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For a second, Togame hardly recognizes the boy weaving his way through the theater. He's so wrapped up in bandages he looks almost like a mummy. But there's purpose in his step and it's so different from the tired energy emanating from the rest of the building that it catches Togame's attention immediately.
It's a quiet day for the Shishitoren boys. Many of them have spent the entire day in the theater, gladly digging into the emergency snack pantry, and scattered in small groups from the stage all the way up to the mezzanine. Only a few days after the big fight in Makochi and they're still licking their wounds. Togame thinks it's nice that they feel comfortable enough to be around each other while they recover—or that perhaps they want to be around each other while they recover. It's a big step forward. He smiles.
Then he smiles even wider when he notices the Bofurin jacket on the strange boy, and as he draws closer, his even more unmistakable black and white hair. Togame lifts himself up from his seat with a grunt of effort. Sako glances over, likely picking up on the exhausted sound. Togame waves him off lazily. His limbs may still be unfairly sore even days after the fighting, but none of that matters when Sakura is heading his way.
"Sakura," Togame greets warmly, meeting the boy half-way down the main aisle. "It's good to see you."
"Hey," Sakura replies.
There's some heavy bruising under his eyes that makes him look like a raccoon. He has dried blood tracks under his nose. Both sides of his cheeks have bandage patches on them, scrunching his face up rather adorably, but he would probably hate to hear that.
Togame wisely keeps these observations to himself.
"What're you doing here?" Togame asks him instead.
At this, Sakura shifts from foot to foot. He's a bit wobbly doing it. Togame stretches his arms wide, ready to catch him should he fall over. Sakura scowls.
"I wanted to—" he says, then stops. He turns bright red. The sight makes Togame relieved. He can't be hurt too bad if he can still blush like normal. Sakura opens his mouth again. "No, I—I needed to—"
"Check on us?" an excited voice cuts in. Togame shifts to one side, allowing Choji to barrel his way down to them. He brushes past Togame and grabs one of Sakura's hands, shaking it up and down. "Wow, how nice of you! We have such thoughtful allies!"
"Mhm," Togame hums his agreement, pleased and fond. Leave it to Bofurin to—
"No," Sakura says sharply. Choji stops bouncing to tilt his head, and even Togame raises an eyebrow. Sakura averts his eyes, gazing off somewhere past their heads. He looks different suddenly, older than his years. And it's as if he carries some invisible burden on his shoulders that make them slump down so somberly.
"I mean, I'm not here on behalf of Furin or anything. I just. I wanted to thank you. For showing up. We woulda—without you guys, we…" he trails off, then shakes his head, like the thought is unspeakable. He says, "It wasn't your fight and you didn't have to but you still came. So, thanks."
"Well," Choji says. Togame can tell just how confused he is by the way he puffs out his cheeks and hesitates with his words.
He probably doesn't understand why Sakura disagreed. And doesn't have an idea of the distinction Sakura is trying to make either. To Choji, Sakura is Bofurin and Bofurin is Sakura, it's unthinkable for him to separate the two; and a cry for help was always going to be responded to after all they've gone through together.
Togame feels a swell of pride. He really has come so far.
Choji continues, "Well, Ume-chan said we're friends now! That's just what friends do, right, Kame-chan?"
Togame mulls it over. Of course coming to their aid is what friends do. But he thinks that isn't the point of concern to Sakura. Or at least, not all of it.
"Yes," Togame agrees easily. "We're allies and friends. You called so of course we answered."
Sakura's expression goes severe. It's beyond his usual reaction to kind words as he would definitely be sputtering and telling them to shut up by now if it were only that. He's frustrated by something deeper. Togame only has an inkling of what that might be. But he doesn't think Sakura would appreciate Togame calling him on it in front of Choji.
Choji nods. "Right, right. Sakura-chan didn't have to come by to thank us for something we'd do anyway. But it was still nice of you!"
There's a call of their leader's name. It sounds like Wanijima. Beside him, Choji spins around to look.
A lot of former members have been returning to Shishitoren, spurred on by rumors of the upheaval of their principles after their tournament with Bofurin. Choji's, and by extension, Togame's responsibilities have greatly increased. There has even been some reconfiguration of the crew's hierarchy. Wanijima is high up there—reassuming his old position—and these days he often speaks for the returning members as a whole. He would only be calling Choji for something important.
"Sorry, Sakura-chan," Choji says, rubbing the back of his neck and giving the boy a lopsided grin. "I think I gotta go talk to someone about some stuff. See you later!"
Then he rushes away just as excitedly as he had entered.
"I gotta go talk to someone about some stuff," Sakura repeats. Except his expression softens just slightly as he watches Choji go. Togame smiles at him.
"Important stuff, probably," he says.
Sakura scoffs, but finally looks at him again. Mismatched eyes flicker from Togame's head to his feet. "You look like shit," Sakura says.
There he is, Togame thinks, amused. The serious edge has wiped away to reveal their sharp-tongued Sakura again.
"Have you looked in a mirror lately, Sakura?" Togame replies.
"Shut up," Sakura says without any real heat. He blinks a few times and his jaw works like he wants to add more.
Togame waits for him.
"You guys…" Sakura says. "You guys got beat up pretty good."
His gaze lingers on a particularly nasty bruise on Togame's right cheek, where Endo had got him good. The last Togame checked, it is currently a blaring bright blue. Then Sakura tilts his head and does a calculating sweep across the theater at all the others.
Togame thinks, not for the first time, that Sakura really is such a sensitive guy for a punk.
He makes a noncommittal sound, and shrugs. "Everyone knows the risk."
"You took that risk for me," Sakura says.
"You don't ask for a lot so I figured it must be important," Togame replies. He ponders for a second, then adds, "Even if it wasn't important, I still would have come."
Emotions dance on Sakura's face. He's shocked, then guarded, then like he doesn't know what to think anymore. His eyes are glassy.
"Why?" he bursts out.
"I already told you. We're friends. Allies."
"You keep saying that, but…" Sakura trails off. He doesn't get it.
Togame laughs lightly. That's alright. "Well, it's true. Honestly, I'm glad you asked for help. It made me happy."
"You're happy I dragged you into a fight," Sakura repeats flatly.
"I'm glad you felt comfortable enough to ask me for backup," Togame clarifies. Sakura looks down. His fingers clench into fists. Ah, he must be getting through to Sakura now. "I'm glad you could think of me as someone who would help you when you were in trouble."
"I used you!" Sakura spits out, sounding suddenly nauseous.
"No," Togame replies.
Sakura heaves. All the redness drains from his face. Togame doesn't know if it's his injuries catching up to him, or the uncomfortable conversation in general, but he really looks like he might pass out.
"Sakura," Togame says, and he approaches the other boy slowly, like one might for a flighty, scared animal. "Let's sit down."
He wraps one arm around Sakura's back. And it must say something about Sakura's mental and physical state that he lets Togame guide him to a theater seat, and they sit down.
"I'm happy to see you here," Togame says, "But you probably shouldn't have come with all those injuries."
Sakura shakes his head. "I'm fine."
Togame sighs. He's obviously not. In more ways than one. Togame shifts so that his arm rests on the back of Sakura's seat. He's not quite touching Sakura, but he could easily close the gap if he wanted to.
"I've been having trouble with our newcomers," Togame says. Sakura frowns, probably confused about the sudden change in conversation topic, but he's listening. Togame faces forward and absently picks at the cloth on the back of Sakura's seat. "Or maybe I should say: our returning members. A lot of them have come back—they heard about what went down with Bofurin and were curious, hopeful—they want to join us again. But I wasn't good to them back before… well, you know."
It's a very optimistic way to say he kicked them down and kicked them out, with great cruelty, all in the name of Choji. Sakura, kindly, doesn't mention this.
"They don't trust me anymore," Togame continues. "I understand but it still… it doesn't feel good. I want to show them I've changed. I want them to trust me again."
"You have changed," Sakura says finally, his voice raspy. "I saw it."
You caused it, Togame thinks.
"Yes, but you saw it first hand," Togame says instead, "All I have for them is just… words. I've changed. It's so easy to say that, but how can they know for sure?"
"Words can fail but actions don't. You show them you have changed through your actions until—until they have no choice but to believe it," Sakura says strongly, with a hint of duh in his tone. It's a perfect answer. He must have thought about that sort of question before, Togame thinks somberly. "And you better not give up even if it gets tough or I won't know who you are anymore!"
"We can't have that, can we? I'll do it, however long it takes," Togame says, smirking faintly. Sakura nods like he expected no other answer. Togame's chest goes warm with fondness. He adds, "Sakura, I'll continue showing up for you too, you know."
Sakura looks stricken, at that.
He has finally caught on, but Togame can't resist laying it all out bare. It's the least he can do, but Sakura deserves to hear it. "Until you realize what it means that we're friends—hell, until you believe we really are in the first place. I'll continue to show you. I'll continue to come when you call. So just keep calling. Okay?"
Togame brings his arm down from the back of his seat to Sakura's shoulders, and squeezes. Sakura doesn't pull away.
"Okay," Sakura says.