𝐃𝐀𝐁𝐈 | 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐝

14

 "How long has it been, how long have I been out of it?" His voice was broken and each word he spoke trembled. You couldn't see much in the dark, but you noticed his chapped lips and the way quivered in fear. The moonlight illuminated his cheekbones and the scars that decorated them. Deep white lines outlined where the doctor had made his incisions during surgery. And if he didn't look so distraught, you'd have told him he looked pretty. You'd been staring at his comatose body for three years, and now that there was life in his expression, light in his eyes, he was a completely different person. Your heart pounded as if this was the first time you were meeting him.

"Touya, you need to sit down." You said, taking a small step forward to place your hands on his trembling shoulders. "We need to call a nurse or the doctor. Then I'll explain everything."

"Bad dream, it's a bad dream, right? My Dad will be looking for me!" His voice cracked as he adapted to his seemingly damaged and now mature voicebox. Yet his words were frenzied; childish in their delivery. And you remembered that this Touya wasn't seventeen. This was the boy you knew three years ago. Just fourteen and trapped inside this foreign body.

"C'mon, you gotta take me to him!" He said, pulling you by your wrist, and you could not deny him. You followed reluctantly, hot tears falling from your eyes. You tried to wipe them but nearly tripped over your own steps instead.

"Touya," you sobbed, "Endeavor lives on the other side of the city."

"I don't care!" He yelled, squeezing your hand tighter, "we'll find a taxi!" He stopped at the side of the road to look around. You hunched over in an attempt to catch your breath. You weren't tired from running, it was the shock that left you fighting for air. Your heart raced against your ribcage as if it was trying to escape; your legs trembled, threatening to collapse from utter shock.

People in their cars stared as they drove past. Their wide eyes focused on Touya. On his scars; his shocked expression; his bloodied skin and bandages. He did not seem to notice, though. He scanned the cars, even raising his arms to try and get their attention. He yelled erratically at them. "Hey! Stop!'

"Touya, we should go back," you eventually said, tugging at his arm to get his attention. "Someone is looking after us there. And then there's Tomura! I can't wait for you to meet-"

"Yes! Taxi!" He yelled louder, ignoring you completely. A small orange car pulled over at his command. The man inside rolled down his tinted window, "where to?"

Touya looked at you; desperation heavy in his eyes. The look begged you to just cooperate.

You couldn't say no to him. Not to those eyes. Even though his face had matured, the look in his eyes was one of innocence; a childish sense of desperation for his parent's embrace.

"Musutafu," you eventually said. "Musutafu station."

Touya nodded his head, his head moving from you to the older man in the Taxi. you heard the soft click of the doors unlocking before jumping in. Touya sat beside you in the backseat. Even though there were three seats, he opted for the middle one; pushing his body as close to yours as he could manage. Your heart clenched at the sight. Touya, who was older than you, cuddled against you like a hurt child.

"When I see Dad, I'll ask if you can live with us!' Touya said, turning his head to face you. He was so close that your noses almost brushed against each other at the action.

"I..." you began, but were distracted by a familiar sign through the car window.

"Here's fine!" You waved to the driver in the front seat. He nodded in approval before pulling over.