It had been a quiet walk. Very quiet. The quietest they've ever been since they first met. Neither of them uttered a word, did not even dare to, almost as if afraid to breathe too loudly. Takemichi followed right behind Mikey, crouching down as if on a stealth mission.
As they tip-toed across the hallway, Takemichi looked around the halls in something similar to wonder. In a way, he was now officially inside the Sano household, not just inside Mikey's room. Somewhere inside this house, these rooms were the rest of Mikey's family. Those who shared his grief, his blood, and his memories.
Just before entering the house, Mikey had warned him in that intimidating leader voice of his to be quiet, and since then, Takemichi barely even dared to blink, afraid of somehow breaking the stern tension created. Why such stealth was needed to navigate the house, Takemichi had no idea. His only hint was that mention of a sister Mikey did previously, and meeting one Sano was enough to learn to never mess with any member of that family.
He wondered about Mikey's sister. About his grandfather. Who they were and what they looked like. If they had his eyes or hair color. His attitude, his short temper, his strength. He wondered how much of Mikey was a Sano trait and how much of it was uniquely his.
Despite it being Mikey's home, the place of his childhood, and most of his earliest memories, there was nothing that remarked Takemichi as truly 'Mikey's'. The house was, no offense, quite plain. It may have been because of the darkness that hid away any hint of personal belonging, but even Mikey seemed somehow out of place while navigating his own house. Takemichi could not help but wonder if losing a sibling severed the previous attachment he might have had with this place. And maybe that is why he moved to the storage room.
Takemichi resisted the urge to crack his fingers, very much aware now that his mind tended to go distant places instead of focusing on what mattered Mikey was in front of him, and inside his back pocket was the intrusive feeling of Sanzu's stupid stupid gift.
The phone.
The vow of silence was still ongoing as they crept across the house, making a brief stop in the kitchen for Mikey to pick up snacks. Takemichi leaned against a counter in an attempt to stabilize his breath before it truly got out of control.
Shit.
This is why he should not let his mind wander. The smell of iron came back, feeling as real as it did last night.
It was not real. If Takemichi had learned anything from time leaping and sudden near-death encounters, it is to distrust your senses. He tried ignoring his shaking hands, his rapid heartbeat, and the urge to puke. This dreamlike state hunted him, he bitterly thought.
A lightweight gently tapped his shoulder. Takemichi turned his head. Mikey stood there, five chip bags in one hand and carrying yet two other snack bags with his mouth. They stared at each other for just a few seconds, but Takemichi was so close to letting out an ugly laugh that he almost coughed instead. With his free hand, Mikey pointed directly at his chest and then did an 'ok' sign. There was not much room for interpretation of what he wanted to ask, as it was a simple "You okay?".
Takemichi's mouth twitched, not sure what expression to make. In the end, he simply signed an 'ok' back.
The house was well-lived in. Or at least the kitchen was. Takemichi internally assumed that it was not usually in such a mess and that it was definitely Mikey looting around like a thief that left it in such a condition. Unfortunately for the one who will have to clean this all up the next morning, the leader of Toman did not seem satisfied with the snacks he had and began to once again rummage throughout the cabinets.
After taking another deep breath, Takemichi tried helping out but was not sure where to look. It was still dark and hard to see, and despite feeling lost and a bit out of place, at least Mikey was by his side.
