Warnings for major spoilers right from the first sentence, and non-explicit mentions of injury. 415 words.
They walk back together from the hospital, after the final. They start out heading in the right direction, but Peco leads them in twists and turns and infinite diversions, until the sky has gone dark and the people have all gone home. Smile says nothing.
Peco always cries when he loses, yes, but today Peco cried when he won. It felt a little like Smile had finally been able to release a breath he hadn’t known he was holding. Koizumi had come forward, placed his hand on Smile’s shoulder, and said, “I’m so proud.” And Smile had watched the tears roll down Peco’s cheeks, walked to the podium and stood next to him and slightly below, and didn’t realise until his jaw started to ache that he’d been grinning the whole time.
Neither of them mention Peco’s knee, or the way he probably should be resting it, not walking (limping) around the town all night. Smile silently worries, but then again, when doesn’t he?
When the beach comes into view, Smile barely has time to think before Peco is grabbing his hand and running, pulling, tugging, (Smile always being pulled along by him), big uneven limping strides, until they’re both falling, clothes and all, into the icy evening ocean.
Smile sits up and spits out a mouthful of water. There’s a strand of seaweed hanging from his glasses.
Peco laughs and laughs, and soon Smile does too.
Eventually they sit, waist-deep in water and facing out to sea, the toes of Peco’s bright green trainers peeking out of the water every time a wave pulls back before rushing to meet them again. The water drops on Smile’s glasses make it look like there a hundred small and distorted Pecos sitting next to him, fisheyed. He takes them off, folds them carefully, and looks back, the world soft around the edges.
The salty water stings the cut on his leg (like iron, it tastes like iron), cleaning and disinfecting it. There’s an uncomfortable amount of sand in his shorts, but it is what it is. They’re here.
After they’ve sat for a while, (long enough for the cold water to numb Peco’s knee, says nobody) Peco stands, water streaming from his body, wet clothes sticking to his skin. Silhouetted in the glow of the streetlamps from the town, posing, ridiculous and triumphant, Smile thinks that he is every inch the invincible hero he’s always been.
FILL: Team Makishima Yuusuke/Toudou Jinpachi, G
They walk back together from the hospital, after the final. They start out heading in the right direction, but Peco leads them in twists and turns and infinite diversions, until the sky has gone dark and the people have all gone home. Smile says nothing.
Peco always cries when he loses, yes, but today Peco cried when he won. It felt a little like Smile had finally been able to release a breath he hadn’t known he was holding. Koizumi had come forward, placed his hand on Smile’s shoulder, and said, “I’m so proud.” And Smile had watched the tears roll down Peco’s cheeks, walked to the podium and stood next to him and slightly below, and didn’t realise until his jaw started to ache that he’d been grinning the whole time.
Neither of them mention Peco’s knee, or the way he probably should be resting it, not walking (limping) around the town all night. Smile silently worries, but then again, when doesn’t he?
When the beach comes into view, Smile barely has time to think before Peco is grabbing his hand and running, pulling, tugging, (Smile always being pulled along by him), big uneven limping strides, until they’re both falling, clothes and all, into the icy evening ocean.
Smile sits up and spits out a mouthful of water. There’s a strand of seaweed hanging from his glasses.
Peco laughs and laughs, and soon Smile does too.
Eventually they sit, waist-deep in water and facing out to sea, the toes of Peco’s bright green trainers peeking out of the water every time a wave pulls back before rushing to meet them again. The water drops on Smile’s glasses make it look like there a hundred small and distorted Pecos sitting next to him, fisheyed. He takes them off, folds them carefully, and looks back, the world soft around the edges.
The salty water stings the cut on his leg (like iron, it tastes like iron), cleaning and disinfecting it. There’s an uncomfortable amount of sand in his shorts, but it is what it is. They’re here.
After they’ve sat for a while, (long enough for the cold water to numb Peco’s knee, says nobody) Peco stands, water streaming from his body, wet clothes sticking to his skin. Silhouetted in the glow of the streetlamps from the town, posing, ridiculous and triumphant, Smile thinks that he is every inch the invincible hero he’s always been.
Smile stands to meet him.
“Let’s go back.”
And they do.