…And his Step-brother

Mikael sat at the empty dining room table long after all the dishes had been cleared. He wanted to know if Yuki was feeling any better but he knew he couldn't go and check. If Yuki saw him it would only make things worse. For years, Mikael had watched helplessly as their relationship corroded away leaving almost nothing to speak of and it was all his fault. He thought that the day he found out his father had died was the worst day of his life but he was wrong. It was the days that followed that were the most painful.

It was just a normal day like any other when he got the call. He had been finishing up some work for one of his classes and could never have imagined that everything was about to fall apart.

As soon as he heard what happened, he rushed to the hospital in a panic. When he got there, it was confirmed that his father and step-mother died immediately in the crash and Yuki was in emergency surgery. Everything that followed was a blur. He somehow managed to handle all the necessary paperwork before collapsing in a daze in the waiting room.

Everything had happened so quickly and yet when he wished time would move faster, it slowed to a crawl. Hours passed in agony with no word on how Yuki was doing. He thought his heart had stopped when a doctor eventually came out and called for him. Mikael was hoping for good news but what he got instead wasn't great.

The doctor informed him that, while Yuki was out of surgery, he wasn't out of the woods. Mikael listened in horror as the doctor listed all of Yuki's injuries and the complications with his surgery. According to the doctor, Yuki had lost a massive amount of blood both before he arrived at the hospital and during the operation. They'd given him transfusions but his heart had stopped several times. While they were able to revive him, there was no way of knowing what would happen next until he woke up. They also weren't sure when that would be since Yuki was comatose in the ICU.

That was when Mikael had gone to see him. When he entered Yuki's room, he felt as if all the air had been knocked out of him. Yuki was hooked up to a variety of different machines and had a tube down his throat to help him breathe. He was wrapped in bandages almost everywhere and any visible skin was badly bruised. If he wasn't informed ahead of time, he wouldn't have even known that it was Yuki lying in that bed.

The adorable younger brother he saw in his memories wasn't there. Seeing him in such a state, without knowing if or when he'd recover, was more terrifying than anything else. How much pain was he in? How scared was he when they crashed? Thousands of questions and worst case scenarios filled his head and he couldn't stand it. He made arrangements with the hospital and left.

After that, he kept himself busy. There was a lot to handle so it wasn't difficult finding things to do. He had someone stay updated on Yuki's condition and instructed them to inform him as soon as there was any change at all. Then, he arranged the funeral for his father and step-mother. The entire process was a constant reminder of his loss but there was no one else to do it.

When the funeral was over, he had to deal with estate matters, inheritance, and details regarding what would happen with Yuki if he survived. Of course it was no question that Mikael would look after him and he made the necessary arrangements to become his legal guardian. All of his friends tried to talk him out of it. They said he was still too young and had too much ahead of him to be burdened by a twelve year old boy who would possibly be crippled. He told them all, in no uncertain terms, to keep their mouths shut and their opinions to themselves. There was no way that Mikael was going to leave Yuki to someone else.

As Mikael struggled to handle all of his responsibilities, including his final year of college, months passed. He finally felt a moment of relief when he heard that Yuki had woken up and that, with physical therapy and some time, he would recover just fine. That moment of relief was quickly snatched away when he realized Yuki would now learn of his mother's death.

As much as he wanted to keep Yuki from learning the truth, he knew he couldn't. He also knew he wouldn't have the courage to break the news himself so he asked the doctor to do it instead. Mikael would come to realize that that was his first mistake of many. He wanted to go and see Yuki but he didn't have the time. If he wanted to be able to support him when he got out of the hospital, he needed to graduate with flying colors and secure the business his father had left him.

That was easier said than done. No matter what he tried to do at the company he was always met with resistance from people who didn't approve of him. While some covertly attempted to sabotage his work other's openly fought against him. Dealing with all of that, along with school, was already more than he knew how to handle. That's why he didn't even realize how much time was passing by.

Days turned to weeks and Mikael grew more and more exhausted. He wasn't able to go to the hospital to see Yuki but he still had someone updating him constantly about his progress. He hadn't thought about what Yuki would think or how he'd feel if he didn't show up for so long. It was something he only noticed when he went to the hospital after getting a call that Yuki's health was starting to decline.

When he got to the room and saw Yuki, he was hit with a swirl of emotions. He was relieved to see him awake, worried at the dark shadows under his eyes and his sunken face, and angry when he heard why his health was affected. He couldn't help the anger that bubbled up inside him and he lashed out. He wasn't angry at Yuki but at himself. Sadly for the both of them, Mikael couldn't express it properly.

The tears he saw on Yuki's face stabbed at his heart. He should have just explained it. He should have apologized for not being there and promised to never leave him alone again but he didn't. He couldn't. It was like his brain function had suddenly ceased and all he could say was that he didn't hate him.

Clearly that wasn't enough because Yuki still asked him why he hadn't come to see him. He was given a second chance to explain and stop Yuki's tears but he failed again. He wasted the opportunity and brushed the question aside. He didn't mean for it to sound the way it did but he didn't know what else to say.

Walking down the hallway, Mikael felt a gut-wrenching pain when he heard Yuki call out to him. He still regrets not turning around and running back at that moment. If he had, maybe he could have prevented things from getting to where they were now. Maybe Yuki wouldn't be as sad and shy as he was if only he'd been there for him when he needed it.

All Mikael wanted now was to try and repair the damage he'd done but it never worked out the way he intended. When Yuki came home smiling for the first time in years, Mikael was thrilled. He wanted to know what had happened just so he could see that smile for a little longer but as soon as he spoke, that smile was gone. Mikael had messed up so badly that now even seeing his face would upset Yuki.

It was the same during dinner. Usually when Yuki would get home from school the housekeeper would prepare a snack in the kitchen for him. However, since Mikael came home early Yuki went straight to his room. He knew Yuki would be hungry so when he saw him just standing there in the doorway he wanted him to hurry up and eat. Instead of having a good meal, Yuki looked more like he was being tortured. He didn't even finish eating before he couldn't stand it anymore.

What could Mikael do when every time he opened his mouth, something stupid came out? How had he communicated with Yuki before all of this? Everything was so complicated. Sometimes he wondered if he was just doing more harm than good. Was it selfish to try and set things right after so long? Mikael sighed and stood up from the table. He knew he wanted things to change but he didn't know how to do it. At this point, they'd need a miracle to happen.