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Yuu sat on the edge of the bed in his borrowed room, mind still buzzing from the early afternoon’s events:
The sudden and disgruntled call from Mika who was driving home halfway through his shift at the local movie theater where they both worked. The hastiness of getting behind the wheel of Mika’s car for the first time to drive him to the doctor for an unspoken reason. The concerning sight of Mika getting road rage from the passenger seat due to slow traffic while simultaneously grimacing in pain. The questions buzzing through Yuu’s head as he sat for what felt like hours in the waiting room after Mika was called back. The defeated look on Mika’s face as he walked back into the waiting room with the diagnosis of a traumatic brain injury, more specifically, a concussion.
It didn’t take a genius to figure out when Mika had hit his head. The night before when he left to meet up with Lacus and Rene, he was acting normal and very Mika to say the least. The next morning however, Mika looked under the weather but brushed if off insisting that he was just tired from getting back late. Typical. He even brushed off a slight wince with a bright smile as he left for work. That too did not go unnoticed by Yuu.
He had no clue what kind of shenanigans the three had gotten into, but the outcome was in no way sunshine and rainbows for Mika.
After arriving home from the doctor, Yuu guided Mika to his room so he could rest. Then Yuu proceeded to call Mika’s mother Krul to inform her about the diagnosis. Unfortunately, she would not be home for a few more hours despite her son’s ill health. Until she got home, Yuu would be in charge of taking care of Mika. This was Yuu’s opportunity, regardless of how unfortunate it was, to give back to Mika for everything he had done for him since his life took a turn for the worse.
Standing up, Yuu walked quietly down the hall to the bathroom. He grabbed a bottle of pain medication and filled a glass of water before making his way towards Mika’s room. Normally the door would be open, but now it was closed off to the rest of the house. Yuu carefully balanced the bottle and glass in one hand while slowly turning the knob and opening the door.
The curtains were closed and the only source of light came from a dim night light which cast a hazy darkness over the room. One of the dresser drawers was left open with clothes cascading out and Mika’s work clothes were scattered haphazardly on the floor, which looked quite out of place in his always tidy room. As for Mika himself, he lay in bed clutching his head, enveloped in a mess of blankets.
Yuu gently shut the door and made his way to the bed. He set the bottle and glass down on the nightstand and gingerly sat on the edge of the bed. Mika stirred and let out a pained groan.
“Hey it’s just me,” Yuu spoke softly “I brought you some medication to ease the pain.”
Mika groaned again and buried his head under the blankets.
“Come on Mika,” Yuu coaxed “it will at least make you feel a bit more comfortable.”
Mika reluctantly pulled the blankets off of his head but didn’t put any more effort into getting up.
“You’re going to choke if you try and take it laying down.”
Letting out a sigh, Mika slowly sat up only to wince and clutch his head again. Yuu shot him a gentle smile before pouring out two pills from the bottle. The sound of the pills tumbling in the bottle caused Mika to wince and turn his head away.
“Sorry” Yuu sheepishly whispered. He held two pills up for him. “Here, take these.”
Mika turned his head back around and opened his mouth, allowing Yuu to place a pill on his tongue then lift the glass to his lips so he could drink to make the pill go down. After the first pill was taken, the second one followed accordingly.
“Th-thank you” Mika whispered, voice laced with pain.
Yuu gently hugged him. “I don’t want you to suffer more than you have to, silly.” In response, Mika leaned back into the hug and rested his head against Yuu’s shoulder.
Due to his positon on the edge of the bed, it wasn’t long before Yuu felt himself slowly sliding off the mattress. Mika must have noticed the receding movement because he suddenly turned around, grabbing Yuu’s shoulder.
“Stay with me… at least for a bit longer” he whispered almost pleadingly.
“Anything for you, Mika” he smiled.
Yuu shifted his position so that he was sitting completely on the bed. Once situated, he scooped up Mika blankets and all, then settled the bundle of warmth right onto his lap, arms wrapped around him securely. Said bundle wiggled around a bit until comfortably situated then rested his head against Yuu’s shoulder once again, letting out a contented sigh.
To Yuu, it was surreal seeing Mika so vulnerable and in pain. This bundle of blankets had lost that air of stoicism and light hearted attitude. Truthfully, the current situation reminded Yuu a lot about himself, or at least how he had been up until a year ago.
There were many times throughout their school years when Yuu would go home with Mika to study and do homework. Sure he could have done it at home, but that place was a nightmare in itself. In contrast, he was always felt at home at Mika’s. Whenever he felt so broken and utterly worn out from mistreatment and sleepless nights, Kurl would welcome him with open arms. She was more of a mother to him than his real mother was.
And then there was Mika. Ever since the two had met in elementary school, they had been best friends. During that time, his parents were kind and took good care of him, like any parent should. Everything changed a few years later and Mika, being as perceptive as he was, picked up on it immediately. Yuu of course hid his rapidly declining home life behind blinding smiles and bandages. It took months until Yuu finally broke.
He and Mika had been doing homework together as usual when suddenly, Yuu’s phone rang. It was his mother. Panicking, he had thrown the phone as if it were a bomb about to detonate. Body shaking and face paled, Yuu curled into himself as the world came crashing down.
Mika was by his side in an instant, pulling the sobbing boy into his arms. They stayed like that until Yuu was able to compose himself enough to speak coherently. He
spilled everything about his parents changing and how their happy little family was reduced to explosive instability. Mika patiently listened to every word, nodding when appropriate. From then on, Yuu never held back a single detail about what was troubling him and Mika was always there to listen and provide comfort.
Now, the situation was flipped onto its head.
There was absolutely no way that Yuu could just sit there and watch Mika suffer – he would do anything in his power for him. Sure, he would use this opportunity as a way to repay Mika, but it was so much more than that. He wanted to do it because he knew what suffering alone felt like and how something as simple as someone dear to you standing by your side makes a world of difference. Mika sure as hell did not deserve to suffer alone.
The bundle of blankets stirred, pulling Yuu from his thoughts.
“Hey sleepy head” Yuu whispered.
Mika half-yawned, half-grimaced in response.
“Is your head feeling any better?”
“No… not really.”
Yuu frowned “you better keep resting then.”
Sighing, Mika sat up and stretched, blankets falling of his body in the process. The sudden exposure to the cooler air caused him shiver so Yuu scooped up the fallen blankets to wrap Mika up in again. In the process of doing so, Yuu paused upon realizing that Mika’s oversized t-shirt was on backwards, but chose not to point it out.
Once Mika became a bundle of blankets, Yuu gently laid him down on the bed so that his injured head rested on a soft pillow. He then got up from the bed to stretch, letting out a long yawn. The nagging feeling of Mika starting straight at him didn’t go unnoticed.
“I’m not going anywhere, Mika. I promise.” Yuu said turning around to face him.
Mika visibly relaxed before shifting his positon so that there would be more room on the bed. The subtle act brought a smile to Yuu’s lips. Yuu carefully climbed back in bed, sitting next to Mika.
Silence washed over the two.
Yuu must have spaced out because he don’t notice the warmth of Mika’s hand on top of his own until their fingers interlocked almost naturally. Yuu gently squeezed his hand in reassurance, eliciting a contented sigh from Mika. he was not going anywhere.
Yuu was right where he needed to be; right by Mika's side.