Shadows and Lights

Chapter 19

My body shivers as cold air gusts past my legs. Kagami's jacket is a blessing in this weather. It would be cool enough if the wind wasn't here, but now it's just chilly. I can barely imagine how cold Kagami must be with no jacket. He's just as thoroughly soaked as I am. At least it's a good view. Kagami's shirt seems a little big on him, so it hides all the shapes underneath, but with his shirt soaked, I can get a decent view of what lies underneath. Yeah, yeah, call me what you will, but it's not like you wouldn't see it too, if you could.

"Kagami, are you sure you don't want your jacket? It's really cold out. You'll get sick." I say hesitantly, my arms bundled around my waist.

"Yeah. We're pretty close already, aren't we?" Kagami replies as the familiar signpost at the end of our block comes into view.

"I'm gonna feel guilty if you get sick because of me." I respond as we continue walking. Kagami shrugs.

"If I get sick then you're the one who brings me food." He says. "Sound fair?" I glance at the cheekily grinning redhead.

"Sure." I say with a half sigh. The wind isn't letting up at all, and Kagami's been kind enough to carry my backpack with his. Although I told him repeatedly that I could carry it myself and quickly change in Maiji's bathroom, he'd refused and basically ordered me to bathe at his place or mine so I could go straight into warm clothes. To be honest, his logic seems ridiculously backward, but I'm not going to fight with the guy who's lending me his jacket while he freezes his ass off.

I lean against Kagami suddenly, startling him. "What?" He asks, his red eyes unusually wide. I give him a smile.

"You look cold and won't take your jacket back, so I'm sharing some of my warmth with you." I try to hide the darkening color of my cheeks. Kagami doesn't really say anything in response, but he presses back slightly so I know that it isn't entirely unwanted. Kagami's side is really warm. I can feel heat from his skin seeping through the sides of the jacket.

As it turns out, Kagami ends up coming up to my apartment. As I enter the door, I call out Daiki's name, wondering why the apartment is so dark and if he's already eaten. After going through every room, I can say he isn't home. "I wonder where he went." I say with confusion as I scratch my head. "He's normally here." Kagami picks up a piece of paper from the kitchen counter.

"This is for you." He says, holding it out in my direction. I look at the paper dubiously. Yo, Alex! Satsuki's parents invited me over for the weekend, so I won't be home until Sunday night! Text me if anything comes up. -Daiki

To be honest, I'm surprised that Daiki didn't call me to tell me he'd be taking off. On the one hand, he's his own person and I'm not in charge of him, but on the other he's also my friend and housemate. I can't decide whether to be amused or to be a little miffed. In the end, I just choose to let it go and move on. "Well that answers things. You can take a bath first, since you lent me your jacket. Bathroom's at the end of the hall." I say to Kagami. He looks like he's going to protest, but must've thought twice about it since he walks down the hall.

I look through the cupboards to see if I have anything powdery to mix into hot water, but I haven't had things like that for quite a while. There's instant ramen, so I put some hot water to boil and put two containers down on the counter. It still hasn't come to a boil when Kagami comes out in a pair of my brother's old sweats and an oversized shirt. How do I have my brother's sweats you ask? I took them before I left. He's a tall boy. Much taller than I am. Plus they're extra comfy.

"I can put your clothes through the dryer with mine." I say, noting the way Kagami looks at his still soaked clothing. "I'll take 'em after I get out." Kagami looks like he's about to say something, likely a rebuke for staying in these clothes for so long, but he's silent as he glances at the stove.