Second Life

Between Borders

Ryuuichi groaned at the heat. It was too hot. Why was it so hot? He moved his feet slightly and realized that there was something on top of his body. With a small grunt of annoyance, he kicked it off. Sighing in relief at the cold air against his skin, he went back to slumber. He nuzzled his face into his pillow, relaxing into the mattress.

"Ryuu." He ignored that, snuggling deeper. "Ryuu, wake up."

Kei huffed and leaned back, his son completely went back to sleep. He had been trying to wake him up to no avail, seeing that it was almost noon with Ryuuichi sleeping in. Sure, he was still recovering and all, but Kei was sure that sleeping so much is not really that good.

"Looks like I got no choice.." He gathered the duvet that Ryuuichi kicked off and spread it open. He looked at Ryuuichi and dived.

"Uwa?!" Ryuuichi struggled at the sudden weight and the change of temperature. "Wake up, Ryuu. It's almost noon." He whined and struggled, trying to get out of the heat and his father's embrace. Too bad for him, Kei was strong and he was very sleepy. "Uggghh!"

He stopped and finally opened his eyes. "Hot..." He groaned out loud, albeit muffled against the duvet. "Too hot- Father. I'm up. It's too hot. Please---" Kei chuckled at that and finally got off of Ryuuichi, sitting beside him. "Finally awake?" Ryuuichi pushed the duvet off his face and sighed. "Yeah."

Shaking his head, Kei stroked Ryuuichi's head, hair tussled and there was a thin layer of sweat. "It's a wonder how you're able to sweat in this kind of cold weather." He smiled softly and took his hand away as Ryuuichi stretched, bones popping. Ryuuichi stopped and winced when his ribs protested. "Ouch. Not a good idea there.." He relaxed back and looked up at Kei.

"I think my fever broke last night? And then boom. Heat wave." He said stoically, to which Kei laughed. "Yeah. It did. Go take a warm shower and wash up."

He stood up and walked out of Ryuuichi's room at the dragged 'yes' when Ryuuichi was suddenly behind him and leaned all his weight on Kei. "Offt!" Kei stood still and held onto the wall to support the extra weight on his back, arms around his neck. "Ryuu?"

"Papa." His eyes widen at that. He hadn't heard that for a long time now. As Ryuuichi and Yuuichi grew older, they've stopped calling him by 'Papa', sadly. It was really nostalgic to hear it again after so long. He smiled. "Yes?" He felt the grip around his neck tighten momentarily, but not to enough to accidentally choke him, before it slacken.

Ryuuichi let go and moved back a little, a calculating look on his face as Kei turned around to look at him. ".. Nope! Nothing! Just feel like it." Kei raised an eyebrow at that but pried no further. "Really, now. Well, just go now, a shower. Warm one. Don't want to catch another cold now, do you?"

As Ryuuichi grunted, Kei closed the door and walked downstairs slowly.

"Wait. He shouldn't be able to remember, should he?"

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Ryuuichi turned the tap and let the warm water fall on him, soaking in it slightly. He placed a hand on the wall, the tiles cold against his palm as he looked at the water flowing into the drainer, his hair stuck onto his face. (He blatantly ignored the thing hanging down there, no point dwelling about that.)

There was a numb throbbing on his head, which he managed to ignore it but he doubt that it would go away unless he takes the painkillers or something else. (He made a mental note to take one, or two.) He had a dream. A dream that would fade into nothing in his mind, but he held onto it the moment he was aware of it, replaying again and again to remember.

He dreamed of a child, no, two actually. Two children laughing, calling out for their parents as they ran around the, zoo? There was cages, with animals, yeah. A zoo. They looked excited, really excited as they pulled their parents along, one holding the father's hand while the other holding the mother's.