Arcade

Chapter 11 -We all need someone to stay-

"Shit...I'm late." Keigo cursed, it was just his luck a stupid low-ranking villain decided tonight was the night to rob a convenience store. "I promised to make it to dinner to make up for last week-"

He checked his phone. It was almost 2 in the morning. He really couldn't afford to be late to dinner, but unfortunately he was already late. Five hours late. And you really weren't surprised with him standing you up for dinner, it was now the fourth time this week if you counted today as well.

He didn't have the courage to go through the front door, so instead he went through the balcony. A part of him hoped you were asleep but as he took off his jacket you turned the lights on.

"Oh- Hey babybird."

"I know what you're going to say, emergency news; I watched it." Contradicting your tone and your expression, your arms were crossed one another, a sign of great displeasure.

"Oh- you did?" He said as he fumbled with changing into his pajamas.

"Your portion of the food is in the fridge, just heat it up before you eat." You yawned, not wanting to start up an argument this late into the night.

"Thanks babybird." Keigo kissed your forehead, and left for the kitchen.

"You made all of this?" He shouted a few moments later, but you didn't answer, he popped up in the bedroom doorway. "Hey...I'm sorry I should've given you a heads up and not make you prepare all of that. Are you mad?"

"No I'm not." You say to his relief, which was short lived by your next statement. "I'm disappointed."

"I'm disappointed that after making all of your favourite dishes- you can't even eat it fresh, disappointed that you didn't inform me of the situation and the fact that if I didn't watch TV while waiting for you, I would've snapped at you for missing out on dinner for the umpteenth time." You say.

"I'll make it up to you, I promise." He held out his pinky, hopeful that you'd take it- you didn't.

"Yeah, okay. Just- go eat your dinner, I'm going to call it a night." You watched as Keigo awkwardly retracted his hand back. "Put the fried chicken in the airfryer for four minutes, mashed potatoes in the oven for five minutes, everything else in the microwave for one minute and thirty seconds."

"Thank you." He didn't know what else to say- what to say. "Goodnight."

You both hated ending arguments like this. Ignoring each other, burying it, bottling up thoughts and feelings. Leaving things on a bad note was bad luck, a jinx, a platform for disaster to hit.

As awkward as it was- you yelled, as loud as you can, making sure he heard it. "I love you."

Three magical words. Words that start relationships, give hope, mend the brokenness, fill the nothingness- simply fill one's life with emotions.

It hurt when he ignored your words, there was no way he hadn't heard you say those words- The kitchen was not very far and the bedroom door was still open, light from the kitchen dimly lit the open door.

What hurt more was that he wasn't there when you had gotten up in the morning, a note stating where he had gone would've been nice but it was fine.

You and Keigo had a semi-fight the night before, though you were starting to think it was just your selfishness that caused it. You told yourself that you'd talk it out and forgive him after he gets off from work.

Only- He didn't comeback, for the next few months.

The truth- what he didn't know; is you had gotten into a drunken car accident about two weeks into his disappearance, your knee got dislocated and the joint shattered, your clavicle had a bad fracture, and your ribs were bruised badly.

Your injuries were not life threatening for someone that was hit by a car going 70, you were lucky to walk away with a fracture. A miracle as they call it.

Your joint was saved and thankfully the sharp pieces of broken bones didn't cut any tendons or muscle, you would limp for a while after physical therapy, but after a while you could condition yourself to run and jump.

You were hospitalized for a week and a half, you were begging for the doctors to discharge you. You told them you had a dog and the friend taking care of them was leaving town in a few days. After you had told the doctors about your ability to visit recovery girl, they were nice enough to schedule your next visits to re-cast, discharge you, and prescribe you pills for the 8 on a pain scale to 10.

You felt bad when you lied to the nice nurses and doctors for your discharge because in reality, you wanted to be home for when Keigo returned.

You worried about his safety, more then your well-being, you had nightmares where Keigo came back from his mission wounded- You weren't there to call the ambulance or treat him- So you watched, horrified as he bled out right then and there, right before your eyes. The nightmare felt way too real to shake off those thoughts when you'd wake up.

You didn't want to risk it.

You made a full recovery a week before Keigo came back, you still haven't told him about the accident, you owed it to his phone being off and out of service, you thought of voicemail but since you had already recovered, you found no reason to worry him or guilt-trip him- He probably had enough on his plate, 'benefit of the doubt', you'd tell yourself.

Today marked a full month since Keigo left on that mission, two months since that argument, two weeks since your recovery. You haven't heard of his return but you went to the roof of the building you had your first encounter with Keigo trying to distract yourself from your poisoning thoughts.

Your thoughts, your mind wouldn't stop running, your anxiety only spiked them to run faster. But the flap of his wings soon came, and the wind caused by it answered you.

"Hey kid-"