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Takumi jolts upright in his bed. His head thrums as if the alarm had gone off, which probably woke him. He feels like he hadn't slept a wink, yet his eyes feel thick with sleep.
He can hardly tell the blaring of the sirens apart from the pounding in his ears. It may as well be the same noise. His own heartbeat nearly drowns it out, makes it indistinguishable.
His body feels heavy and sluggish, his legs struggling to kick off the blanket. It's unlike him to have so much trouble getting up.
Is it an enemy attack on him? That commander, maybe? He remembers feeling sick the first time too with that awful music.
Takumi groans in pain and his teeth grind. The room spins all around him and he feels like he's about to throw up. The floor sways under him when his feet finally free themselves from the sheets.
Panting, he tries to steady himself against the wall, wheezing and coughing. Nothing seems to be a hallucination, but he's sweating and still feels nauseous.
Did the food get poisoned? The water? The air? Did someone get into the academy to target him?
Maybe even Eito?
The ceiling feels like it's coming closer and he doesn't even stop to put on his shoes before fleeing his room. He ignores the damp feelings of his socks against bare ground.
He's gotten infected with something. He needs help. His mind urges him to do something, to tell someone, to alert the others but his thoughts feel so hazy. Dimly, he decides that Yugamu is his best bet. He would be able to neutralize the poison and then they could warn the others.
The roof shifts under each of Takumi's steps. The world keeps drifting all around him and he barely knows where up and down is.
Since when were there two Satellites? Or was it the moon? Was there even a Satellite or a moon to begin with? The light hurts his eyes, spots dancing through his vision.
Where is Yugamu's room? The distance feels like he's walking forever. The ground is cold through his socks. It aches. Everything aches. A cold breeze rustles under his hoodie and brushes against his sweaty skin, making him shiver.
Takumi has to drag himself up the stairs to Yugamu's room and doesn't bother with the doorbell. His vision is swimming and he can feel his consciousness slipping. His hand grabs for the door and pushes it open, nearly toppling over as it gives in.
Yugamu's room is tinted in dim blue neon light. Takumi actually has no idea what time it is. Was Yugamu still, or already awake? He can't recall what the sky looked like. Was it day or night?
He finds it doesn't matter.
There's movement out of the corner of Takumi's eyes. He hopes the figure in the bed is actually Yugamu. That it's the right room to begin with. That he can stop this attack, whatever it is.
"Omokage..." Takumi wheezes. His mouth feels impossibly dry. "I need you."
Takumi hears no response. Darkness wraps around him and he blacks out before he can hit the floor.
Takumi shifts. It's warm, heavy, and he's sweating. He grunts and tries to push the weight off. Cold sweat clings to his skin and makes him shiver despite the heat.
His eyes fly open. The poison. The attack. Did Yugamu know what to do? He tries to sit but feels his muscles unresponsive. Every inch of his body screams with exhaustion.
"Good morning darling."
Takumi tilts his head to the side. Yugamu is sitting there on a chair, legs crossed and his head propped into his palm. There's dark bags under his eyes and his hair looks messy. Did Takumi miss the battle?
"Wh-What happened?" he presses out. It takes a couple times of blinking to shift Yugamu's figure into focus.
Yugamu balls his hand into a fist and laughs softly. "Ah, was I so rough that you can't recall?"
"Eh?!"
Takumi grabs the blanket and peeks underneath. He's fully dressed. Just his socks are missing. He drops it down with a sigh.
"Eheh... You burst into my room pleading and begging how badly you needed me. I was so happy you finally came around!"
Yugamu hugs himself in delight.
Takumi does notice this is still Yugamu's room and not his own.
"But what about the enemy?" He tries to sit up yet again and rubs his eyes.
"The enemy?" Yugamu frowns. "Just what do you think happened?"
"I was poisoned," Takumi returns, "I still feel a little under the weather..."
Yugamu tilts his head and scoffs in amusement. "Oh dear, Sumino-kun. You weren't poisoned. You just ran a rather high fever."
"Just... a fever?" Takumi sinks back into the pillow. No enemy attack. No alarm either, he figures. Just Takumi's immune system. Karua always said a simple cold was able to knock him out entirely. It was embarrassing to admit to her, but now Yugamu knew too. Some kind of leader he is.
"You were so weak and vulnerable, coming to me... Ah, Sumino-kun, you're so cute..."
Takumi looks at him again. If he wasn't disheveled from fighting, then...
"How long was I out for?"
"Hm? A couple days. You came to but I figured you were delirious. You should've seen how cute you were, being spoon fed porridge... I'll treasure the sight forever."
Something about the way he says this makes him feel weird but he decides he doesn't want to know.
"Now you went and got wet all without me the other day, I have gathered. So cruel, Sumino-kun, do you have no heart?"
Now that he says it, Takumi remembers. Maybe this is because they got surprised by sudden rain while exploring the other day. He completely forgot about that.
Yugamu leans forward and gently runs his fingertips over Takumi's forehead. They're cold. Takumi's eyes flutter shut.
"You'll recover in a few days. Rest until then and no battles if you can restrain yourself. Unless you want me to do the restraining?"
Yugamu motions to pull away but Takumi forces his hand to move, grabbing his wrist to keep him there. He barely thinks about the motion as he does it.
Yugamu goes still. Takumi's eyes burn, so he keeps them shut, nuzzling his head into Yugamu's palm. He's still chilly to the touch. He smells of rubbing alcohol and something faintly sweet.
Takumi's gut twists. He's not sure if he's sick or something else entirely.
"You're toying with my heart." Yugamu's thumb brushes over Takumi's skin. "I'll never wash these sheets again... Having your fluids stored inside them, I am sure to have some exciting nights...!"
After he just lost several to sleeplessness. That brings back the question...
"Why didn't you bring me back to my own room?"
Takumi forces one eye open. Yugamu visibly pauses, and then he averts his face, almost shyly. A faint blush tints his skin.
"I wanted to make sure you were okay. You... You never ask for me this way, you see? I felt needed."
His voice is low, almost fragile, so much that Takumi notices the difference to his usual self even in his current dazed state.
"I'm sorry," he mutters into Yugamu's palm.
"What are you sorry for?"
"For not saying it more often. That I need you. I do all the time."
Yugamu presses out a small laugh. "It seems our dear leader isn't quite coherent yet—"
"I mean it, Omokage. I'll say it again if you don't believe me. I wouldn't know what to do if you weren't here."
Because his first path led to Yugamu, even while dizzy and disoriented, and his subconscious knew Yugamu meant safety no matter the situation. Time and time again, Yugamu has his back, picks him up when Takumi is down and throws himself in harm's way on the battlefield to take a hit meant to strike Takumi.
Takumi really hasn't been looking all this time, has he? He sees him now.
"Alright." Yugamu leans forward, dry lips pressing a chaste kiss against Takumi's forehead. He's not sure if he feels hot from the fever or if Yugamu causes his face to flush.
"How about some tea with honey? I'll have you back up in no time."
Exhaustion returns to Takumi's mind. He can't argue that he's not ready to get back up yet. He nods and sighs, Yugamu's hand staying where it is.
It's warm now, but Takumi doesn't want to miss it. Maybe even someone like Yugamu wants to be held onto from time to time.
Just five more minutes until he's ready to let him go. Just five more.