To The Moon And Back

Dad

{TW: weapons, abuse, robbery, death, hangingp}

Maki places his groceries on the table. He was surprised his friends weren't there for dinner again, but he shrugs it off. It meant there would be leftovers.

He hums to himself, taking out some food. His mother would be back in about an hour, so he wanted dinner to be ready when she got there.

Maki's good mood stops as soon as a knock sounds on the door. He freezes up. Maybe he could just stay quiet until his mother came back? That could work, right?

"Maki, I know you're in there. Give me my money, and no one gets hurt."

Katsuragi knows there's not enough money for his dad without him and his mother going hungry. He didn't want to have to rely on someone for money. His team would help, but he didn't want to explain everything to them.

It was hard enough with Toma.

"I'm going to count to ten, then I'm coming in." His dad sounds more threatening than usual. Maki grabs the envelope from the table.

"One."

He replaces it with one filled with paper.

"Two."

He starts walking down the hallway.

"Three."

He stuffs the money in his pocket.

"Four."

Maki walks into his room.

"Five."

He opens his closet door.

"Six."

He steps inside.

"Seven."

He closes the door.

"Eight."

Maki curls up, hiding in among his clothes.

"Nine."

"Ten."

"Ready or not, here I come."

Maki hadn't noticed he was shaking. He grabs the phone Toma had forced him to take, clutching it in his hands. He could hear the door shaking, it wouldn't last much longer.

Maki glances down at the phone, realising he hit Toma's number on instinct. He stares at the screen for a moment, contemplating, before hitting the call button.

The door breaks in the background, and he presses the phone to his ear. "Please pick up...." He murmurs under his breath.

"Hey Maki, what's going on?" Roma's voice makes Maki let out a small sob of relief.

"He's here." The boy shuffles back slightly further in his closet. He shoves the envelope in the pocket of a jacket in his closet, hoping it remains hidden.

"Ok, remain calm. Do you want to call the cops?"

"Please don't. Just-" He sighs quietly, hugging himself up tighter. "I'm scared, Toma..." His voice goes soft, like a child after being scolded.

"I'll be there soon, okay? Don't worry."

"... ok..."

"See you then."

"Bye."

As he hangs up the phone, he realises the house has gone silent. He places it down, waiting.

***

Toma opens the door, taking off his shoes as soon as he steps inside. He closes the door behind him, walking into the house.

He walks into the kitchen, where he sees Maki, shirtless. He's pressing a white rag against his stomach, which is now partly red.

"You're here." He turns around to look at Toma, his expression numb of all pain. The other nods, not sure what else to say.

"Grab the first aid kit. It's under the sink."

Toma quickly grabs the kit, and takes it over to Maki. The male starts organising a needle and thread, still keeping one hand pressed against his stomach with a rag.

The blonde offers his hand out to the other. Maki looks prepared to say no, but takes it slowly.

The black haired male starts doing his stitches. His face is fully calm, but the occasional tight squeeze shows how much pain he's in.

Maki finishes his stitches, letting out a soft sigh. Toma gives him a comforting squeeze of the hand.

"Do you mind taking this to the laundry?" The black haired male passes him the bloody rag. Toma nods, leaving Maki to finish with the rest of his injuries.

He returns to see Maki organising dinner. The male nods in acknowledgement, then continues his cooking.

Shingo sits down, not wanting to leave Maki alone. He still seemed like he needed some comfort.

Maki and Toma sit down for dinner as they hear the door opening. Maki panics, and Toma places a comforting hand on his knee. The male takes a deep breath, calm again.

"Hey kiddo." Toma didn't recognise the man, but Maki did.

"Mum's still not home?" The stranger shakes his head, and Maki pushes his chair back. He immediately turns and jogs to the exit. The man sighs.

"He does that every day since she left."

Toma makes a quick decision to try follow him. He darts out, leaving the door wide open. Knowing Maki will take the stairs, he takes the elevator.

At the bottom, he sees a running figure that he recognises as Maki. He starts chasing after him.

The chase continues until he sees the black haired male pull a knife out of his pocket. He peers around the corner, shocked.

"Maki!" He whisper yells. Maki turns to him, shocked. Toma walks over, gently grabbing his arm and pulling him away. Maki doesn't protest.

The male drags him into the alleyway, where they see an awful sight.

"Shit..."

"Mu... Mum?!!"

Maki's eyes widen, and his body falls against Toma. Tears start falling from his eyes.

In the alleyway, a hanging body swings backwards and forwards. Toma can recognise it from all the times he had spent dinner at Maki's house.

His mother is dead.