Chapter Text
Kaoru's golden orbs blinked open slowly as he registered the thin light streaming in through his pale curtains. He could tell from the crisp smell of the air that it was early in the morning. Faint hints of cherry blossom and wet grass slithered through the crack of his bedroom window, mingling with his senses. He inhaled it softly, taking a few moments to concentrate on his breathing.
He eventually sat up in his bed with a groan, glaring down at his legs that were still tucked beneath his weighted velvety blanket. The silky material of his light pink robe slipped slowly down one of his shoulders, as it often did, and he hardly cared (that, too never changed). Fists clenched and unclenched at his sides before long fingers gripped the corner of his blanket with pure determination. Slowly, deliberately, and a little forcibly, he yanked the blanket off and threw it to the floor.
He narrowed his eyes in on the white cast that covered his right leg from the kneecap down. He tried (and failed) not to think about what had made him act so recklessly. It'd only been a few days since the accident, and the treacherous event seemed to play on repeat in his mind like a terrible movie. Kaoru hardly ever made mistakes, each of his day to day actions were calculated with the upmost accuracy, but somehow he had managed to fumble just this once. It wasn't necessarily his fault, of course, but not foreseeing Adam's evil plan came down to his own miscalculations.
I was wrong for ever believing he was the same as before..
He glanced towards his cellphone, now the only connection he had to the outside world, and frowned. It blinked with alerts, and at the top of the screen glowed a vibrant "53 missed calls." Had Carla still been operating she would have already cleared the ones that were insignificant.
Oh, give me a break.
It's not that he enjoyed letting others worry about him, but something about the entire situation rubbed him the wrong way. Deep down he knew that his pride must've shattered at the same time bone fractured, but that didn't change the way he felt.
He reached forward and unplugged his phone from its charger, wondering just how many of the calls he'd missed were from people he actually wanted to hear from. His eyes nearly popped out of his head when he scrolled through all of the missed calls and voicemails.
You have got to be kidding me! Fifty calls all from that bastard? Well, one was from a client ( who's probably wondering why I haven't finished his order yet ) but nonetheless- FIFTY CALLS FROM Kojiro ?
He was going to kill him. As soon as he was fully functional again, the first thing on his to do list was one epic murder.
Hands shaking with anger, he brought the cellphone close to his ear before clicking play on one of fourteen voicemails. This particular one was from that very morning, only minutes before he woke up.
"Oi, Kaoru, stop ignoring me!"
He rolled his eyes, "Joe's" voice never ceasing to annoy him, but continued to listen.
"I had groceries sent to your house from the local market last night, and you would have known that if you'd have answered your phone at all these past two days. So congrats, you probably have a bunch of ants outside your front door!"
He tensed up, eyes shooting towards the direction of his living area that also harbored his front door.
"I asked for a few days off work so I'm going to come over-"
What?!
"I know you can't do anything without Carla, and everyone's worried sick about you. Anyways, I'll be there soon, and don't bother locking me out, I knew where you hid your spare key and I made a copy a long time ago."
The message beeped off, leaving Kaoru with his mouth hanging open, nothing but stunned silence echoing around him.
Joe sent groceries?
He was coming over?
HE HAD A KEY?
He swung his legs over his bed and tried to stand much too quickly. His knees buckled before he tumbled to the floor, curses leaving his lips as his one good leg tangled in his discarded blanket. This was a very serious invasion of privacy. Did Kojiro really have no sense of respect? You don't just invite yourself into another grown man's home! And besides, he was doing fine! It only took him ten or so minutes to cross his home and reach his shower (seven if he crawled), and he'd been sleeping and... eating normally. The instant noodles were getting a bit bland for his refined tastes, but that was no one else's concern!
"Irritable bastard," he mumbled, reaching for his night stand so he could attempt to get himself back up. The faint rattle of a doorknob (and not his impeccable vision) made him miss his marker, and he yelped as he once again joined his blanket on the floor. The damn thing seemed to be mocking him, most likely karma for how violent he was when he threw it before.
Actually, it's quite nice on the floor, he told himself. He might just stay there, for now. Perhaps if he hid under his blanket instead of scowling at it, Kojiro would not see him and assume that he was, indeed, out and about and able to function. He would leave him be, and Kaoru could go back to sulking in, but not entirely accepting, his new reality.
He laughed into his hand, deciding he most likely needed a therapist, one both mental and physical.
He could hear Kojiro approaching not a minute after, his heavy footsteps echoing through the hall, but he did not to turn his head towards the other until he heard him clear his throat. He turned to look over his shoulder, and the two stared blankly at each other as a few moments passed. Kaoru felt all sorts of emotions as he stared down his part-time rival; anger, resentfulness, and (if he was being honest) bashfulness were probably the top three. Kojiro was dressed in black slacks and a thin tank top, his muscled arms crossed in front of his chest, and one leather booted foot was propped up on the frame of Kaoru's open bedroom door. A green eyebrow was lifted in question as red orbs took in the pink haired male's situation on the floor. His robe was off of both shoulders then, exposing milky white skin and toned shoulders. Kaoru's eyes pierced the other with so much intensity that anyone who was not used to his viciousness would have ran off immediately. His hair was falling in long tangles all around him, and his glasses were somewhere in his dreadful nightstand. He was sure he looked a mess, not that he cared. His appearance was the last thing that was on his mind when this pest was near.
"What are you doing?" Kojiro asked, unable to keep himself from smirking as Kaoru flushed from embarrassment.
"Get out," Kaoru ordered. "And leave that key you have here. I'm pretty sure what you've done is illegal, and I just might have you arrested."
Much to his annoyance, Kojiro ignored his commands and stalked further into his bedroom, straight for where he was currently sprawled on the floor. He tried to scoot away from the tall man, but he didn't get far before his back hit his nightstand. He made a quick mental note to burn that stupid thing as soon as possible.
"What are you doing?" He barked when the large male bent down and slipped strong arms around his slender waist. His nose was invaded with Koijiro's smell, and it was nothing like the light and airy scent of his home. The bigger man always smelled of chocolate and cinnamon, and some deeper musk that Karou could never put his finger on.
"Were you planning on staying there all day?" He was asked.
"So what if I was?" He replied, his eyes turning to slits.
Koijiro laughed as his pulled Kaoru to his feet, and the sound vibrated through his entire body, making him much too aware of how close they were. He moved to step away, putting pressure on his injured leg, and hissed in pain. Kojiro held him tighter when he swayed, all of the sudden movement making him lightheaded.
"Where's your crutch? Did the hospital not give you one?" The question was laced with concern, and Kaoru could see it in the others eyes very clearly. He really did seem to be worried.
No sense in that. What happened was done and over with.
Normally Kaoru wasn't someone who bothered with arguing or belittling others, it was absurd and beneath him. But all of that was different when it came to the man standing before him. He got under his skin like no other, and it'd been like that for as long as he could recall.
"I don't need a crutch, I'm fine," he told him firmly. "Now help me get to the kitchen, I want to eat." If he was going to be a nuisance he might as well be a helpful one.
They didn't say anything when Kaoru was basically carried through his home. It was embarrassing, but effective, and that's what he kept repeating to himself in his head until Kojiro finally plopped him down on one of his metal barstools. There were tons of things in his kitchen, things he most definitely did not buy. Brown paper bags filled with fruits, vegetables, meat, and bread littered his normally vacant countertop space. Amidst all of it was also a dark blue duffel bag that drew his attention. He reckoned the groceries were the ones Kaoru had mentioned in his voicemail, but he was curious about what the blue bag was for.
"What is that?" He asked, pointing a slender finger in its direction.
Kojiro was busying himself unpacking all of the food he wasn't asked to buy, but spared a second to glance up at what he was talking about. He'd also began to notice what an absurd amount of food there was, especially if it was just for himself.
Dread began to pool in his stomach.
"I left you a voicemail. I took some time off of work." His explanation was simple and short. Much too short.
"And?" Kaoru pressed, leaning forward on his elbows so he could stare the other man down with even more ferocity.
Kojiro finally stopped unpacking and stared back, a bright smile lighting up his handsome face.
"That bag has some of my stuff in it. I'm staying with you for a while, of course."
The metal legs of his chair scraped against the floor as Kaoru jumped up so fast he didn't even register the pain that shot up his leg, threatening to take him out. The stool fell back and rolled against the kitchen tile with several loud bangs. His world was suddenly zeroed in on the man who had instantly become his worst nightmare, and his mouth went dry as he screamed,
"YOU'RE WHAT?"