[drabble] Forever
Title: Forever
Author: Luna (dreamweavernyx )
Pairing: Inoobu
Genre: Fluff/Angst
Notes: Request for Saki (shiroikazex ).
~
He reaches out hesitantly, and brushes his fingers against the cool glass of the photo frame sitting by his bedside table.
Two faces beam out at him, a memory of the last time they’d seen each other.
“I’m going to America for an immersion programme.”
The words loop endlessly in his head, as though it’s the only thing preventing him from forgetting the sound of Inoo’s voice completely.
Inoo.
Just the simple name causes Yabu’s heart to clench.
I miss him so much.
He looks away from the photograph.
Yabu’s eyes land on his handphone, lying on his desk.
“Don’t call me,” he can still remember Inoo say, “overseas calls are really expensive! Anyway, I’ll be back soon.”
They say absence makes the heart grow fonder. Yabu figures whoever came up with that must have been nuts. He’s experiencing it now, and as far as he can tell, absence makes the heart hurt.
Screw expenses, he thinks, this is definitely much more important.
He dials Inoo’s number.
The ringtone drags on for a while before Inoo finally picks up on the other end.
“Kou-chan?” he asks, curiosity lacing his voice.
Yabu says nothing, simply glad to hear Inoo’s voice again.
“…Kou-chan? Hello?”
“Hey,” Yabu says at last.
He can hear Inoo laugh softly on the other end.
“Isn’t it past midnight already in Tokyo?”
“I couldn’t sleep.”
“Kou-chan!” Inoo mock-scolds, “sleep is precious! Go count sheep or something!”
Yabu pouts, even though he knows Inoo can’t see him.
“But it doesn’t work,” he whines into the receiver, “I can’t sleep because I miss you.”
There is a great noise which Yabu takes as a sigh, and he can just imagine Inoo rolling his eyes now.
“Kou-chan, the programme’s only for two weeks more. It’s not like I’m gone for a year or something.”
Yabu is silent for a while, before he speaks again, voice wavering slightly.
“Last night,” he begins, “I had a dream.”
“Yeah?”
“I dreamt,” continues Yabu, trying not to let the horror of that nightmare overtake him, “that you died in America.”
Inoo is silent, and suddenly the fear that Inoo might have been offended strikes his heart.
“Oh, Kou-chan,” Inoo murmurs, voice full of comfort and warmth, “you know I wouldn’t die. We’re going to grow old together, aren’t we?”
“I know that!” says Yabu, “but it was just so real, that dream, and I suffered through the whole of today with that in my mind. I just had to call you.”
When Inoo speaks again, his voice is soft.
“I won’t leave you, Kou-chan.”
Yabu clutches the phone tightly.
“You promise?”
“Yeah, I do.”
Yabu bites his lip.
“Don’t say ‘I do’. That’s only for the present.”
Inoo laughs, a melodic sound - even with static interference - which melts away the horror of the nightmare in Yabu’s heart.
“Okay, I will. I have always been with you, I won’t leave you, and I’ll always be right by your side, standing by you. Forever.”
“Me too,” replies Yabu, “we’ll always be with each other.”
“Mmm.”
Yabu smiles, as the call ends with a quiet click.
He sleeps dreamlessly that night, and wakes up with a smile on his face.
~
When Inoo steps out into the throng of people waiting for passengers at Narita Airport, he is almost-instantly spotted by an observant Yabu.
“Welcome back,” murmurs Yabu, hugging Inoo tightly. “Missed me?”
Inoo laughs, untangling himself from Yabu’s arms.
“No.”
Yabu’s face falls for a moment, and Inoo pats his cheek.
“Why would I have missed you?” asks Inoo, “After all, you’re always with me, aren’t you?”
He raises his free hand to place it on his chest.
“You’ll always be here, in my heart.”