Fuselage

☆~☆ Chapter 2 ☆~☆

Groaning metal woke Katsuki before the sun did for the third day straight.

"Fucking old house." His voice was rough, his mouth was stale. "Disgusting." Swallowing he pushed his covers aside, rising towards the windows, staring out at the mountainside.

It was a nice view, if foreign. Better than his old city skyline. Sliding into slippers and pulling a shirt over his bare torso he wandered into the bathroom, brushing his teeth, taking a piss, washing his face. Ignoring the box, feeling guilty for ignoring the box.

Katsuki moved to the kitchen, pulling a carton of rice out of the fridge and adding whatever gelatinous mess of crap he grabbed first to it. Eating it cold as he stood at the window, watching the world outside.

That was all he really did anyway. Exist. Exist out of time. Observe people around him live. The curtains never closed, the windows never opened. Like an animal at the zoo. He watched and was watched, but never was truly a part of.

"Shit." His skin started itching; he ran a tongue over his teeth.

They ached. He hadn't left the ground in six days. His feet were carrying him back to the bedroom. He pulled on a pair of black jeans. Katsuki scolded himself as he smeared on deodorant.

"I haven't even checked out the house. The fucking pipes were making noises. That's not normal. Does the roof leak? How about the shed. Need to grab your fucking bike." He leaned back on the bed.

He could feel the box calling to him. He could feel Jin's hand brushing his for the first time, those blue eyes-

His own snapped open again. When had they closed?

"Fuck."

He sped from his bedroom through the pink washed living room. The sun was rising. Fuck the bike. Nothing in town would be open now anyway. He could use the walk. Needed to burn off energy.

'Way to justify it.' He could hear Round Face scold him.

He glanced at the dark tablet sitting on his counter. "Yeah well fuck you." He pulled on his shoes, grabbed his keys and pulled the door shut behind him.

It was brisk, the wind was sweet and soft. Way better than the city air had been.

'Later isn't in two weeks again?' He could hear his mother ask.

Guilt rose as he stepped on fallen petals and gravel down the driveway. It was longer than he remembered now that he was walking. Trees towered over him, wilderness on either side. It was beautiful and fantastical. Green and fresh, dew making it smell heady and... and water? He could hear running water somewhere. He'd check it out later. Right now he had to get off the ground. He had to lose gravity. He had to touch the sky and leave a trail everyone could see. He had to become something more than what he was. He had to outrace the itch in his skin and feel the rumble of the engines through his blood.

He had to outrun his ghosts. The walk to town was busier than he intended, stopped by a produce truck and a newspaper delivery biker asking if he needed a lift.

Or coffee.

Or a coat.

Or food.

After assuring them he was more than fine Katsuki was stopped twenty feet from the town sign. Pulling out his phone he scrolled through his GPS frantically, but to no avail.

"I have no idea where the airstrip is." He scoffed at himself, striding down the main street.

It was quaint, quiet. The storefronts were all well tended, the street clean. Only the cafe was open. And mostly empty. Katsuki ducked inside, breathing deep as the smell of fresh ground coffee pervaded his senses.