I rushed towards him and held him close as I cried, "Toya! I never thought I'd see you again!" He furrowed his brow, "Do I know you..?" I was shocked. Had he really forgotten me? "It's me! Akito!" I hoped he'd remember me. "I'm sorry, I think you have me confused for someone else. I'm just some guy trying to buy flowers for my girlfriend. My eyes widened. "How could you..?"
I was so naive back then. I really thought Toya was cheating on me, but the truth was, I wasn't even an option for him. Nothing interesting happened in that life, and I had been reborn again. This time I met Toya in a race for a school tournament. I remembered everything and tried to reach out to him, but he was already with someone else. I had fallen out of contact with him from then on.
Several lifetimes later, I was actually able to become friends with Toya. We worked at the same place, but at this point I had long accepted that he did not remember me. But for some reason, I held out hope when he invited me to his home. It was there that I met his girlfriend. Her perfume was strong and her face pretty. I couldn't take it. Utterly crushed, I ran out to the roof of the apartment complex and jumped off.
Death no longer scared me having died so many times. But, of course death evaded me. I tried again and again. Nothing seemed to work. I was forced to live my life all the way through. In the next life the second I saw Toya again at a club I was hit with a wave of despair. I couldn't take it anymore. In a last stitched attempt to end it all, I lit myself on fire. I felt like my skin was melting off, It hurt so much I wanted to scream but there was no air left in my lungs. I cried and the tears only evaporated into the air. I did not die.
I spent the rest of that life unable to move or do anything on my own, my whole body completely burned and I was bed bound. Death did not come until I had lived out the years left in that lifetime. By the time I had made it to the next and met Toya I had accepted my fate. This time, I met him in high-school. I had withdrawn myself from everything, I still remember spending my teen years of this life clinging to the soft sheets of the bed in my room.
It was dreadful. I hated everything. I ended up running away, and for some reason... I spoke to Toya. We had become friends somehow. He opened up to me about how his wife had passed, though he was tough. I had never seen him so miserable before. I felt jealous. I began to wonder if he had ever felt that way for me when I had died in my past lives. Did it ever matter to him?
He invited me over to his house and I met his daughter Nami. I never left since. I enjoyed being useful to Toya. I felt like for once, he was mine. Though the guilt tore me apart. I tried to take care of Nami and the house but all I really cared about was Toya. I just wanted him. I yearned for him. There wasn't a single night that I hadn't cried myself to sleep. I am so selfish.
And now here he is, hugging me tightly, telling me to rely on him more. What kind of twisted irony is this..?
...
"Daddy..?" It appeared that Nami had woken up. Toya blushed as he parted from Akito, their hands still intertwined. He wanted Akito to know that he was there. "Are you and Aki dating?" She asked innocently. Toya felt Akito's fingers tighten around his, "Of course not, honey. We are just holding hands like best friends do." Akito smiled, speaking as if he wasn't phased at all by her comment. Toya sighed, maybe he should've been handling it that way as well.
As Nami walked away to go play Akito spoke, "Toya." He turned to face Toya in the eyes, his eyes on the verge of tears. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said best friends... That's too much credit." Akito said with a frown as he let go of Toya's hand. Toya pulled Akito in. He wasn't sure why, but he just felt so comfortable in his presence, like he had been here before. Like he had, all of this time, been craving Akito's touch. Like he wanted Akito to need him, to never let him go.
His feelings culminated in a kiss. Akito gasped but he didn't pull away. Toya's hand slid up the back of Akito's neck, it felt natural. As if he had been here before. As if Akito... As he opened his eyes he had a vision of Akito in a knight's suit. He rubbed his eyes and saw Akito as he knew him. "Akito, you're..." Toya was beginning to remember everything. A heat filled him as he leaned back in to kiss Akito again.
Akito was surprised to say the least, but not once did he push Toya away. Toya the string of Akito's apron, "You've been waiting all of this time..." Toya spoke. He looked at Akito's tired eyes as they widened in pure shock. "I'm sorry for making you suffer, my love." Toya whispered before stealing another kiss. "Toya... You remember..?" Akito was cold to the touch. This burning feeling came through Toya, he wanted to rip his hair out. How could he have not noticed it? Over all of those lifetimes...
He was betraying Akito, and not even aware of it. How many tears did Akito cry because of him? He held Akito's hand, "I'm nothing but yours." Toya whispered planting kisses all over Akito's face. "Toya... I love you so much!" Akito screamed as he pulled Toya close. Toya looked at Akito with pure desire, "We have a lot to make up for tonight... Akito..." Akito blushed, "Toya... I..." The air was intense as Toya leaned in to kiss Akito again.
"So you are dating..?" Nami asked. Toya felt like a ghost. Akito was red as Toya pulled away and crouched, "Nami..! How much of that did you see, dear..?" Toya asked nervously. He still loved his daughter. He still remembered everything from this lifetime. He still remembered Sherry, but he knew he had never really been in love with her. She helped him heal while his heart unknowingly yearned for Akito. You can never replace your soulmate, after all.
