Wrapped around your finger (satosugu)

22. Forgotten Emotions

Songs:
Oberhofer – Sea of Dreams
Vetiver – Last Hurrah
Black Sabbath – Solitude
The Be Good Tanyas – Midnight Moonlight

The next day he was standing in front of Suguru's apartment door again. And just like yesterday, today he couldn't get over the shock again. This all really happened, right? Or maybe it's just an extremely long sleep?

He didn't sleep much that night, too excited about the whole situation. He managed to fall asleep only at the late winter dawn, and when he woke up a moment later, he was already fully awake and there was no way he could sleep any longer. So, the state he was in really made him feel as unreal as if he was walking in a dream.

He didn't come here right away. He guessed that Suguru wouldn't be in the best state, considering his condition from the previous night. It was hard to endure these few long hours, and patience had never been his virtue. But he waited four years. So, what is this little moment?

The sun hung low; sharp and clear in a cloudless sky. It seemed so cold, tired and burnt out. The frost stung the skin unpleasantly, turning the cheeks pink and turning each breath into a cloud of steam. The man rang the doorbell and after the third time he heard heavy footsteps and then a key turning in the lock. The door creaked open.

Somehow, Suguru looked even more wasted than he did yesterday. His entire appearance made it clear that he had not only just woken up, but probably just getting sober.

"You look terrible." he said honestly, but without malice.

"Thanks," he tilted his head, leaning against the door frame, and looked him up and down. Somewhere beneath all this layer of tiredness and the undoubted hangover, there was probably surprise, as if he himself didn't fully believe in the reality.

"I know you said yesterday that you would come. However, I didn't think it would be so early." He still sounded sleepy, his voice rough and hoarse. He stepped back and let him inside.

"Early? It's long past noon" he said, unbuttoning his jacket. "I was worried that if I came later, I might not find you at home."

Suguru didn't comment on this. He closed the door silently.

"Make yourself at home" he muttered casually. "I have to bring myself back to life."

He disappeared behind the bathroom door and soon Satoru heard the sound of the shower. He looked around, but nothing had changed since yesterday. The apartment looked exactly the same as when he left it. There was nothing to fix eyes on.

Suguru still didn't appear, even though the sound of the water had stopped some time ago. Satoru wondered if the man was trying to buy himself some time. If so, it wasn't the best moment. Not when Satoru could barely sit still, too impatient and a little nervous.

Another moment passed before the other man finally took pity and the bathroom door opened. When he came into view, water was still dripping from his hair. They were longer than he remembered. The last time he saw him, they were only up to his shoulders. Now they were long, halfway down his back. Evidence of the passing of time.

He had always been thin, but it was even more noticeable now, even with his figure buried beneath layers of loose clothing. He saw it in his hands, in the prominent cheekbones, in the pale skin - thin and transparent, like a sheet of paper. His eyes, highlighted by dark bruises as if he hadn't slept for at least a century, looked at the world with sullen revulsion and constant fatigue. His whole body looked as if it could just break at any moment. It didn't take much to notice the changes that had taken place in him. Even his aura carried only unpleasant sensations.