Disclaimer: As always I own nothing but the original characters and the situations I put them all in. Thanks very much for reading this fic and please continue to do so and review!

MERRY CHRISTMAS, EVERYBODY!

Hold Me Close

The two remained seated in relative silence as they waited for the doctor to come back with the results. Kujou was anything but a talker and Kadoma was so depressed that he didn't even bother to make conversation. He just kept inconveniencing Kujou so much that Kadoma didn't want to make it worse for his senpai. They'd been waiting about an hour when the door finally opened, the two turning their heads to see Takashi rather than the doctor they'd been hoping for.

Shuffling his feet Takashi closed the door behind him, definitely not wanting this conversation to be overheard. It was bad enough with the blonde in the room, staring at him with those cold eyes that unnerved him more than a loaded gun in his face would have. Clearing his throat several times Takashi focused on his brother, who looked so small and defenseless beside the larger, tougher senior. "Hey. Uhm..I have to be going now..to catch the last train back. Hikaru already left."

"Safe trip." Was his little brother's quiet response, Kadoma's head bent slightly forward so that his eyes were half hidden by his bangs.

"I...I'll talk to Dad. Machi and Akane..well they'll be telling everyone that will listen by the end of the week and...I'll break it to him first. I'll..I'll do what I can to calm him down and keep him from coming down here...at least until you've healed up some." Rubbing the back of his neck Takashi didn't know what else to say. "So yeah..I'll be seeing you. I'll call you tomorrow...to let you know how it went with Dad."

"I can call him, you don't have to do it."

"Naw, I'll do it. He's..well you know how he's going to be. After the way I acted...well there's no need for you to hear...before he has a chance to calm down and all." Damn, this was so hard. Hardest thing he'd ever had to do. But he kept his eyes on his brother and forced the words out. "If he..if he tries to disown you for this..I'll..I'll still come and visit. You'll...still be my little brother."

Raising his head now to meet his brother's gaze Kadoma could see how hard it had been for his brother to say what he'd said. A lot of it had been said out of guilt but Kadoma could see that at the core of it, his brother really was trying to make an effort, to reach out to him. It was more than he'd ever expected. "Thanks...big brother."

"Well..uhm..bye then. You ah, keep taking care of him okay?" Takashi asked, directing the question towards Kujou, relieved when the blonde simple nodded rather then tried to start a conversation or worse a fight. "Thanks. Well...later." Turning he quickly opened the door and closed it behind him, making his hasty retreat.

Once the door was closed Kujou turned his head to look at Kadoma, noting the shaking of the boy's shoulders and the hands that struggled to clench into fists as the younger man fought desperately for control. Placing a hand over the hand in the sling Kujou waited until Kadoma met his gaze before speaking. "It's going to be all right."

Nodding Kadoma couldn't speak, his throat was so tight, his eyes starting to water though his stubborn will refused to let more than a couple fall.

The sight of those tears was more than Kujou could bear. Swiftly he slid one arm under Kadoma's legs and the other around the startled boy's waist, lifting the boy up and onto his lap. Wrapping his arm firmly around the boy to keep him in place, Kujou used the other to gently press the boy's head against his chest, laying his own head on top of Kadoma's.

On a gasping shudder Kadoma grasped Kujou's shirt front with his good hand, burying his face against his senpai's throat as his body was wracked by shudders, as he leaned against Kujou, taking the support being offered with everything he had. He held on as though he'd never let go, which was exactly what he wanted most.


Sano waited until they were in their room before he shut the door and backed Mizuki up against it, his hands on either side of her head to keep her in place. Staring into her eyes Sano could see that she clearly understood she was in trouble but like always probably didn't have a clue as to why. "Why didn't you tell me about this?"

"Huh?" Okay, that definitely hadn't been the reaction she'd been expecting.

Yup, she didn't get it. "Why didn't you tell me what you and Kadoma were planning to do? What do you think would have happened to the both of you today if we all hadn't been concerned enough to tail you guys? You could have been seriously hurt or worse, Ashiya. If you'd told me about this, I would have come along and kept you both safe."

Eyes wide Mizuki blurted out the obvious answer. "But you would have never let me do it in the first place."

"I would have for Kadoma. I wouldn't have liked it, but I would have understood." Damn right he wouldn't have liked it but he understood that there was no lengths she wouldn't go to to help a friend. It was one of the things that he loved most about her. It was also, unfortunately, one of the reasons why she was forever getting into situations that guaranteed his hair was going to be white before he was forty.

Mizuki doubted that but was wise enough not to contradict him for the moment. "Then I'm sorry I didn't tell you."

"You should be. Now go take a long hot shower so you aren't sore tomorrow."

"Yes em." She meekly replied, hurrying off to grab some clothes to change into before heading into the bathroom to do precisely that.

Shaking his head at her Sano changed into sweats and a T-shirt and stretched out on his bed to do some reading. Keeping an eye on the clock, since she tended to let herself be boiled if someone didn't hustle her along, Sano was watching as she came out wearing sweats and a T-shirt as well. Turning his attention back to his book he wasn't really surprised when she stretched out beside him, laying her head on his shoulder. Shifting to put am arm around her Sano paused to place a quick kiss on her forehead before going back to his book.

"Does that mean I'm forgiven?"

"It means that the next time you dress up in girls clothes, it's going to be me and not for some other guy. Understand?"

Mizuki grinned as she closed her eyes. "You betcha."


When the doctor finally arrived it was to find his patient passed out in the arms of the blonde haired boy who'd apparently been in the same fight as his patient. His patient, who looked exhausted even in sleep didn't so much as stir when the door opened and closed. The older boy's eyes had been closed as well but they'd snapped open as soon as he stepped in, clear and direct as he looked at him questioningly. "The left hand can just be bandaged with splints, but the right is going to need a cast."

"May I see the X-rays?"

Handing them over the doctor watched the blonde study the breakages, then hand it back to him, his face never changing expression. A cool one, this boy. "We'll get the cast on first, then put the splints on the fingers that need them."

"Can you do it while he's asleep? He hasn't been sleeping well and this has put him under. I'd like him to stay that way, he doesn't deal with pain well."

"We can give it a shot."

And surprisingly, Kadoma managed to sleep through both procedures. He barely even stirred as Kujou carted him around from room to room, helping the doctor position Kadoma's fingers for the splints and holding him steady when the cast was being applied. He didn't wake either, while Kujou filled out and signed the multitude of forms needed to check out him out and procure the pain medication the doctor had prescribed for him to take for the next few days. Even more startling, Kadoma slept through the entire taxi ride home, despite the midnight traffic and constant stops. After paying the driver Kujou slipped his arms back around the boy once more and carried him through the gates and onto the school grounds, getting to the dorm without a fuss to find Tennouji waiting for him at the door as planned. Together the two walked to Kadoma's room, Tennouji using his RA keys to unlock the door and open it for Kujou to walk through since his hands were full. When they walked in, Kadoma's roommate spun around at his desk, having been waiting for them since Tennouji had come back to tell him what had happened.

"How bad is it?" Hirakata asked, leaping to his feet to get a look at his unconscious roommate. Even though they were the same age, he treated Shotaro like a little brother and had sorta developed a big brother complex in the process.

"Out for the count for the moment." Laying Kadoma down on the bottom bunk Kujou settled him in before fishing out the container with the pain killers, handing them over to Kadoma's roommate with a light toss. "When he wakes up he's going to want those. There's instructions on there, and the nurse said they'd make him drowsy, so tell him to stay in bed for most of tomorrow. Does he wear pajamas?"

Caught off guard by the change in topic Hirakata blinked as he saw where Kujou was going with the question as his senpai began unbuttoning Kadoma's shirt. Uh oh. Shotaro would kill him if he let Kujou senpai undress him while he was unconscious. Sho might be one of the most easy going guys Hirakata had ever met but there was no doubt in the boy's mind that he'd wake up sometime soon with Shotaro's hands around his throat if he didn't interfere and now. "Uhm..I'll do that...he uhm...he's ticklish you see...we don't want to wake him up right? And uhh..besides, you guys should turn in..cause it's late. Shotaro would feel bad...what with putting you guys out so much already."

Amused Tennouji leaned over to put a hand on his best friend's shoulder. "Hirakata kun's got it from here. Lets let him take care of Kadoma and we'll come visit him tomorrow, when he's awake."

"You'll call, if you need help?"

Nodding at Kujou's request, which had definitely sounded like an order, Hirakata guessed Shotaro would be a very happy camper tomorrow, when he told his friend how Kujou senpai hadn't wanted to leave his side. "Thanks for all your help. We both appreciate it."

"Thank you for taking care of him."


Waking up the next morning Kadoma felt very groggy and out of it. He could vaguely recall waking up sometime during the night in pain, and Hirakata giving him something that had made the pain go away and had made him sleep. Why had he been hurting again? Raising his hands with the intent to rub the sleep from his eyes Kadoma paused as he got a good look at said hands. Blinking his eyes awake instead Kadoma forced his eyes to focus, taking in the cast and the splintered fingers with a growing look of horror as memories of how they'd gotten that way flashed through his mind. Well not the cast and the splints, he didn't remember getting those, but he remembered the fights, both with his brother and with those asseholes from the other school. He must have passed out in Kujou's arms, Kadoma realized as his face went red with mortification. And here he'd been trying so hard to act more grown up around his senpai! Oh God, he was never going to live this down. Why couldn't those jerks have put him in a coma while they were dissembling his fingers? A coma definitely sounded good right about now, Kadoma thought miserably as his shoulders slumped in dejection.

"Ah, you're awake." Walking out of the bathroom in his boxers Hirakata walked over to take a seat beside Kadoma on the bed, absently rubbing his damp hair with his towel. "How do you feel? Do you want another pain killer?"

"Will it knock me out like a light?"

"It did before."

"Then gimme."

Amused Hirakata got up and got Kadoma a glass of water, as well as one of the prescribed pills. Helping his roommate take both of them since his hands weren't up to it Hirakata returned to his seat after putting the empty glass off to the side. "It must have been some night. You know Kujou senpai was really worried about you. Tennouji san and I practically had to drag him from your bedside." Well that was a little exaggeration but it would make Sho feel better. The poor little guy was not looking his best at the moment.

Blushing again Kadoma had to admit the idea would have been an appealing one if he had been awake and aware during the whole thing. "So he brought me back?"

"Yup, carried you in here too." It was better not to mention the fact that their senpai had started to undress him too, Hirakata thought in amusement as Kadoma pinked up even more. If the idea of being carried could make him blush that much, who knew what the idea of what Kujou senpai had intended to do would do to his roommate. The kid looked ready to keel over as it was. "I'll stay in to take care of you today. I'll only have to leave for a couple hours at lunch to meet with my group for that presentation for history. If you want, Ashiya kun already called and said he'd be happy to take care of you today, so I can call him in when I have to go."

"I'll be fine by myself." He'd already put his friend out way too much as it was. "Anyway, I think I'm just going to go back to sleep." Yeah, in sleep, he could pretend that the last twenty four hours had just been one horrible dream and nightmare combine. He intended to avoid reality as long as it took for his father to get down here to disown him. Closing his eyes Kadoma forced himself to drift back asleep, vaguely aware from time to time of his roommate's presence, but mostly, thankfully, he was lost in the dreamless slumber of the drugged.


When Kadoma woke up the next time he was in a lot of pain and sitting up he groaned, the muscles in his body complaining very loudly for such a simple action. When the curtain shading his bed opened Kadoma turned his head, intending to ask his roommate for another pill stat. Instead, he was struck dumb as he stared into Kujou's concerned face, the words dying on his lips.

"You're hurting." Was all Kujou said before handing over the pill and water he'd gotten as soon as he heard the sound of Kadoma stirring. "Here. Open your mouth."

Doing it automatically because it was Kujou Kadoma felt the brush of Kujou's calloused fingers against his lips as Kujou popped the pill into his mouth, followed by the glass of water pressed against his lips to wash it down. Gulping it down Kadoma blushed, feeling like a baby being fed by its mother. "Thank you."

Nodding Kujou leaned over to place the plastic cup on the shelf above Kadoma's bed then turned his attention back to his wounded little soldier. "How bad is the pain?"

"It will be gone in a minute. The pills work really well." Turning his head to the side so he wasn't looking at Kujou Kadoma asked the obvious question. "When did you get here? I told Hirakata kun he didn't need to get someone to watch me."

"I saw him on his way to his meeting and insisted on coming. What would you have done just now, if I hadn't been here to get you your pills and water? You can't even get up, can you?"

Hard to argue with that. "Has anyone other than Ashiya called?" If his parents or one of his brothers had called, he wanted to know now, when the drugs were starting to make his brain hazy again. He'd always been easy to drug for some reason, his high metabolism maybe? Either way, getting the news drugged was better then when he was clear headed enough to deal with the fact that his life as he'd known it was over.

"Takashi called. He told your family..your father didn't take the news well. He said your father is talking about taking you out of school."

Not surprising, since his father hadn't wanted him to come here in the first place. "He'll be here tomorrow then. My father doesn't waste time when he's set on doing something."

"When he comes, text me. I'll come with you."

Surprised Kadoma turned his head carefully to meet Kujou's cool gaze, wanting to shake his head but being physically unable to. "There's no need to do that, Sir! I can meet him by myself. He'll just get madder, if we have an audience. Really, it's okay. You've done enough."

Completely ignoring everything Kadoma had just said Kujou leaned forward and took Kadoma's chin in his hand, forcing the younger boy to continue to look at him. "Promise me you'll text me so that I can be there. No buts."

"I can do it alone."

"Haven't you figured it out yet, Kadoma? You aren't alone in this, not on several levels." And on that note, Kujou bent his head further so that their lips were millimeter's from touching. "Now be a good boy and promise."

"I...I...I...promise."

"Good boy." And then Kujou closed the gap, and his lips were on Kadoma's and Kadoma forgot all about why he should never have made that promise in the first place.