Sun and Moon- Tsukishima Kei

Chapter 20

I wake up feeling cold, the same way I fell asleep feeling last night when Tsukishima refused to cuddle with me. He claimed that he wasn't feeling well but I knew it was something else. I roll onto my other side, looking at the back of his head and sigh.

I picked him up last night like I said I would, but he's been less energetic than he usually is- and he's already extremely non-energetic.

I lift up my arm, staring at the bracelet that rests around my wrist. Axel gave it to me last night.

"Hey, Kat." Axel says, sitting up. "I have to go, the nurse said that I'd be able to see my grandpa once it's after 9:30, and it's about to be that time."

I sit up as well and nod.

"Okay, I'll tell Ada-"

"Oh, no it's fine. I want to go by myself. Don't worry about me." He chuckles and my eyebrows furrow.

"Are you sure?" I ask and he nods.

"Positive. But, before I go, I got you something." He says, standing up. I do as well, curious as to what he has.

"Aw, why? You don't have to get me anything." I chuckle and he pulls out two bracelets from his pocket.

"I know, but think about it. This may be the last time we see each other for years. Maybe it's even the last time we'll see each other in our entire lives. After I saw you yesterday I got it on my way home- give me your wrist." He says and I hold my hand out. "For the 3 years I've known you, you've been my best friend. I don't know what it was, but something just clicked when we first talked and I knew we had to be friends. You've helped me a lot in life, regardless if you understand that or not. Meeting you really pulled me out of some dark shit. So I'm grateful I can have a friend like you. I bought us these little cheesy friendship bracelets so you don't forget about me." He goes on, tying the bracelet around my wrist.

"Axel...stop it. I'm already crying." I say, tears welling in my eyes. "I won't forget about you, dummy. How could I? You were the only one who didn't make fun of me or treat me like some exotic animal when I first came to the U.S." I sniffle and he hands me the other bracelet so I can tie it onto him.

"Yeah, Americans are assholes." He laughs, a few tears sliding down his cheeks. "I've really missed you since you left. I tried really hard not to but when I got home the day you told me you were leaving, and the day that you actually left, I bawled like a baby." He laughs and the tears start pouring from my eyes.

"I cried too." I chuckle, securing the bracelet on his wrist.

"You always cry though." He rolls his eyes, laughing.

"Yeah, true." I chuckle.

"Oh, I have one more thing." He says, pulling the small bag he brought with him off his shoulders and digging in it.

He pulls out a medium sized picture frame and hands it to me. Inside of the frame, was a photo of us as kids. We're side hugging each other, giving the biggest smile to the camera.

"I was looking at a bunch of the photos we have together and decided to print this yesterday too." He smiles and I hug the picture to my chest.

"This really is goodbye forever, isn't it?" I ask, the tears streaming down my face at a quicker pace now.

"Yeah, I think it is." He gives me a sad smile before taking me into his embrace. I wrap my arms around him, careful not to ruin the picture frame.

"I never said this to you before, and it might be weird. But I love you. I owe so much to you, thank you for being the greatest friend ever." I say, burying my face in his shoulder, trying to calm myself down.