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There weren’t many people Ainosuke would wake up in the middle of a weeknight for; he could count them on one hand. He valued his beauty sleep, and he cherished every moment Tadashi would actually rest, so he didn’t take interruptions lightly.
Unfortunately, the other two people Ainosuke was willing to make some sacrifices for… well, they liked to stay out late.
The call startled him awake. He knew it had to be one of them, as his phone would’ve been on silent otherwise. He picked it up without looking and answered, “Yes, dear?”
“Langa’s hurt,” Reki’s voice came through, panicked, sending a spike of anxiety straight through Ainosuke’s chest. “I mean… me too. But… but he passed out. I can’t get up and move him.”
“Where are you?” Ainosuke asked, rolling over to shake Tadashi awake. “We’ll get there as fast as we can.”
Reki hated crying, especially in public. Even if no one was around to see it, even if he knew his partners wouldn’t judge him when they showed up, he felt pathetic. But his ankle was throbbing in pain, his arms were bleeding, and Langa was out cold over his lap. It was a particular type of hopelessness he hadn’t felt in a long time, and on top of the pain… it was getting harder and harder to breathe.
The sight of headlights in the distance would have normally been cause for concern, but the brief flicker soothed any worries he had; it was exactly who he’d been waiting for. Ainosuke jumped out of the car as it rolled to a stop, clad in pajama pants and a hoodie, looking almost as distraught as Reki felt.
“We’re here, Reki,” he soothed, kneeling down beside them. He looked between the two of them, hands resting on each of their shoulders. “It’s okay. We’re here to help.”
Though the physical pain still stung, Ainosuke’s presence alone made it easier to breathe. Tadashi arrived soon after that, also in his pajamas, first aid kit and water bottles in hand… everything was going to be okay.
“How did you fall?” Tadashi asked as he took Reki’s arm to inspect his injuries. The dim streetlights probably didn’t make it easy to see much, but Reki trusted him regardless. Ainosuke, meanwhile, was focused on Langa, cradling him in his arms and gently patting his face to try to wake him.
“Uh, I was… trying to heelflip over the curb,” Reki answered, wiping his nose with his sleeve. He felt kinda gross for it, but he figured it was better than dripping snot while he was talking. “I tripped and my board hit my ankle. And when Langa saw the blood, he passed out.”
Tadashi looked towards Langa, and Reki’s eyes followed— thankfully, his eyes were open, but Ainosuke still looked worried as ever. “Did he hit his head?” Tadashi asked.
Reki shook his head. “He landed, uh… on me,” he said. It hadn’t felt great, but at least he’d cushioned the fall. He didn’t mind.
Tadashi only hummed before he shifted his focus back to Reki entirely, cleaning the scratches down his arm. It was probably best to address that first, so as not to upset Langa any further; even now, Ainosuke kept his body angled away from Reki while he spoke softly to him. Any traces of the panic Reki had felt earlier were completely gone, replaced by feelings of comfort and security. Ainosuke and Tadashi always took such good care of them, more than Reki ever thought he deserved, but they were there to assure him he did.
After a look at his ankle with his phone flashlight, Tadashi said it looked like a sprain. Reki had definitely had worse, but he figured everything else going on that night made it seem so much more intense. He’d just have to ice it, and probably get it checked out if it was still bothering him tomorrow.
When all was said and done, Tadashi and Ainosuke carried their partners to the car and set them carefully in the backseat. Langa was awake now, though obviously sleepy, as he leaned over to rest his head on Reki’s shoulder as soon as he could.
“Sorry I passed out on top of you.”
“It’s okay,” Reki said with a soft laugh. “Sorry I, uh… bled. Are you okay?”
“M’fine,” Langa answered. “Wanna go to bed. Are you okay?”
Reki took a deep breath. He looked at Ainosuke and Tadashi talking quietly in the front seat, then at Langa hugging his injured arm to his chest. “Yeah,” he decided. “Much better.”