Title: not alone
Rating: G
Fandom: Akai Ito
Relationship: Hato Kei/Yumei
Wordcount: 280
Short summary: Due to surprise rain, Yoko visits Kei’s apartment. She’s surprised at how nice it looks thinking that Kei still lives all by herself.
“Phew that rain is something – wow! This place looks good! I was expecting this place to be more doom and gloom.”
“Sheesh. You act like I can’t take care of myself.”
Because of unexpected rain, Kei and Yoko had hurried into Kei’s apartment to dry off. It was a completely unplanned visit; normally they hung out at cafes or cheap food joints or parks. Kei didn’t remember the last time Yoko had visited, but it was before Kei’s mother had passed…
To be fair, this place was extra tidy because Kei happened to have cleaned the apartment the day before. With Yumei also living here, even if Yumei didn’t have a corporeal body, Kei wanted to keep the place livable in case Yumei ever did manage to gain it again, somehow. Of course none of this could be explained to Yoko, who couldn’t see that Yumei was floating next to Kei and had been with them the whole time.
“Well, before…” Yoko sighed. “I really wasn’t sure.”
Yoko looked over at the small dining table still set up with two chairs but only one placemat. Of course Kei only had one placemat out because Yumei didn’t need to eat. But keeping two chairs made sense, even if Yoko probably thought of it as a guest chair.
“Don’t you live alone still?” Yoko turned her attention back to Kei. “Whatever happened on your trip to Hemizuka seems to have lifted your spirits.”
“I guess so.” Kei laughed sheepishly. Everything that happened in Hemizuka, all dangers and complicated stuff aside, did result in this new happiness. Because Kei wouldn’t be home alone, never again, as long as Yumei stayed by her side.