Silent as Stars: rewrite

Chapter 3

"I met the neighbor today."

"Hm," it might have been years since he'd lost the feeling in his body, but Katsuki could still remember how gentle, and soft Eijiro's touch was whenever the boy would do anything care related, "which one? Lady with the giant macaw?"

The steam that built up in the bathroom was dizzying in the most refreshing way. God, he never thought he'd enjoy bathing as much as he did now, "what? No. Dude with twenty cats."

"Oh, Shouta? Really... how'd that happen?"

"You act like I never go outside."

"Hun," fuck those puppy eyes, damnit, "that's cuz you don't."

"And who's fault is that?"

That husband of his paused mid nail cut, and just stared at him with the most laugh inducing expression, "Denki."

And laugh they did. It faded like mist in a cold breeze, and was replaced with calming silence as Eijiro continued, and moved on to washing Katsuki's hair, "yeah. Yeah, we can blame Denki."

"I mean, if I had a nickel for everytime he's complained about the outdoors, we'd have enough to get you one of those nice electric chairs that you'd be able to drive yourself, so," soap mohawk was made, and destroyed, "I think it's a good scapegoat."

"He should really get going with making those nickels then. It'd be really nice to have one of those. Just imagine the possibilities."

"No kidding," the water squeaked to a halt after he was all washed, and rinsed off, prior to Eijiro going to roll the shower chair Katsuki had been sitting in out into the main bathroom area, only to stop at the doorway, "shit, I forgot the towels. You fine in here by yourself for a bit so I can grab 'em, hun? I just don't want the carpet to get soaked, ya know?"

"No, not at all. I might die," the sarcasm was lathered on thick, like honey, which got a snicker out of his dear husband.

"Okay, I'll be right back."

"Eh, take your time. Might run a marathon, or something. I'm feeling adventurous!"

The response he got was a lone, echoed laugh that grew distant as Eijiro departed.

And with that, he was alone; which always felt off nowadays. It was quite the rare occurrence.

"God, it's too fucking quiet in here..." the soft feel of his voice rickashayed off of those damn walls, and the fogged up mirror that hung from the door; from which he had a perfect, full body view of himself. Just a blurred, flesh colored stick figure...

A sigh escaped him, which was accompanied by a disgusted expression, "fuck you mirror. Stop being honest, tell a damn lie for once, will ya? God," those red eyes of his stared down the far from clear reflection that glared back at him, "well? Act like that magic mirror from Snow White or something, and show me a fucking lie!"

"YOU OKAY IN THERE?!"

Fucking damnit, "FINE... just talking to myself," Katsuki's gaze fell to the floor, where he followed the trail between the tiles from one wall, to the other. Another sigh escaped, and was masked by the sound of the ventilator he'd been hooked up to since the accident happened, "c'mon. Just for a second or so? I just... I can go out. They both love going out on the town, or whatever, and doing shit. I miss it," the rubies in his face didn't leave those white tiles as he continued, "I just can't take the stares anymore. People don't see me as a person, they just... I don't know. I'm not sick. I'm not dying, for fucks sake. They all think there's something wrong with me, and there's not! I'm not ashamed of who I am, I'm fucking proud of who I am. Wheelchair, and all, but," the sound of his voice dropped into the pit of his stomach, as did his gaze, "I just don't want to think about it... just for a little bit. Please?"

There was a moment of nauseating hesitation that was ignored, prior to raising his head like a showroom curtain, only to see the same blurred picture he'd seen a moment ago.

"Yeah, I thought so. Thanks," Katsuki let his head drop down to his chest, which he soon would regret; as a rather obnoxious gag escaped him at the feel of the trach contorting in the most uncomfortable way in his throat, "fuck, I hate that feeling," his faze met the mirror once more, and scrunched into a double take within an instant, "the hell..." it was still fogged up. He was still himself, and the shower behind him looked the same... but it didn't at the same time. It was shadowed over in an almost, if he didn't know any better, human like shape. An attempt to look behind the curtain was made, but was ultimately in vain, due to the fact that he couldn't turn his head far enough to get a good line of sight, if any.

Fucking great. Wonderful. Best thing ever. Gotta love paranoia. Best buddy in the world.

Considering the circumstances, naturally his eyes shot back towards that damn, awful ass mirror that he'd wished he'd smashed when he had the chance, only to find it had lightened. Just like that. No figure. No shadow. Nothing but his own reflection.

"Sorry, forgot I washed them all last night. Left 'em in the dryer! God, watch, next I'm gonna forget your paralyzed, and yank you onto the floor," if what his husband had just mentioned wasn't true, Katsuki would have quite literally jumped off that seat like a jack in the box at the sudden swing of the door, and the gunshot echo it made as it slammed into the doorstop. Said husband's face dropped from overjoyed excitement, to concern at the sight of the expression the blonde must have worn, as his voice softened quite drastically when he went to continue, "you alright? You look like you just saw a ghost or something, heh heh."

His eyes made one last dart to that blurred picture the mirror held. Still plain as it had been when he'd first made eye contact with himself, and the anorexic form his body had taken on in these last few years, "no... just tired, I guess."

His red headed lover shrugged, and continued just as bright, and sunshiny as usual, "me too. Fucking beat. I mean, I love my job, but my god, the overtime the hospital is putting me through is fucking obnoxious."

"Yeah..."

Eijiro threw the towel over Katsuki's head, and let out a muffled laugh at the bitchy whine that came from the boy, "you sure you're okay?"

"Would you stop doing that?!"

"Hmmm," those monster hands were ruffling through that blonde hair of his moments after, "nah. It's funny."

"Fucking ass."

That laugh of his never failed to put a smile on Katsuki's face, "you know you love me!"

"Yeah..." understatement of the year, "I know. I love you too, ya big dork. Now hurry up so we can sleep, 'M fucking tired."

The sly kiss on the cheek is what really topped the cake, "yes, my love."

***