Chapter 10

It's time for Taiki to go home.

Taiki only had a year left before he was due to return home like he’d promised to Eri. It would be unfortunate if he wasn’t able to find a cure for her, but that would be secondary if he wasn’t there to make sure she survived to see one made. 

Yuzuki had returned home just weeks after Takuya had, leaving Taiki alone. It was her departure that allowed him to focus entirely on the testing and research with a single-minded focus.

Just a month or so after her return, he got a message from Hachirou that he was finally back in Japan. It had been a surprise to hear from him, as he hadn’t expected the message and contact Hachirou had been in the rough end for the last year or so. While he accepted phone calls, he refused to do video calls. Taiki knew he and Yuzuki had gotten back in contact, but Yuzuki wasn’t telling him anything about Hachirou’s abrupt change in attitude either.

Some months after Hachirou’s return, Taiki received an excited call from Akimitsu that he and Megumi were engaged. While Taiki had half anticipated that they’d start dating if they hadn’t driven each other apart since high school, he was surprised that between one call and the next they’d gone to there being nothing between them, then dating and engaged within two months.

Life was going on without him.

Mother and Father called consistently to update him on Eri, and as expected, Makoto was still consistently in their stories. He even heard a bit about Takuya on occasion. Much more than he’d seen Takuya around the neighborhood before, when he’d still been mourning the loss of hi ex-wife.

There was development there, Taiki thought, and Mother agreed with him. “He seems like he’s in love,” she said one phone call. “Ah, such early stages of love… they’re so sweet to see.”

Her words were what gave Taiki the courage, and deep-seated hope, to call Takuya’s number, still saved from his babysitting days.

“Hello?” Takuya said, sounding curious. It was entirely likely he didn’t have Taiki new number, so the confusion was understandable.

Taiki grinned, laying back on his bed and petting Patch. “Hey, it’s me,” he said. “I was just calling to see what you were up to, if you remembered little ol’ me.”

Takuya chuckled. “For get you, Taiki Kuroda?” he said. “I couldn’t if I tried.”

While his life was constantly on the move, calling people back home was a welcome reprieve. He wasn’t entirely sure if he could call his relationship with Takuya as partners, but it was still hard to be so far away from the one his heart ached for, even if they did regularly call and message each other.

Harder still was the calls from Eri. “Please come home, big bro,” she asked every time before she hung up.

“I can’t yet,” Taiki always apologized painfully. “I will soon.”

Eri would sigh and say “I know…”

Taiki did want to go home sooner. But he couldn’t. Not yet.

There was still too much that needed done.

But luckily, Dr. Shirozawa’s breakthrough had resulted in them being allowed to start a clinical trial. With just how rare the disease was, it was exceedingly difficult to find anyone who could match the same symptoms as Eri, but in the end, they found 200 participants with similar enough symptoms willing to test their cure. 187 of them started showing improvements by the end of the year.

Taiki knew, logically, it should have taken much longer. Two years was not enough time for two men, even with the team they’d gathered over the course of the two years, to find a cure for Eri’s disease. 

He was just thankful that novel logic had come to his aid once again. 

Three weeks before December, Taiki went with Dr. Shirozawa to a conference to discuss their findings. Dr. Shirozawa stood at the front of the crowd of other doctors and reporters, reading off his script so he didn’t lose his place. 

He mentioned by name the other researchers on their team and how each had come to the aid of the development for the cure. He mentioned very little about his own achievements, and how it was the twelfth disease he’d found a cure for, instead moving on to talk about Taiki, and how Taiki had begun his determined research while still in school. 

It was then that he ushered Taiki to take the podium. Taiki took a deep breath before standing by Dr. Shirozawa and speaking. He tapped his black painted nails on the wooden podium.

“The karmonasgía virus, up until now having remained unknown and unnamed, is a miserable disease inflicting children from birth,” Taiki began. “Though incredibly rare, seen in only .09% of children, it has been time and time again seen to be fatal. Children who are born with the karmonasgia virus often exhibit stunted growth, a weakened immune system, iron deficiencies, weakened heart and lungs, constant fatigue and lethargy, high fevers, and a susceptibility to other viruses such as chicken pox, ammonia, rubella, and measles.”

Taiki paused then. For such a vague description in the original novel, it had turned out to be rather complicated.

“Most children who have the karmonasgia virus don’t make it to their teen years,” Taiki continued, leaning heavily on the podium as his words elicited murmurs among the crowd. “Those that have made it to teenagers deteriorate quickly, and don’t tend to make it past the age of fourteen. However, with in depth testing and research, we believe we’ve found a cure, if only a temporary one. It’s been tested extensively on participates with similar prevailing symptoms, but in three weeks’ time, it will be used on the first karmonasgia patient.”

A reporter stood, notepad tightly in hand. “It’s rare for someone so young to be on a team for research in something like this,” she stated, eyes narrowing skeptically. “What exactly are you trying to achieve by joining�"?”

Taiki tried to bite his tongue, he truly did, but he felt a red-hot flare go up in his cheeks. “This feels very inappropriate�"”

He was quickly silenced by a heavy hand on his shoulder. He looked over to Dr. Shirozawa’s kind face smiling reassuringly at him. He was easily moved just a bit to the side so Dr. Shirozawa could share the microphone. 

“What Dr. Kuroda has been neglecting to mention throughout his passionate speech is his personal investment in finding a cure,” Dr. Shirozawa explained, shifting the tone of the presentation. “His own sister suffers from the virus, so he was determined enough to find a cure for her that even I took notice of his substantial research, which we would know practically nothing without. In recognition of his research and dedication to the cure, in the team, we’ve come to refer to it as Eri’s Disease.”

The interview popped up everywhere. Medical journals, newspapers, magazines. All telling the story of the young doctor trying to save his little sister. 

Early December, Taiki returned home. 

He stepped out of the airport into the still familiar city, breathing deeply as light snowfall came down around him from the gray sky. 

“I was wondering what was taking you so long.” Taiki blinked, eyes going to the voice, finding Takuya in a dark coat, smirking at him. 

Taiki’s heart beat faster, and he didn’t even need Patch to tell him his symptoms. 

Diagnosis: foolheartedly in love.

Taiki absolutely did not rush forward, he did not run into Takuya’s arms… but if he was a little too eager to kiss him when he finally stood in front of Takuya and Takuya made the first move, well, who was going to tell?

Taiki wrapped his arms around Takuya’s neck, black painted nails curling in Takuya’s hair. When they pulled apart, Taiki caught a glimpse of gold on Takuya’s wrist. Takuya put his hands on Taiki’s cheeks, meeting his eyes, before kissing him again.

“You’re a heartbreaker,” he declared once they’d broken apart again. “Sway me to your side and then leave me wanting for more than a year…”

Taiki smiled at him, tilting his head to the side. “I’m here now,” he assured Takuya. “And I won’t be leaving again.” He looked around momentarily, brows furrowing. He looked back to Takuya in confusion. “But… you’re alone?”

Takuya pulled away to lead Taiki to his car. “Your sister was having an energetic day, so Makoto is playing with her. I’m sure he’ll be entirely forgotten as soon as she sees you, though, don’t worry.”

Takuya laughed, and Taiki grinned, knowing it was true. But he couldn't help how his heart lodged in his throat. 

He needed to get to Eri.

The snowfall picked up as they headed for home, leaving large, fluffy piles in yards and along the street. The further they got into residential areas, the rarer it was to find others out and about. 

Takuya stopped in front of his house. “Come on. You can leave your things inside.”

Taiki nodded silently. Father’s car was still there, so it meant nothing had happened that would draw him away… (unless an ambulance had been used, but Taiki refused to think about that)

After setting Taiki’s suitcase in the living room, they headed for the garden and the wall that separated their properties. Taiki couldn’t open the door between them fast enough, but he froze before taking even a step through.

Despite the falling snow, Makoto and Eri were outside, climbing the large tree that took up a good chunk of their backyard. 

Taiki knew what would happen next.

Eri reached for a branch, a laugh playing on her lips as she climbed after her best friend. 

Taiki’s eyes widened in horror and he reached out.

Her laughter became frozen on her face. The branch she grabbed for was wet from a mixture of ice and snow, snapping under her grip as she slipped backwards.

He was moving before he could understand what was going on- She was slipping-

She screamed, but the sound was cut short as her body thumped against the ground, instead a loud CRACK echoing throughout the Kuroda’s backyard.

Makoto stared in horror, calling out for her. “Er-”

“-ri!”

He shouted. He scrambled down the tree, falling the last bit down before falling to his knees by her. She was sprawled out on the ground, body contorted painfully, silver hair strewn out like a halo. He shook her, and Eri let out a whimper of pain.

“ERI!”

She was barely breathing. 

Makoto couldn’t fully comprehend what happened next. Only that there were people everywhere, there were sirens, Eri was in the hospital with broken bones.

Taiki’s arms were outstretched, he wasn’t going to make it-

She hadn’t seen the new year.

Taiki let out a huff when a heavy weight landed in his arms. He stumbled back a step before falling to his knees from the inertia. When he opened his eyes a startled and scared, but unharmed, Eri sat in his arms. 

“Nii-san!” she shrieked, wrapping her arms tight around his neck until Taiki couldn’t breathe. Taiki could feel the tears already coming before he’d even returned the hug, shoulders shaking as it fully set in that he’d saved her. “You’re back,” Eri sobbed. 

“I promised,” Taiki said, voice coming out just as watery as Eri’s. “I promised I would.”

“Eri!” Makoto shouted. Taiki and Eri pulled apart just a bit as he jumped from the lowest branch, stirring up the snow and running to them. He looked at Eri, his look of complete terror so similar to Taiki’s own. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine-” Eri said, though she began to cough.

“Inside,” Taiki ordered. “It’s too cold for this and you’ve had a lot of excitement already and I barely got home.”

Eri pouted, but allowed Takuya to lead her inside the house. Taiki stopped Makoto before he could follow. He moved to stand between Makoto and his view of Eri. 

“I have to say I’m disappointed but not surprised,” he said, barely managing to keep the bite out of his words. Makoto looked down at the ground in shame. “Not only is Eri sick and weak so she shouldn’t be outside in the cold, it’s dangerous to be climbing trees in this weather.”

“I don’t need a lecture from you,” Makoto grumbled, folding his arms. 

“I think you do,” Taiki said harshly. “That tree is old and brittle in the winter. What if someone hadn’t been there to catch Eri and she’d gotten hurt? What if it had been you?”

“I’m sorry, okay?” Makoto snapped. He flinched when Taiki placed a hand on his still bowed head, but relaxed when that’s all Taiki did.

“You’ve got a good head on your shoulders,” Taiki said. “A good head, a kind heart. Use it. And remember just because Eri has good days, it doesn’t mean she’s better yet.”

Makoto grumbled and swatted at Taiki as he pulled away. Makoto finally looked up. “You barely come back and the first thing you do is start nagging,” he complained as Taiki pushed him towards the house. “You’re just like my dad.”

Taiki smacked him on the back of the head. “The first thing I did was catch Eri, you brat,” he retorted. “And respect your father. He’s your elder.”

Makoto whined as they entered the house, but followed after Taiki to the living room where the others were with warm drinks, Eri wrapped in a thick blanket. 

She opened it for Makoto to share with her and he immediately leaped at the chance. 

Taiki spoke in depth with Mother and Father about his treatment plan for Eri, which would begin as soon as possible. It would require transfusions for a while, and regular shots and blood testing to make sure everything was going well.

The good part was that Taiki had a private license, so he wasn’t required to go through a hospital to treat Eri. He was able to take care of her at home 24/7. He was able to set it up so she could be in her bedroom for the duration of her transfusions.

He remained close by as well, staying with Takuya and Makoto. After the realization from Mother and Father, which had been very quick on their part as told from the knowing glances within days of Taiki’s return home, little changed. 

Mother hugged him tightly, pressing a kiss to his cheek as she did so. “I’m very proud of you for being so strong all these years,” she told him. 

Father had simply locked eyes on Takuya, a hand, firm but gentle, on Taiki’s shoulder. “My son is a good man. I do hope you’re one as well.”

That had been the end of it, until Taiki had officially told them and Eri that he was gay. Eri hadn’t understood well, and remained confused after Taiki told her he only liked boys romantically.

“Oh,” Eri said, blinking at him owlishly. “Was that a secret?”

Mother looked horrified, but Taiki could only laugh, because of course Eri would have known. Of course.

Eri’s only concern throughout the entire conversation was if it meant Taiki didn’t like her anymore. Once that had been squashed down, Eri had been perfectly fine.

Taiki had been home for four months, four months of living with Takuya and Makoto, before he managed to work up the courage to ask something that had been on his mind. 

He and Takuya laid in Takuya’s bed, their bed, freshly showered and in pajamas. Takuya flipped through a book, absently running his fingers through Taiki’s hair occasionally. 

“What am I to you?” Taiki asked as Takuya ran his fingers through Taiki’s hair. 

Takuya stopped and closed the book, setting it in his lap. His brows furrowed in Taiki’s direction. “I had assumed by now us being lovers was a given,” he said. 

Taiki sighed and waved his hand. “Lover makes me feel like a side piece. Boyfriends is so much easier and more casual,” he said. “But I suppose if it’s too casual for you Mr. Professor, I also like partner. But, also, not what I meant. I mean, you obviously like women. I am not, in any capacity, a woman. I just…” Taiki folded his arms under his chin, tilting his head to look at Takuya’s face. “I guess what I mean is… is it just women and I’m the exception? Do you just like men too? But if you try to tell me you’re gay now I’m going to be upset because your sexuality doesn’t just change when you start dating someone. I knew I was gay by the time I was eight, and I wasn’t dating anyone at that age.”

Takuya was quiet as he put the book on the bedside table. He pulled his glasses off and put them on top of the book, rubbing his eyes and the bridge of his nose. After a heavy moment, he sighed. “You like asking difficult questions, brat,” he said, opening his eyes. “I’ve never thought about it before. I liked women and that was normal enough for myself and my family, so if I ever had feelings for men before you, they were too arbitrary to remember.”

Taiki hummed, leaning his head on Takuya’s leg and getting a vision full of purple pillow for his effort. “That’s fair, I guess…” he grumbled, not entirely happy with the answer, but also not surprised. He was dating a presumed straight by larger audiences character, what was he supposed to expect?

Takuya leaned down and kissed Taiki’s head. “I don’t know now, but I’ll think about it, and when I come to an answer, you’ll be the first to know. Does that satisfy you?”

“…Yes.” Takuya chuckled as Taiki pulled him down into a laying position. “Sleep now,” Taiki ordered. “We both have long days tomorrow.”

Takuya smirked as he removed Taiki’s glasses and flicked the lamp off. “Such a long day, playing with your sister and conversing with your parents�" I don’t envy it at all.”

Taiki lightly shoved Takuya, but both resorted to giggles before slowly relaxing.

The most pressing problem was that… Makoto was an idiot.

Taiki didn’t like saying that about children, but… Taiki had been living with them for the greater part of a year, and Makoto still hadn’t particularly caught onto the fact Taiki was sticking around.

Taiki blamed it on the fact Makoto was suffering from Protagonist Syndrome. Or, at least, was oblivious to everything going on around him when it didn’t involve him.

But Taiki was too amused by the situation to inform Makoto and instead had taken to tormenting him by just existing, leaving all explanations to Takuya.

Fall was coming upon them once again. Eri was eleven and had been going through nine months of treatments. She was getting better. She had more energy now, still not as much as other kids like Makoto (who seemed to be filled with boundless energy, and that probably was abnormal too and should be checked out), but she spent more of her hours awake than asleep now. She was able to walk to the nearby convenience store or park with Makoto on occasion, as long as they took an adult or Patch (who acted as Taiki’s eyes and ears when he wasn’t around), though the children didn’t need to know that.

There was still a long way to go, but Taiki was feeling confident that it was working.

Taiki stood in the kitchen, having barely returned from a long night of tending to Eri. He poured a cup of coffee while he listened to eggs sizzle on the stove. He yawned so wide that even Patch, sitting sleepily by Taiki’s feet, yawned as well.

“Tired?” Taiki asked, petting Patch’s head.

“I don’t need to sleep,” Patch said, yawning and slumping against Taiki. “You work too much, Master…”

Taiki chuckled, taking a drink from his mug. The coffee was bitter on his tongue as he began plating the breakfast and setting it out on the dining table. A tumble of footsteps could be heard coming down the hall and Taiki managed to slide out of the way before a small body could run into him.

“Whoa Dad, you made- Why are you here!?” Taiki was too tired to even react to Makoto’s shriek, standing in the doorway and pointing at Taiki. 

“Good morning to you too,” Taiki drawled. He really needed sugar or something in this coffee. Well, he probably shouldn’t have even been doing coffee in the first place, tea would have been better. He needed to go to bed…

Takuya came up behind Makoto, gently pushing Makoto forward to get into the dining room. “I didn’t expect you to be up so early,” he said, wrapping an arm around Taiki in a gentle hug and pressing a kiss to his cheek.

Taiki yawned, trying to cover it with his hand and but not succeeding. “Haven’t gone to bed yet,” he said. “Though I’d make breakfast since I was up already.”

Takuya rubbed the dark bruises under Taiki’s eyes while taking the still almost full coffee mug out of Taiki’s hand. “Go to bed, get some rest,” he said. “You’ve had a long night.” Taiki made obligatory incomprehensible complaints about the stolen coffee until it was placed on the counter.

Taiki leaned on Takuya, nodding sleepily. “Yeah… There’s bentos for you two in the kitchen, don’t forget them. And wake me up when you�"" Another yawn cut him off, eyes trying to close where he stood. “When you come back from work. Need to�" Eri.”

“Yes, yes,” Takuya said, turning Taiki towards the door. “Go to bed. Don’t make me tuck you in.”

“Mmm, sounds temping, though…” Taiki waved while leaving the room, heading up to Takuya’s bedroom. Despite there being a dog bed placed in the kitchen next to a heater for Patch’s convenience, Patch followed after Taiki. 

Makoto just stared between the two adults in confusion. “Adults are so weird!” he exclaimed. “Why does he keep spending the night? Doesn’t he have somewhere else to go!? And why does he keep coming out of your bedroom!? We have other rooms!”

To Takuya’s credit, he kept a perfectly calm face. It was something he was going to need to have a conversation with Makoto about, and soon. He knew Taiki was amused, but it was starting to go on a little too long. Makoto was eleven, now. 

“Adult things,” Takuya said instead. “Come eat. Don’t waste his hard work.”

Makoto grumbled, sitting at the table and eating his breakfast. It was, unfortunately, delicious. He picked at his food, Takuya doing the same. 

Takuya stopped eating, putting down his chopsticks as he quietly watched Makoto for a moment. It took several beats for Makoto to realize he was being looked up. Midbite, he looked up and swallowed thickly.

Takuya sighed, folding is hands in front of him. “Makoto, how much do you remember of your mother?”

Makoto’s brows furrowed, mouth opening just a bit as he though deeply. “Mom… She… was really pretty. She liked… flowers. And red. She had this… red nail polish she’d always wear, and a favorite jacket that was… dark red, I think. It smelled like mint when she hugged me. It was always warm. She read to and played with me all the time. But then she… was gone.”

Takuya’s expression became complicated as Makoto talked. “And what do you think about Taiki?”

Makoto shrugged. “I dunno. He’s a stupid onii-san that likes to tease me.”

Takuya nodded solemnly. “I see…” He sighed. “Makoto, I think you’re blending memories.” Makoto tilted his head in confusion. “The red jacket that smelled like mint- It was Taiki’s high school jacket. That nail polish is his as well. Your mother… wasn’t very fond of books.”

Makoto jumped to his feet, unable to even speak from the shock. His eyes were wide, body frozen. “No… That’s… It’s not true… Mom…” His memories of the years Taiki had babysat him were hazy at best, but the part as clear as day was that the person in the red jacket had always felt warming and loving, but the one that existed in the background was cold. Not mean, but it was clear they didn’t want to be there.

That had to have been Taiki, right? Because Mom loved him, and Taiki had been a teenager and stupid and didn’t want to be around Makoto at all, not when he had Eri to spend time with�" But Dad had said�"

A small, reserved smile made its way to Takuya’s face. “Taiki has cared about you longer than I realized,” he said. “That’s… good.”

“Good!?” Makoto shrieked. “I’m�" I�" He’s�"!” He fell back into his chair. 

Takuya gave Makoto a few moments to gather his thoughts before speaking again. “Taiki is my partner, like your mother used to be.”

“You married him!?” Makoto seemed paler at the idea of that more than anything else.

Takuya chuckled. “No, not quite,” he said. “However, we are in a committed relationship. For the foreseeable future… he’ll be here with us. He’s going to be part of our lives for a long while, son.”

Makoto cringed and half rolled his eyes, sticking his tongue out like he’d just witnessed something disgusting. “Does that mean he’s my new mom?” he complained. 

The visual of Makoto calling out for Taiki using “Mom!” and Taiki coming in with a frilly apron entered Takuya’s mind. He chuckled, but kept the visual to himself.

“No, I don’t think he would be pleased to be called that,” he said. “Just call him as you usually do.” Takuya looked down at his black and gold watch. “You’d better hurry it up or you’ll be late. Don’t forget your bento.”

Makoto groaned. “Yes, Dad…”

He jumped up and grabbed the bento from the kitchen counter before practically running out of the house towards his school. 

He grumbled the entirety of the day, unable to stop thinking about the conversation with his father. Taiki-onii was an idiot. A few of his classmates were getting into relationships (none that lasted very long, but Makoto supposed most relationships were like that�" which was a nice thought, because that meant that Taiki wouldn’t be around very long after all), so he knew a little bit about them. One classmate had described her crush as feeling warm and safe, and your heart beats really fast, and you get shy around them, so you blush a lot more. Another had said it was more along the lines of wanting to show off your good points, wanting to protect the person you cared about, though he also agreed with the fast heartbeat.

Thinking about that made Makoto gag, because his dad felt that? For Taiki Kuroda? Gross.

And wasn’t that dangerous anyway? Taiki had always told Eri she couldn’t move fast or get excited because if her heart started beating too fast it might burst. Makoto hadn’t understood that as a kid, but she’d die if that happened, right?

Adults were weird if that happened and they still went out looking for love.

Makoto’s thoughts drifted to Eri, as they did most days. It was a shame that she couldn’t go to school, though it was for the better, really. What if she met a boy a got a crush on him? Her heart probably wouldn’t be able to take it…

Makoto tried to think about what Eri would look like if she had a crush. Would she be one of the shy people who blushed, or one of the more outgoing ones who tried to show off? He could picture her blushing and stammering better than he could picture her trying to swing super high or kick a ball super hard.

The image of Eri shyly giving a confession (which in his mind had totally accidentally been aimed at him, no way was that on purpose) popped into Makoto’s head and he felt his cheeks go hot. He tried to hide them in his arms, leaning down on his desk to bury his face in his arms.

He swallowed thickly, gripping at his sweater. His heart was beating really fast, and he felt all hot. And he really, really did want to protect Eri. She was his best friend! But… did he have a crush on her?

Makoto swallowed again. Dad had kissed Taiki on the cheek that morning, and they were a couple. If he kissed Eri on the cheek, would that make them a couple? Would she even want kissed on the cheek?

He’d been trying to eat outside yesterday, but one of the third years of the connected middle school had been trying to give another a confession and the event had ended in tears, so Makoto knew it was entirely likely that she might not. But what if she did?

The thought had him blushing even more.

His lunch was, unfortunately, not destined to be had in peace.

“Whoa, did your mom make that for you!?” Makoto looked up with a frown at the boy who’d spoken, a newer redheaded student who Makoto had never learned the name of. He was currently ogling Makoto’s open bento.

“No!” Makoto shrieked, pulling the bento away from him defensively. “He’s not my mom!” Not only was Taiki a guy, but he wasn’t going to be around super long (as proven by the current relationships surrounding Makoto).

The boy whined, sitting heavily in the chair across from Makoto. “Geez, you’re so lucky your dad makes you food,” he said. “My dad’s terrible at cooking, so Mom banned him from the kitchen.”

He pulled out his own bento, having apparently decided that he was going to eat with Makoto and chat his ear off.

“I don’t even know you,” Makoto said, not touching his food but instead staring at the boy.

The boy swallowed his large bite, grinning doggishly at Makoto. (He was reminded of Patch, which was bad because thinking about Patch made him think about Taiki which made him think about Eri and no, he was not blushing again�")

“I’m Rin Ueda, nice to meetcha,” Ueda said, pointing his thumb at his chest. He blinked at Makoto. “This is where you tell me ya own name.”

Makoto grumbled. “Makoto Takeuchi,” he said, leaning heavily on his hand. Red was a bad color.

Ueda’s grin widened. “Heya, can I try a bite?”

“No way!” Makoto said, holding his bento close once again. He might not like Taiki, but he wasn’t going to let anyone know his sworn enemy could make good food. No one else needed to suffer the knowledge that such a loser made something edible.

Ueda complained about Makoto’s selfishness for a few more minutes, but then went on to other topics for the remainder of lunch, hardly taking a break to inhale his food. Makoto would have found him annoying, but, well, it was better than the sobbing third year from the day before.

When school was over, Makoto walked into the house, finding Taiki talking to Patch in the living room. Makoto had noticed he did that on occasion, talk to the dog like it would actually respond. Well, considering the timing of some of Patch’s barks and growls, it wasn’t much of an odd assumption. What kind of friendless loser mastered talking to a dog like that? Makoto was really sad for Eri to have that kind of brother.

Taiki finished pulling on his jacket just as Makoto entered the living room. He looked up with a tilted grin. “Ah, welcome home. I’m about to head home to see Eri. Are you coming?”

Makoto’s face flushed a bright red, but he nodded so quickly Taiki was momentarily worried about his neck. “Y-Yeah! I’m coming!”

Taiki snorted, but waited by the door for Makoto to throw his backpack in his bedroom and join him through the garden door. Eri was sitting out on the back steps with a book, biting on her thumb as she read intently and the red and gold leaves fell around her. 

She immediately looked up as the latched door opened, getting to her feet. “Nii-chan! Mako-chan!” she cheered, coming closer to them, though refraining from running. 

Makoto hid a bit behind Taiki, cheeks still pink, hand going to clutch at the fabric over his heart. Taiki hummed in amusement, putting his hands on his hips. 

“You know, you should start calling her Auntie,” Taiki said, closing his eyes and tilting his head as he grinned. 

Makoto’s jaw dropped and he jumped out from behind Taiki to start hitting Taiki’s arm. “Why would I do that!?”

“Do what?” Eri asked, bouncing on the balls of her feet as she looked between Taiki and Makoto.

“I told him to call you Auntie,” Taiki said, opening his eyes, entirely unphased by Makoto’s attack. 

Eri’s eyes sparkled as she slapped her hands on her cheeks, turning to Makoto. “Do it! Call me Auntie!”

Makoto blushed when she leaned into his space, but went pale at her demand. “No- No way!”

Eri pouted, curling her hands into fists at her sides and stomping her foot. “Call me Auntie!”

“No way! That’s weird!”

“Why is it weird!? I wanna be called Auntie Eri!”

“No way! You’re just a kid! Aunties are old!”

“That’s why it’s funny, Mako-chan!”

Taiki watched the two in amusement as Eri continued to demand Makoto referred to her as his aunt, going as far as to grab his arm and shake him, but Makoto became redder and redder, getting too flustered to even coherently speak.

“Come along now,” Taiki said, patting Eri’s head to distract her from her assault. “Go on inside so we can do your check-up. The sooner it gets done, the sooner we can all play.”

“Yes, nii-chan!” Eri exclaimed, going towards the house.

Makoto made to follow her, but Taiki stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. Taiki leaned down so his head was on Makoto’s other side, chuckling and grinning devilishly. “It’s much harder to date her when she’s your aunt, isn’t it?” he said.

“Wha- Date!?” Makoto shrieked. “I don’t wanna date her! That’s weird!”

Taiki chuckled. He may not hate Makoto, but he was very unimpressed with the child who almost got his sister killed. Makoto still had a long way to go before he would ever have a shot at being worthy of Eri, and Taiki wasn’t going to make pursuing her easy, if that’s what Makoto had in mind.

He pinched Makoto’s cheek. “Sure, keeping telling yourself you don’t have a crush on her. That’s fine by me. Maybe we’ll both believe it one of these days.”

He walked off towards the house, cackling as he left a spluttering Makoto to run after him.

Eri’s health continued to improve, her body getting stronger every day, making it easy to do many of the things she once had never been allowed to do. 

The last piece of Taiki’s treatment could not be done at home, however, but instead in the hospital. While her body itself had recovered and strengthened, her heart was too weak after the many years it had suffered.

Eri had a transplant at thirteen. 

Everyone worried throughout the surgery, sticking close to phones and even the waiting room while she was in surgery. There were cheers all around when Taiki returned to tell them it had gone well, and she was expected to recover quickly.

That June, Taiki joined Takuya for Makoto’s middle school sport’s festival.

“What all is he doing?” Taiki asked as they walked around, looking for the boy. 

“The relay race,” Takuya said, looking at the handwritten list Makoto has pressed into his hand just the night before. “It looks like the ball toss and tug-of-war as well. Oh look, there he is.”

Takuya pointed to a rope sectioning off the racetrack from the regular field and the two made their way over to Makoto. Makoto grinned brightly as they joined him. 

“Dad!” he exclaimed. “The hundred-meter dash is about to start.”

“Nice,” Taiki said, setting their bento boxes down at their feet. “Anyone we should be rooting for?”

Makoto shrugged. “No one from my class is doing it, I don’t really care.”

A loud horn blew out at the opposite end of the track, and a commotion could be heard that wasn’t just the students running. Between all the school sanctioned gym uniforms of white and red was a girl in regular blue gym shorts and a bright green shirt, black baseball cap tugged over her head, though it did nothing to hide her silver braid.

Most of the students were faster than her, but with her outfit so bright compared to everyone else, she was eye catching. As she passed by where the trio stood, silver hair lifted on the wind, wrapped in a ponytail.

Makoto and Takuya’s eyes widened, but Taiki just put his hands in his pockets and smirked. 

“Eri!?” Makoto shrieked.

She did not cross the finish line first, or any number that mattered. But she crossed it, laughing and cheering and face upturned towards the sun with the brightest smile Taiki had ever seen. 

She pressed a hand to her chest, right above where her heart was, and Taiki could feel his own beating in tandem with her’s.

She met Taiki’s eyes from across the track, gaze watery despite the bright smile.

“Nii-chan, I did it! I ran my race!”