Saihara's POV:

"What....?" Momota asked tired, his dulled purple eyes stared into mine as he seemed to look more drained, the more time I took to look at him the less I could keep away my fears.

His arms were getting bony, and his cheeks were hallowed. His once full and vibrant hair hung low and parts seemed to have fallen out and his skin had a sickly gray undertone that the large seeping bags under his eyes could barely predict how tired he must have been.

The IV on his arm was also a new addition, followed with a small oxygen mask around his face.

I fumbled over my words trying not to meet his disappointed glance "I'm sorry, I haven't helped him enough. He still...I tried to get him to open up to me, I have Momota...I keep falling short though. I've been trying to get him to open up to a therapist, he goes once a week willingly now...but he still hasn't talked to me, and I feel like such an idiot because I caught him-"

"I'm impressed Saihara" Momota congratulated breaking the silence. I blinked unsure I had heard that correctly.

"Huh?" I asked confused, "he opened up about some of his feelings! And you actually managed to get him into therapy, you have no idea how many times I have tried that but he kept rejecting the offer. He never could trust them, and actually admitting to his feelings? Man you've helped him twice as fast I have the past years!" Momota enthused, a new light seemed to return to his eyes.

"Have I really helped him though? He's still suffering, still keeps things to himself, and even though he can talk more now he keeps being buried under guilt and I can't reach him...no matter how hard I try..." I confessed, my inability to truly and meaningfully  help Ouma had been festering inside of me for weeks now.

Momota pondered a bit, his gaze unreadable before he took another look at the pouring rain from outside.

"Rain..." He mumbled, I looked at him confused as he turned to me. "My Grandpa told me this story once, a farmer had once recieved a seed from a powerful mage, who promised the farmer that if he planted that seed that all his wishes would be fulfilled. However if he failed to see the seed to it's full growth, he and all his descendants would forever remain poor.

"The farmer planted that seed and nurtured it, he had given it the best plot in his land and constant light from his candles even during the night, watered it daily and even shielded it from the cold and harsh winter. But the seed never sprouted.

"Angry he realized he must have been conned and abandoned the seed. Life went on for the Farmer, but strange things began to happen....his fields no longer grew crops, his chickens refused to grow eggs, and his well even in the harshest of rains never had water.

"Scared the farmer returned to the seed, in order to cure himself of these delusions...and what he found was astonishing.

"Where the seed once was, was a giant silver tree and from that tree peaches made of silver sprouted, as the farmer reached for the fruit the mage approached and swatted his hand away.

"The farmer asked why it had only sprouted when he was no longer by it's side and the mage laughed, 'you did as I asked, you gave the seed a good home and all it would ever need to become what it could be. But you were inpatient and selfish, so rather than waiting you abandoned it. It still grew, but it will never allow your presence.'

"As the farmer once again tried to get a peach, the tree withered instantly and what the farmer picked instead was a maggot filled and rotten, and so for the rest of his days the farmer could only watch regretfully as his family starved and the silver tree, promising relief, always stood to taunt him" Momota concluded.

"Wow you're grandpa must have been wise, why did he tell you this?" I said shocked, "well actually it was for a school project to come up with a stroy, and I wasn't allowed to use space for once- point is you're expecting Ouma to immediately rehabilitate just because you've given him all those tools to. But that will always take time Saihara, whether it takes several months or the rest of his life, there's nothing more you can do but just be there for him.

"It's up to him now and his own will" Momota said. I paused unsure of his words, "for me this is amazing...all he's trying to do...I didn't hear his voice for half a decade Saihara....he didn't even respond to people for nearly a year, so maybe it's not enough for you but for me this is all I've ever wanted and more." Momota said, he was beaming with pride.

...

"There's...there's another reason, a selfish one, that I want him to get better sooner..." I admitted, Momota waited. I took a deep breath.

"I love him, I don't know why, I don't know if that's selfish, but I want to tell him that...I want to be able to make him laugh at corny jokes...and plan sappy dates with him, I want to see him smile...

"But then I remember that the last words he heard from Chiasa was that she loved him. Then I remember how he doesn't even love himself, and how he has to much on his plate to handle something like a relationship. I can't do that to him....I can't add more stress onto his life....I'm awful aren't I?" I asked.

Momota blinked, "wait you two weren't already dating?" He finally asked, "WHAT?" I asked shocked. "I mean Maki Roll has been telling me how you two interact and when you talk about each other I can only think of a cute old couple, so uh yeah...I mean if you ask me honestly yeah waiting for Ouma is nice of you, but shouldn't you let him know? Just so he can make the call instead of waiting for a sign that might never show up?" Momota asked.

....

"That....was an option?" I mumbled, "alright looks like someone took my place as the class registered idiot" Momota laughed.

"Did you just admit you're an idiot?" I asked laughing, Momota went pale "uh, oh look visiting hours are up! Time to go!" Momota said shooing me out of the room as I couldn't stop laughing at his embarrassment.

"I'll come with Ouma to visit next week alright?" I promised. Momota nodded waving me goodbye.

~-~-~

Momota's POV:

I waved Saihara good bye as my lungs burned, when I was sure he couldn't hear me anymore I finally allowed myself to cough, as I felt the trickles of blood escape and splurted the bedsheets with red.

....

Next week...I can make it till then....I vowed as I finally laid back against the covers exhaustion filling my body as I felt the overwhelming urge to sleep.

...

I left him in good hands...it'll be alright...now....I need to make sure I can see him...when he finally moves forward again....

Just...just once more...