Limitless

Chapter 26: Stars

"You weren't kidding when you said that you didn't like ghosts."

"Shut up! Just be thankful that I didn't piss my pants or something!"

Maki's quiet laughter could be heard compared to the loud noise pollution from the fun fair. After spending a few hours there, Kaito and Maki left, taking refuge on a hill above the fair. The snow was still falling, but had slowed down a little now. Snowflakes attached themselves onto the two before slowly melting. They had won a few other prizes, gotten dizzy and windswept from the rides and full from eating before they left (they both agreed to eat after going on all the rides that they could). They didn't know, nor care what time it was. They were still quite high from the adrenaline rush to notice how tired they were. Kaito looked down at Maki, once again, glad to see Maki smiling and laughing finally. He was so worried that Maki wasn't going to open up, but he was glad that he got the result that he wanted. Especially seeing Maki squeeze the cheetah plushie that he won for her. They had won other plush toys, a dog, frog, snake and an alien for Kaito, but that one seems to be the one that she liked the most. It was pretty adorable, Kaito couldn't deny that.

"I'm happy that you're having fun, Maki Roll." Kaito smiled as Maki slowly stopped laughing.

"I'll admit, I had my doubts, but I'm glad that you dragged me out here. I had more fun than I had expected." Maki smiled, looking up at Kaito, her eyes seeming to sparkle. She looked back out at the fun fair, watching enviously as children laughed and played in the crowd. She wished that she had that life when she was that young. However, she dismissed that in a way. She relived the childhood that she missed out on. "I can't remember the last time that I felt like this, just this feeling of not having to worry about anything. Just feeling like I was normal for once. It feels-"

"-uplifting?" Kaito finished with a wide grin. Maki smiled a little more, silently agreeing with what Kaito had said. She kept watching the scene in front of them. Kaito looked up at the sky. He frowned as he noticed the clouds blocking his viewing of the sky, the stars. The stars always made him feel calm. He missed the days where he would go in the country with his grandparents to just see them. Those times gave him peace when he was a kid. That's what sparked him into wanting to go to space. He wants to see them and feel like who he was before he had messed his life up.

Kaito suddenly realised something. He suddenly thought of the craziest and probably most stupid idea he had ever thought of. Without much of a warning, Kaito gently took the cheetah plushie from Maki and placed it down on the bench with the other plushies. He suddenly stood up, taking Maki with him. He quickly glanced around, making sure that they were alone. He wanted to make sure that no one was here to see what was to happen next. The last thing that they wanted right now was to get caught using their powers.

"Do you trust me?" Kaito asked, looking down at Maki.

"Yes. Momota-" Maki started, not sure what he was planning.

"For once, can't you just call me Kaito?" Kaito sighed, rolling his eyes a little. After one more final glance around the area, Kaito gently put Maki's hands into his shoulders. Before Maki could try to pull away, he wrapped his arms securely around her waist. "Now, hang on tight."

"What are you-" Maki tried to ask. However, her question was never completed. Her speech was replaced by a gasp in surprise as her feet was suddenly off of the ground. Her arms automatically wrapped around Kaito's neck, holding on tightly for dear life. She closed her eyes just out of a fear response that she didn't know that she had. Kaito seemed unfazed as he took her higher and higher with him. It felt colder as they went up even further. The wind roared down her ears the faster they got. After about a minute, they suddenly stopped going up. However, Maki couldn't bring herself to open her eyes, almost scared to see how far the ground was down below.

"Maki Roll, open your eyes." Kaito smiled, holding her reassuringly. Maki hesitated, but slowly opened her eyes. Her eyes suddenly widened as she saw the scene around them. As Kaito held her tight, Maki took in everything. Kaito had gotten them above the clouds, the scene down below had completely vanished. The sky was a dark blue, not black how Maki saw it a lot of the time. It was brightened up by the moon and numerous stars in the sky. Maki couldn't understand how, but all the fear that she felt whilst going up seemed to almost vanish. It felt relieving in a strange way.

"So this is what it's like to be closer to the stars." Kaito smiled, looking at all the stars that he recognised easily.

"It's beautiful." Maki whispered, just loud enough for Kaito to hear. Kaito looked down at her briefly, smiling wider as he saw the awed look on her face. He had never seen this side of her, so he felt better seeing her like this. He looked back at the stars. He wondered how much higher he could go, maybe even to space. He was tempted to test it out, but decided not to. Besides, he might end up kicking himself if he tried.

Maki held onto Kaito a little tighter before looking up at him. He looked like a child as he looked at the stars. Maki couldn't help but think about all that Kaito had done for her. She had never had anyone that listened to her or stood up for her. Kaito had done all that and more. He listened to her. He treated her like she was a normal person, not someone that killed people. He made her laugh and smile. He made her feel like she was worth something more than what she was in the past. She might have the scars and the memories of the pain in the past, but Kaito saw past all of that. It was heart warming to know that someone had her back. Maki suddenly felt strange. Her heart was beating fast and she felt like her cheeks were suddenly turning a light shade of pink. What just happened?

Kaito didn't seem to notice until he felt Maki trembling a little. He looked down, seeing some ice forming on both of them and Maki panted as if she suddenly struggled to breath. Deciding that it was time to get back down to the ground, Kaito slowly descended. He went back to their original spot, but not before double checking that no one else was around. No one was in the area, nor seemed to have noticed the two teenagers in the sky. All the plushies that they had won remained where they were left, almost seeming to wait to be picked up.

"You alright?" Kaito asked as he and Maki touched the ground. He rubbed her arms to help her warm up. Maki nodded, warming up a little more.

"Just one question, how come you weren't affected up there?" She asked looking curiously up at Kaito. Kaito wondered that too. While he got a little cold back up that high, he could still breathe fine and felt like he wasn't affected. That's when he remembered that day back int he lab, the day that got him in Isolation in the first place.

"I...I think that I have some immunity when I fly. Something similar like that happened back in the lab." He explained, still trying to piece together everything.

"Guess that makes sense." Maki shivered a little. Kaito brought her a little close to him, trying to give her some extra body heat to warm up. Maki welcomed it, relaxing in his hold. When she stopped shivering, Kaito looked down at her, making sure that she was okay. Maki looked back up at him. Her eyes were still lit up. She still looked awed despite being back down on the ground. She looked...

"Um...I think we should start heading back. It's getting kinda late." Kaito awkwardly said before he could finish that thought. He hurriedly went to pick up the plushies that they had won.

"Yeah..." Maki muttered, feeling just as awkward. What just happened? Maki didn't have much time to think that as Kaito passed her the cheetah plushie and the dog plushie, keeping the frog and alien in one arm.

"Shall we?" He smiled, offering his free arm to Maki. Maki smiled tiredly and linked arms with Kaito. Feeling drained and the need to go back home, they started walking back to the apartment building, thinking about nothing more than everything that has happened tonight.