“Does he have asthma?” Rylph asked, walking closer.
“I don’t think so.” Aki shook his head, lifting Hito’s torso up with one arm and turned him over. “I’m gonna take him to the doc.”
“You want a hand?”
“Nah.” Aki shook his head, lifting Hito more onto his back and started off with him. He quickened his pace as he could better hear Hito’s soft wheezing in his ear.
“Hmmm…” the doc tilted her head, her blond hair falling slightly from its bun. “Lay him on the bed.”
Aki did as told and watched as the woman pulled out a needle and prepped it. “What’s that?”
“Medicine for his fever.” She said. She grabbed Hito’s wrist, rolling up the sleeve and began to aim for the needle.
“Nnnmm.” Hito pulled his arm away, wheezing more.
“Hold his arm.”
Aki walked over and held down Hito’s arm. She nodded and injected him with the medicine. Then she turned to leave the room.
“I’ll be right back.”
Aki looked to Hito, as he continued to wheeze.
She returned tossing a bottle of pills at Aki. “Take him back to the dorm. When he wakes up, give him one of those every three or so hours until they’re gone.” She nodded and pointed to the door.
Aki nodded slowly, lifting Hito up after putting the pills in his jean pocket. “Right…” He carried Hito out, saying as he left down the sidewalk to the dorm. “She’s a strange one.”
A bit later, Aki had carefully laid Hito in his bed, sitting beside it in a chair.
“You want to go back to class?” Mastuki asked, standing behind Aki.
“No… Not really.”
“Want to make sure he gets better?”
Aki shrugged. “What’ll be best? Class… or be here?”
“Are you asking me as a teacher or as your friend?” Mastuki smiled.
“…Both.”
He shrugged, “As your teacher, I must say… You should go back to class. It won’t do you any good waiting here for him to wake up.” Aki hung his head. “However, as your friend…” Aki lifted his head a bit to hear. “It might make Hito feel better knowing someone was worried about him.”
“What do you mean?”
“Why would he go out with a fever?”
“…I asked him to go.” Aki answered.
“Then that’s it.”
“Huh?” Aki turned to him.
Mastuki shrugged, “He probably felt that if he didn’t go, he’d let you down. So he didn’t want to disappoint you. That’s why he went.”
He patted Aki’s shoulder and left the room, closing the door behind him.
Aki turned to the bed, scooting the chair closer. He frowned sadly, taking a hold of Hito’s hand as he watched him wheeze.
Hito shifted, opening his eyes a bit. He figured Aki would have left him by now.
“…Why?” Aki asked softly, leaning closer to Hito’s head. “Why did you go if you weren’t feeling well? Are you trying to make me worry about you? Don’t tell me you were so lonely you did this! That’s pretty desperate and pathetic, Hito.”
“You’re…” Hito gasped through a wheeze. “Wrong.”
Aki blinked, his anger leaving his face.
“I didn’t want…” He wheezed, “To let you down…” Hito answered, frowning. His face was so sad and afraid.
“You wouldn’t if you were sick.” Aki shook his head. “You stupid idiot. You should’ve told me.”
Hito closed his eyes, turning his head away. “You’re mad… Aren’t you?”
He looked back, hearing the other sigh. “No. I’m not mad. Or disappointed. Or any of that crap.” He smiled a bit, “I’m glad you wanted to keep me happy enough that you’d fight your fever… But I really wish you had told me.”
“Mad that I didn’t..?” Hito asked after a wheeze.
“Slightly.”
Hito closed his eyes sadly. He wanted to sigh but all he could do was wheeze and hope it would be calm enough that he wouldn’t start coughing.
Aki watched Hito for a bit. Twenty minutes later the brunette was sure Hito was so exhausted from wheezing, that he knelt closer and kissed Hito’s cheek lightly. “Get better soon, kay?”
“Un…” Hito nodded.
Aki backed up quickly, cheeks flushed, only to see Hito looking up at him as he wheezed.
“Y-Y-You were awake?!” He turned away and jolted up to walk out of the room.
“Aki~” came Hito’s soft voice as loud as he could make it through a wheeze. Aki stopped at the door, looking back to the blond. He didn’t move at first, but walked back to the bedside as he noticed Hito starting to sit up.
“No. Rest.” He said, pushing Hito back to laying. Hito looked up at him, his expression so sad. Aki took in a breath, looking away. “Don’t look so sad. I’m not gonna leave.”
Hito shook his head. “N-no.” He wheezed, “It’s just…” He wheezed a bit, “Why did you?”
Aki shrugged, not able to think of an answer that wasn’t cliché.
Hito closed his eyes and began to try to rest again. Aki looked at him after a bit, watching Hito wheeze in a breath and exhale quickly. It was calm and not rushed like it had been earlier. Aki’s blue eyes just watched Hito so sadly.
Why did I do that, I wonder. I know I should have just told him I was sick and needed to rest. But at the time, I thought that if I told him that he’d get mad and not want me near him any more. It was selfish really, because it was all I could do to keep him near me. I couldn’t think of it to tell him that aloud, as all my words failed to come out properly. And even if I did tell him then, he’d laugh at me and shrug it off like always.
Comments (0)
See all