CH 3.1 - Aftermath (PA)

The next few weeks for Yuto were difficult. He couldn't cook their meals anymore because his dominant arm was fractured. He couldn't even do his assignments. He couldn't move from Nagisa's bed because any sudden movements made his concussion feel worse. For someone who was so used to being productive and busy, not doing anything made him really antsy. Nagisa could tell that Yuto was miserable. He did his best to help him feel less burdened so that he could rest more. After all, Yuto had been putting such a constant strain on his body for so long, some proper rest might do him wonders.

Every morning, Nagisa woke up early so that he could go to the marketplace near his house to pack breakfast, lunch and dinner for them. He worked from home so that he could keep Yuto company and take care of him. Especially since his fear of other people had relapsed now, it was important to keep socialising with him. Even if it was just him alone. He couldn't afford to have Yuto fall into the same lonely pit again. He didn't want to have to go all the way to square one again. 'I'm all he has. I can't have him going back to his old depressive state again' He thought as he waited for one of the vendors at the market to replace Yuto's old phone case with a new and sturdy clear plastic one. Yuto's phone didn't break but it was best to be safe than sorry.

"Yuto, tadaima,"He called out as he opened the door, slipping his shoes off. He could hear Yuto grunt in reply and his heart sank a little, feeling sorry for him. He put the food on the dining table before he opened the door to his bedroom. "O-okaeri, Nagi,"Yuto croaked weakly as he gazed at Nagisa. His eyes were watery and he didn't look too well. The man went to the bathroom and brought back a basin of warm water and face towel with him. He sat on the bed and gingerly wiped Yuto's face, taking care to not jerk his right arm. He could tell that Yuto was sorrowful that he couldn't do much of anything for the next few weeks. When he was done, he pushed Yuto's bangs aside and kissed him on the forehead softly. "There, there. You don't have to worry about a single thing. I'll be the one taking care of you now, like I should've been from the beginning,".

Nagisa carefully untied Yuto's hair and helped him sit up. "You should let your hair loose for a while. It's more comfortable,". Yuto just hung his head quietly. He felt useless. 'All I'm doing is burdening Nagi. I'm such a useless boyfriend' He thought to himself, biting his lip. Nagisa propped up his pillows cautiously before he left the room to get breakfast ready for both of them. 'I don't understand how people can sit still like this. I feel horrible and unproductive...' He sighed and looked at his arm that lay snug in a cast. He still believed that getting injured was his own fault. 'I've been such an idiot....Now here I am troubling Nagi. I don't deserve him'. Just as he was about to lament to himself, Nagisa appeared with two trays of food. "Yuto~ I have breakfast ready. Are you proud of me?". Yuto looked up and forced himself to smile. "Yeah. I'm proud of you,". Nagisa's pouted and put the trays aside.

"My Yuto baby,"He cooed, cupping Yuto's face kindly. He wiped at Yuto's watery eyes lightly, smiling at him. "Why the long face? You don't like me taking care of you? Does your arm hurt you that badly?". The boy winced and his face was flushed. "I don't mind you taking care of me. But, I'm such a burden,". Nagisa's eyes widened after hearing him say that and he carefully pulled Yuto into a warm embrace. "You'd never be a burden to me. I love you so much. I'm willing to do anything for you,". Yuto hugged him tightly, nuzzling his face into his shoulder. "Come on,"Nagisa smiled, petting his head delicately. "Let's eat our breakfast before it gets cold,".

The older man placed Yuto's tray of food on his lap, watching him. Yuto tried to hold the spoon with his left hand but it shook so hard, he really struggled to eat. Nagisa shook his head and took the spoon from him, feeding him attentively. "Please don't be unhappy, I want you to be able to rely on me,". Yuto swallowed the warm porridge quietly, feeling defeated. "I'm not used to this. I'm used to being the one who takes care of you,". Nagisa squeezed his left hand gently. "You can look after me when you're back in good shape. But for now, I'll do the looking after, okay?". Yuto just nodded silently, squeezing his hand back. After breakfast, Nagisa handed him a book of crossword puzzles to do. "I know you don't feel like doing anything, but you're supposed to keep your brain active during times like this,". Yuto blinked at the book, trying to make sense of the words that seemed like a blurred mesh because of his vision. "I can't read anything,".

Nagisa propped Yuto's pillows up again before he headed to his desk and got himself a pencil and an eraser. "Let's do it together then". Yuto lifted his head to look at the book and Nagisa didn't think that this would be comfortable for him. He put the book down and carefully pulled Yuto onto his lap, leaning back as he pulled the covers over both of them. "Just lean against my chest. I know it's your favourite place of mine to cuddle,". The boy graciously rested his head against his partner's broad chest. Yuto could feel the warmth from Nagisa and simpered to himself. He enjoyed Nagisa's company. He couldn't imagine being with anyone else in his life. "A fruit that is uniquely shaped. Nine letters," Nagisa murmured, turning to Yuto. The boy stared at the blank boxes on the book, mumbling something to himself. "A starfruit?". Nagisa counted the boxes and wrote his answer down for him. "That's a good guess,". He then read the next clue aloud . "An animal that is known to have an extremely large nose. Hint: It's a monkey." That really left him scratching his head. "All monkeys look the same to me..."Nagisa huffed and reached for his phone so that he could look it up.

Yuto shook his head, thinking of the answer. "Don't cheat Nagi. There's no fun in it if you do,". Nagisa grinned sheepishly, slipping his phone back into his pocket, pecking Yuto on the head. "Kidding, kidding. I don't cheat,". Yuto racked his brain for the answer, looking at the boxes analytically. "It's a monkey that lives in Borneo right? It's a pro..something,". Nagisa pretended to agree with him even though he had no clue what Yuto was talking about. Yuto scratched his head, thinking back to all the science classes he had at Kirihara. When he finally got the answer, he flinched, surprising Nagisa. "It's a proboscis monkey."He spoke softly which made his partner laugh. 'His reactions are always different from his voice. But that's what makes him so special'. Nagisa wrote it down for him and rubbed his head tenderly. "Aren't you a genius? Let's do some more,". They ended up doing crossword puzzles until lunchtime and Yuto was sleeping like a log by then.

This experience was really exhausting for him and perhaps he was catching up on some well deserved rest. Nagisa tucked him in properly, laid his pillows flat and handed him Chitose and so that he could catch some z's comfortably. After dimming the lights and shutting the curtains, he left the room so that he could make a call. "Hitomi...."He sighed in relief as he sank into the sofa in the living room. "Aniki, I never thought you would call. How's Kirishima-kun?". Nagisa switched on his laptop, resting the phone in between his ear and shoulder. "I took care of him for the entire morning. He's asleep now which is why I'm talking quietly,"He whispered and Hitomi nodded on the other side of the phone. "Ahh..I see. Well Ka-chan and To-chan heard of the accident and they want you to bring him over once he's better so that they can give him some health supplements."

Hitomi's brother pursed his lips as his eyes shifted nervously. "That won't be happening anytime soon. He's really afraid of other people. Like deathly afraid. He won't even let them touch him,". Nagisa typed something down in his laptop before he spoke up again. "Besides, why does Ka-chan and To-chan want to see us so badly?". Hitomi shrugged and you could hear her sipping on a drink. "Beats me...It's been a long time since they last saw Kirishima-kun. He was like 15? 16? Wow..Just thinking about the many years you two have between each other make me feel ancient,". Nagisa nodded, working steadily as they chatted. "Well, I think I should check up on Yuto now. I'll catch up with you later,". Hitomi wished him goodbye and they hung up.

"Nagi..." Yuto whined softly from their room. Nagisa headed to their bedroom after setting his laptop aside. "What's wrong Yuto? Did you call for me?". He looked at the floor and smiled, realising that Yuto had dropped Chitose from the bed. "Ah...that's an easy fix,". He picked Chitose up and sat on the bed next to Yuto, using her to plant a kiss on his forehead. "You're so cute. Even Chitose thinks so,"He laughed, slipping the stuffed zebra back into his arms. Yuto used his left arm to hug Nagisa's muscular right arm. "Nagi...Do you love me?". The man nodded, lying down next to Yuto. "More than anyone I ever could,". Yuto turned away, trying not to look at Nagisa's face. "Why am I so scared of people? Why aren't I afraid of you?"He mumbled, twiddling with the strap on the cast.

The older of the two caressed the younger male's loose locks of blonde messy hair gently. "Because people have hurt you before. The mistreatment you received from your family changed your perception of people,". He felt Yuto's fine hair in between his fingers. "You're not scared of me because you trust me right? You trust that I'll do anything to protect you and keep you safe. That's why you're not scared of me,"He explained, the tone of his voice almost as tender as a little lamb. Yuto grunted in agreement, slowly turning to face Nagisa.

The imagery of his mother, lifeless, skull smashed and blood dripping from the head flashed in his mind.

He flinched violently, knocking into Nagisa's chest. "Yuto?! Are you okay?"His partner asked frantically, feeling about for Yuto's heartbeat. "I'm sorry...I just thought of something I shouldn't have,"Yuto murmured, feeling his heart race. Nagisa gently rubbed the part of Yuto's head that bumped hard into him to soothe him. "Be more careful. Right now, I only want you to recover quickly,". Yuto's face became flushed, letting Nagisa pet him affectionately. "Nagi, is it wrong to feel bad for your family even if they've treated you horribly?". The man wrapped his arms around Yuto's waist, not even hesitant to respond. "No. It's not wrong. But if they treat you like shit, they're not your family,".

Biting his lip, Yuto was a little confused. "But we're related by blood. That makes us family, right?". Nagisa sighed, pecking him on the head preciously. "Being biologically related doesn't necessarily mean that you're family,".

He pulled the boy closer to him, smiling as he was raptured in the warmth and comfort that he loved so much.

"Family shouldn't be determined by who you're related to by blood but rather who you would bleed for,".

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After about one week, Yuto had almost healed from his concussion. He could walk and move around at last but not excessively. He was determined to clean the house and get back to his routine but Nagisa wouldn't let him. He still insisted that Yuto should stay in bed for at least another week so that he could get more than enough rest. He had forbade Yuto from doing any housework until his arm had fully recovered. It was really frustrating for Yuto but he knew that whatever Nagisa was doing for him or forbidding him from doing was for his own good. He did want to recover quickly so he tried his best to restrain himself from doing any work. Meanwhile, Nagisa was getting used to preparing their meals and taking care of him which he liked a lot.

"Yuto,"Nagisa called out to him, entering his room holding a laundry basket. "Take off your hoodie. It's time to wash it,". Nagisa walked over to the bed and carefully slid Yuto's arm out of the cast. He helped Yuto take off his hoodie and put on a clean one. "Thank you, Nagi,". Nagisa chuckled and pulled the hood of the hoodie over Yuto's head. He helped Yuto's arm back into the cast before tucking him in and pecking him on the forehead. "Just get your rest, my baby. I'll check up on you soon,". He handed Chitose to Yuto and kissed him on the forehead once more. "I love you, my Yuto baby. I'm glad you're recovering well,". The boy smiled shyly and kissed Nagisa on the cheek. "I love you too, Nagi,".

Nagisa left the room, a wide grin plastered on his crimson face. He headed to the laundry room and dumped the basket of dirty clothes into the washing machine. He started up the washing machine and just as he was about to set the basket down, someone rapped on the door smartly. "Nagisa-sama?". That voice surprised Nagisa. He recognised that voice. He dropped the laundry basket and ran to the front door, throwing it open. The older figure beckoned him with a deep bow and smiled. "Hiroto-san? Did my mother send you here?". The figure nodded, presenting a beautifully decorated fruit basket with a handwritten note strategically placed in the centre. "Your mother asked to see you present at next week's dinner party,". Nagisa invited the family butler inside to discuss the details. "Have you forgotten, Nagisa-sama? Next week is your family's annual dinner party,".

Sweat dripped down Nagisa's forehead. "Ah...about that....."He smiled sheepishly, scratching the back of his neck. "I have to take care of...my pa-I mean Kirishima-kun. He's ill,". Hiroto nodded, pulling out a letter from the depths of his jacket. "Kaoru-sama was worried that you would decline because of Kirishima-kun's condition. She said she would prepare a room for Kirishima-kun and that he is invited as well,". Nagisa took the letter from him gingerly, opening it up.

___________________________

Nagisa, you'd better come for this event. Bring Kirishima-kun with you. For god's sake, you keep evading this event each year. If you evade this one, I'll have your hide!

Kirishima-kun, please get well soon! Come over to my home! We'll treat you well. There'll be an in-house doctor ready to treat you if needed. We have some supplements for you all the way from France and the Netherlands. I hope my incompetent son is treating you better. I hope to see you next Saturday.

-Shinji Kaoru

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You could see the stark difference between how Nagisa's mother wrote to him versus how she wrote to Yuto. The colour from Nagisa's face drained as he read the letter. 'Am I her son? Or is Yuto her son? Geez....'. Hiroto waited for him to finish reading the letter patiently. "What is your response, Nagisa-sama?". Nagisa excused himself, heading into his room. "Yuto?"He whispered gently, sitting next to him on the bed. "Do you want to follow me to an event next Saturday? I promise there'll only be my family there. Hitomi and the others. You've met them before,". Yuto shook his head, glancing at his arm in the cast. "I'll be so useless at your family's house. I won't be able to do anything,". Nagisa hugged him warmly, kissing him on the head. "You don't have to do anything. Everything will be taken care of for you. Nobody expects you to lift a finger,".

It took a mountainous amount of persuasion but he finally managed to convince Yuto to come along with him. It did make Yuto feel quite nervous. He'd be meeting Nagisa's mother and father properly for the first time. He knew that only the Shinji siblings were aware that both him and Nagisa were dating but he couldn't help but feel afraid of Nagisa's parents finding out. While Nagisa was packing up their bags in advance, Yuto slumped on the bed, biting his lip. "Nagi...I don't feel so good about this anymore....". The man looked up from his duffel bag, stroking his partner's leg to comfort him. "It won't be so bad, Yuto. My parents aren't as strict as you think. They're of good sorts. I promise,".

His body stiffened as he held Nagisa's hand timidly. "Nagi...what if they find out that we're dating? They'll hate me,". Nagisa noticed Yuto's unhappy expression, almost as if he was on the verge of tears. "Then, they'll have to hate us together, won't they?". Yuto shook his head, tightly clenching the hem of the hoodie he wore. "But it's not going to be fair for you..Your parents won't like the fact that you're dating me,". Nagisa stuffed another article of clothing into the bag before he held both of Yuto's hands, tenderly planting a kiss on the boy's promise ring. "Then, they'll have to deal with it. It's my life. I choose the way I want to live it and I chose to live happily knowing that my heart forever belongs to you,".

Crimson spread all over Yuto's cheeks when he heard that. He always knew that Nagisa was a bit of a little punk, a rebel almost. Nobody could get Nagisa to follow the path without straying from it except for him. Nagisa put Yuto's small left hand on his cheek and grinned. "You treat me so well~ If my parents grow to hate you, they're probably not aware about how you've changed me for the better,".

Yuto caressed Nagisa's cheek gently, deep in thought. "How could I have changed you?".

The man just peered up to flash a smile at Yuto. "I think you already know, my precious,".

☆___________________________☆

"Aniki! Pick up the freaking phone!".

"Yukina shut up! I'm about to drive for god's sake geez...."

"You're telling me to shut up?! You have 7 missed calls from me and 10 from Ka-chan!".

Yuto hugged Chitose tightly, looking out of the window for the car. He felt his anxiety skyrocketing . To be frank, he was scared to meet Nagisa's family and to be in their presence. "Nagi? Could you drive slower please?"He whispered, tightening his seatbelt. Nagisa was about to ask why but then he remembered and zipped his lips. He leaned over and pecked Yuto on the forehead softly. "Of course, of course. If it'll help you feel less anxious, I don't mind,".

"Where do you think you're going Aniki? Some trip to Chiba so you can escape the family dinner in two days?!".

Nagisa gritted his teeth and grumbled his reply. "I'm on the way home Yuki...You have all the time in the world to hide before I come and strangle you,".

Immediately, after Nagisa replied, chaos ensued on the other side of the phone.

"Aniki is actually coming to the event?!".

"This doesn't sound like Aniki!".

"He's actually attending?!".

"He's finally acting like he's actually part of this family!".

Nagisa hung up on them, sighing before he glanced at Yuto, who was perplexed. "Nagi, what happened?". The man just smiled at him and pushed him into his seat gently. "Nothing at all. They're just excited to see you again,". Yuto buried his nose into Chitose's fluffy body.

Nagisa stepped on the gas pedal and began the journey back to his family home.

For once, Yuto felt like he was returning to a place he could call home too.