Page 55 of Pandion

I don’t know. I’ll go check once all the noise has died down.Kagesawa considered climbing down, but with nowhere safer to go, staying put seemed like the better option. He tried to make himself comfortable.

After a good five minutes of silence, Kagesawa was about to go check whether it was safe to return when they heard a bone-chilling scream from the apartment next to them.

Takazaki?Satoru glanced at Kagesawa and bounced up to see if he could see anything through the small window above him. He froze.

Can you see? What happened?Kagesawa tried to lean closer to look, but the angle was wrong, so all he could see was a corner of the bathtub and the bathroom mirror.

Satoru did not respond. An eerie silence fell around them. Kagesawa pulled Satoru back down, worried that someone in the apartment might notice him staring through the window.

I guess we need to wait a while longer.Kagesawa took a better hold of the downspout next to him and draped his free arm over Satoru’s shoulder.Hang in there. It’ll be over soon.

An hour later the neighbourhood had finally fallen silent. Kagesawa made sure Satoru was holding on properly before he turned the corner and checked whether the apartment was empty. The place was a mess, but no one was there.

It’s safe to come in.Kagesawa reached back for the downspout and peeked around the corner. Satoru was perched on the ledge, eyes fixed to the wall in front of him.Can you move?If not, it would be a challenge getting him back inside.

I don’t know.Satoru hadn’t said anything for a while now, so it was a relief to hear him respond.My fingers feel stiff,he added.

Does it hurt?Kagesawa made his way back onto the ledge.

No. The opposite. I can’t feel them. I’m afraid if I move, I’ll slip…

Satoru had been crouching under the window in a static, awkward position most of the hour they’d been waiting. Kagesawa had been able to stretch from time to time, so he’d fared much better.

Try to stand up and move a little. I’ll hold onto you.Kagesawa wanted to assess the situation through the link, but Satoru had dampened it at some point.Why are you dampening?

“I feel like crap,” Satoru mumbled. He straightened himself and tried to fix his grip.No, that’s not accurate, blue. I feel messed up, 7, more like.He turned to look at Kagesawa.Something happened to Takazaki. We need to go check…

He lurched towards the corner with Kagesawa backing away in front of him, trying to keep him from falling but giving him space to move.

How the hell do we get you over to the window?It was obvious that Satoru wasn’t in any condition to reliably jump over. The first time had been frightening enough, and he’d been less of a mess then.

I might be able to, if you go in first and stretch your arm out to me.Satoru leaned on the downspout and looked ready to fall off at any moment. But the odds would only worsen the longer this took and the more tired he became, so Kagesawa climbed in and held out his hand as far as he could.

Ready?

If I fall, don’t start pining for me, all right?Satoru chuckled.

What the hell—Kagesawa was caught off-guard when Satoru jumped.

Their hands failed to connect.

The sensation of a sleeve brushing against his fingers and slipping out of grasp sent chills down Kagesawa’s spine. He all but threw himself out of the window to reach after Satoru. It left him hanging precariously unbalanced over the window sill, but at least at the end of it Satoru dangled in midair instead of either of them attending an impromptu get-together with the pavement below.

Give me a fucking signal, you ass! Are you trying to get yourself killed?!He managed to help Satoru reach and take a hold of the window sill.

Can you pull me all the way?Satoru looked up at him, helpless.

Kagesawa considered the absurdity of the situation: Not only was he not a body-builder, he was supposed to pull up a full-grown man with no help? And soon, too, since Satoru looked like he might not be able to hold on for much longer.

Fuck. We’re in this shit together, right? You’re gonna have to help me!Kagesawa forced past Satoru’s dampening, flooded him with every bit of the adrenaline-fuelled panic he was feeling, relayed the plan and grabbed him by the wrists.

Satoru’s eyes widened and he kicked the wall for momentum. This almost yanked Kagesawa out the window again, but the kick was enough to help him pull Satoru upwards some ways before he had to release one hand to keep himself from falling. Satoru hit the wall sideways but managed to get one arm over the sill. Once there, it was much easier to help him over the rest of the way.

Kagesawa fell into a panting heap on the floor and released the dampening. Consequently, a wave of numb lethargy washed over him and turned his limbs into strengthless noodles.

“Whoa—!” His head reeled. He turned to look at Satoru, who tried to get up.

“Sorry.” Satoru re-dampened the link, closed his eyes and sat back. “I think I need a moment… ah, I just wanted some sleep.”

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