He hadn't looked at himself in a long while. No doubt he looked horrible, worse than Akai. Not long before Akai's parents arrived he wandered into the bathroom that had been used solely by him and stood back to study himself. His hair was longer than he usually kept it, his eyes bloodshot and shaded, his skin pale. He might have lost weight, too---his clothes didn't fit quite right. Shaking his head, he stepped out and went back to the chair that acted as his bed and sat, cradling his head in his hands until someone else came in. A single look told him that these two were Akai's parents, and he was surprised when Akai's father simply hugged him. But he didn't go back---it felt good to accept a hug from someone else. Someone that meant a lot to Akai, no less.

He stood, going around the bed as Sasha spoke and putting a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry I couldn't save... all of him." He said, faltering halfway through and looking toward Akai. "But listen... There's something I want to talk to you about. Something my parents and I want to talk to you about. And Akai, too. I just... want to wait until he can stay awake throughout the day." He wrung his hands, feeling a bit awkward now. He was sure he'd meet Akai's parents after the war was entirely over, after they got home with no more than a few scratches, on their own two feet. He would have loved to see Sasha and Fred with bright smiles, a careful, studying gaze of him, instead of through a sheet of tears.