Koi No Yokan (gojo x oc)

26. Come Back to Me

August 2007
4 days later.

"Good morning!" The door clattered hard against the wall. He was there, sleeping, hair mussed against his pillow. "It's noon," I told him. "Everyone's looking for you."

I remember a sound leaving his throat, something like the purr of a cat. "Come on," I got onto the bed, and shook his body back and forth. "We're supposed to be training right now. Oh?" He grabbed me, and pulled me onto the mattress next to him. I saw the drowsy look on his face, darkened eyes still peacefully shut. "Suguru?" I whispered, "Are you okay?"

I remember the feeling of him burying his nose into my collarbone, the deep exhale that fanned into my skin. "Okay." I remember combing through his long, soft hair. "I get it."

Then Satoru came in, "Oh, you found him."

I waved him over, "He's sleeping."

"Still?" He joined us on the mattress, hardly big enough for two people let alone three. It was nice, though, holding his hand from across Suguru's body, Suguru's slow breathing on my neck. "Look, we made a Suguru sandwich."

I remember laughing briefly, wondering, "Is this it? Is this Suguru not pretending anymore?"

"Uematsu. Uematsu! Are you listening to me?"

"Huh?" I take my eyes off the chipping wall of Yaga's office. "No, not really."

That was only a couple days ago... What did I do wrong?

"One hundred and twelve residents of that village were killed. The residuals—"

"It's probably a mistake."

"We're certain." Yaga closes his eyes. "The evidence left in his house suggests he killed his parents too."

A dense knot forms in the pit of my stomach. His parents, I knew them, I... I knew him. "Now what?"

"His execution was decided after the residuals were confirmed this morning."

I can't be sure why, but I laugh. I laugh hard, and shake my head, chest heaving with every sharp breath, feeling my eyes tear at the ridiculousness of it all. Then, my breathing slows. It's unsteady, as my nails dig into the arms of my seat, front teeth sinking into my lip because I am trying not to cry. I want to deny it, but what does it matter? What will it change? "Does Satoru know?"

"He returned from his mission just before you did. I broke the news to him then."

"May I excuse myself then?"

Yaga stops me as I rise from my seat, "One more thing. After the news of Suguru's execution was released this morning, your brother left campus and hasn't returned since."

He's in his room, sitting at the edge of his bed, letting the blood of his hand drip onto the floor. "Give it to me."

His neck is craned to the floor, hand squeezing harder as more blood spills onto his shoes. "Stop that." I kneel down in front of him, hand held out. "Give it to me."

He grits his teeth, skin a sickly pale. I push my index finger into the gap of his bloody palm, feeling something hard hit the tip. "There. Are you going to break my finger now?"

Satoru finally opens his fist, where a small, blood soaked button rests at the center. It doesn't take long for me to put the pieces together, to know this is a parting gift. I want to hug Satoru, to say something, but I can't. There's no point.