Woo, woo~
I know it's been a while since the last chapter- life has been crazy! Gomen~
Updates might be a little bit more sparatic now that my schedule has become a bit busier than I would like, but never fear! Updates you shall get!
I will say this before you read the chapter, however. I am an emotional person by nature, so I cried while writing this chapter. Like, several times. Hopefully it will deliver on what you're hoping it will~
As always, thanks for all of the love and support from those who read and review~!
Now enough with the fluff! Chapter 11!
Xxxx -NxA- xxxX
Yukihiro's chest seized in shock, and he gripped a hand to it tightly as an overwhelming wave of dread and nausea overcame him- causing him to stumble forwards.
"Uncle!" Jutta ran forward to support his Uncle as the older man staggered on his feet- quickly maneuvering his Uncle down into a chair at the table, glancing over him worriedly.
Akira opened his mouth and reached out in concern, but shock and fear kept him rooted to the place- halting any sound from emitting from his throat.
"Uncle, what's wrong?!" Jutta asked in panic, eyes searching frantically over the older man as he clutched his chest- his face screwing up in pain.
Naoya- who up until now had stood by silently, observing the scene in front of him with a glare pasted firmly onto his face, sprung forwards suddenly as he realized the severity of the situation.
"Move." Naoya pushed the redhead out of the way, crouching down to peer at the man's face.
By now Yukihiro was panting- his chest heaving as sweat dripped down his face. He remained otherwise motionless, continuing to keep a fist clutched tightly to his chest.
"Dammit." Naoya cursed as he placed two fingers on the man's neck- checking his pulse.
"Akira, call an ambulance."
The silvernette's eyes opened wide in shock, but he numbly nodded- stumbling over to the counter where his cellphone was.
"What the hell is wrong with him?!" Jutta shouted in panic, fear seeping heavily into his voice despite himself.
"Heart attack." The dark haired man replied shortly, keeping his fingers on the older man's neck as glanced over to where Akira was, fumbling with the phone as his hands shook.
Jutta took notice and rushed over to his brother, scooping the phone out of Akira's hands and punching several buttons in a quick movement.
"911, what's your emergency"
"I think my Uncle is having a heart attack." The teen spoke quickly into the receiver, pausing to listen as the lady on the other end of the phone quickly began giving directions to him.
"Akira." Naoya beckoned, waving a hand to draw his lover closer to him.
"Get me the bottle of Aspirin, the jar of cayenne pepper, and a glass of warm water." He murmured quickly, closely monitoring the physical state of the older man.
Akira looked confused, but again nodded- grabbing the bottle of Aspirin off of the counter and placing it onto the table before jogging around the table to open one of the cabinets.
"They're on their way." Jutta announced shakily, setting the phone on the counter as he glance over Naoya and his Uncle.
"They said to have him chew- "
"Have him chew an Aspirin. Yeah, I know." Naoya replied dismissively- already shaking a pill out of the bottle and raising it up to the older man's lips.
"Yukihiro-san. You need to chew this, alright?" Naoya spoke slowly, waiting for the man to nod with a groan before pushing the pill into his mouth.
"Make sure he chews that." Naoya instructed Jutta, pushing past the teen to where Akira was filling up a glass of water at the sink. "And don't let him lose consciousness."
The teen nodded and squatted down in front of his Uncle, his gaze filled with fear and worry at the state of the older man.
"I'll take that." Naoya grabbed the glass out of Akira's shaking hands and popped open the container of cayenne pepper that Akira had set on the counter beforehand- shaking a small amount of the red powder into the glass before stirring it in with a spoon.
The dark haired male quickly strode back to where Yukihiro sat at the dining table- his jaw moving slowly as he chewed the Aspirin in his mouth.
"What's...that?" Jutta questioned slowly, looking at the glass of red substance in Naoya's hand warily.
Naoya ignored the younger's question and pushed past him, crouching down in front of the man once again. "Here, drink this."
He pushed the glass up to Yukihiro's lips and motioned for Jutta to come hold it in place. The teen kneeled down next to his Uncle again and supported the glass as the liquid slowly drained into Yukihiro's mouth. Once again, Naoya placed his fingers to the side of the older man's neck- keeping an eye on the man's pulse.
Akira held a hand to his mouth in worry as he watched the scene unfolding in front of him.
I did this...this is all my fault!
A firm knock on the front door snapped Akira out of his panicked worrying, and he quickly ran to unlock the door.
A set of paramedics greeted him as the silvernette quickly swung open the door, stepping to the side to allow them entrance.
Akira beckoned the pair with as he rushed back into the kitchen, stopping beside the table as he watched Naoya taking care of the pale older man that was his Uncle.
Naoya quickly glanced up upon hearing the figures enter the room- standing up and concisely relaying the account to the younger of the paramedics- while the other one, an older man, crouched down and began to give a quick physical exam to Yukihiro.
"He's looking pretty stable- his heart rate is still low...well, that's to be expected though." Naoya commented, glancing down at Yukihiro with a blasé expression.
"You're acting pretty nonchalant for a guy that just saved someone suffering from a heart attack." The younger paramedic uttered with a bewildered look at the dark haired male.
Naoya stifled a chuckle despite the inappropriate circumstances- there was a reason why everyone at the University in the medical program called him a beast and a monster. Not because he was mean- but because he had concentration, stamina, and ability far beyond those of most others.
Jutta stood nearby his Uncle, keeping close watch over the older man as the paramedic checked his vital signs- murmuring instructions to Yukihiro every so often. The teen tore his gaze away briefly to glance over at his older brother- the silvernette leaning against the counter as he surveyed the situation, fear clearly etched into his normally impassive face. Jutta stifled a sob and moved over to his older brother- seeking comfort as he wrapped his arms around Akira's lean waist and hung his larger frame on the elder's.
Naoya glanced over at the movement and momentarily narrowed his eyes, but relented with a short sigh and returned to his conversation with the younger of the paramedics.
"Well, I don't know how you did it- but he looks pretty stable." The older paramedic finally stated with a scratch to the back of his salt and pepper hair- standing up from his crouch and giving the listless Yukihiro another glance over- as if expecting him to keel over at any second.
"We still need to take him in for a more thorough examination and probably an overnight stay in the clinic for observation though." The man continued, finally glancing up at Naoya as he did.
Naoya calmly nodded his head, and the older paramedic briefly directed his attention to his younger partner.
"Hitoshi-kun, would you bring in the stretcher? It'll be better to transport him that way as to reduce the amount of strain we put on his body."
Hitoshi nodded in understanding and quickly strode out of the kitchen to the Genkan where he had left the stretcher.
The older man frowned in puzzlement and cast a quizzical look at Naoya.
"...The kid that called stated that the patient had a heart attack at 11:04. We got here at- " The paramedic paused and looked at his watch. "11:10. So you're telling me that you successfully managed to resuscitate and stabilize a heart attack patient in 6 minutes?"
The tone that the older man took was halfway between disbelief and amazement.
"Well, he never lost consciousness- so he didn't need resuscitation. I just got him stabilized and monitored his heart rate until you arrived." Naoya explained matter-of-factly.
"The only other person I've known that could do that was Aizawa Sensei." The younger paramedic uttered in amazement as he re-entered the room- wheeling the stretcher in and mimicking the older man's expression of disbelief.
Naoya's lips quirked upwards at the name, and he gave short laugh despite the curious looks on the paramedic's faces.
"I learned everything I know from him. I'm a 5th year Medical student at K University- Aizawa Sensei is the doctor I've been training under." He explained with a self-satisfied smirk.
Realization filled the old paramedic's eyes and he shook his head with a wry grin.
"Ah, so that's why you seemed familiar. Aizawa told me that he had an amazing young protégé training under him, but I never expected to meet you in this way..."
He quirked another smile before slipping back into business mode- beckoning the younger paramedic towards him. "C'mon Hitoshi-kun, we need to get the patient to the hospital. Just because he's stable now doesn't mean he won't have symptoms or go into shock soon."
Hitoshi quickly nodded and moved to the other side of the table as helped lift Yukihiro and place him onto the stretcher.
Taking notice of the movement, Jutta finally released his firm hold around Akira and darted forward to the side of the stretcher.
"Is he gonna be alright?!" The teen asked worriedly as he glanced over the pale face of his Uncle. The older man's eyes had slipped shut, and Hitoshi placed an oxygen mask over his mouth to stabilize his breathing.
"He should be fine." The old paramedic returned with a kind smile as Hitoshi began wheeling the stretcher out. "We'll make sure that he'll be very well taken care of. I'll have the staff notify you tomorrow when he's awake."
Naoya nodded and grabbed a pen and notepad out of a drawer beneath the counter.
"Alright. Here, you can reach us at this number." He scribbled his cellphone number on the piece of paper and handed it to the older man with a nod.
"I know it's hard, but try not to worry. Your Uncle will be in the care of some of the best." The older man gave his final parting words to Jutta before turning and helping Hitoshi to push the stretcher out the front door- Jutta running after them and watching the pair of paramedics carefully push the stretcher down the hallway and into the elevator before the doors closed.
Naoya watched the teen stumble out the door with a concerned frown gracing his face. Suddenly feeling as if he were forgetting something, he quickly turned around with a start, suddenly noticing the lack of any presence from his silver haired lover.
The dark haired male's blue eyes immediately searched the the room- seeking out the cool grey eyes of his beloved.
Immediately realizing the absence of any other person in the room aside from himself, Naoya turned and darted up the stairs- finding Akira's bedroom and hastily opening the door.
The sight that met Naoya's eyes was one that immediately made his heart seize in pain.
Akira was sitting on floor next to his bed- back pressed tightly against the mattress and knees curled up to his chest. His head was bent down, hidden beneath the arms that were wrapped around his knees. Through the quiet of the room, Naoya could easily hear the muffled sniffles and swallowed sobs that emitted from curled up figure.
"Akira..." Naoya murmured quietly, stalking forwards and slowly crouching down beside the silvernette.
Akira stiffened at the sudden intrusion of another person in his room- but slowly relaxed as he felt the large hand of his lover begin to soothingly stroke his back, moving up and down his spine in long, slow strokes.
The silvernette let out a few more sniffles before finally lifting his tear-stained face out of the confines of his arms- scrubbing at his eyes with the backs of his hands as he tried to force himself to calm down.
Naoya said nothing, merely continuing to rub the younger's back. He didn't want to push Akira to talk- he would do it on his own when he was ready.
After sitting for a few more moments without any change, Akira finally opened his mouth.
"This is all my fault..." He whispered shakily, his quiet voice breaking through the near-silence in the room.
Naoya turned a puzzled frown at his lover- comprehending the meaning that Akira was trying to convey, but not agreeing with it at all.
"Akira..." The dark haired male murmured painfully, unable to stand it as a fresh wave of tears began to trickle down the younger's face. Naoya scooped his lover up into his arms and stood up- sitting back down on the bed and gently placing Akira onto his lap, cradling the smaller figure in his arms.
Akira buried his face into Naoya's shirt and clung to his back as he wept, overwhelming sorrow and despair bombarding him into sobbing mess of tears.
Naoya gently stroked Akira's silvery hair and rubbed his back until his younger lover had finally calmed down enough to breath normally- though he still let out a small sniffle and a shaky exhale every few breaths.
After a few more moments, Akira's breathing evened out, and Naoya wondered if he was falling asleep.
His body doesn't feel limp though, and he's still clinging onto my shirt...The older male mused, tightening his grip on the soft body slightly as he shifted his position to scoot further onto the bed- leaning himself back onto the cushion of pillows against the headboard.
With Akira now laying more on top of his chest, Naoya could see the side profile of his lover's face- eyes still red, slowly blinking as they stared at the nothingness of the wall, lips chapped and quivering as they parted slightly to allow him to breathe. Akira's arms were still clinging tightly to the frame of Naoya, but his body was shaking from over-exertion, evidence of his meltdown.
Naoya frowned in concern and cradled the silvernette in his arms once more, gently rubbing up and down Akira's back to soothe him.
"...This is all my fault..." The whisper of a hoarse voice broke through Naoya's concerned pondering.
A few more sniffles sounded and the older male could see a fresh stream of tears once again begin to glisten down the silvernette's flushed cheeks.
Akira's grip on his lover's clothes tightened as he tried to stifle his sobs.
"Akira...none of this was your fault..." Naoya's deep voice soothed quietly as he shook his head in denial.
"Yes it is..." The silvernette protested weakly, finally lifting his head off of Naoya's chest to look his lover in the eye.
"If it weren't for me selfishly trying to get Uncle to accept our relationship- knowing full well that he was already under an immense amount of stress because of the fight he had with Hideyuki- he wouldn't have been so stressed that he was induced into a heart attack!" Akira blubbered, covering his face with his hands and shaking his head against his lover's chest.
Naoya sighed painfully and wrapped his arms around his lover firmly- halting any movement from the younger male.
"Listen, Akira..." Naoya began firmly, pressing his lips to his lover's temple as he spoke in a low voice. "The fact that your Uncle had a heart attack is not your fault. There are plenty of contributing factors to inducing a heart attack- none of them related to you."
Akira slowly nodded with a sniffle and tried to even out his breathing and calm himself down as his lover gently rubbed his back.
Why can't I ever have anything that I want though...? That bitter thought remained in the silvernette's head as he felt himself slowly drifted away into unconsciousness.
After a few more moments of massaging, Naoya felt the tension slowly leave his lover's body as the younger faded to sleep.
He decided to remain on the bed still longer, hoping that his presence might coax Akira into a thoughtless slumber. Several moments passed by and Naoya checked the watch on his wrist to see how long they had been in this position for.
12:45...Hmm...I want Akira to sleep a little longer...all of this stress that he's under in combination with his lack of sleep isn't helping his mental or physical state...I could start making something for lunch so that he'll have something to eat when he wakes up though...
After pondering the decision for a bit longer, Naoya ultimately decided that it wouldn't hurt to get some food started for later. He could always check on Akira in-between preparations.
With his mind made up, Naoya regretfully lifted his silver haired lover off of his chest and laid him back down onto the mattress below, covering him with one of the thick blankets that was laying at the foot of the bed.
The tall male gave one final look to his sleeping partner and sighed in irritation at the sight of his red-rimmed eyes and tear-stained cheek.
Akira has enough to worry about as it is, dammit! That damn brother and Uncle of his just keep making more and more trouble...
He gave one final irritated sigh before dropping down to place a soft kiss to the silvernette's forehead, and a gentle caress to his rouged cheek- turning and stalking out the bedroom and shutting the door quietly behind him.
Naoya made his way downstairs in a fit of grumbles and huffs, pissed off beyond belief at the old man that was currently in the hospital.
Honestly. If that man had even one ounce of affection for Akira, there's no way he would've reacted like that! Who knows how long it's gonna taken for Akira to get out of the loop of depression that he's gonna be in for the next who-knows-how-long because of that old douchebag...
Naoya scowled despite himself and strode into the kitchen with another sigh.
"Ehh, what're you doing?" The dark haired male asked suspiciously, catching eye of Jutta standing at the stove as soon as he entered the kitchen.
Jutta jumped in shock and quickly whirled around to face the voice, ladle raised in the air defensively.
"Oh. It's you." The teen replied monotonously- not seeming particularly hostile towards the older male, but not making any attempt to seem overly friendly either.
Naoya quirked a brow at the redhead's subdued attitude, but chose not to comment.
He gestured to the pot of liquid on the stove that was dangerously close to over-boiling, unbeknownst to its cook. "What're you doing?"
"Well...I was uh, trying to make Miso so-...oh shit!" Jutta side-glanced pot, and upon realizing the impending disaster, quickly spun around and plunged his ladle back into the liquid, stirring it.
"Ow, frick!" The teen cursed, hissing when some of the boiling liquid lapped over the edge and stung his skin.
"Idiot. You need to turn down the heat."
Naoya pushed Jutta aside and took the ladle from his hand, turning down the heat on the stove and stirring the liquid until it's desire to over-boil had subsided.
"Uh...thanks." The teen mumbled quietly.
Naoya lifted a ladle of the liquid from the pot and sniffed at it suspiciously.
"You call this Miso soup?"
Jutta flushed angrily and made to snatch the ladle back from Naoya's hands.
"Just give it back! I'm not finished with it yet!"
The older male easily evaded the hands of the younger, and ladled some of the soup into a small tasting ramekin before taking a sip.
He frowned a bit, moving past the teen beside him to reach the spice cabinet- grabbing several bottles and returning them to the counter beside the stove.
"It's not bad, it just needs a bit more flavor." Naoya commented, sprinkling in a few pinches of each of his selected spices. Jutta frowned a bit, but watched curiously.
"There. Let's try that." He took another sip of the soup and nodded his head in satisfaction.
"Add some more vegetables and let it simmer down for a while, and I'd say it'll be pretty good."
Naoya moved the ladle back into the pot and continued to stir, while Jutta cocked his head and blinked curiously at the older male.
What in the world? Isn't this guy supposed to be the bad guy? The one that's taking A-chan away from me? So how come...I don't feel as threatened by him right now...? I feel like...
Jutta frowned and shook his head in confusion.
No...it must be because of what happened this morning...with Uncle...I'm still upset so my defenses are lower right now...speaking of which though...I didn't get a chance to thank him...
Naoya took notice of the strange silence and glanced over at Jutta with a curious expression.
"You're being rather docile right now...What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?"
Jutta's face flushed. "No, you basta-!...Erg, uh...I mean..."
The teen averted his eyes and swallowed uncomfortably.
"Well...thank you, I guess...for...helping Uncle..." He mumbled sullenly.
The sudden gesture caught Naoya off guard, and he raised his brows in surprise. He let out a small chuckle despite himself and turned his attention back to the soup.
"No problem..."
Xxxx -NxA- xxxX
An hour later, and Naoya deemed the soup ready to eat.
"I'll go get Akira, so why don't you serve up the bowls?" Naoya suggested, already walking towards the staircase.
Jutta opened his mouth to protest, but snapped it back shut sullenly- knowing that he wasn't exactly in a position to make demands from the man.
Ah, fuck my good heart. Now just because he saved Uncle I feel too guilty to get mad at him? What kind've a Good Samaritan am I?
The teen sighed and began ladling the soup into bowls as he watched the dark haired male slowly ascend the staircase.
Naoya reached the top of the staircase and stalked to Akira's bedroom, quietly opening the door and peering inside.
Much to his relief, the silvernette was still asleep- his chest rising and falling in steady rhythm as he breathed.
He stalked over to the bed slowly and sank down onto the edge, watching his lover sprawled in peaceful slumber.
"Akira?" He called softly, stroking the silvernette's cool cheek to try and illicit some sort of response.
"Akira~"
"Mmmm...hmmm?" Came the intoned mumble response.
Naoya chuckled and bent down to brush his lips against his lover's.
"It's time to get up, lunch is ready~."
Eyelashes fluttered open, revealing a pair of cool grey eyes. They blinked slowly, trying to focus and make sense of their surroundings.
"Naoya-san...?" Akira questioned groggily, frowning and disorientedly glancing around his room.
"...What time is it?"
Naoya smirked at the cute, sleepy Akira and scooped him up into his strong arms.
"Time to get up love. It's nearly 2:30." He mumbled into the silvernette's neck, carrying him out of the room and into the hallway.
"Mmm, why didn't you let me sleep more? I'm tired~" Akira mumbled cutely, nuzzling his cheek against Naoya's shoulder and wrapping his legs around the elder's waist.
Naoya's heart melted, and he wanted nothing more than to just stay in bed and sleep all day with his adorable lover...but he knew that Akira was basically sleeptalking at this point.
He probably thinks this is a dream~
"C'mon you. Your bratty little brother is gonna be awfully disappointed if his big brother doesn't eat the meal he prepared specially for him."
That woke Akira up.
"Hm, Naoya-san?" Akira questioned as he opened his eyes and lifted his face from the pillow of Naoya's shoulder.
Naoya chuckled a dropped a peck onto Akira's cheek.
"Yes love. It's time for lunch." He replied with another chuckle, setting Akira down on his own two feet and guiding him down the stairs.
The silvernette still remained a bit disoriented, but soon got the gist of what was going on when he entered the kitchen.
"A-chan! I..uh...made lunch..." Jutta announced with crooked grin, gesturing to the table behind him.
"Oh, Jutta..." Akira gasped as he saw all of Japanese dishes laid out on the table, steaming hot and looking absolutely delicious. "You made all of this?"
Jutta flushed and averted his eyes with a pout. "Well...I may have had some help..."
Naoya chuckled and Akira stared at him in surprise. "You helped him, Naoya-san?"
"Not much. Supervised, mostly." Naoya dismissed, pulling his lover over to the table with Jutta tailing closely behind.
The three sat down- with Naoya giving in as the elder and allowing Jutta to sit next to his brother- and gave thanks for the meal set before them.
Akira's heart swelled as he tasted each of the dishes that had been prepared.
"Do...you like them, A-chan?" Jutta asked hesitantly, eagerly awaiting the opinion of his brother.
"It's...incredible." Akira replied sincerely, savoring each bite he took with a nostalgic smile.
This feeling inside of his chest...he hadn't felt it in so long...
Not stress from school, anxiety from concealing his relationship, worry over taking care of his brother...
Just, simply...happiness.
Akira felt his eyes dampen at the prospect of the emotion.
If only our future could be like this...if everyday could be like this...
The pain and turmoil from this morning seemed like a million miles away...and Akira knew that he would give anything to stay here in this moment, and prolong the inevitable...