"Syu-san!" Mizuki cried and flew into Sakurai's weary hug. "How are they?"
"Naruse's in a coma, Mizz. Oz. Masahiro's not doing much better. Dislocated shoulder, broken ankle and left arm, concussion. I don't know how he managed as long as he did."
Mizuki's eyes filled with tears. "Those idiots... what were they doing out so late at night?"
"Masa said food."
"They're lucky you and Kuwata were there," Kohsuke said softly. "And so are we."
"What room number?" Mizuki asked.
"I'll take you. Masa's in room 311, Naruse in 309."
"They separated them? Masa must be pitching a fit."
"He was." Sakurai gave Kohsuke a half-smile. "Kuwata's in there all the time now. You never know how strong a guy is until he's holding back a lovesick semi-convalescent."
Despite the situation Kohsuke smiled. "Glad to see you've still go your sense of humor, Syu-kun."
"I've needed it. Here it is." Sakurai led them in. "Masa-kun, you've got visitors."
If he'd looked bad in the dark alley, Masahiro looked ten times worse in the harsh light and antiseptic white bed, but he at least tried to smile. "Mizz. Oz. Sorry if we... interrupted anything."
"Masa, you little..." But Mizuki's half-hearted scolding turned into a teary smile. "What happened, Masa-kun?"
"They just... jumped out of nowhere... hit Naruse. I tried to fight them. Too many, and that pipe broke my arm. Then Sakurai showed up. I know Kuwata was there but I don't remember seeing him. It was so far away..." Masahiro looked up at Sakurai. "Please let me see him. Please?"
Sakurai opened his mouth, then shut it again. Seeing Naruse could calm Masahiro... but seeing him comatose could push him over the edge. However, Sakurai knew that he would want the same thing if it were him.
"You have to go to sleep right afterwards," Kuwata said before Sakurai could answer. "And if you get even the slightest bit violent, you won't get to see him unless he asks."
"Difficult when he's comatose."
Masahiro gave Kohsuke one of his icy looks. "Agreed."
Kuwata carefully pulled out the various medical appliances and lifted Masahiro up as gently as possible. Although Masahiro's emerald eyes widened in pain, he was quiet as Kuwata carried him into 309.
Mizuki let out a soft cry and buried her face into Kohsuke's shoulder. Kohsuke looked down and closed his eyes. But Masahiro looked unflinchingly at the pale, sleeping Naruse and reached out.
"Can I touch him?" he whispered.
Kuwata set him down on the bed. "Be careful."
Slowly Masahiro reached out and watched his fingers trail down Naruse's cheek. "Naruse."
To everyone's surprise, Naruse smiled blissfully and turned his face into Masahiro's hand. Four jaws hit the floor. Masahiro merely smiled and gently pushed his lover's head back into the pillow. "Go to sleep, my love."
Naruse turned over onto his side, yawned, and went still again.
"He's just sleeping now," Kuwata said, shocked. "Masa-kun, how...?"
Masahiro managed a wink. "Love, of course. Kuwata-kun, Shuji-kun... I think it's okay for you guys to go home and rest."
"Geez, it's hard fighting that kid off." Kuwata yawned. "I'm exhausted. I think I gotta call in to work tomorrow."
"You did great, Kuwata-kun."
"Hey, all you have to do is call me, Syu-kun. It might take me a while, but I'll tear across oceans if you need me."
Sakurai smiled. "I don't think I'll be leaving again. I don't think I can leave here again. It breaks my heart."
Kuwata hugged him without stopping walking. "I'll patch it up," he promised lightly and laughed. "Are you going to be okay walking home? If you end up at the hospital too I swear I'll set up residence there."
Sakurai couldn't help laughing. "I'll be fine. I promise."
"Okay. Be careful, Sakurai." Kuwata tousled Sakurai's hair and walked off whistling.
It was nice to see Kuwata return to his usual carefree, light-hearted self. He lost all of the easy charm and that confident smile when he was nervous.
"...I fell in love with you..."
He'd called for Kuwata when he and Masahiro and Naruse were in danger.
"... I'll tear across oceans if you need me."
Kuwata hugging him... it had felt so welcoming. Like Sakurai had really come home after being away for too long.
"Kuwata?!" Sakurai spun around.
Kuwata stopped. He was almost half a block away, almost too late. Slowly he turned. "Sakurai-kun?"
"My place is kinda far from here... can I crash at yours?" Sakurai jogged up to him. "I'll take the couch or the floor. I just want to be close if something goes wrong with them. I'll leave as soon as dawn breaks."
"If I let you go," the dark-eyed man joked with a grin. "Come on. You won't even have to sleep on the floor."
"Thanks."
"Admit it, you just don't want to walk home alone."
"What?" Sakurai pretended outrage.
Kuwata laughed. "Yup. You just don't want to walk-"
Sakurai grabbed for him. Kuwata ducked and ran down the street with Sakurai on his heels. "That's it! I'm stealing your bed tonight when you sleep!"
"Who said you wouldn't already be in it?" Kuwata retorted, still laughing.
"Arrrrgh!" Sakurai leaped up onto Kuwata's shoulders. Kuwata stumbled but managed to keep his balance. "Ha. Now you have to carry me."
"Like hell I do. But I don't want you to get hurt, so I'll let you stay up there. Until I reach the steps, anyway. Then you have to get down or we'll both fall."
"Depends on what we fall on." Sakurai was feeling playful suddenly. "Something soft with a blanket and pillows wouldn't be so bad."
Kuwata looked up. "If you think to play my game, Sakurai-kun..."
"What could you do about it?"
After a moment the younger man smiled and shook his head. "If I even had the idea that you were serious, Sakurai-kun, I wouldn't wait for a bed; I'd just throw you into any given alley and have my way with you right there."
"No you wouldn't."
Kuwata looked up again, arching an eyebrow.
Sakurai blinked. Then blushed.
"Yeah." Kuwata stopped. "Okay, down. We're home."
Meekly Sakurai obeyed and followed him into a surprisingly neat apartment.
"Oh, I'm sorry." Kuwata raced over to a small pile of clothing on the floor by one of the doors, probably what he'd been wearing earlier. "I didn't expect anyone to come over."
Sakurai laughed. "You're neater than me. I didn't expect it from you."
Kuwata tossed the clothes into a hamper. "I like things clean. Come on, I'll show you where you can sleep." He opened a door and flicked on the light. It was a small room, enough for a bed and a small dresser, but it was more than a couch. "The fridge is stocked and the bathroom's that door. My room's right there if you need anything." He hesitated, then smiled and reached out to touch Sakurai's cheek. "Sleep well."
Stunned, Sakurai could only watch Kuwata go into the other room. To say anything like 'don't touch me again' would be wrong; to say that he hadn't enjoyed the fragile beauty of simple human contact in affection would be a lie.
Why was this so hard?
"Naruse's in a coma, Mizz. Oz. Masahiro's not doing much better. Dislocated shoulder, broken ankle and left arm, concussion. I don't know how he managed as long as he did."
Mizuki's eyes filled with tears. "Those idiots... what were they doing out so late at night?"
"Masa said food."
"They're lucky you and Kuwata were there," Kohsuke said softly. "And so are we."
"What room number?" Mizuki asked.
"I'll take you. Masa's in room 311, Naruse in 309."
"They separated them? Masa must be pitching a fit."
"He was." Sakurai gave Kohsuke a half-smile. "Kuwata's in there all the time now. You never know how strong a guy is until he's holding back a lovesick semi-convalescent."
Despite the situation Kohsuke smiled. "Glad to see you've still go your sense of humor, Syu-kun."
"I've needed it. Here it is." Sakurai led them in. "Masa-kun, you've got visitors."
If he'd looked bad in the dark alley, Masahiro looked ten times worse in the harsh light and antiseptic white bed, but he at least tried to smile. "Mizz. Oz. Sorry if we... interrupted anything."
"Masa, you little..." But Mizuki's half-hearted scolding turned into a teary smile. "What happened, Masa-kun?"
"They just... jumped out of nowhere... hit Naruse. I tried to fight them. Too many, and that pipe broke my arm. Then Sakurai showed up. I know Kuwata was there but I don't remember seeing him. It was so far away..." Masahiro looked up at Sakurai. "Please let me see him. Please?"
Sakurai opened his mouth, then shut it again. Seeing Naruse could calm Masahiro... but seeing him comatose could push him over the edge. However, Sakurai knew that he would want the same thing if it were him.
"You have to go to sleep right afterwards," Kuwata said before Sakurai could answer. "And if you get even the slightest bit violent, you won't get to see him unless he asks."
"Difficult when he's comatose."
Masahiro gave Kohsuke one of his icy looks. "Agreed."
Kuwata carefully pulled out the various medical appliances and lifted Masahiro up as gently as possible. Although Masahiro's emerald eyes widened in pain, he was quiet as Kuwata carried him into 309.
Mizuki let out a soft cry and buried her face into Kohsuke's shoulder. Kohsuke looked down and closed his eyes. But Masahiro looked unflinchingly at the pale, sleeping Naruse and reached out.
"Can I touch him?" he whispered.
Kuwata set him down on the bed. "Be careful."
Slowly Masahiro reached out and watched his fingers trail down Naruse's cheek. "Naruse."
To everyone's surprise, Naruse smiled blissfully and turned his face into Masahiro's hand. Four jaws hit the floor. Masahiro merely smiled and gently pushed his lover's head back into the pillow. "Go to sleep, my love."
Naruse turned over onto his side, yawned, and went still again.
"He's just sleeping now," Kuwata said, shocked. "Masa-kun, how...?"
Masahiro managed a wink. "Love, of course. Kuwata-kun, Shuji-kun... I think it's okay for you guys to go home and rest."
"Geez, it's hard fighting that kid off." Kuwata yawned. "I'm exhausted. I think I gotta call in to work tomorrow."
"You did great, Kuwata-kun."
"Hey, all you have to do is call me, Syu-kun. It might take me a while, but I'll tear across oceans if you need me."
Sakurai smiled. "I don't think I'll be leaving again. I don't think I can leave here again. It breaks my heart."
Kuwata hugged him without stopping walking. "I'll patch it up," he promised lightly and laughed. "Are you going to be okay walking home? If you end up at the hospital too I swear I'll set up residence there."
Sakurai couldn't help laughing. "I'll be fine. I promise."
"Okay. Be careful, Sakurai." Kuwata tousled Sakurai's hair and walked off whistling.
It was nice to see Kuwata return to his usual carefree, light-hearted self. He lost all of the easy charm and that confident smile when he was nervous.
"...I fell in love with you..."
He'd called for Kuwata when he and Masahiro and Naruse were in danger.
"... I'll tear across oceans if you need me."
Kuwata hugging him... it had felt so welcoming. Like Sakurai had really come home after being away for too long.
"Kuwata?!" Sakurai spun around.
Kuwata stopped. He was almost half a block away, almost too late. Slowly he turned. "Sakurai-kun?"
"My place is kinda far from here... can I crash at yours?" Sakurai jogged up to him. "I'll take the couch or the floor. I just want to be close if something goes wrong with them. I'll leave as soon as dawn breaks."
"If I let you go," the dark-eyed man joked with a grin. "Come on. You won't even have to sleep on the floor."
"Thanks."
"Admit it, you just don't want to walk home alone."
"What?" Sakurai pretended outrage.
Kuwata laughed. "Yup. You just don't want to walk-"
Sakurai grabbed for him. Kuwata ducked and ran down the street with Sakurai on his heels. "That's it! I'm stealing your bed tonight when you sleep!"
"Who said you wouldn't already be in it?" Kuwata retorted, still laughing.
"Arrrrgh!" Sakurai leaped up onto Kuwata's shoulders. Kuwata stumbled but managed to keep his balance. "Ha. Now you have to carry me."
"Like hell I do. But I don't want you to get hurt, so I'll let you stay up there. Until I reach the steps, anyway. Then you have to get down or we'll both fall."
"Depends on what we fall on." Sakurai was feeling playful suddenly. "Something soft with a blanket and pillows wouldn't be so bad."
Kuwata looked up. "If you think to play my game, Sakurai-kun..."
"What could you do about it?"
After a moment the younger man smiled and shook his head. "If I even had the idea that you were serious, Sakurai-kun, I wouldn't wait for a bed; I'd just throw you into any given alley and have my way with you right there."
"No you wouldn't."
Kuwata looked up again, arching an eyebrow.
Sakurai blinked. Then blushed.
"Yeah." Kuwata stopped. "Okay, down. We're home."
Meekly Sakurai obeyed and followed him into a surprisingly neat apartment.
"Oh, I'm sorry." Kuwata raced over to a small pile of clothing on the floor by one of the doors, probably what he'd been wearing earlier. "I didn't expect anyone to come over."
Sakurai laughed. "You're neater than me. I didn't expect it from you."
Kuwata tossed the clothes into a hamper. "I like things clean. Come on, I'll show you where you can sleep." He opened a door and flicked on the light. It was a small room, enough for a bed and a small dresser, but it was more than a couch. "The fridge is stocked and the bathroom's that door. My room's right there if you need anything." He hesitated, then smiled and reached out to touch Sakurai's cheek. "Sleep well."
Stunned, Sakurai could only watch Kuwata go into the other room. To say anything like 'don't touch me again' would be wrong; to say that he hadn't enjoyed the fragile beauty of simple human contact in affection would be a lie.
Why was this so hard?