Point of Presence
Chapter 4: Return
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We waited until the rain no longer fell in sheets to get out of the car. It still fell in cold, heavy drops on us. Touya was remarkably silent, even for himself, as we walked through the slowly-filling parking lot. He seemed not to notice the rain as it began to wet down his hair and begin to make trails down his face. He was definitely not himself today, and didn't bother trying to hide it anymore. Had something, someone upset him? Or was he just not feeling well? Scenario after scenario ran through my mind as I tried to figure out that look in his eyes.
We finally made it into class, taking our seats as the warning bell rang. There was still five minutes until class started,and we were still the only ones in the classroom. I turned to him, and I'm sure there was concern etched into my face. "To-ya, maybe you should go home. You don't look well."
He shook his head slowly. "I'll make it, Yuki." It seemed like all the blood from his face had gathered in his cheeks, leaving the rest with a ghostly pallor. His eyes were glossy and unfocused, like he was hiding an enormous amount of pain from showing. It looked as if it was all he could do not to either pass out or shed tears. Even his teeth were clenched.
Class started, then. As the day wore on, Touya seemed to get worse. Every once in a while, I'd look over, a worried look on my face. He'd notice, glance at me out of the corner of his eye, and smile to reassure me. The last time I looked over, he didn't look back. His eyes were shut tight, and his hands were balled up tight in fists. When he moved his hand, it left a small smear of blood. He'd cut his palm on his own fingernails. I looked frantically up at the Sensei, and immediately succeeded in getting his attention. I flicked my gaze to Touya to let him know what the frightened expression on my face was for.
He halted his lesson, mid-sentence, and the class was soon filled with a speculative sort of silence. "Kinomoto Touya?" he asked tentatively.
"Hai, Sensei?" Touya responded calmly, seeming to relax. Something a little less noticeable than body language told me otherwise. Nothing had changed except his level of control.
"Daijoubu?"
"Hai, Sensei. I'm ... I'm fine." His eyes gave him away again.
"Tsukishiro-San, take Kinomoto-San to the office to get passes and get him home. You've got the homework?"
"Hai," I said gratefully.
"Go on, then." I picked up our books, loading them all into my knapsack. Touya had pushed himself up, and was leaning heavily on the desk. He looked to be pondering whether or not he could make it to the door without any help. I didn't let him decide. He looked down me as I got underneath his arm, making him lean on me. I heard him sigh heavily as we left the classroom. "Gomen, Yuki."
"To-ya," I said gently. "Don't apologize. There's no need to. You did nothing wrong." His head fell forward, his eyes closing, and he let me guide him to the locker room to get our shoes and jackets. After that, it was a three-hall journey to the front office. It took a while, but we did make it eventually.
The secretary on duty took one look at Touya and signed the passes. "Arigatou," I said softly and helped Touya out of the building. By the time we were in the parking lot, I was nearly carrying Touya to the car. His arm was draped over my shoulders, his head resting against mine, like he was too weak to hold it up himself. "To-ya, where are your keys?" He seemed a bit dazed at hearing the question, but he regained enough sense to answer.
"Left pocket. In the blazer." I reached into the pocket, and after a bit of manipulation, I managed to pull the keyring free from between us. I tossed my knapsack in the back of the car, helping Touya into the passenger side. He sank into the seat the second he sat down, letting out another deep sigh. He must've really been hurting. I'd never seen him like this before, and quite frankly, it frightened me. Clow had been like this before he died. I didn't think I could survive a second death like that. The death of someone I cared for as much as Clow. I winced as I remembered that I'd barely survived the first.