12 Roses

8 | Screaming a Bad Song

You used to leave them next to Tsumiki's bed, trying not to look at the mark on her forehead that only you could see. Nowadays, you leave them on Toge's head.

"So?" you repeated.

"Maki told me that she fights to spite her family... Why do you?"

You stopped, the flower crown no where near long enough to be considered more than a bracelet. 

Toge looked up from his phone. You cleared your throat and looked back at Yuta. "I have a friend. A friend I need to save."

Toge's hand found itself placed upon yours and you looked at him, now smiling. "I'm okay," you assured in a language Yuta didn't know. And Toge nodded, bowing his head.

You finished off the crown and placed it on his head before turning back to Yuta. "And to protect the friends I have now, of course."

•••

You flinched and lifted your head. The four of you lied on your couch, Mimiko's head on your lap, Tsumiki's head on your shoulder, and Nanako leaning on Tsumiki.

It had been around five hours since you found refuge in the sound of terrible American songs and even more terrible singing. The lack of screaming let them sleep, you assumed, knowing that it was likely that Suguru had finally stopped yelling.

Whether that meant Nurse Ieri left or that they found common ground, a place where they could talk at a normal volume.

You sighed, never having heard the sound of the screaming, but the battle in your head being far too loud for you to join your friends in slumber.

Suguru had never screamed before, not that you knew. 

You recalled the photo of Suguru, Gojo, and Nurse Ieri that sat on Gojo's desk.

Suguru had never smiled like that before either. Not that you knew.

You wondered if the three had ever done something like this in their youth. Scream songs that they didn't know the lyrics of, fall asleep after hours and hours, leaning on each other because the feeling of someone you knew was endlessly more comforting than a pillow.

Your hand rested on Mimiko's shoulder and your rubbed along her bicep.

Screaming at her was the last thing you could think of doing. Screaming at any of them. 

Not that you could think of screaming at all.

You took a throw pillow that was discarded on the floor and placed it beneath Mimiko's head as you moved, while your hand guided Tsumiki's head to lean back so she wouldn't fall.

When you opened the window, the scent of smoke filled the air and you were quick to close it. You went down to the shop to see what the source was and saw Nurse Ieri standing outside with a cigarette between her fingers.

She always appeared awfully tired, with dark bags around her eyes that she didn't bother trying to hide with concealer. Her hair was long, although you remembered in being short in the photo on Gojo's desk.

She let it grow out.

"Sorry, is this a no smoking area?" she asked when you walked out.

Your gaze flickered to her lips, as if her words would remain there like words on a page.

She tapped her cigarette, letting the ash fall to the sidewalk, and you held out your hand.

"What, do you want it?" she questioned with her brows high.