A/N: Now we're back to Noya's POV!
I Told You So
Four words I was always so quick to say, "I told you so." Usually I was the more adventurous of the two of us, dragging Asahi into situations that he would otherwise avoid with every bit of energy he had. That phrase was literally mine to use, because usually, Asahi would actually enjoy himself.
There was only once or twice that I can recall that Asahi said it to me, since he wasn't really one to brag. They were always minor instances too, usually having to do with school. I do give him a lot of credit, though, for one major instance. I'm pretty sure he saved my life that day.
It was around the middle of February. We had a pretty rainy and frigid winter, and it hadn't yet stopped. I had been out running errands one morning, like I usually did before I headed over to Asahi's place, and I had forgotten my umbrella. Well, I thought it was no big deal. I wore a jacket with a hood, and that should have been good enough. Of course, he reprimanded me for showing up soaked through my clothes, especially since it was really cold outside. "You're going to get sick," he said, taking my wet clothes and hanging them up in the bathroom. I was sitting on his bed, wearing one of his T-Shirts and wrapped in a blanket.
"I don't get sick, Asahi. You know that."
"You're not invincible, Noya…" he walked over and sat down beside me. "You need to be more careful."
"I'm not a child," I said, and leaned over, placing my head against his arm.
"Ah, Noya! Your wet hair is cold!" He jerked away from it, and laughed a little as I landed on my side on the bed. "Sorry…" He sat on the floor in front of the bed. "I know you're not a child, but you really do have to be more careful with things like this…Promise me you will? Even when I'm away?"
I didn't want to think about that, but I agreed anyway. "Okay…"
"Are you sure you don't want to stay, Noya? I'm worried about you going back out into the cold…"
"It's alright, Asahi. It stopped raining. I'll make it home quicker now that I don't have to hide under things."
"Okay…Please stay warm."
"I got this." I gave him a cocky smile. "See ya in school tomorrow!"
I didn't show up in school the next day.
It worried the hell out of Asahi, and the first thing he did that morning was text me every five seconds. I was still asleep. My parents forbade me from going that morning. "You were running around in the rain again, weren't you, Yuu?" my mother teased when she first got me up. "You know better than that."
"Yeah, yeah…" I could hear myself talk, a grossly nasally tone that was the indicator of being sick. "I'm going back to sleep…"
So I slept for another few hours before I woke up again, noticed my phone was missing, and got up to look for it. It had fallen off my nightstand, probably after vibrating so much. I sat on the floor and looked at all my messages. I had forgotten to tell him I wouldn't be in school. "Oops…" I quickly replied to him, apologizing for scaring him. It was around lunch time, so he had stepped outside and called me.
"Are you okay?" he asked first.
"I'm fine," I replied, my speech seemingly worse than before. "It's just a bit of a head cold. It'll be gone by tomorrow."
He sighed. "…You should have listened to me."
I closed my eyes, both from the disappointment in his voice, and the sudden dizzy spell I was experiencing. "I know…Hey, Asahi, I'll talk to you later…"
"Noya…"
I hung up the phone and leaned my head back. It's going to be a rough day.
By the time the early afternoon had come around, I was barely able to get out of bed. I was too weak to stand, and it hurt to breathe. "Your father will be home later today…He can let us know what we need to do…"
"I'm fine, mom…" I kept myself covered in layers of blankets, but I couldn't shake the chills. "It's just a cold…"
She looked skeptical. "Okay…Get some more rest…"
Asahi took no time in getting to my home after school ended. He had even persuaded Coach to let him skip practice on the basis of "Noya never gets sick." And it was the truth. "Noya…" he opened the door to my room and walked in quietly, closing the door behind him. "Your mother made tea…" He set it on the nightstand and set some papers on my desk before he sat on the edge of the bed. "You look terrible…"
I opened my eyes and looked at him. "Thanks…That's just what I wanted to hear…"
He smiled a little. "Same old Noya…Have you seen a doctor yet?"
"No…Mom said Dad is going to be back soon and he will check on me."
Asahi looked concerned. "Don't you think that's a little long to wait?"
I shrugged. "I can barely walk on my own…I think it's my only option." I rolled to face away from him and coughed furiously into a tissue. He placed a hand on my back, and it was so warm. I turned back over and threw the tissue away. "Asahi…"
"Y-yes?"
"Will you hold me…? I'm so cold…" It was no lie. I was shaking under the five blankets I had accumulated. He shifted himself on to the bed and helped me sit up. He pulled me into his lap and wrapped his arms around me. "You are so pitiful…"
"Shut-up…you're warm," I muttered and calmed into his embrace. It didn't take long before I was asleep.
I didn't remember anything that happened, or why I had suddenly ended up in the hospital instead of laying comfortably in Asahi's arms. I woke up there, and looked around. I was hooked to machines, and I had the room to myself. Except, I wasn't alone. Across the room, Asahi had taken the lounge chair as his own, and angled himself sideways to fit as he slept. I sat up as much as possible and tried calling out to him. "Asahi…"
After a few tries, I finally got my voice loud enough for him to hear. He jolted awake and practically scrambled from the chair to my side and held me. He was overjoyed. "You're okay…You're okay…"
"I'm fine, Asahi…" I had no idea what happened, why he was so relieved. "What happened? Why am I here?"
He sat me back against the pillow. "You couldn't breathe…Your mother and I rushed you here."
"But why? Did they say what is wrong with me?"
"Your dad says its pneumonia, Noya."
I could hear the sadness in his voice. I knew he felt guilty. "Asahi…It isn't your fault."
"I know…But I can't help feeling guilty…I let you go. I shouldn't have…"
I grabbed his hand. "Stop that…It's not your fault. I made the decision to leave. But I'm okay now."
He held my hand tight. "You could have died, Noya…"
"But I didn't." I looked up at him. "I'm here. I'm alive. And I swear…I swear I'll listen to you next time…"
He looked at me, a very small smile. "Can I say it?"
I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, you can say it."
"I told you so."
