For my fine aquatic Otter friend

[eatsyourscience]

It's been two days.

Two days alone in this house, without Nanako's cheerful "welcome home!". Without the nightly quiz shows on the television downstairs, without dirty dishes in the sink, without the simple knowledge that he isn't the only one there. It's unbearable. Even Dojima's absence, as common an occurrence as it is, seems more obvious than normal.

Souji hates being alone. He'd forgotten what it was like, or has been letting himself think he has. The first night, after coming home from the hospital, he convinces himself to remain calm and settles for pacing first the living room and then his bedroom restlessly. He's gotten used to staying up late, sometimes only sleeping four or five hours a night, so it doesn't faze him when he barely gets about two hours total--stolen ten minutes at a time when he sits down on the couch in his room and considers calling someone, but doesn't.

That first day is a blur, and so is the second night, but in a different way. He knows what he spend the night doing. He knows because his room is a disaster. Everything that he could break, everything he could rip or throw or flip or otherwise destroy has been. He barely remembers doing any of it and he can't bring himself to care when he wakes up on the floor in the middle of the mess on the second day. He doesn't say anything to his friends because if he does they'll worry about him, and he doesn't want that. There are more important things to be focused on right now than his self-indulgent tantrums. Besides, if they knew he was faltering this much, and now when he most needs to be the leader--

And now it's the end of the second day and the start of the third night, and there's nothing left to do except notice how empty the house is around him.

Comments

1/2 I'll finish tomorrow!

[masukukunai.livejournal.com]

He doesn't pick up, as expected. When Yousuke comes to his front door, he calls him three more times for good measure. If Souji didn't know someone was coming by now, that was his own fault. Like a proper burgler, he breaks in by using a using a key hidden in the backyard garden.

The house was silent. Dead. An unfortunate turn of phrase, but he couldn't think of anything more appropriate.

He swallows. He has no idea what he's up against here. What will Souji be like? During the day, he was a catatonic wearing a mask of normalcy, to put on a face for everyone to rely on and hope with. Now, however, he didn't have to be anything for anyone. Had he ever really seen that side of Souji? Maybe in glimpses, but...