Chapter Text
In complete honesty, they shouldn't even have been out that late. It was a horrible idea to be out in the storm in the middle of the night and trying to practice their speed.
And looking back, it really should have been Kojiro who got hurt. Except, it was Kaoru who took the turn too fast and fell into the mud. The crack, for just a moment, sounded like the skateboard breaking. It was the quiet and brief “fuck” under Kaoru’s breath that sounded alarms in Kojiro’s head.
“Where are you hurt? You’d normally have gotten up by now.” Kojiro crouched down by Kaoru who rested a hand on his left leg. Kojiro takes quick glances at Kaoru to see any signs of damage.
“I’m fine, ape. I just need a moment to catch my breath.” Kaoru leans back against the mud, ignoring how dirty their uniforms are getting. “You're much too close.”
Kojiro takes a step back and tries helping Kaoru up to his feet but ends up having to catch the other with his arms. “You're in pain. You're barely putting any weight on your left leg.”
“I am quite alright. It's a shock to my system.” Kaoru pushes Kojiro back a bit and leans against the railing of the old drive-in theater. Kojiro does his best to not show his concern, it drives Kaoru away.
“What are you, a robot? You need a reboot, do you now?” Kojiro goes for the best option, teasing. It's been their way of communicating for years and the only way Kojiro can let his emotions slip in and not have Kaoru's walls shut him out.
“If I was, I’d still be smarter than you.” Kaoru leans forward before wincing and resting against the railing again. To the untrained eye, Kaoru looks fine. But Kojiro can see the way he's favoring his right leg and the slight panic in his eye.
“Yeah, whatever four-eyes.” Kojiro leans against the railing a little, facing Kaoru and watching. His patience is thinning by the second but he doesn't want to push Kaoru to the point of no return.
Kojiro turns around to face the water that was previously behind them. They come here almost daily and the sight never changes. Yet, he can't not love this place. There are so many memories of him and Kaoru here.
“Hey gorilla. Carry me.” Kaoru steps closer and uses his arm to nudge Kojiro. He knows he's won over Kaoru's anxieties about needing help, at least for now.
“Why should I do that, princess?” Kojiro is already making a move to grab their stuff and put it on his back before gently lifting Kaoru. He smirks and looks down at the pouting boy in his arms. “Too exhausted to be a big boy?”
Kaoru doesn't respond or give thanks but Kojiro knows that he's thankful, in his own way. The lack of insults is one very obvious way.
The walk to the hospital is quiet and dark. Kojiro put their boards back at his house in the shed. They made up the excuse of Kaoru falling down the stairs in the dark, which seemed to work.
Kojiro is tapping his foot in the waiting room. He wasn't allowed to go back with Kaoru and he feels guilty about it. He's always hated random people touching him, especially when he's vulnerable. Kojiro is a very lucky exception to that.
I should've gone back there with him. I’m the worst best friend ever. Kaoru trusted me and I took that trust and broke it in half like an American trying to make spaghetti. Kojiro's thoughts are louder than the hospital noise around him. It exhuasts him beyond belief but he just wants to make sure Kaoru is okay.
He barely hears the nurse walk over and say that he can visit Kaoru, it’s like he can’t breathe. It doesn’t matter the moment he sees Kaoru acting like his normal self. “About time you showed up. I figured you’d get lost with that tiny brain of yours.”
“You’re welcome asshole.” Kojiro sits on the chair next to the bed. He glances down at Kaoru’s casted leg. It’s plain white and much too big for any of Kaoru’s uniform pants. They would figure out a way to get around that rule, he knows they will. “How do you think you’ll modify your uniform?”
“I’ll just wear a skirt. It’s allowed for the girls, why can’t I?” Kaoru smirks slightly, letting out an amused breath. Kojiro’s face is a little red at the thought. It’s not the tiniest skirt but it’s still a skirt, on Kaoru of all people. His best friend and crush. Though, Kaoru doesn’t know that second one.
“Why? I’d let you borrow one of my pants. I think it would get around the cast.” Kojiro would rather give up a pair of his uniform pants than have to be around Kaoru wearing a skirt for who knows how long. Even worse if he was wearing shorts.
“Sometimes things like this are too big for your ape brain to wrap around.” Kaoru leans close and presses their heads together in the usual stance they take despite the fact he's hurt. Kojiro takes a breath before retorting himself.
“Well maybe if you’d stop piercing that face of yours, you’d actually make sense.” Kojiro leans in too, taking the challenge that Kaoru is clearing offering up. It's a regular routine for them and Kojiro welcomes it. Kaoru acting feisty means he's feeling better.
-
The next few weeks at school are hell for Kojiro. Kaoru returned to school on crutches and in a girl's uniform. The teachers were schooled since his cast makes it almost impossible to get his pants on. Not only that but Kojiro was helping Kaoru around since he couldn't carry much. He was following behind Kaoru on the stairs and for the first time was staring at his feet as he walked.
Kaoru keeps teasing him about it too, the oblivious fuck. He supposes that he’d rather have Kaoru act like this than be mopey and quiet.
But what really gets him is when he's helping Kaoru home. He carries both their bags while Kaoru hobbles next to him, talking about his next few approaches on skating after his leg heals.
“If we slow down to take that corner, we can get around. This won't happen again. I can have you skate it since I can't- what?” Kaoru looks over at the overthinking boy next to him. He smirks and starts teasing. “Aww, is Kojiro scared? His pride can't handle getting hurt the way I did.”
“Would you shut up? That hair slows you down when you skate.” Kojiro opens his front door and helps Kaoru up the stairs. He watches as Kaoru instantly makes himself at home in his bedroom, flopping down on the bed with a happy sigh.
Kojiro brings up a snack for the both of them and does his best to hold a conversation. He doesn't want Kaoru to get hurt again.
It's my fault he got hurt. I was too far back to tell him to slow down. He's hurt because I wasn't there. After he heals and starts skating again, I’ll be there. Always.
“You're thinking too loud.” Kaoru kicks him with his good leg and rolls his eyes. “It makes my head hurt.”
“I’m all for you skating again. But please be careful. Wouldn't want you to have to rely on me again. This is exhausting.” Kojiro throws in the end bit to hopefully distract Kaoru from the fact that Kojiro is speaking his thoughts about him openly. He’d throw his walls up and avoid Kojiro for hours.
“As long as you stop staring at my ass every time we go up the stairs.”
“Deal.”