𝑳𝑬𝑺 𝑭𝑹𝑨𝑮𝑰𝑳𝑬𝑺 •𝒃𝒙𝒃•

when the birds take flight ~ 35

He remembered the way his brother held him, the strong, warm arms that shielded him from the world. They were his very own cage that bound them together, forever and always, away from Gabriel's harsh words and actions.

The arms that held him now were nothing like Kyoya's.

They offered him the support he needed, they held him, not budging, not letting go.

"I'm weak!" He gasped into her embrace, "I'm weak! I'm weak! I'm weak!" Each word was a gunshot to his heart, each word hurt more than the previous one, yet he did not stop.

She denied his words, instead saying how he was strong, stronger than anyone she had met.

"Liar!" He accused, "Liar!" Yet he did not pull back, yet he did not run away. He just tightened his arms around her, unwilling to release her, unwilling to let go of the support he needed so desperately.

Once again, she denied it, whispering that she would never lie to him, especially not him, never him.

Then, as her hands moved, he immediately retaliated, "No! I can't!" Insistently he shook his head, hair messier than ever before, "I can't let them see me like this...!" He forced out, trying to make her stop, "I can't let... him see me like this...!"

She was silent.

And then, the ground beneath his feet disappeared.

_

The feeling of the wind brushing against his skin was the same as when he was running—exhilarating.

"Open your eyes." Came a breathy whisper.

Reluctantly, he did as told, and his vision was overwhelmed by blue, blue, blue. White, fluffy clouds were layer atop each other, mere inches away from them.

How high up were they?

"Touch them." Chikara spoke, already raising her own hand.

And he did.

It didn't feel any different from running through fog. Little, almost nonexistent, damp droplets stuck to his skin, barely seen by his eyes. Yet, he marvelled at the thought of it, of touching a cloud, and he truly was touching one.

"I come here when I feel like there's an obstacle I can't get over."

An... obstacle?

"I came here when my parents passed away. I came here when Yua moved away, and I came here when she also passed away," There was something about the way she said those words, that made Yuma feel the same way she felt, "The last time I was here, was when I saw you the first time. I came here and I wept for you looked like the world was weighing on your shoulders."

She... wept? "For me? You wept... for me?"

Gently, she threaded her fingers through his hair, fondly, as if she were a mother coddling a child, "I did, and I'd do so again," The violet shades of her irises overlapped, just as they always did, "but I don't think you need my tears, you've gotten over your obstacle."

Maybe... maybe he did, but-! "If I didn't, you wouldn't be here," He averted his eyes, drawing them back to the cloud, "If I hesitated, even for a single moment, it would've been over for the both of us."

Her hand stilled, "Both... of us?" She sounded like she didn't understand what he was saying.

"I already caused death before, I don't think I'd handle being the cause of another."

"None of it would've been your fault, you know that. You were a child—you still are—Yuma...!" Her words had taken on a rather urgent tone, as if she were trying to convince him.