Chapter Text
For the first time in 4 months, Kei hits the snooze button on his alarm. The last time he was sleep deprived enough to procrastinate getting out of bed is that time he and Yamaguchi had a horror movie marathon. It was just two movies, barely even a marathon, but both boys were trembling under the covers that night.
This was different kind of tired.
Kei bites on his lip to suppress a cough, furrowing his eyebrows at the thought of having to listen to the shrill alarm again in ten minutes. Eventually he decides to stick a long arm out from under his duvet to swat at his phone.
It's far too cold to be anywhere other than under a mess of pillows and blankets, but he gets up anyway. He squints as the room comes into focus through his glasses. His temples are throbbing fiercely.
His rest of his morning is surprisingly peaceful,considering the terrible start he got.
He gets his daily "Morning Tsukki!" text from Yamaguchi. The boy had even added two extra emojis. It was stupid, but Kei couldn't help but smile. Extra emojis meant Yamaguchi had slept well and would be in a good mood for the rest of the day. Cheery Yamaguchi was infinitely better than pouty Yamaguchi, even if the latter was a tad bit cute.
There's a sticky note slapped onto his dinosaur mug when he makes it to the kitchen.
Call me after school!
Aki's coming over. Do something nice together!
Of course. He'd been silently celebrating since his parents announced the wedding they'd be attending in Tokyo. Stupid, now that he thought about it. His mother would never leave him alone at home.
Her worry for him still lingered in the tiniest ways. How she vaccumed everything like all the furniture in their home was newly recovered from an 18th century cottage. How she made him a warm drink every night. How she stiffened every time he coughed.
Kei didn't actually mind that much. It wasn't like his mother had submitted a request slip when he was born. Blonde, tall, asthmatic.
The doctor was convinced he'd grown out of it.
His emergency medication was tucked away in their medicine cabinet, dusty and long expired.
School was terrible.
Practice was a disaster.
"Tsukishima! Your form is getting worse!"
He mumbles out a yes sir, legs heavy as he moved them wider apart. His body trembled as he tried to bend his knees to receive a particularly strong hit. Hinata whoops as the ball flies off his uneven forearms and slams against a wall.
"Sorry."
Daichi slaps him on the back good naturedly, but something twists in his chest and he he's doubled over coughing. The captain looks lost, hands hovering over Kei like he's scared to touch him.
"You okay, kid?"
Ukai is frowning at him.
"Yeah. I just need some water."
Kiyoko is waiting silently with his bottle, and Kei nods in thanks. The water is too cold, and his chest aches.
Daichi apologizes. Ennoshita slips him a cough drop after practice.
Yamaguchi pulls him to the bathroom and helps him wipe off the unusual amount of sweat beading on his forehead. He presses a hand to Kei's chest and raises an eyebrow, but Kei just shakes his head.
"Welcome back!"
Akiteru is in the kitchen, a pink apron draped over his muscular frame. It's their mother's, and it's about the length of a miniskirt.
"Why did you even bother?"
"Hey, the apron is the most important part!"
Akiteru fiddles with his fingers as he beams at his little brother. Kei notes how he looks like a teenage girl on her first date.
He had planned on spending the evening cooped up in his room, but there's another post it he didn't notice in the morning stuck on his desk.
It's a Friday, you won't die if you miss a day of studying!
Watch a movie with your brother. Or else.
It sounds an awful lot like a death threat, but Kei pushes it away.
Akiteru looks embarrassingly happy when he shows up for dinner and wordlessly slides a copy of home alone across the table. Kei almost feels bad. Had he really been that cold to his brother?
The fried tofu isn't smothered in nearly enough miso paste, but Kei eats it anyway. He hasn't had much all day, and he's hungrier than he'd admit.
The movie would have been better in different circumstances. Mainly if his chin wasn't itching like crazy.
Kei tries to calm down, squishing a pillow up to his mouth every time he feels a cough coming on. There are too many warning signs, and he knows he's being stupid for not telling Akiteru. His brother is busy nibbling on microwave popcorn.
A cough. And another.
There's something itching in his chest, and Kei clutches the blanket, shifting around to try and get comfortable. It doesn't work.
"Hey, you okay?"
"I'm f-"
Speaking was apparently a mistake. He hacks miserably, throat aching and chest clenching painfully.
There's the sound of Akiteru's plastic popcorn bowl being abandoned on the coffee table.
"Kei? Is it an attack?"
He wants to make a snarky remark on his brother's knack for stating the obvious, but for now breathing is his top priority. Akiteru places a firm hand on his back and sits him upright.
"Where's your inhaler?"
"Probably expired."
He only manages to choke the words out between wheezy coughs.
"Okay. Okay, we're going to emergency room."
Akiteru guides him to the entrance, one arm securely around his slender waist and his free hand gripping his shoulder.
"It's okay. You're okay, little brother."
He says it like a mantra,one that Kei has heard countless times. Whispered in his ear as he lay in Akiteru's lap, wheezing pitifully as their mother tapped her fingers anxiously on the steering wheel. Muttered in a soothing tone as he squirmed in his bed, chest too tight to fall asleep.
Now Akiteru sounds strong. He sounds like the reliable older brother Kei used to idolize.
He closes his eyes.
The nurses don't seem bothered when Akiteru barges into he emergency room half - carrying his little brother.
"Please take a seat, sir. We'll call you -"
"He's having an asthma attack, ma'am. He hasn't had one in years and we don't have an inhaler anymore."
Kei wheezes as loud as he can, hoping he sounds as miserable as he feels. The nurse's eyes widen and she gestures discreetly at a tiny young nurse. Things move quickly after that. Kei is pushed into an uncomfortable bed with stiff sheets and a mask is strapped over his face. He winces. They always make it too tight.
The familiar smell of a nebulizer hits his nose and he relaxes a little. The nurse bumbles around the makeshift area,muttering about something as she fastens a padded plastic clip to his thumb. Akiteru looks awfully awkward. It's like he's trying to become one with the curtain. Kei can't help but chuckle, and the nurse clicks her tongue at him when he starts coughing again.
"Jeez! You can't go making your brother laugh, sir."
She looks serious, but there's something about her high pitched voice and flustered actions that take the bite out of her words.
Akiteru just nods, mumbling a meek apology.
"Come on, Kei! You're telling me you literally had all the warning signs! Gosh, mom and dad are probably going to run from their hotel to hitchhike here or something."
"Mm. Sorry."
He's so tired the words come out slurred.
"Whatever, I forgive you. You can't scare me like that, though!"
There are tears welling up in his eyes. Kei blinks, wondering what he should do.
His hand twitches.
Akiteru takes it, and holds it tight.