AquaMelt Oneshots [Oshi No Ko]

To Anguish and Yearn

At first, there was the sickening scent of blood.

Then, the blood on his hands.

Aqua was familiar with this scene. All too familiar.

His body felt smaller. Hopeless, weak, pathetic— a four year old was too young to protect. A four year old was too young to do many things, Aqua learned.

Ai was there.

Leaning against the door, her body limp, and her eyes still open, even though she had long passed away from the world. Aqua tried to gently close them once, hoping her face would look more peaceful then. That was what he told himself, at least, but he knew the truth.

He wished Ai looked like she was simply sleeping.

He wished he could tuck her into bed, and in a few hours, she would wake up.

He wished the blood would be gone then, and the warmth would return to her body.

Aqua's hopeless wishes would never come true.
Even with her eyes closed, Ai looked like what she was: a corpse.

So Aqua buried his face into her shirt, ignoring the blood that stained his face, and breathed. He imagined that Ai would hug him back, that he was just dreaming. He imagined that he would fall asleep there, in Ai's arms. He imagined he would wake up, tell Ruby of his dream, and she would laugh at him, saying that Ai would never leave them.

He tried to ignore how Ai's arms didn't wrap around him, or how there was so much blood.

It felt like an eternity until the police arrived.

Aqua had forgotten they were even coming. Even after they arrived he stayed in Ai's lap, refusing to move.

They asked him questions. So, so many questions that seemed to mush together until Aqua could hardly understand what was being asked in the first place. His throat felt so dry— all Aqua could do was nod or shake his head to their questions.

Did he see the man who did this?

Nod.

Did he recognize the man?

A slow, unsure shake of the head. Aqua felt dizzy.

What time did it happen?

Aqua doesn't remember. Aqua can't remember. He doesn't know anything and there's nothing he could do about it.

The police stopped talking to him then. Maybe they noticed his frustration. Or perhaps Aqua even vocalized it, he wouldn't know.

There was a woman he didn't recognize that carried him to the police station. Aqua quickly decided he didn't like her. She reeks of pity— Aqua hated it.

Hated the way she carried him like a loving mother would, attempting to bring him comfort. Hated the way she whispered words of comfort to Aqua, they all fell deaf to his ears. Hated the way she gently cleaned the blood off his face with a cloth, offering to help him clean up when they arrived at the police station.

Aqua was four years old, he was plenty old enough to clean himself.

Aqua was four years old, and he wasn't old enough to save his own mother.

Ruby was at the police station when he arrived. Her face was red and blotchy, covered in dry tears. Miyako was right next to her, holding Ruby's hand as she talked to the police officer.

Ruby turned to Aqua, but instead of sending Aqua a relieved look, her face turned pale.

Ai's blood was still on him, Aqua realized.