Chapter Text
"Ta-bo," Kaito calls out into Yagami's office. The lights are off, but the door is unlocked. "Tak, why haven't you been answering my phone calls and text messages?" He moves further into the room, and he notices Yagami laying on the couch. He’s under a mountain of blankets. "Did you recreate Mount Fuji?" He sees Yagami's phone sitting on the coffee table which is next to a mess of noodle cups and tea bottles. "Ta-bo?" Kaito kneels down and digs the blanket away from Yagami's face. "Are you alright?"
Yagami had his eyes shut tightly, and he shivered madly. "Kaito?" he responds with a weak voice. Kaito could hardly hear and Yagami starts to violently cough. Kaito's blood ran cold hearing the horrible sound.
"Hey," Kaito says trying to comfort him. He reaches over to place a hand on Yagami's cheek. He notices how flush they were.
"Kaito, I don't feel so well." Yagami whines under Kaito's touch.
"I can see that. You have a fever." Kaito pulls his hand away and stands up. He looks around the coffee table to see if Yagami left medicine out, but there is nothing. "Did you eat something you weren't supposed to?" Yagami doesn't say anything. His breathing became heavier.
Kaito picks Yagami's phone to text Hoshino. He tells Hoshino that Yagami came down with the flu and if it was possible to pick up some things. Kaito doesn't want to leave Yagami alone. After their short text conversation, Kaito places the phone down and walks over to the small kitchen to grab a wet face cloth. "Kaito," Yagami calls out. His hands were clenching into fists. He shakes, even more, to keep warm. Kaito comes back and gently places the cloth on Yagami's forehead. He pulls the blanket to Yagami's chin. He wants him to feel comfortable, but it isn't working. "Kaito," Yagami looks up at Kaito.
"I'm not going to leave. I'm going to look for medicine," Kaito says walking over to a small medicine cabinet on Yagami's wall. He starts rummaging through to find anything for him, but anything that could help is a least a year over expired. "Ta-bo, do you have any medicine?" He walks over to Yagami's desk. He remembers there’s aspirin in one of the drawers.
"Kaito," Yagami continues to whine. "I'm sorry."
"What are you going on about?" Kaito digs his hand into the drawer full of stuff. He comes up empty.
"I really messed up. I'm a loser," he says.
"You're going to feel like a loser if you don't tell me where you put the aspirin."
"But I am Kaito, I'm complete crap." Kaito gave up and shuts the drawer. He walks over.
Yagami was in tears and the cloth had fallen off his forehead. Kaito knelt down. If the fever is this bad, Yagami was going to reveal all his insecurities. "Hey," Kaito says fixing the cloth. "You're not a loser."
"I'm so dumb," he whines. He turns his face into the blanket. The cloth fell off his forehead again. "I messed up everyone's lives," he says muffled.
"That's not true." Kaito tries reasoning with him. He knew Yagami wasn't thinking straight. He hates watching a depressed Yagami spiralling into his thoughts. Kaito reaches his hand over, and he strokes Yagami's hair to comfort him. "You're the smartest person I know. You went to law school. I wish I had as many opportunities as you did." Kaito softly says. "You didn't mess up our lives. I did that on my own." He laughs.
Kaito reaches over to grab Yagami's phone off the table. Hoshino sent texts about coming over in a few minutes. Kaito responds but he doesn't take his hand away from Yagami. "Help's on its way," Kaito places the phone back down. "You're going to feel better in no time."
"Leave me."
"What?"
"That's what everyone does in the end," Yagami tries to sit up, but he's too weak. He lays there. "Just leave me alone."
"Takayuki," Kaito says forcefully. Yagami doesn't say anything. "I know you aren't feeling well, but it doesn't mean you push people away." Kaito knows Yagami's feelings all too well. It comes with being his friend for 20 years.
Yes, Yagami had gotten the short end of the stick.
Yes, Yagami left being a lawyer and became some washed-out detective.
Yes, Yagami struggled with seeing himself as someone important.
Yes, Yagami was drowning more than ever with everything happening.
However, Kaito didn't like seeing Yagami in that way. He saw Yagami as a hard worker. He saw Yagami make the best of what he had. He was smart, bold, trusting. Kaito wants Yagami to realize how important he is. How important he is to Kaito. "Rest. I'll get you some water," Kaito rubs Yagami's head and pats his shoulder.
Kaito comes back with crackers and a glass of water. Yagami lifts his face from the blanket. Kaito is glad Yagami had calmed down. Yagami laid in the mountain of blankets. He drinks water from a straw Kaito put to his lips, and he eats the crackers slowly. Once everything is done, Yagami settled back down into the blankets. Kaito sits on the floor next to Yagami, and he places his hand on Yagami's head. Kaito softly rubs his finger over Yagami’s temple.
Yagami starts quietly crying. He’s brought back to when his parents took care of him. He sniffled. “It’s alright. I’m here.” Kaito says softly and starts to hum a song he has been singing for years. Yagami always thought it was dumb, but it’s familiar, and it made him feel safe. Maybe the song isn’t so dumb after all.