They had been talking for hours, and before they realized it, the sun had set. Haruki listened intently to every one of the few words Sota spoke, and Sota? He was surprised at himself. Never before had he spoken with someone for so long. He hadn't even known he was capable of it. Let alone that anyone might actually care about what he had to say.
"I suppose we should go home," Haruki remarked, stood up, and held out a hand to help Sota to his feet. Sota smiled when he saw the hand and took it. Yet there was one problem: he had no home. And the thought of returning to the sea filled the Omega with deep unease.
"This is going to sound strange, but I don't have a home."
Haruki exhaled quietly and ran a hand through his hair. That made Sota nervous—after all, the Omega immediately assumed Haruki wouldn't want to have anything more to do with him. But the Alpha was wondering instead if his new friend had perhaps suffered an accident, leaving him with memory problems. The name Ebisu, the questions he asked, the way he behaved and reacted to things that were otherwise trivial—all of it seemed to Haruki as though Sota might need help.
"Well, uh… I'm not some kind of creep, okay? But if you want, you can stay with me until you remember where you live, or something?"
The young Alpha already felt a little embarrassed saying it. Especially since he really liked Sota. He had seen plenty of Omegas in his life, but this one stirred a warm, unfamiliar feeling inside him that he couldn't quite place.
Sota, however, shook his head at Haruki's words. "I really don't have a home. It's not that I can't remember. But I gladly accept your gift!"
Immediately, he bowed deeply, painting another shade of red across Haruki's cheeks.
"N-Not at all!" Haruki stammered, helping the smaller one back into an upright position. Sota looked at the Alpha and simply smiled with joy. "Okay, let's go!"
Sota felt a pleasant tingling run through his body, and after a brief moment of thought, he simply hooked his arm through Haruki's. For a moment, Haruki looked surprised at the gesture, but then walked along with him.
Why am I so nervous? Idiot… What's he going to think of me if I act like this?
Those were just a few of the thoughts Haruki wrestled with as they made their way to his small, old car.
Sota, meanwhile, stared at it as though he had just spotted a UFO. "Wooah, what kind of thing is this?"
Strange as the question sounded to Haruki, Sota managed to ask it in such an innocent and endearing way that Haruki set aside his urge to question him further.
"Uh, yeah, that's my car. Nothing special, but it drives and serves me well!"
Sota nodded eagerly and could not stop marveling as Haruki opened the door for him. "Thank you!" Haruki smiled, but still couldn't stop thinking about Sota's peculiarities.
Just as he was wondering how to address all of Sota's odd reactions, the boy suddenly stretched out an arm, pointing toward the skyscrapers glowing brightly in the distance.
"Look! Wow, so big and beautiful! What are those buildings? Are they temples? They look so beautiful!"
Haruki flinched at the sudden outburst, not having expected it, but then sighed audibly with a smile. "You really are a little… unusual…"
Sota tilted his head at those words. Haruki stole a glance at him and was immediately captivated by the sight.
Lovesick fool… what's wrong with you?! he scolded himself silently.
"I, um… I didn't mean it in a bad way. It just feels like you're from another time or something." He laughed awkwardly and waited for Sota to confirm that such an idea was ridiculous and impossible.
"I think that's because I am from another time… it's, well… I can barely remember… I mean, I remember my home, I remember that one day when I…"
He broke off and pressed his lips together. "That sounds weird, doesn't it?"
Haruki nodded. "It actually sounds pretty crazy!"
Sota's face fell with worry, doubt creeping deeper into him. "I'm sorry, you can just take me back if you want…"
The Alpha raised both brows and shook his head. "Ah, I shouldn't have brought it up in the car, I'm sorry, that was my mistake. I just… I can't think clearly when I look at you…"
He stopped abruptly, wishing he could smack himself for saying something so foolish. "That's not what I meant! I meant…!" He cut himself off again and sighed in frustration. "I'm an idiot… I believe you…"
But instead of rejecting him, Sota burst out laughing. Loud and heartfelt. "You really are sweet. I feel better than I ever have since being near you. Truly! You can ask me anything you like, maybe it will help me remember—or find out what I've become…"
A little later, they reached a rather barren part of town. The buildings were worn down, and it was the sort of neighborhood people usually avoided. All the better that Sota didn't know such things.
"Over there…" Haruki went ahead and opened the door to an apartment. Though the building looked run-down from the outside, his place was tidy, if modestly furnished. And since Sota had never seen such things before, he marveled at every detail as though he had stepped into Disneyland.
"And this is your bed? Many people sleep here? Ten?"
Haruki laughed and shook his head. "Just me. Well. And you. I mean… if you want. Otherwise, I'll sleep on the couch. But first…"
He looked him over. Just the thought of Sota wearing clothes far too big for him made Haruki's heart flutter.
"I'll bring you some clothes so you can change!"