I Know The End- 1996

Water

August 14th, 2002

Coming from your dreamless sleep, the rocking motions of your body feel comforting, lifting your head to meet eyes with an exhausted man carrying you from the couch to the bedroom. Placing you gently onto the bed, Shinichiro's voice comes out raspy as he lays next to you, "fell asleep on the couch. It's only six."

Snuggling up close to him, Shinichiro pulls the thick comforter over the both of you, holding you while the next hours were spent in a light sleep. Around eight, the sunbeams coming into the window had made their way across the room, illuminating the dark space and bringing life into the quiet home. Lifting your eyelids and bringing your hand up, you check for his presence once more before feeling the relief flood you again. Brushing his hair back lightly, you can't help but smile as you stare at him, too excited to be with Shinichiro again. Your voice is soft and loving, "Shin— nothing will ever take you from me again."

"Hmm?" He groans, stretching and kicking the blanket down before snatching it back up. Fluttering his eyes open, he smiles at the sight before him, your bright eyes beaming down at him first thing in the morning— what a heavenly sight.

"Nothing." You giggle, pressing a kiss onto his cheek, "good morning."

"Mornin' angel," He returns the kiss and pulls you in closer onto his chest, sighing deeply before speaking, "Don't wanna go to work today."

His hands slide down your back, catching under the hem of your shirt and bringing his fingertips over your skin. His eyes shut again as he mumbles, "just wanna lay around with you."

"Mmm," you hum, listening to the beating heart in his chest, your hand comes up to his hair again. Pushing it back with your fingers, his eyes open as you assure him, "we've still got a little while before we gotta leave."

"Well then," he blinks slowly, closing his eyes once more as a smirk crosses his lips, the roughness in his voice smoothing over as he speaks, "let's not waste it sleepin' right?"

By the time the clock strikes nine, the two of you are ready for the day and leaving the house behind, the proud grin seeming stuck on Shinichiro's face as he steps out onto the path. Tossing the keys between his hands and coming towards the bike, he chuckles lightly before passing you and throwing a leg over. As he turns to look at you when you don't get on, you question, "what's funny?"

"Nothin' just—" He smiles, tilting his head as his cheeks warm up, "you're a real cute girl, you know it? Can't help but to feel flustered when you're lookin' at me."

You hold him tighter than usual, hoping he doesn't notice the way you zone out and turn silent the second the bike begins to move. Replaying the events from last night, there is no doubt in your mind any longer. This is not a dream— there never was a dream— I am traveling to and from the past.

This is the past, at Shinichiro's side going to work first thing in the morning. The other place is the present, alone and grieving after losing the shop, and unfortunately— where you belong. Somehow this explanation seemed much more plausible to you than hallucinating years of time without other signs of mental illness. In your present, things are bad, but here in the past— this is heaven. This is a paradise you aren't willing to lose again after being shown firsthand how very precious these days with him are.