Rainbow Veins

Chapter 7

A few days later, Koutarou was laying spread out on his back next to Keiji's feet on the mattress, huffing in annoyance. It was the morning of his 5th day here and he still didn't have his surgery. Not that he was looking forward to it, but it was getting boring. Really boring.

"I told you already, you can read one of my books."

He groaned. "I'd rather continue staring at the ceiling then."

"You are incredible stubborn, do you know that."

"And you are an incredible nerd."

Keiji only rolled his eyes at that and continued burying his nose in one of his books. That was what he had planned to do at least.

"Hey, Akaashiii..."

A short moment of silence fell between them and when the elder boy didn't continue, Keiji sighed.

"What is it, Bokuto-san?"

"Say, do you even leave your bed anytime?"

"Yes. To use the bathroom, obviously."

"Apart from that I mean. Like, going for a walk or something. When was even the last time you went outside?"

The other one only shrugged.

"Let's have a walk together then!"

"I can't, my mother won't allow it."

"Well your mother isn't here, so."

Koutarou sat up and before the other one could stop him, he had already pressed the button to call a nurse.

"What are you doing?"

"Someone needs to unplug you from all this stuff of course" he said and gestured to the tubes coming from the crook of his arm and the back of his hand.
Keiji sighed but before he could say anything more a nurse had already entered the room and asked them what's wrong.

In the end, Koutarou spent about half an hour trying to persuade the nurse and a handful others to allow them a short walk through the building. After a doctor came to check on Keiji's condition, he was finally given admission and Koutarou didn't hesitate for another second to pull him out of bed and drag the boy with him.

"See? Told ya it's gonna be fine" he called out happily.

They moved slowly through the halls, Koutaou making sure that Keiji was able to follow him in spite of his weak state. His steps were still a bit uncertain given all the weeks he's spent in bed. Koutarou couldn't help but somehow find it adorable.

"You can take my hand if you want. Would make you feel a bit more secure" he finally proposed after watching the other boy climbing down the stairs in small, cautious steps.

"Wouldn't that be weird?"

Koutarou only shrugged and held out his hand, smiling when Keiji grabbed it despite the sight that came from the other boy. He didn't let go of it when they reached the bottom of the staircase, but it seemed Keiji didn't mind by then.

They reached the neonatal ward and watched a few of the newborns as nurses took care of them. Koutarou swore that one of them looked exactly like him as a baby and Keiji snorted. Afterwards they went on to the daycare center where they were greeted by a few toddlers who desperately wanted to play with them. They sat down on the tiny chairs in the middle of the room and while Koutarou began reading out loud a story from a book, Keiji spent a fair amount of time drawing little owls on the plaster on his arm.

When Koutarou finished the story, shedding only a small tear about the princess finally finding her true love, they eventually continued on to the cafeteria. When it slowly became evening, Koutarou suggested their last destination to be the roof top.

"I'm not sure if we are supposed to go up here" Keiji stated with a hint of a worry on his face.

They climbed up the stairs nevertheless and soon reached the heavy door that lead outside, Koutarou bashing through it without any touch of remorse.

"Who cares? It's fun. Also look at that nice weather!"

He stepped on the middle of the flat roof and spread out his arms, before turning himself around a few times. It felt like ages since he last felt the sun on his skin.

"What are you doing over there, Akaashi. Come here end enjoy the sun!" he finally called out as he noticed the other one still standing by the door.

"I think we should head back."

The silver haired boy stopped in his movement and stomped over to him with a playful pout. "You're no fun at all, Akaashi. Come on, climb on my back" he then suggested and turned around while crouching down a bit.

"What for?"

"Just do it."

Keiji sighed but climbed on his back anyways.

"And now?" he asked.

Before he could even finish his question, Koutarou had already dashed forward to the other side of the roof, where metal bars on the wall led to an even higher rooftop. Ignoring Keiji's massive protest, he climbed them. When they finally were on top, Koutarou carefully let the other boy down again.
"Here we are" he grinned.

"Was this really necessary Bokuto-san?"

The other one only moved his head in the direction of the sun, which was slowly setting above the rooftops of the city. From here, they had the perfect view.

"Oh."

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

"Yeah. It is."

And when Koutarou watched how Keiji's usually pale skin slowly started to appear golden in the light the sunset, he had never felt more at ease in his life.