Chapter Text
Teru kicked his bare feet up against the side of the building, the balcony floor cool under his back. The brick pulled at the skin of his heels and he wiggled his toes to watch the shadows ripple over his shins. The blue expanse of the sky above him was limitless. Huge.
It made him feel very small.
“But I’m bigger than you,” he announced, pointing at the dragonfly that flitted over to land on the railing. “I’m bigger than a lot of things.”
The sound of chatter prompted him to roll onto his belly and inch towards the edge of the balcony. He snuck his face between the bars and peered down to the sidewalk. Five floors up, the gaggle of people below looked like ants. Teru felt bigger than them too, but he knew it was because being up here made him feel tall. Untouchable. If he went down there, he would expose himself as much, much smaller.
Those were definitely at least middle schoolers.
The cluster of kids broke out into laughter, pushing at each other and turning up a side street. Teru watched them until they wandered out of his sight.
He pillowed his chin on his arms and watched the stoplight down the road change from red to green, tapping the tops of his feet lightly on the floor. Green to yellow to red and back.
“This is boring.”
No one replied to his declaration.
Hanazawa Teruki did not enjoy summer as much as the other kids in his class seemed to. They always got so excited when school breaks rolled around, but Teru didn’t see the appeal. It was just a long time to be stuck in his house. His mother worked… or something, until close to dark most days, and he was by himself until she came home and cooked up a late dinner. His homework was all done and there weren’t any other kids his age on his floor. It didn’t take long to get tired of his video games and books.
Teru stretched his arms out through the rungs and let the breeze waft through his fingers. It was too nice a day to be inside, but the balcony was only so big. He would rather be at the park, or the playground behind the school, or anywhere else, really. The apartment was small, but he wasn’t sure he was allowed to leave. His mother had never told him it was okay to leave the apartment while she was out.
On the other hand, she had never explicitly said not to either.
“I’m big enough,” Teru wagered, crawling up to his hands and knees.
He was allowed to walk to school and back on his own, of course. And to the corner store to get oil or butter or quick noodles when they were out and his mother couldn't leave the stove.
He could probably go out, right? Eight was big enough. And Teru wasn’t just any kid, he was an esper. If anything happened, he would be okay. And he could run really fast.
Maybe he could just go out for a few minutes? His mother wouldn’t know. She wouldn’t be back for a few hours at least.
The thought of sneaking out was thrilling. It made his belly jump around and brought an impish grin to his face. Teru got to his feet and tugged the slider door open, chilled air washing over him as he darted inside. He yanked on socks and jammed his feet into his sneakers by the door, pausing to wave his hand and float the extra house key out of its hiding place on top of the microwave.
Pocketing the key, Teru took a deep breath and squared his shoulders. He needed to look confident.
Walking down the hall was easy. No one was around in the middle of the day anyway. No one was in the elevator either, so Teru didn’t need to use any of the casual phrases he was practicing in his head along the way.
He flashed the woman in the lobby a polite smile, missing tooth and all. She nodded back at him and continued on her way, and flushed with success, Teru walked right out the front door.
Being out on the sidewalk felt different than being out on the balcony. It was liberating. A tiny bit scary. He had the whole world in front of him and the key in his pocket.
The key was in his pocket, right?
Teru reached into his pocket and let out a quiet, “Whew!” of relief when his fingers curled around the cold metal.
It would be better if he had a zipper pocket, but the key wasn’t going to jump out or anything. He was fine.
Reassured that he would be able to get back into his apartment, Teru set his sights on the corner store. That’s as far as he was allowed to go even when his mother was home, so that was his limit. He didn’t have any money for candy or snacks, but that was okay. Just being out and about was a big enough adventure.
It was just going to be a few minutes.
Teru spent a little while sitting on the bench by the corner store. To any passing stranger it looked like he was waiting for a parent to finish up some shopping. Not one person spared him more than a passing glance. Teru could still see his apartment building from here and felt confident that in an emergency he could be back in less than a minute. He was working on using telekinesis to run faster, but it was really hard to practice when he was inside so much. Practicing during school recess wasn’t as fun as it used to be. He used to draw a decent crowd of students, and the ooh-ing and ahh-ing had made his chest swell with pride. But now people were either bored of that, or the ones left over wanted him to make them run fast too, or pick them up and make them fly, or trip kids on their opposing teams during games.
Now if he ran fast at school people accused him of cheating.
Teru swung his legs absently, the toes of his sneakers just skimming the concrete.
A bus rolled up to the stop beside him with a groan and a hiss, and Teru realized it was already four o’clock. He’d been out almost fifteen minutes already.
Teru zipped back down the street and up to his floor, eyes darting around for any sign of his mother. Logically, he knew she was never back this early, but still. It was hard to shake off the worry of getting in trouble. She could sound really scary when she was angry with him.
He closed himself inside and leaned against the door until it clicked, holding his breath.
No one appeared to scold him.
Success.
Teru giggled to himself and spent the rest of the afternoon basking in the glow of a job well done.
His mother came home sometime later and Teru smothered his grin so that she wouldn’t be suspicious. She didn’t ask what he did today, and for once Teru was grateful.
He didn’t even have to lie.
Sneaking out barely even felt like sneaking when he could just walk right out the door. No one knew and no one asked, and maybe the fact that no one cared was a little bit upsetting, but going unnoticed was better than getting caught, right?
Teru used the little bit of birthday money he had left to purchase a popsicle, sitting on the curb and licking at his hand when it dripped on the wrong side.
This was the coolest thing ever. He’d never get sick of this.
Except for two weeks later when he’d successfully visited the corner store nine times, Teru realized that it wasn’t as fun as it had been the first couple days. It was too easy. There wasn’t anyone to talk to or play with. The cashier was always kind and didn’t ask him any weird questions when he kept coming in by himself, but he wasn’t chatty either.
Teru hummed and bit his lip, eyes drifting further down the road.
He was allowed to walk to and from school… so going that far on his own now wasn’t all that different. It was just that school was out for a few more weeks and his mother didn’t know where he was.
Not that she knew she didn’t know.
Teru stood on the corner, chewing on the last bit of sour candy he’d bought. He still had a couple of hours until she’d be back. His father had been home for a couple days and as of this morning, he was out again on another business trip. She tended to stay out later on days where he left, so there was no way she was going to know.
It didn’t take nearly as long as it probably should have to talk himself into it.
There wasn’t much of a difference between going to the school playground and the neighborhood park.
Or the bridge by the river to feed the ducks. That was practically a park, wasn’t it?
Did it really matter where he went if his mother never knew?
After all, he was kind of special.
When he got bored of the neighborhood parks, the sound of the train called to him like a siren.
That was… Taking the train somewhere was a bit of a step up. Teru knew quite a few of the stops and stations, he’d been accompanying his mother around town until he was big enough to stay home alone. He was pretty sure he remembered where some of the bigger parks in Seasoning were.
Maybe that was a bit too much of an adventure, Teru thought, watching the train pull away from the station from atop the monkey bars. The parks over here were small, sure, but they were fine. They were fine.
Okay so maybe there were always a bunch of toddlers and babies crawling around with their mothers chasing after them. And maybe the middle school kids liked to hang out by the swings and not let him on, even though they weren’t even swinging. And maybe the only classmate from his homeroom that was ever there was Ishida, and Teru hadn’t been able to go to his birthday party earlier in the year and now he wouldn’t talk to him…
The train was starting to look more and more enticing.
With trembling fingers, Teru stuck his yen into the turnstile slot. A little light blinked green and the gate opened for him, letting him hurry out onto the station platform. He squeezed his way between the commuters, sticking close to groups of businessmen. They were the least likely to inquire as to where his parents were. He knew to steer clear of nosy older women and anyone traveling with kids already.
His mother had left particularly early this morning, giving him plenty of time to eat a quick breakfast and scoot out the door by quarter past nine. He had a little bit of money for soda, snacks in his pockets, and the whole day ahead of him.
Full of nervous excitement, Teru stayed right by the doors on the train. He wrapped his small hands around the closest pole and held tight, not letting the crowds jostle him away from his spot. He didn’t want to get blocked in and miss his stop. Wherever that was. He was only going a few stops away. Four max.
Kneecap Park and Ankle were down this way, as was Funny Bone. Rumor at his elementary school was that Funny Bone Park had the highest swings and the fastest merry-go-round, but it was also the furthest away, and Teru felt like going that far from home was asking for trouble.
The train slowed and jerked to a halt at the third station, and Teru made his choice.
Ankle Park it was.
Ankle Park was way better than his area’s own Knucklebone Park. There were fields full of kids playing tag and flying kites. There were twice as many swings, and three more benches under trees so he could sit in the shade when it got too hot. There was a very convenient water fountain for when Teru got thirsty and had run out of money for soda.
Teru made the executive decision that he was going to come here as much as he could until summer break was up, and then maybe even on weekends after that.
No one played with him, though. Every kid seemed to already have other friends to run around with. Every team had enough players. The older kids said he was too little. The smaller kids were playing baby games.
That was okay, he could just sit and watch.
Teru wasn’t lonely.
He was too cool for that.
Teru sat backward on his favorite bench, legs stuck under the backrest and weeds tickling at his calves. He rested his forehead on the wood and sighed.
Did it actually matter which park he went to? Ankle Park was bigger, yes. Cooler, sure. But in the end, it was the same. The kids were all the same. No one here even batted an eye at his powers, no matter what impressive feats he pulled off.
Why was he so bad at making friends?
So what if he was a little loud? What was the big deal about being competitive? He wasn’t bragging every time he celebrated winning something. His parents told him to do his best and it wasn’t his fault he was really good at school and sports. There were plenty of other kids in his class that were talented too, but everyone hung out with them, and Teru just… Hung out on the fringes.
Maybe he should stop coming here. If he was just going to mope, he could do that at home and save his limited allowance for something other than train fare.
Huffing, Teru turned himself around on the bench and got to his feet. He dragged the heels of his shoes in the dirt as he shuffled back towards the park entrance. Two stuttering lines in the path. The only evidence he was there.
He was tapping the lingering dirt off the soles of his sneakers when the hair on his arms suddenly stood on end. A wave of something endlessly soft wove over him. Pink and purple cotton candy. Moth’s wings on his cheek.
Teru had felt energy in the air like that before. But the only time that happened was when he-
When he used his powers.
Eyes wide, Teru clutched at his t-shirt and peered around fervently for the source. His heart raced. Another esper?
There.
Over by the fountain were two dark-haired boys. One was waving his hands through a floating blob of water and laughing endlessly, but Teru barely saw him. He only had eyes for the boy beside him. He was just a smidge shorter, round face pink with the heat and a happy smile on his lips. He held one finger in the air like a conductor and even from over here Teru could see the spirals of pink-purple-blue that eddied around him.
Teru’s feet were stumbling in their direction before he could comprehend what he was doing. His brain didn’t catch up until he was pulling up in front of them, his heart in his throat. They both looked to him, but his mouth just opened and closed uselessly.
“Ah, hello,” the other esper said in a voice as soft as his aura.
“Hi!” Teru internally winced when both the other children leaned back at his volume. “Um, hi. Sorry. Hi. I just. I saw you and you’re- you’re an esper,” he whispered, excitement making his words shake.
The boy looked to the floating water like he’d forgotten about it.
“Oh, yes. I am.”
“Nii-san is the best esper in the whole world. He can do all kinds of cool things.” The boy with spikey hair leaned in with a proud smile.
That threw Teru off for a second. He’d thought that the esper was the younger one, but maybe he was just really short. He shook the confusion off. That was not important right now. If he didn’t say it this second, he was going to pop.
“I’m an esper too!”
“Really?” The shorter boy lit up, dark eyes sparkling. The water he was holding up fell back into the bowl of the fountain with a splash.
His brother closed his mouth with a snap and then squinted at him. The look was heavy with doubt.
“Prove it.”
Teru bounced in place. He was too overjoyed to be bothered about having his word questioned. He’d never gotten to show his powers to someone who understood before. He was ecstatic.
With an extravagant swoop of his arm, Teru sent half the water in the fountain winding around over their heads like a magnificent, clear snake. He felt a tiny bit bad about it. This other boy had only been picking up a little water, maybe he couldn’t do something this awesome yet. Was this what the kids at school meant about showing off?
“I’m Hanazawa Teruki.”
There was none of the frustration or jealously Teru usually saw on his classmate’s faces in the boys in front of him. Only shock and delight. Hope flared hot and fierce in Teru’s chest.
“I’m Kageyama Shigeo, and this is my little brother, Ritsu. It’s nice to meet you,” Shigeo said quietly. “Your aura is really bright.”
Teru grinned so hard his face hurt.
“Nice to meet you."
Shigeo was amazing.
He’d been born an esper. He could do anything he tried with his powers. Shigeo could pick up things even heavier than Teru could. He could make solids go soft and make the grass grow faster. He’d exorcised an evil spirit last year. Teru had never even seen one before.
He was not, on the other hand, very athletic.
When Teru invited them to play tag, he was met with an enthusiastic agreement from Ritsu and hesitant nodding from Shigeo. Teru promised Ritsu he wouldn’t use his powers. After all, the boy was only six.
“I’m gonna be seven next week!”
“Ritsu is a good runner.” Shigeo smiled at his brother. “He’s really fast.”
Teru shrugged. He was one of the fastest kids in his grade and he was older, so he’d humor this kid and make it seem like he was struggling to stay ahead of him.
He very nearly went back on his word a minute later when Ritsu gave him a serious run for his money. Shigeo, conversely, lagged behind the two of them, flushed and sweaty.
“Why don’t you use your powers to make you go faster? That would be fair if you’re a little slow,” Teru asked Shigeo when he needed to sit in the grass for a minute and rest.
The other esper was too busy wheezing to answer.
“Nii-san throws up when he does that. He threw up in my hoodie one time. It was really gross,” Ritsu said for him, his cheeks only a little rosy from all the running.
Teru made a face. Well, that was dumb. And a major bummer. He had wanted to see who could levitate the longest, but he really didn’t like when people barfed in front of him. Maybe running just wasn’t Shigeo’s strong suit. They could play other things.
But no matter what Teru suggested, monkey bar races, balancing competitions, or playground obstacle course challenges, Shigeo ended up last.
Shigeo also got all tongue-tied and shy when anyone bigger than them looked towards them too long. Or if they had to greet a passing grown-up. And he had to sit and have a snack before Teru was even hungry because he got dizzy easily.
None of those things mattered. Not even a little bit, because Shigeo was a good listener.
He never told Teru he was talking too much or too loud or told him that he was bragging. He nodded along and smiled at all of Teru’s stories, and while Ritsu huffed sometimes, neither Kageyama boy interrupted him. Teru couldn’t remember the last time he was able to talk this much. Not with such a captive audience, at least. His mother hummed here and there while he told her stories, but sometimes she asked him questions about something he had just explained, or she walked away to do something else while he was still talking. Teru knew she wasn’t really listening.
Teru talked so much he ran out of things to say pretty quickly, but Shigeo blinked at him like he was awaiting another story, so Teru started to make stuff up.
Teru couldn’t care less if Shigeo was a little awkward.
He wasn’t the only esper.
He wasn’t alone.
When Shigeo tapped him on the shoulder and asked if he wanted to meet a spirit that lived on the other end of the sports fields, he couldn’t say yes fast enough. Ritsu pouted and waited for them on a bench, claiming he didn’t want to go. They promised they wouldn’t be long. Teru followed Shigeo eagerly, listening to that quiet voice explain that no one else could see him. Not even Ritsu. Not even his friend Tsubomi. Shigeo had asked many times for the spirit to make himself visible so that people didn’t think he was lying, but he wouldn’t, and Shigeo didn’t know what else to do.
Teru had seen indistinct ghosts before, hazy vapors with foggy shadows for faces. He’d seen an old man with a deep grey specter lagging behind him. He’d caught sight of a couple of unexplained lights floating by his window at night. But never an honest to goodness sentient spirit.
Nothing he’d seen compared to this.
“He’s huge!” Teru cried, running the last little bit to the translucent orange creature that lounged in the dry grass.
Shigeo plodded up to stand beside him, nodding.
“Yes. He’s always here. He won’t talk to me though.”
“Huh. Rude.” Teru took in the spirit’s almost lion-like shape. A gigantic shaggy head with ram horns laid on nebulous paws. He was the size of a dang bus. “Is he sleeping?”
“I don’t think so.” Shigeo crouched down and cocked his head at the spirit’s closed eyes. “Sometimes he rolls over or looks at me, but I don’t think spirits sleep.”
“And you want to show him to your friends?” Teru clarified. He’d love to solve a problem for Shigeo. Prove that he was helpful and good friend material.
“Uh-huh.”
Teru put a hand to his chin and thought good and hard.
“Is he dangerous?”
Shigeo looked over at him, eyes just a hint wider.
“Um, no… I mean, I don’t think he moves from here ever.”
“Then I have an idea.”
Teru took a big breath and gathered his courage. Here was his chance. Impress Shigeo and become his friend. He stepped forward and rubbed his hands together before reaching out and hesitantly touching his fingers to the spirit.
It felt impossibly hot but didn’t burn his skin. A strange sensation of dense heat with no texture. Teru hummed at the feeling of resistance. That was a good sign for what he was planning.
Praying that he wasn’t about to get eaten, Teru braced a foot against the tenuous outline of the spirit’s front arm and hiked himself up. A hysterical little laugh escaped him when it held his weight. In no time at all, he had climbed up onto the shoulder and then up onto its back.
“If you’re up here, they might believe you!” he called down to Shigeo.
Shigeo’s face was frozen in astonishment. He kept looking back and forth between Teru and the spirit’s face, his mouth slightly open.
“Oh. Maybe,” he agreed, and then a bright smile took over his face. “You’re really brave, Hanazawa!”
Teru wanted to preen, but…
“You can call me Teru, you know,” he said as he rolled onto his stomach and slid feet first down the spirit’s side and back to the grass.
“I can?” Shigeo looked genuinely surprised.
“Of course!” Teru nodded enthusiastically. “We can… We can be friends, right?”
“Mm, I want to.” Shigeo twisted his fingers over and over in front of him. “Do you want to call me Shigeo? Or, ah, Tsubomi-chan and her friends call me Mob sometimes…”
Teru frowned. He didn’t have a lot of experience with friends, but that didn’t seem nice.
“I’ll call you Shigeo.”
It was the right thing to say because Shigeo made a pleased little sound and grinned so hard his eyes scrunched closed. Happiness ballooned in Teru’s stomach and made him feel like he was floating. He couldn’t remember the last time someone looked so pleased by something he’d said.
“Can we go back? I don’t want to leave Ritsu alone too long.”
The two boys made their way back towards the main part of the park, crackling grass slapping at their shins. Teru’s head was buzzing and he was vaguely aware that his aura was swirling around him, unrestrained in his joy.
He had a friend.
“Ah, my mom is here.” Shigeo sped up and pointed to the plain-looking woman sitting beside Ritsu on the bench.
Ritsu waved to them, a hint of a frown still on his face.
Teru slowed, steps getting increasingly smaller as they came up to the bench. He wasn’t sure if he should be talking to an adult. It felt like a bad idea if he didn’t want anyone to ask about where his parents were or why he was out without them. He didn’t love lying, but sometimes little white lies were okay, right?
He didn’t want to get in trouble.
“Mom, Mom. This is Teru, um- Teruki. He’s psychic too!” Shigeo hurried up to his mother and grabbed her hand, his eyes shining.
Mrs. Kageyama looked mildly bemused.
“That’s what Ritsu said… Well, it’s wonderful to meet you, Teruki. Have you been having a good time?”
“I have. And it’s very nice to meet you too,” Teru said in the politest tone he could. “Shigeo and Ritsu have been lots of fun. I’ve never met another esper.”
“Teru is funny and he’s as fast as Ritsu. And he climbed up on top of the spirit near the woods. It was really cool.”
“Goodness,” the woman muttered.
Teru twined his fingers together behind his back, not sure what to say.
“And he bends spoons on accident too.” The way Shigeo said it made it sound like that was the most important part so far.
“Oh?” His mother let out an exasperated sigh that turned into a chuckle. “Nice to know I’m not the only one who keeps having to buy more silverware.”
Teru felt his smile tighten.
“Are your parents around? I’d love to ask them if they know anywhere I can buy spoons in bulk. This one here bends them so often they’re rusting even if we bend them back.”
Shigeo looked properly guilty, peering up at his mother through heavy bangs.
“Sorry.”
Ritsu patted him on the arm sympathetically.
Teru’s mind was whirling with a slow-building panic. Didn’t he have a story prepared? Why did it fly right out of his head the moment Shigeo’s mother looked at him?
“My dad’s on a business trip,” he said. It wasn’t a lie, his father was almost never home anymore, but Teru knew that wasn’t the answer she was looking for.
None of the Kageyamas responded to his statement and Teru scrambled to school his expression into something casual.
“Oh, my mom’s shopping.” That made sense, right? There were plenty of shopping plazas nearby. He’d seen them from the train. “She’ll be back later.”
Mrs. Kageyama frowned lightly, peeking at her phone.
“Mm, it’s pretty close to dinner time, but I’d like to meet her. Do you mind waiting a bit, boys? You can play some more if you want.”
Oh no.
“You don’t have to wait,” Teru said in a rush, and then hastily reigned it back. “I can go get her.”
“Do you know where she is?” Shigeo asked innocently, and Teru knew he meant which store, but he internally flinched. It was Saturday. His mother wasn’t at work, but she wasn’t home and Teru could never really be sure of what she did during the day.
Heck, she could be shopping.
It’s not like she told him.
“It’s okay, I’ll be right back!” Teru turned and jogged towards the park exit, waving and throwing the Kageyamas a cheery smile.
“Teruki-“
Teru didn’t stop at the woman’s call. He didn’t stop until he was at the train station, heart shivery in his chest.
That was close.
Teru rode the train home, chewing on his thumbnail. He couldn’t get over everything that had happened. The narrow escape had been stressful, yes, but he… He had not only found a kid (and his little brother) willing to play with him but another esper. Another psychic, and he was a boy Teru’s age.
He wanted to know everything. He wanted to see Shigeo again already. Play with him. Talk with him. Find spirits together. He wanted-
With a shallow gasp, Teru’s heart dropped to his toes.
“How are we going to meet up?”
Teru had run off so quickly he hadn’t asked when Shigeo would be at the park again. They didn’t have cell phones. It was summer break; Shigeo and his brother might have only been there today. What if they actually lived really far away and they were going back home after this? What if they got mad he ran off and didn’t come back and Shigeo’s mom said they couldn’t play anymore?
What if he never saw Shigeo again?
Teru screwed his face up against the tears that prickled at the corners of his eyes and faced the window. He wiped any water that escaped away viciously with the back of his hand.
No crying. He would figure this out.
He had to.
Teru’s mother got home only half an hour after Teru let himself back into the house. She was earlier than usual, and it made Teru nervous, even though there was no reason for her to be suspicious. He always put the extra key back on top of the microwave. There wasn’t any evidence that he went anywhere, and if she asked what he did during the day, he could always claim he played video games.
Despite her early return, tonight wasn’t any different.
His mother was on the phone most of the evening, letting him eat his ramen on the couch with the TV on. Part of Teru was relieved. She wasn’t going to ask him anything, she wasn’t paying him any attention. At the same time, a swell of something antsy rose in his belly. He wanted to tell her about Shigeo. He wanted to ask for help on how to find him again.
Maybe she wouldn’t be mad. Maybe he was right all this time when he said he was big enough. That her letting him walk to school alone meant she thought he was mature and responsible enough to be out on his own.
But he didn’t know for sure, and that was scary. He didn’t like it when her voice got all sharp and made him feel much younger than eight.
He couldn’t ask her.
Teru drank the dregs of his ramen from his bowl and watched Princess Mononoke instead. Every time he had the urge to talk about his new friend he pushed his feet deeper into the cracks between the cushions. Combed his fingers through the tassels on the throw pillow.
“Don’t stay up too late.” His mother turned off the lights around him, patting him on the head once as she drifted to her bedroom.
The door clicked shut and Teru was alone.
“Goodnight.”
Teru ran through the gates of Ankle Park the next morning, eyes frantically searching the field, the structure, the benches.
Shigeo was not there.
Yet.
That was okay, it was early.
He planted himself on the bench closest to the entrance. He wasn’t going to take his eyes off the gates. Shigeo was going to come back, and they could play again and this time Teru would ask when he wanted to meet up next.
The sun crossed overhead, the trees dappling the pathway in flickering shadows. Teru’s lines in the walkway were barely visible, trodden down by yesterday’s evening visitors and early morning joggers. It was cooler than it was the day before, a breeze pushing Teru’s hair away from his ears and into his eyes.
He didn’t move.
Shigeo was coming back today.
Except he didn’t.
Not the next day, either.
Or the next five.
Teru’s mother stared when he started crying into the milkshake she brought home for him that night. Her mouth puckered, and Teru tried to hold it in. She didn’t like it when he cried. She said he was too old to have baby-ish habits like that.
“I swear to god, Teruki, if you’re crying because I got you the wrong flavor-“
Teru shook his head furiously. He didn’t want to interrupt her, but he didn’t want her to think he was being bratty.
“No. It’s good. I’m sorry. I just-“ He couldn’t tell her. Not today. “I had a bad day.”
“Oh. Well.” She looked around the living room and then sighed. “Drink your shake and then we can watch a movie in bed. How’s that?”
Teru blinked at her. She hadn’t suggested that in over a year. Not since he was sick and his father had to leave earlier than he was supposed to.
“Yes, please.”
Teru drank his milkshake as quickly as possible without giving himself brain freeze and then ran to get in his pajamas. If his mother was offering to spend time with him, he wasn’t going to waste a minute of it.
Teru clambered into the king-sized bed and curled under the covers. He listened to the clanking of dishes being put in the washer and let his head sink into the pillow. This was nice. This was familiar.
A few minutes later his mother came in with a DVD case and got her TV set up. Teru didn’t care what they were watching. She turned the volume up and settled herself on the bed, putting the remote beside him. His mother didn’t get under the covers with him like she used to when he was smaller, but at least she was there.
At least she stayed, Teru thought to himself when she pulled her laptop onto her legs and stopped watching the movie.
At least he wasn’t alone.
Teru cautiously slipped forward on the pillow until he had his cheek pressed to her hip. Peeked up at her when she absently brushed her fingers through his hair for a moment.
Teru snuggled up on his father’s side of the bed and wondered if his mother was lonely too.
His mother was out of the house before he woke up on Sunday, but there was cereal left out on the table for him, along with a small pile of yen.
She’d given him his allowance early.
It felt like a good sign.
Teru ate quickly and made the trek to the station. The morning greeted him with gusty winds and air so dry Teru felt like he was walking around in an air popper. The train was emptier than usual, enough for Teru to take a seat. The plastic was already sun-warmed under his legs. He watched the town pass by him, holding onto the edge of his seat with white knuckles.
The three-minute walk from the train station to Ankle Park was too long. Teru wanted to run. He wanted to be there. What if Shigeo was there for just a few minutes? What if he missed him? He wanted to hurry but for some reason his feet refused to let him go any faster.
Coming up on the park gates made Teru’s stomach clench. After a solid week of nothing, he didn’t want to get his hopes up. He clenched his hands into fists and gulped in a deep breath. All he had to do was go sit on the bench and wait. He could be patient.
It was still the weekend.
There were still three weeks left of summer vacation.
If Shigeo didn’t show up today it wasn’t the end of the world.
Teru put on a brave face and turned the corner into the park. He got exactly two steps in when his heart jumped into his throat.
There were two boys sitting on his bench.
Shigeo’s head was down, eyes fixed to where he was fiddling with his hands in his lap. Ritsu, on the other hand, looked bored and was staring off towards the play structure longingly. He sighed and then turned, eyebrows flying up when he caught sight of Teru. A grin spread on his face and he nudged his brother, pointing when Shigeo startled.
Red eyes met blue, and when Shigeo’s face lit up like the sun, Teru felt his own mirror the expression.
“Teru!” Shigeo hopped off the bench and waved.
Teru ran, and he wasn’t sure his feet were touching the ground at all.
“Shigeo!”