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Kiryu wakes up the morning after the concert.
Haruka sees him first, having been by Kiryu’s bedside the whole night. Majima, meanwhile, had stayed vigil outside Kiryu’s room, giving a mean glare to any and all who’d passed by. So, when Haruka clambers out of the room with a shaky voice, calling for a nurse, Majima projects loud enough for the entire floor to hear. Nurses and the like flood the room and tend to the waking patient.
The next person who sees Kiryu awake is Akiyama, probably the only one involved in this whole debacle who can be assed to wake up before 10am. The visit is fairly brief, with Akiyama checking in on both father and daughter. Majima pretends to be asleep when he walks out — no hate to the guy, but Majima doesn’t wanna deal with his small talk.
Next is, surprisingly, Shinada Tatsuo. Majima knows the guy from his first and last homerun, and all the pissing and shitting clansmen did when he got caught in the big scandal following. Majima guesses that’s why he’s involved at all. That or the fact that he apparently knows Daigo, considering he’d come from Daigo’s room — Majima has got to know what that’s about. His visit is quicker than Akiyama’s, and a glare from Majima is enough for Shinada to avoid him.
The detective arrives at around noon. He spends a much longer time in the room than either of the previous visitors. Probably because he’s known Kiryu and Haruka the longest. For the record, Majima has known Kiryu way longer than Date, but whatever. Kiryu has his friends, Majima has his own.
Well. He has Saejima. Daigo, if he’s pushing, but he’s more of Kiryu’s friend than Majima’s in the grand scheme of things. So yeah, probably just Saejima, in retrospect…
Speaking of Saejima, the guy finally arrives not long after Date goes back to work. Now, Majima knows the guy had to smooth over clan business in lieu of either Majima or Daigo, but Majima had been dead. And yeah, Saejima may have known him too well to know he wasn’t actually dead, but he was basically dead. Saejima should be bawling and hugging him all the time now, like a dog with separation anxiety. Or a tiger, in this case.
Saejima, of course, does none of that, to Majima’s chagrin. He does check in on Majima first, handing over a Smile Burger bag with a straight face. Majima takes it with a pout. He grumbles about Saejima’s lack of concern as he stuffs fries into his face.
“Wasn’t fightin’ to the death enough fer ya?” Saejima asks, “I put all my love into my fists.”
“Ion’ want yer stinkin’ fist love, I want ya to be all like, ‘O Majima, I missed ya, bro! I’m so happy yer alive, bro! How could I ever live without ya, bro?!’” Majima jams another handful of fries into his kisser.
Saejima rolls his eyes. “Next yer gonna ask me for reunion sex.”
“And if I do??”
“I’ll say ya shouldn’t be askin’ me of all people.” Pointedly, Saejima enters Kiryu’s room.
“Feh…”
Saejima also has a short talk with Kiryu before also going to work. Majima taunts him as he leaves.
A few other people show up after that, like Kiryu’s host friends and a guy with a bouquet very clearly from The Florist. Akiyama and Date both show up again after separate occasions. Medical staff make their rounds.
Still, Majima waits outside. He hesitates to go in while Haruka is in there. Partly out of courtesy, partly because he doesn’t really know where he stands with her. A lot of time has passed since Majima had dangerous men kidnap her, but shit like that doesn’t get easily washed away with time. He would know.
Over the course of the day, Haruka has only left the room to get food. She got breakfast while Akiyama was visiting, and she had lunch in the room when Date brought some food with him. So, it’s only when Haruka leaves the room for dinner that Majima swoops in.
He enters the room quietly. Kiryu looks asleep, so Majima makes careful steps toward his bedside. Besides the IV tube and the clip on his finger, it doesn’t look like they hooked him up to much. Must be because of how quickly the guy heals, but then again, Majima can’t see any of the bandages that must be under his clothes.
Kiryu looks… older. There are lines on his face that are so clear in the white light of the hospital. The skin on his face doesn’t look as tight, the bags under his eyes are heavier, he’s even got a bit of an underchin now.
It’s much more sobering than when Majima realised he and Saejima were old. If he didn’t have proof they were still strong before, he at least got it during their fight to the death last night. And he’s sure Kiryu is as strong as ever, but… it’s been years since they’d fought. And the last time he’d seen Kiryu, he looked so alive. Tanned from the Okinawa sun, chest puffed in pride for the clan’s future, his small smiles blinding.
Majima realises that Kiryu had almost died the night before. Not that Kiryu hadn’t had closer scrapes, but he’d always bounced back. Now, it seemed like this recent accident had sapped some life from him. Majima breathes in deep to abide the pinch in his chest.
Then, Kiryu’s eyes flutter. They open with long blinks as he adjusts to the light. He looks at Majima, and the recognition in Kiryu’s eyes brings back all the colour. Majima finds himself falling for Kiryu for the thousandth time. He thanks gods he doesn’t believe in for allowing him the chance to see this man alive and well.
“Majima-no-nii-san…” Kiryu utters, almost reverent, “You’re alive… you’re really alive…”
And Kiryu has always said that he can never get a read on Majima, but here he is, speaking the very words Majima was thinking.
Majima smiles. “Yeah… Thought ya finally got rid o’ me, huh?”
Kiryu shakes his head. “I… Last night, I… Because of me, you… I thought you died. Because of me.”
He lifts his hand and reaches out. His bandaged fingers brush against Majima’s. Majima gently takes hold.
“I heard on the radio that you died…” Kiryu continues, “And I found out that somebody killed you just to get to me, and I was so… and then I heard on the news, about you being at Millenium Tower… Saejima went to save you, and he did, and I trust him, I trusted what everybody said about you, but… you never came…”
Majima laughs in surprise. “Sorry I scared ya.”
Kiryu grips Majima’s fingers a little tighter.
“I was right outside, ya know,” Majima admits.
“That’s what everybody said, but…”
“Wanted to see it to believe it, huh?”
Kiryu nods.
Majima laughs again. “Never thought ya’d miss me so much.”
He says it to tease, to rile Kiryu up, but Kiryu just looks up at him with wet eyes and a squeeze to his hand. “You’re my friend. I don’t want to lose you.”
Kiryu’s cracked lips quirk up into a tiny smile. Majima falls for the thousand and first time.
Majima doesn’t know what to say, so he doesn’t. Kiryu, always a man of few words, follows his lead.
They’re at an impasse. Not fully holding hands, not denying the touch enough for it to be plausibly deniable, and still there’s the layers of bandages and leather keeping their skin apart. Majima wants to look away from Kiryu, but he’s got life in his eyes and it’s so mesmerising there’s nothing else worth looking at. And Kiryu meets him head on, like he always does.
Majima wants to kiss him, suck some of that life for himself, give him whatever of Majima’s life he doesn’t already own, but that would be too much. Kiryu says they’re friends but this reunion is, quite simply, between a master and his dog.
A dog with separation anxiety.
Saejima must have known. Majima had been projecting sooo fuckin’ hard.
At that moment, the door slides open and Haruka walks back in. Kiryu breaks eye contact to look at her and his smile grows so much wider. His fingers slip from Majima’s. His eyes full of life are now filled with love too.
Reality checks back in.
Majima looks at Haruka, Kiryu’s whole world in a single person. He can’t blame Kiryu for his fatherly nature when she’s grown up so well.
“Majima-san,” Haruka addresses him neutrally, “I didn’t think you’d actually come in… Sorry, am I interrupting?”
Majima stuffs his hands in his pockets. “Nah, just got tired o’ standin’ around outside. The princess has come back to the castle, though, so that’s my cue to leave.”
“You don’t need to,” Kiryu remarks.
Dangerous words. They make Majima think Kiryu wants him to stay. Very dangerous.
“Eh, I’m hungry anyway, might as well hit the canteen,” Majima replies, “Maybe go home after that.”
Kiryu’s lips settle back down. “Alright,” he says simply, “Stay safe.” No further objections.
Majima saunters out of the room with a grin and a wave over his shoulder, sliding the door closed behind him.
Coming out of Kiryu’s room to the right is an exit, going from the medical bays to the cafeteria. To the left are a couple vending machines. Majima goes straight to the left and gets himself a Lucky Soda and a bag of chips.
Majima walks back to his spot outside Kiryu’s room and plops down on the bench. He pops open the soda quietly and takes a sip.