Aki must have just been in his apartment then. Otherwise he wouldn't have come so quickly. Perhaps Shinjiro should be surprised, but he isn't. Not in the end. The text message he had received had seen to that if nothing else.
He's leaning against the apartment wall nearest to the table when he hears the knock—almost moves to answer the door, but stops himself when he sees Miki approach it. He watches her, carefully. Waits to see if she'll open the door herself, because if she can, then good for her. He'll let her if she feels up to it.
But when it becomes obvious she can't—once he lets a small but significant amount of time pass, just in case all she needs is a minute—he leans forward and clears the space between him and the door. Sees her hand shaking again. She's stronger than she was, but some facets of a person's personality don't fade away so easily, if ever at all. And that's okay. He can open a damn door for her. He'll just hope that, the next time around, she'll be ready to do it herself.
His right hand settles on her shoulder, pulling her back, gesturing for her to move a ways behind him, give him space to let Aki in. "I'll do it." He can understand that she's nervous. Still afraid, probably—and a host of other things. He just wishes she didn't have to be afraid of Aki for even a second. He's no one to be afraid of. Ever.
He keeps his voice deliberately low as he reaches for the door handle, quiet enough so only Miki can hear. "He's just your brother. Remember that."
That has never changed. He's not someone she ever has to be afraid of, or feel second-rate to.
He pulls open the door then, not as composed as he would normally be, but he can't help that. Can't pound his uneven voice into submission, can't smooth back the rawness there, nor remove the red from his eyes. "Hey." He looks at Aki briefly as he steps back to let him inside. Doesn't quite make eye-contact with him yet. "There's someone you need to see."
no subject
He's leaning against the apartment wall nearest to the table when he hears the knock—almost moves to answer the door, but stops himself when he sees Miki approach it. He watches her, carefully. Waits to see if she'll open the door herself, because if she can, then good for her. He'll let her if she feels up to it.
But when it becomes obvious she can't—once he lets a small but significant amount of time pass, just in case all she needs is a minute—he leans forward and clears the space between him and the door. Sees her hand shaking again. She's stronger than she was, but some facets of a person's personality don't fade away so easily, if ever at all. And that's okay. He can open a damn door for her. He'll just hope that, the next time around, she'll be ready to do it herself.
His right hand settles on her shoulder, pulling her back, gesturing for her to move a ways behind him, give him space to let Aki in. "I'll do it." He can understand that she's nervous. Still afraid, probably—and a host of other things. He just wishes she didn't have to be afraid of Aki for even a second. He's no one to be afraid of. Ever.
He keeps his voice deliberately low as he reaches for the door handle, quiet enough so only Miki can hear. "He's just your brother. Remember that."
That has never changed. He's not someone she ever has to be afraid of, or feel second-rate to.
He pulls open the door then, not as composed as he would normally be, but he can't help that. Can't pound his uneven voice into submission, can't smooth back the rawness there, nor remove the red from his eyes. "Hey." He looks at Aki briefly as he steps back to let him inside. Doesn't quite make eye-contact with him yet. "There's someone you need to see."