Work Text:
Exhaustion seeped into every limb and organ of Saiki’s body. Stopping a volcanic eruption was just about the only thing that ever posed a serious challenge to the psychic, and now all he could do was lay on the ground. He hated that he had to do this whole thing twice. Somehow, he felt even more tired on his second attempt. At least now, his friends wouldn’t walk up on him and discover his abilities.
Aiura still crouched beside him, with tears in her eyes, and held him against herself in a tight, relieved hug. With no one else in sight, Saiki felt like he could enjoy it just a little more.
When she released his shoulders, she gave him a smile and offered her hand to him, to help him to his feet. He took her hand and she pulled him up. He stumbled and she caught him.
“Whoa,” she said. “Careful, Kusuo. I guess even a psychic like you needs rest, right?”
Saiki frowned. He felt like his legs were made of coffee jelly, which while delicious, wasn’t really practical for walking. If only Toritsuka had done his job and kept his friends away the first time, he wouldn’t have had to travel back in time and execute the whole mission a second time, and he wouldn’t be so damn weak now.
Aiura didn’t let go of his shoulders right away and he realized that he was swaying slightly as he stood on the hillside. This is a little scary. I’ve, like, never seen him like this… Aiura put on a brave face, though. “You’ve worked hard enough today. I’ll give you a piggyback ride back to your hotel.” She turned around and gestured to her back, crouching for Saiki to hop on.
If he didn’t feel like he would collapse at any moment, he would have outright refused. But instead, he shuffled forward slightly until his hands were on her shoulders. She crouched lower, reached her hands back to grab for his thighs.
She stood up slowly, lifting him with the strength in her legs. “You’re, like, not that heavy at all,” she remarked.
Saiki hummed, slumping onto her shoulder. The truth was, he was using what little strength he had to levitate his body. It was like Aiura was carrying him through a swimming pool, his body weight floating ever so slightly.
“I’ll get us back into town in no time,” she said, pacing herself as she strutted toward the buildings in the distance. “Then you can sleep all day if you wanna, okay?”
Saiki nodded against her neck, and he could feel her fingers pressing into his legs, hands flexing with determination.
He could feel himself fighting the sleep which so seriously wanted to overtake him. As much as he wanted to submit, he knew as soon as he did, his full body weight would hit her and cause an accident, so he kept his blurry eyes open.
But suddenly, they were at his hotel, the ding of the elevator door alerting him to the fact that he would soon be back in his room. What happened?
As he resurfaced, he realized that in spite of his best efforts, he had passed out on Aiura’s back. How had she managed to carry him all this way? He saw her face reflected in the doors of the elevator, cheeks flushed with effort and little beads of sweat sticking her bangs to her forehead. She had managed it, all on her own. “You’re awake,” she noted. “We’re totally almost there, okay? Just a little longer, and you can crawl into bed.”
He couldn’t remember the last time he had cried. Maybe it was because he was so over-exhausted, maybe it was that he felt guilty for Aiura carrying his full weight all this way, or maybe it was just that he was grateful, but for the first time in countless years, Saiki had to blink back tears. “Thank you,” he said, a little hoarse as he spoke around the lump in his throat.
The sound of his voice startled Aiura a little bit, but she recovered. “No prob. I swear, you’re like totally weightless,” she lied.
When at last Aiura hoisted him off of her back and deposited him onto his bed in the hotel room, Saiki immediately fell back asleep, the bed too comfortable and his muscles stretched too thin to do anything else. And when he woke up to a dark and quiet room, the others not having returned for the evening yet, he wondered if this is what Aiura was talking about, because he could swear that he did feel pretty weightless after all.