Almost

Chapter Three

December...

Karamatsu gazed out his bedroom window, watching the early morning show as he waited for his dialysis treatment to end.

For months, he had been throwing up nearly every time he had to do his treatment. But, knowing Ichimatsu was still out there in the world, probably alone unless he was with him, made Karamatsu want to continue fighting.

As for his illness, which was supposedly "incurable" turned out to just be cancer. Most would break down crying if they found out they had cancer, especially near Christmas. But Karamatsu viewed it as a gift, for this cancer could be easily cured.

"You're so close by, yet so far from my life," Karamatsu hummed to himself, trying to take his mind off of the negative. Yet the lyrics in his mind only reminded him of his brothers.

Such an unfortunate series of events had fallen upon them years ago. Adulthood just wasn't for them, apparently.

Karamatsu closed his eyes, remembering the past. All the hurt, pain, and devastation washed over him in a matter of seconds.

All four of their brothers had been killed.

"Please...please...please...." Ichimatsu repeated in broken cries. Like a malfunctioning toy, the man had seemed to forget that any other words existed. "PLEASE...."

"It's okay...We're still here for each other. I'm never ever going to leave you, Ichimatsu. I'll be here for you for your entire life," Karamatsu had promised, hugging his brother tightly in his arms, pulling him away from the four graves before them. "So don't try to hide your emotions anymore. Everything is going to be okay. It's alright. It's okay. You don't have to pretend to be strong anymore...."

Karamatsu was jerked out of his memories when his phone buzzed. His only contact was Ichimatsu, since the two of them really didn't have any friends.

Ending his dialysis treatment, Karamatsu read the text:

"I don't even like peaches."

"Is he replying to what I said last night?" Karamatsu thought, scratching his head in confusion. It didn't take long for him to remember his invitation to Ichimatsu to come over and help make peach cobblers for Christmas.

Several hours later....

Karamatsu smiled as he pulled two peach cobblers out of the over. It was his favorite thing in the world to smell. And words really couldn't describe just how amazing these smelled.

"Now this, is a delicacy!" Karamatsu exclaimed, pulling off his blue oven mitts.

"That's not what the definition is of 'delicacy'!" Ichimatsu argued, though he knew Karamatsu was just playing with him. "A delicacy is expensive food."

"Peaches can be expensive," Karamatsu laughed. "Though, we grew these for almost nothing. All we had to pay for was water and fertilizer."

"So you're admitting that it's not a delicacy?" Ichimatsu smirked.

"Hmm," Karamatsu hummed, tapping his index finger on the counter top. "It'll be half and half, then. Half delicacy for me, and half...uh..just a normal peach cobbler?"

Ichimatsu laughed a little. He adored how stupid Karamatsu could be at times.

"Would you like to try some of the cobbler once it's cooled?" Karamatsu offered, as he put yet another cobbler in the oven. He planned on handing several out to their neighbors as Christmas gifts.

"Ehh..." Ichimatsu mumbled. "I'm not much of a fruit guy, nor am I into sugar."

"Is that why you always look so skinny and unhealthy?" Karamatsu teased his brother. "Come on, just try some with me later! It'll be cozy! Especially with the snow piling up outside. This hot hot hot cobbler will warm your brittle bones right up!"

Months later....

Ichimatsu followed Karamatsu into the hospital, feeling uneasy, as usual.

It was at Christmas that Karamatsu finally admitted to his brother that he wasn't doing so well.

Determined to see his sick brother become strong again, Ichimatsu desperately did all he possibly could to help Karamatsu out.

"Karamatsu's last treatment of chemo was two weeks ago..." Ichimatsu thought to himself nervously. "If the cancer hasn't gone...There's no way Karamatsu could do more treatments. He's been so weak lately. He'll never admit that he feels bad, either. It's just smile after smile, laugh after laugh. Or a simple, 'Well, better days will come!'"

Karamatsu opened the door to the hospital and held it open for his brother, smiling even more than he had weeks before.

"How can he be so happy when he's in life or death situations?" Ichimatsu thought. "Does he not fear what happened to everyone else...? Is he not scared of dying...?"

Several minutes later...

"Mister Matsuno," the doctor spoke loudly as he tossed his clipboard onto a counter. "I'm so happy and honored to announce...you are cancer free."

"Thank you," Karamatsu dipped his head in gratitude. "Your treatments have saved my life."

"And we'll save it again and again, if we must," the doctor smiled, then hugged Karamatsu.

"Why is everyone being so..." Ichimatsu thought, though he too, was overjoyed with the fact that Karamatsu was on the road to recovery.

"Life will only go up from here!" Karamatsu laughed.