Saiki K x Maze Runner AU

Chapter Thirty: Closure

 Kusuo woke up. He stretched in his bed, the sun shining down from what he could see from underneath the hut. Rolling back over, he stared up at the straw ceiling and sighed, taking in the fresh air.

"Morning, Saikiiii!" Aiura said upon seeing him, grinning down at him. "Sleep well?"

"Yeah, great, actually." He sat up, feet hitting the sandy ground. "Where are the others?"

"Working on the new base. The usual." She shrugged. "They wanna get outta these rinky dink huts as soon as possible."

"Yeah..." Saiki nodded, though he found the huts to be sort of peaceful. They reminded him of the shack he used to sleep in while in the maze.

"You comin' out?" Aiura asked. "Toritsuka and Akechi wanted to wake you, but I told them not to. If you're up for it, go over and see them, will you? They won't shut up."

"Yeah, I'll be there in a bit." Saiki replied. "There's something I've been meaning to do."

"Gotcha." Aiura nodded, throwing her bag over her shoulder. "I'll tell them you'll be there soon." She smiled before walking off.

Saiki took another deep breath. He hadn't felt so calm in a long time. He thought back on everything that happened, and sure, it still made his heart swell and his eyes watery, but he was healing. He went into his pocket, taking out the little vial that Kaidou had given him all that time ago– during that time. He had given Kuboyasu his letter a while ago, but he still hasn't looked at his. It was too hard. Too much guilt. But today, for some reason, he felt ready. Unraveling the note, he looked down at Kaidou's handwriting, and it felt like he could almost see his pen moving along the paper when he made this. The letter read;

Dear Saiki,

I know you'll think it's over dramatic of me to write you a letter, but that's alright. If you are reading this, then I've died, which feels really weird to write down, since you're sleeping right next to me as I do this, but I digress. You're a great friend who I share many precious memories with... I can't believe it's already been so long since I've met you. I remember when you first arrived at the maze, and we met each other in the medical hut, I'll never forget it. It's good to know that you're always looking out for me and I wanna be a better person because of you. I know it sounds sappy, but it's true. You're something special... I hope that when I die– or now that I'm dead– a better world will rise in my wake. Somewhere you could wake up, free from the virus, LMTLSS, The Dark Reunion– That's my dream. I know I talk about being a hero, but I would trade that in if it meant you and the others could live peacefully. If anything, I hope I didn't die in vain. But I know that you're strong, Saiki. You've always been, even in the maze where we all felt lost, you were like the light that guided us. I guess the point of this letter is to tell you not to give up. Continue to guide people– I know you're strong. Don't feel held back by my death now that I'm gone, I couldn't bear it if I was the thing preventing you from being who you're meant to be. And of course, I'll miss you, and I know you'll miss me too, but I want you to move on, get far away from the virus, as far as you possibly can, and start a new life– where everyone can be safe. I hope you never forget me, Saiki... Tell people who I was. Tell people my story, ok?

Sincerely,

Shun Kaidou

Saiki couldn't help but let a single stray tear drop onto the paper. He tried to keep it together, and he was shocked by his own emotions, knowing he wasn't one to outwardly share them unless in rare situations. Though, he supposed this was one of those rare situations. Gently folding the paper, he placed it in his breast pocket and stood from his bed, wiping his cheek before exiting the hut. He looked around at where he was– what he and his friends had built. He thought back on Kaidou's letter, what he dreamed of, and Saiki was so proud to admit that he made it come true. They were far from the virus, where everyone is safe and sound. The seagulls squealed as they flew past him and he looked up at the sky, watching two of them fly over him, their wings spread in complete freedom. He felt content.