contest entry - expectations

紅シュウ

"don't do it shu!"

valt slammed open the door to the roof of shu's apartment complex and was met with the albino standing on the very edge of the building. his crimson eyes were filled with so much emotion it was almost impossible to settle on just one. "valt.. what are you doing here?"

he staggered towards shu slowly as to not trigger him. "shu," he began softly. "please, this isn't a good way out! the past is the past and today is a new beginni-"

"oh please, valt!" shu yelled in response, his eyes now stinging with tears. "how can i have a new beginning when i messed up before i could prove myself to the world!" the wind picked up, swaying his hair. underneath the moonlight, shu's eyes appearred glossy, and almost like glass. he continued, "red eye was a mistake. i.. i can't live with myself knowing how much damage i caused to countless people.."

valt tilted his head sympathetically. he was truly an idiot, and a bad friend alongside that. even after shu returned, everything hadn't been the same since red eye; that greatly affected everyone, but he was certain shu was the most affected.

he inched closer, but stopped abruptly when shu firmly thrust out his palm. "just make me understand! tell me why you did it! you can't keep everything to yourself shu, and if someone knew what your thoughts were then maybe we can help! you don't have to be alone, i am here!"

shu gritted his teeth and used the sleeves of his black hoodie to roughly wipe away his tears. he looked at valt one final time before starting to tilt over.

"no!"

valt lunged foward. his fingertips barely grazed shu's sleeves, but he managed to grab the edge of his hoodie. with one big surge of strength, he pulled him the opposite direction and the two tumbled onto the floor. shu tried to get up and run to the edge but valt held him down with all the energy he could muster. "let me go valt! let me jump! let me die! i deserve it!" he kept squirming around until something wet hit his face.

"v.. valt?"

the blue haired male couldn't help the tears. he choked on a sob as he slapped shu's face. the albino was shocked, not mad at all. "listen here, shu kurenai!" valt cried out. "no one deserves to die, and the only way they should is by natural causes, okay? red eye was in the past, but still you act so selfish!"

shu's eyes widened. he felt his own tears trickle down the sides of his face. valt noticed this and wiped his own before helping shu sit up. he continued, "can.. can we just talk? i already forgave you for past incidents, but you never really did talk to me.. and that's all i asked for."

he's right, shu thought. even after he'd returned from being red eye.. from being in the snake pit.. from ruining lives, valt still forgave him.

"expectations."

the albino sighed out and nodded. valt stared at him in confusion. "expectations..?" he muttered. shu nodded and gestured towards the bench in front of the stadium, a memory that stung his heart. he walked over and sat down, looking at valt to do the same.

"come on, let's talk. i want you to get to know red eye."

{ 赤目 }

"pressure."

"hm?" valt looked up, his eyes meeting shu's but shu's looking off in the distance. they had been sitting there in somewhat comfprtable silence for quite a while. valt speculated he was looking for the right words to say but couldn't.

and he was right.

"do you remember my final battle at the national tournament?" shu asked softly. by the sound of his tone, it was obvious what he was about to say was something he'd prefer not to remember himself. "the one with lui?"