Addiction

Kageyama

Morning came too fast for my taste. I didn't want to talk about it, to relive it. But, Tsukishima and his mother were nice enough to let me stay the night, give me clothes, let me bathe, I guess I did owe them an explanation. Tsukishima gave me the option to only tell him, but I intruded into her home, so I guess his mother deserved to know why a sixteen year old she barely knew came to her house at 10 am smelling like alcohol and looking for her son.

I woke before Tsukishima. I'm not surprised. I'm accustomed to waking up this early for two reasons: 1) to go on my morning runs, and 2) hangovers. Today's hangover isn't awful. I didn't drink a lot last night before the incident happened. And between the two, the incident and my hangover, I think the incident is what causes me to run to the bathroom. 

As soon as I feel the vomit rising in my throat, just as a hot air balloon rises in the air, I run to the door of Tsukishima's room and open it, bolting to the bathroom. I fold over the opening of the toilet just in time as I lose the ability to hold it in. The once clear water inside the white bowl is no longer such and instead a gross mustard yellow with little clumps here and there. It was really gross.

I must have woken up Tsukishima's mother because within minutes, she was at my side with a glass of water and headache medicine. I could tell this wasn't her first rodeo. Dealing with what, I couldn't tell. Maybe her husband had woken with hangovers too. Maybe she was acting on a mother's instinct that dealt with stomach flus. Maybe she had experience with the aftermath of what happened. Could she tell? I mean, it wasn't like the marks were hidden. She probably saw them. She knows what happened. She does not know the details. I take the medication.

"Is it OK if I pat your back?"

She's so nice and respectful.  She must have some kind of experience with my situation.  I nod and she rubs my back. Why can't my mother be like this?

"Do you want to talk about it after Kei wakes-"

"No need." There's a pause for a yawn. "I'm already awake. I see you didn't lock the door last night."

"I had a feeling he'd need the bathroom after he got up so I figured I could trust you not to grab a cigarette while I slept."

Tsukishima hummed in response but it got interrupted by a yawn. He didn't have his glasses on and it was rather interesting to see him without them. It didn't look right, but it was interesting. 

"Let's make food before we make him talk. I hear he can cook." Tsukishima smiles as he reminds me of the time I brought the group ham and it was undercooked. Everyone, except him, got sick afterwards since, according to him, the ham was practically still squealing; it was so undercooked.

I could use a cooking lesson. His mother agreed with the food idea and led me to the kitchen. She taught me how to properly make Omurice and it was actually a bit of fun.

While we cooked, I noticed how different her and her son were, at least towards other people, and just how they looked. She had dirty, straight blonde hair compared to her son's pale, kind of wavy-messy blonde. Her eyes were hazel in contrast to his golden eyes. His skin was paler. They also acted differently. She was very sweet and gentle, whereas I had come to know Tsukishima through his relentless insults and cold attitude. But when it came to each other, they matched each other's energy. He tried to sneak a cigarette while we cooked, but she caught him and slapped his hand away. He went to make a move that would cause her harm, but she was ready to deflect and threaten with the same move.

He stopped after that, and they casually insulted each other and Tsukishima's older brother who wasn't even in the house.  They reminded me of Miwa and I. Whenever she was in the house, she aggressively cared for me and our love language was quality time and playful insults. We knew the other cared because they mentioned and pointed out flaws. She has yet to say anything about the alcohol. I don't think she's noticed that.