if he had ever felt like this looking at anyone else before.
He wanted to close the space between them, wanted to touch him to make sure he was real and not some figment of his imagination. Instead of moving forward though, he found himself being pulled back.
It felt like a dark tangible force was wrapping its way around his limbs, threatening to drag him back into the ever present hole that lingered in his heart. He wanted to resist, to pull himself free and claw his way to Haruka, but he knew he couldn’t.
There was no way he could get close to him. No, if he got close something would happen again. What if he disappeared again? What if an accident happened? What if he hated him for not finding him sooner?
It felt so hard to breathe, especially when he noticed more eyes watching them. How long had they been standing there staring at each other? Someone was speaking near him but he couldn’t hear the voice clearly, all he could hear was the rapid beating of his own heart.
The minute Sakae saw Haruka take a step towards him, he felt his body move and run towards the door. He had to get space between them. He couldn’t let Haruka get too close to him. He wasn’t the same as he was before. He had promised to keep Haruka safe and to do that, he had to keep him away.
“Hey! Sakae, Wait!”
Sakae heard someone running after him but he didn’t stop. No he couldn’t stop. He needed to get away from here. The weight of it all felt crushing, he couldn’t breathe. Haruka was here in this town and that was as much as he was willing to accept. He would be safe here without him. He wouldn’t put him in danger being close to him.
Even if he felt so confident in this, why did it hurt so much to think?