赤

Somehow his voice always sounds soft to me. Rising and falling, pushing and pulling you towards him like the ocean's wave. Drawing you closer. You can help but give him a second look, so I do. He sleeps now. No words for the moment. Just a light rise and fall of his chest. Everything in his life and his persona seems to rise and fall. But as always, he breaks gently.

Like the waves.

I whisper his name...but I don't know if I do it to wake him, to lull him, or simply to hear it as it slips from my lips. "Aka..."

"mmmn..." A sound so quiet. He rolls onto his back and my heart stops. I look at him, so small now. So frail. His arms are like broomsticks and his fingers have become broken toothpicks carelessly taped to hinge into a small fist-like shape. He looks as though it pains him to breathe. The rhythmic motion of his respiratory activities look almost too much to handle for something so delicate. Or do I simply wish him to not have to bother with such trivial things as breathing? Wouldn't it be lovely to breathe for him? To take his breath away...

Oh, hopeful dreamer. Do not misplace your intentions. Here I say that I wish to help him in all honesty and end with something that pertains only to my own wishes and fantasies. But, I suppose everything living shows a hint of selfishness. How I've lost myself in all this. I haven't even noticed that he woke up.

"Chase?"