Work Text:
The red-clad hero threw off his helmet, the transformation fully fading as he ran. “Yoshihiro!” He cried out as he skidded to a halt before the hospital bed. The other opened his eyes to look up at the voice.
“Kishi?” He questioned. “You look panicked. Wha’s wrong? Are you okay?”
Yuji gave a very heavy sight. Of course this idiot would think of his feelings above his own health. “It’s not me anyone needs to worry about. It’s you. You almost drowned.”
Yoshihiro paused at the information. Blinking up at the man. “I did?”
Yuji felt a spark of what felt like both bafflement and annoyance shoot through him. “Did a combatant ram you on the head?” He hissed out. “Yes, you idiot. That Gorotsuki tried to drown you.”
“Oh,” came the mumble in return. “Yeah. I ‘member that.”
Yuji let out another sigh and dropped himself into a nearby chair. “You’re lucky the only thing that came from it was a damn cold.” He crossed his arms an took Yoshihiro’s full state in.
His face was flushed redder than Yuji’s own suit with a blistering fever. He looked dizzy and like he was barely conscious. Whatever medication they gave him must have really taken its toll. Yuji momentarily wondered if he should just leave and let the other rest. He was fine after all. But…
Watching the monster drag Yoshihiro down into the water. Watching him struggle to make it back up. Knowing of Yoshihiro’s hydrophobia and inability to swim.
It was just too much for Yuji. The sight constantly played through his mind. He didn’t want to leave. He was scared leaving would cause him to wake up from what was probably a dream he was currently having cause he probably passed out when they found Yoshihiro’s corpse or something.
Instead he stayed in the chair.
“Is Momo okay?”
Yuji looked back up to him, possessing his words. He then gave a nod. “Yeah,” he replied. “Motohashi is fine. His leg is worse for wear but they don’t think it's really broken or anything. Or if it is, it isn’t super bad,” he added the last part quickly.
Yoshihiro sighed with relief. He then tilted his head in question. “Are you okay?”
“I-“ Of course he’s okay. That was a stupid question. That’s what Yuji wanted to hiss back at him. Call him a dumbass and storm off to go complain about him to Yuka. But he wasn’t okay. Physically he was fine. Tired from the fight, definitely. But otherwise fine.
Mentally, however.
He’d dragged Yoshihiro’s body from the lake, himself. He held the man limp in his arms, begging to anything listening that he would feel a beating heart as he worriedly searched for it. He’d carried Yoshihiro in his arms with Yuka leaning heavily on him to walk. All while Signa let out robotic cries of horror and concern at their state.
He had hated letting Atsuko take Yoshihiro out of his arms. He hated watching him get rushed to a hospital, only able to follow so close behind. He hated not knowing the fate of the man for far too long. This man who frustrated him and caused him nothing but annoyance. This man who he couldn’t dream of living in a world without.
Maybe it was a bad time for it, but Yuji realized two things.
That he was not okay. He wasn’t okay in the slightest, in fact. He felt like seeing Yoshihiro awake was the first time he had breathed since he watched the man nearly drown to death. His body still felt like it was floating. Not in the cool fun relaxing way but in the horrific dissociating way where he was scared Yoshihiro would be ripped from him at any moment.
He was in love with Yoshihiro.
That second one was a real heavy hitter. Atsuko had always made comments about the duo. Hell, even Kiyoshi would comment about how they were a married couple. Maybe not with those exact words but close enough. Maybe Yuji was the only one who hadn’t realized it. Damnit, even Yuko had made comments that meanings only now were making sense to Yuji. Fuck, was he really that obvious. Was he that obvious to everyone but himself?
“No,” he finally said. “I was terrified. I thought I’d just watched you die. I thought you were going to die. I’m still sitting here afraid you will die. All while I think I realized I’m in love with you.”
The second the words came out he snapped his mouth shut. Looking to the blue ranger in horror. Fearful of his reaction.
The ranger in question, however, still looked as out of it as he had when Yuji first walked in. Finally he smiled and said, “Tha’s cools man. You should shoot your shot.”
What.
Yuji blinked at the other. Did he even understand what the red ranger was saying? He opened his mouth, not sure what was about to come out but it didn’t matter as he was cut off.
“Wait’da minute. Did you call me Yosh?”
“What?” Yuji questioned.
“Yeaahhh. Earlier. When you walked in. Ya called me Yoshihiro.”
“Oh.” A pause. “Is that a problem?”
“No!” He swung his hands suddenly in Yuji’s face. “I’s jus… you’d never called me my firs name. I’s always ‘Masujima’ this ‘n’ ‘Masujima’ that.” He put on a grumpy sounding voice to mimic the other.
Yuji frowned at the mocking.
“I like it.”
“Like it?” The red questioned, his frown pulling away.
“Yeah. You callin’ me Yoshihiro. I like it.”
“Oh,” was the only mumbled reply. “I suppose I can… call you that more often. If you would like?”
The blue gave a large grin. “Yeah, I would.”
A few days later when Yoshihiro was released from the hospital, he was surprised by Yuji using his first name and had no recollection of the man visiting him when he was ill. Damnit.