Dream Chaser - Chapter Five
Sho stared wide-eyed at the man. Of all the people who could’ve found him, why did it have to be him? He bit his lower lip, not knowing how to react.
Takashi let go of the umbrella he had been holding and crouched down at the brink of the hole.
"Are you okay?!"
He called in a loud voice that sounded genuinely worried.
Sho hesitated a moment.
"I’m fine…"
The other man nodded and got down on his hands and knees. He leaned down, reaching his hand out for Sho to grab. Perplexed Sho actually took a step back, overwhelmed by what a complete stranger was doing for him. He didn’t know what to make of it. The suit, the coat, now covered in mud, must have cost a lot. The man was a famous scientist. He could’ve called help. He didn’t have to get his hands dirty. Yet he did.
"Come on. I’ll pull you up," Takashi reassured him, probably having sensed his uneasiness.
Sho eventually took the other’s hand and the man managed to pull him up with little effort. But instead of being grateful, Sho’s mistrust only grew. He had been right about Takashi hiding his strength. He was a lot stronger than he made people believe he was. Sho couldn’t help wondering why anyone would hide strength and feign weakness. He only knew people who did the exact opposite thing. This was new, but it was unsettling all the more.
Takashi helped him back onto his feet and taking his long, black coat off he offered it to Sho.
"Take it."
Still not sure how to react or behave around the other man, Sho simply took the coat and put it on while Takashi picked his umbrella up. Sho had a hard time standing on his own two feet without support, feeling dizzy and disorientated. He didn’t move so he wouldn’t lose his balance, and when Takashi was at his side again and supported him with an arm around his waist, Sho couldn’t help but actually feel grateful.
Takashi walked him across the graveyard, heading for the exit when he spoke up.
"You’re Sho. Naoto’s friend, right?"
Sho winced inwardly. Of course he remembered him. The way he had behaved he must have left a lasting impression.
"Yeah," Sho said quietly, nodding his head. "Thank you, Shiki-san…"
When Sho glanced at Takashi sideways he saw the man smiling gently.
"Don’t mention it."
Then the smile disappeared.
"But, tell me, what the heck have you been doing out here on your own?"
Sho bit his lip, trying to think of a good excuse. He couldn’t possibly tell one of Naoto’s colleagues that he had been following a bat. A freaking bat. It sounded ridiculous even to his own ears.
Takashi chuckled lightly.
"Fine, don’t tell me. But next time you walk into a restricted area at night… be more careful. Okay?"
Sho forced a smile and nodded, feeling slightly embarrassed.
They reached the parking lot at the other end of the graveyard and Takashi opened the passenger’s door of his car, helping Sho inside. Before he closed the door he leaned down and took a good look at Sho.
"I’ll get you to the hospital, just to be safe."
"What?! No!" Sho yelled in a fit of panic, holding on to Takashi’s arm in the heat of the moment to prevent him from getting up and closing the door.
"You can barely walk straight, let alone stand on your own two feet. What if you hit your head? We can’t risk leaving a concussion untreated." Takashi said, eyeing Sho warily.
"I’m fine," Sho said defensively, letting go of the other’s arm. "Just get me home, please."
Sighing heavily, Takashi straightened up and closed the door. Sho watched him walking around the car to get into the driver’s seat. He didn’t know what to think of the man. He seemed to be a kind and nice person. But that was what bothered Sho the most. He seemed.
Getting into the car as well, Takashi turned to Sho.
"Okay, then. Where do you live?"
Upon hearing the question Sho realized he had made a mistake. Now Takashi would learn where he lived, and in the worst case he would also get inside his apartment. Sho didn’t trust Takashi nearly enough to let him get that close. But it was out of his hands now.
"Uh, just down the street, at the corner opposite the park."
Takashi started the car without further ado and drove off the graveyard’s parking area. During the short drive Sho felt his head spinning and he found it hard to focus on anything. He was glad Takashi didn’t say anything, but on the other hand it unsettled him a great deal. They’ve had an argument over whether reincarnation was really happening and how there could be evidence for it in people’s dreams just a day ago, and Sho had been reckless enough to let things slip about his own dreams. He had noticed Takashi’s unhealthy interest. And now the man didn’t even want to find out more about it? It seemed unlikely.
When they arrived at the apartment building Takashi parked in front of it at the side of the street. Sho panicked a little inwardly, but he was feeling far too dizzy to say or do anything that would let them go separate ways from here. Takashi got out and walked around the car to help Sho out as well, supporting him as they walked over to the front door.
Sho pulled out his keys and tried to unlock the door, but his hand was trembling so much that he wasn’t able to put the key into the lock.
"Here, let me." Takashi said, taking the keys from Sho without waiting for a reply.
He opened the door and let both of them in. Sho’s uneasiness only grew as he was rapidly losing control of the situation. Takashi had the keys now, and as he half-dragged him up the stairs to the third level, it became clear to Sho that he wouldn’t get them back in time to prevent the man from getting inside his apartment. He cursed and kicked himself mentally for not having been able to keep up his defenses. He had been far too careless from the beginning, and now he was paying the bill.
Takashi opened the door to his apartment, helped Sho get inside and closed the door behind them. He walked Sho over to the couch. Sitting down on it, Sho winced inwardly. He had no idea how to get rid of that man, now that he was inside. He figured he had to say something at least, but Takashi beat him to it.
"You should get out of your clothes. You’re soaked to the bone."
Before Sho could even register his words, Takashi pulled the coat from his shoulders. Sho snapped at the touch and shoved the other man away, jumping from the couch.
"I know how to-," Sho said, blushing slightly. "I can do that myself!"
He walked past Takashi and fetching himself some dry clothes he stormed off into the bathroom, slamming the door shut behind him. After all of his harsh and sudden movements a wave of dizziness followed, hitting him so hard that he couldn’t keep his balance and he fell to the floor. Sho cursed himself. For having reacted so childishly just now, for having let that man into his home in the first place, and for having followed that stupid bat. Why the hell would he follow a fucking bat? Sho sighed heavily and tried to get back up.
There was a soft knocking on the door.
"Is everything okay? Are you all right?"
"I’m fine! Leave me the hell alone!!"
Sho winced at his own harsh words and tone. There was no reply and instead he heard footsteps quietly walking away. He felt bad for a moment, for having scoffed at someone who had saved him and was now trying to help him. Sho shook his head stubbornly. Takashi’s kindness was feigned, he wasn’t helping him because he cared, he was doing it solely for his own sake. He was a liar who hid his true intentions behind a façade. Sho was sure of that.
Taking a deep breath he got up and changed into his dry clothes after having taken a quick shower. Minutes had passed and he wondered if Takashi was still there. Maybe he had left. Still, Sho took a towel with him and went back into the living room area. He was surprised to see the man standing in the kitchen, preparing something. Sighing, Sho walked over to him. Takashi must have heard him coming for he turned around in time and offered him a cup of tea, smiling kindly.
Sho couldn’t help feeling genuinely bad for having snapped at the other man earlier, but he tried hard not to let that feeling overwhelm him. He couldn’t allow himself to fall for Takashi’s pretense. Forcing a smile he took the cup and held out the dry towel in return.
Takashi took it, looking like he was actually happy about the gesture.
"Thank you."
Sho averted his eyes.
"It’s nothing…. I’m sorry, about earlier."
"Don’t worry about it."
"You know, you can take a shower if you want."
Sho said, clutching the cup in his hands tightly. He was acting completely against his instincts, and it was exhausting him. But as much distrust as he felt for that man, as much he felt sorry for him. He had made the effort to save him, to bring him home, to make him tea. Even though Sho was trying to convince himself it was all an act, his fucking lonely heart seemed to be buying it. He cursed that weakness of his.
"If that’s really okay with you." Takashi said as they both walked back into the living room.
Sho nodded slightly, forcing another smile.
"Sure."
Takashi smiled back at him before he left for the bathroom, making Sho wonder briefly if he could see through his own pretense. He sat back down on the couch and then wondered if he even was pretending. Was everything other than acting on his instincts a pretense? Was acting on what he felt in his heart a pretense? Sho shook his head, making a face at his own train of thoughts. He figured it wouldn’t get him anywhere anyway, so he just lay down and closed his tired eyes for a moment.
When he opened them again he could hear sounds coming from the kitchen. Those simple sounds wrenched his heart, and his clouded mind thought that he wasn’t alone. There was someone there, in the kitchen, fuming around while he had been sleeping. Sho couldn’t remember the last time someone had been there when he had woken up. It seemed like an eternity ago.
He closed his eyes again and enjoyed the sounds for a little while longer. Then his mind caught up on the events of the night and he remembered who the person in the kitchen was. It was not a friend. It wasn’t even someone he trusted. Sho sat up and glanced at his watch, shocked to find that he had been asleep for two hours. He took a deep breath. He had actually been sleeping, peacefully. Without nightmares, without dreams even.
Shaking his head to get the tiredness off his mind he got up and walked over to the kitchen. Takashi was actually cooking, at six in the morning. Again, he picked up Sho’s footsteps and turned around before Sho could make his presence known in any other way. He smiled at him.
"Good morning. Did you sleep well? Does your head still hurt?"
Sho opened his mouth and closed it again, not knowing what to say. A strong feeling of gratitude overwhelmed his heart. But his mind screamed at him not to believe it.
"I’m fine," he scoffed, trying hard to sound indifferent. "What are you doing?"
"I’m preparing breakfast," Takashi smiled innocently. "I suppose you don’t usually get up at this hour, do you?"
"No, I don’t."
"Well, why don’t you sit down? I’m almost done."
Takashi was about to turn back, but Sho didn’t let him.
"You don’t have to do this. Please leave…"
Takashi was slightly taken aback at the sudden change in Sho’s attitude, but he tried not to let it get to him.
"I didn’t mean to bother you."
The kindness he received in return for his coldness irritated Sho a great deal. He was used to people leaving him alone. But before he could think of anything else to say to get rid of the man, Takashi spoke up in an unexpectedly serious tone.
"Uhm, I know this is none of my business, but I noticed the medication lying on the coffee table and I think-"
"Damn right," Sho cut him off harshly, "it’s none of your fucking business. Now get lost!"
Takashi stared at him bewildered. For a moment he looked like he didn’t know what to do or how to react. Sho used that moment to advance on the man, threatening him physically.
"Fuck off!" He yelled loudly, shoving Takashi out of the kitchen forcefully.
The other man seemed scared enough to move out of Sho’s reach, keeping a wary eye on him while moving over to the front door.
"Look, I didn’t mean to-"
"I don’t care!" Sho cut him off, ignoring the hurt expression on the other’s face. "Just fucking leave!"
Takashi swallowed hard and nodding weakly he left the apartment. As soon as he was out of the door, Sho let out the breath he had been holding. He blinked a few times and tears ran down his face. Sniffing quietly, he went back into the living room, only to notice a pile of neatly folded clothes on his armchair, among them the dark coat Takashi had lend him earlier. Frowning Sho moved over to the armchair to inspect the clothes. They were clean and dry.
"What…" Sho clenched his fists. "Why the hell would he do that…?"
Confused about why Takashi would do his laundry for him and angry at the gratitude he felt deep down Sho snapped and threw the clothes across the room, sobbing loudly.
"Fucking asshole!!"