89. Gone
POV: Rei
I woke up feeling unsettled.
Not for the reason I had before I passed out-- but for something else. Something felt off. Wrong. Strange. Just-- missing.
...That aside,
My arms were slung over something and I was leaning forward-- is this a piggyback--
Regaining my surroundings, I realized everyone was here-- the battlers, the non-fighting party, everyone, and we were all walking towards one certain direction.
"Ah, Takeshi." I realized, "Good morning?"
Everyone came to an abrupt halt.
"Rei!" Takeshi reacted first, turning around.
Then Tsuna rushed over, "Rei-san, are you okay?" he started, "Like, okay okay? Do you feel sick, are you hurt, do you need a hospital or-?"
"Tsuna-san," I had to use an honorific in resignation, "That's my line."
Everyone was badly hurt, Tsuna included. They were all exhausted and covered in wounds--
I sighed. "The battle's over, I guess, and--"
Looking around, My eyes softened as I realized neither Yuni nor Gamma were around. In fact, all seven arcobaleno were around now.
"Uhm, Rei-san, actually..." Tsuna seemed hesitant, swallowing every word. "Yuni and Gamma are..." he couldn't continue the sentence. Stopping for a long moment, his eyes glued to the ground, he started a new sentence instead. "And Russo-san is..."
That last part made my eyes widen. Before Tsuna even finished his sentence, my head swerved around.
"I'll be heading over to the Gokudera and Lal side of things. What about you?"
Russo? Where's-- but no, there was no sight of the black-haired male in a black trench coat.
"Bye,"
"Tsuna," my voice was serious and stern, "Where's... Where's Russo?"
My grip on Takeshi's shoulder clenched, and my stomach fell at the sudden, devastating realization.
That question made Tsuna flinch back, and he couldn't find the words anymore. He couldn't bring it out of him to do so.
And that silence was answer enough.
-
-
"Anyone seen Rei?"
"Rei-san!"
"I can't find him anywhere!"
In a corner of the base, clutching Sui in my arms and burying my face into her shoulder, I brooded. Sitting down, the both of us were just silently being alone together.
Silent as Sui naturally was, she was just sitting there, staring at the ceiling.
I stared at the darkness, internally suffering from the pain at my chest.
I would eventually drench a portion of Sui's shoulder, but Sui made no move to complain no matter how long we stayed like that.
I sniffled over and over, unable to find it in myself to stop.
Sui's only reaction was to snuggle closer every now and then, getting herself more comfortable.
The base continued to ensue in its panic, but if anyone spotted us, they made no move to inform the rest of our whereabouts.
-
Eventually, Gokudera found us.
He first picked Sui out, telling her Irie had been looking for her and told her to go.
Then he pulled me up by the arm. Yelling and grumbling and complaining the whole time, he angrily dragged me around and toward somewhere in the base. We ended up in the kitchen, where he angrily gave me a cup of coffee, and angrily made me finish it.
Then he angrily pulled me around again, this time we found Takeshi.
After a frustrating exchange I did not register, Takeshi took me by the hand, and we began walking towards somewhere.
He absent-mindedly spoke to me the whole time, probably about the weather, about the state of the base, about Squalo and about his hellish training before the battle--
All with that bright smile on his face.
I kept silence, unable to find it in myself to speak up or insert any comments-- but Takeshi continued speaking regardless. Despite the one-sided conversation, Takeshi was unaffected.
Walking around the base, he never seemed to run out of topics to speak about.
Eventually we found ourselves back in my room, and he sat me on the bed as he gathered my things. I didn't have anything to begin with, so he just gathered anything of Russo's that looked important in one bag.
Occasionally, he turned to me with something to say, but again, I couldn't bring up the will to answer anything.
Opening a desk drawer, something caught Takeshi's eye.
Picking up a red gem, he scrutinized it with an amused expression on his face.
Walking over to me, Takeshi put it in my palm, and closed my fingers over it. This time he said nothing, but he grinned wide and happy, before turning back to the furniture.
Next, he handed me what looked like an envelope. By the bulge in the parcel, there was something solid inside it aside from paper.
He looked curious too, but decided I was where it belonged.
Finishing up quickly, he placed the bag next to me and crouched down.
"I'm heading out for something," I think he said, "Stay right here, okay?"
And then he left.
-
Time passed by like nothing now.
I don't know how long later, but when I moved, I placed the gem down at the side and reached for the envelope. Gently sliding my thumb over the opening, I tried not to simply rip it open.
I first picked out the long sheet of folded paper.
Flipping it open-- it was indeed a letter addressed to me.
If you are reading this, I'm probably dead.
Just kidding, I always wanted to use that line at least once in my life! But in the off chance that I actually am dead when you read this-- congrats, you found my will.
Rather than a will, I simply wanted to tell you, Drew, that I'm sorry.
I've never been a great brother to you. I've always lied and hid things from you, and left you out of everything you had the right to know.
It was agonizing to lose you. And much more, it must be agonizing for you right now, having lost me. But Death is something everyone must overcome. You shouldn't take the easy way out.
That's why when I die, I want you to forget about me.
Thank you, Drew.
Being your brother was the best thing in my life.
-
"I'm back, Rei," Takeshi stepped back into the room, holding a bag of his own. But upon stepping in, he didn't know what to think.
The letter from before-- it seemed Rei had opened it, and was reading it.
The problem lied in the fact that Rei's fingers were pressed through tight, crumpling the paper as if he was trying to tear it. Rei's head hung low-- and a steam of tears ran down his cheek. He was biting his bottom-lip, and that was the clear sign he was terribly disturbed.
Concerned, Takeshi closed the door behind him and made one silent step forward.
"...Rei?" he called.
But when Takeshi approached, Rei snapped toward him-- and to Takeshi's surprise, Rei threw the letter aside and wrapped his arms around Takeshi's back.
Burying his face into Takeshi's chest-- Rei mourned.
Takeshi felt his heart sink.
Rei cried out loud, the hardest Takeshi had ever seen-- and clutched onto Takeshi as if his life depended on it. Rei was wailing, almost screaming, in agony, it sounded; in remorse, too-- Takeshi couldn't discern.
Rei's fingers dug into Takeshi's jacket and threatened to claw through his skin-- but, loosening up for half a moment, he tightened back up desperately and didn't want to get another inch apart.
It was heart-wrenching, and each sound Rei made send another wave of ache into Takeshi's heart. It was painful to hear such hopelessness-- such desperate despair come from Rei-- Takeshi didn't even know what to do.
This wasn't the time to laugh it off, nor was it the time to try and talk him out of the tears.
Now, all Takeshi could do was wrap his arms around Rei's back comfortingly, and wait for it to subside.