CHAPTER 14 Yamashita’s stay at the hospital lasted longer than expected. The right side of his body were badly wounded, and so, the doctors wanted him to stay at the hospital until the bigger wounds had healed enough. “Now, Yamashita, how are we feeling this morning?” the doctor asked standing over him with a journal and pen in his hands. “Better… I guess…” he faked a smile. “Your bigger wounds are now healed enough, but it is your choice, you can now go home or stay longer” “Etto…” Yamashita sat up, clinching his eyes together as his side hurt. “What would you do?” “I think you’re well enough to go home” he put up a secure smile. “Un…” Yamashita looked down at his hands, with only one eye though, since half of his face was bandaged. “Could I have this taken of?” he asked touching the bandage lightly. “Yes of course” the doctor walked over, laying the journal and pen down, he took a look at the bandage before slowly removing it. “Not bad, it doesn’t look as bad as I thought it would” “Could I have a look?” Actually, it was something he did not want to do. “Don’t be sad over the fact that it’s red and… well, not as pretty as it used to be. It could have been worse” the doctor held up a small mirror for Yamashita to look at himself. His eye area was red and messed up, but his cheek and the side of the face was even worse. “Will it…” Yamashita hide the right side of his face with his hand “be like this forever?” “It will look better in a few weeks, but you wont get the pretty yourself back I am afraid.” “… Thank you for saving me” Yamashita said and bowed a little before he had to sit back because of the pain. Yamashita was thankful for that he was still alive, he could live with his face as it was, but could Kusano? That same afternoon, Yamashita was taken out of hospital. Arriving at home with his mum, he got everything served up in his room since his mother did not want him to do much in the condition he was in. He was after all her baby. Finishing the third meal in 2 hours Yamashita decided to walk back down with the plate. Getting out of bed he put his pink fluffy slippers on and limped downstairs. His mother was not happy by the fact that her wounded son got out of bed when told to be laying, but on the other hand, it showed that he wanted to keep going. “Ne…” his mother began “Kusano has been calling three times during the past half hour” Yamashita looked up at his mother. “He asked if he could come over—“ “Yes?” “Well, I told him you had to rest and that you would call him back some other time” “Oh…” feeling disappointed Yamashita looked down at the floor. “What’s the matter?” his mother lifted up his chin, putting up a worried face. “I haven’t seen him for a while that’s all…” His mother patted her sons back, then to ruffle his black hair. “You will see him soon enough” ‘Soon enough’ would seem to be correct. Because that night Yamashita had visit in his room, long past midnight. “Yama-chan!” Kusano yelled from outside the window while knocking lightly on the glass. He had to shout at least ten times before Yamashita got out of bed and opened the window so Kusano could crawl in through it. “Hiro… what are you doing here? It’s” he turned to look at the clock, but it was broken “late” Kusano did not reply. Closing the window again Yamashita sat down on the edge of his bed, making room for Kusano to sit down beside him. Instead of sitting down beside Yamashita, Kusano sat down in front of him, resting his crossed arms on the others knees. Looking up Kusano spoke, “Dad knows” “Hm?” “About us… he saw me…” Kusano looked to the right. It was first then Yamashita noticed a huge red mark on Kusano’s left cheek. Yamashita brushed Kusano’s cheek lightly. “He saw me kiss you” “And he doesn’t want you to be with me, is that so?” Yamashita turned Kusano’s head back so he was looking straight at him. Kusano nodded. “Therefore he hit you? To frighten you?” “More to tell me to get the hell out of his house” Kusano sighed. “Etto… did you come here to break up with me?” Yamashita bite his lower lip, praying for that it was not the reason Kusano had come there. “Not really… my dad told me to though but… I don’t wanna, I mean… it’s my life ne?” Kusano blinked away a few tears. “Yes of course” Yamashita pulled Kusano towards himself and planted a kiss on his boyfriend’s forehead. Kusano let out a delighted sound as Yamashita’s lips touched his skin. “I’ve missed you” he half laughed and hugged the older one. That made Yamashita’s heart jump and pulse to beat faster. “I am glad…” They stayed like that for a moment, hugging tighter now and then, before Kusano let go of Yamashita. “So…” Yamashita began “Want to sleep over?” “Where else should I sleep?” Kusano grinned. Sure he could sleep over at Shige’s, but most likely Koyama would be there, and he did not want to interrupt them in whatever they were doing. “By the way” Kusano pointed at the bandage that was covering half of Yamashita’s face. “Why are you wearing that?” “Oh… ehm… I could take it of… I just did not want to, I asked the doctor to put it back on because… oh well… I… it’s… my face is ruined.” Kusano cocked a brow at the other one, “Ruined like how?” “It’s—“ Yamashita unwrapped the bandage and turned his head so Kusano could have a look at his ruined face. “WOAH” Kusano bent closer. It was his fault that Yamashita was looking like that, and he felt bad about it. Really bad. Kissing the ‘ruined’ side of his boyfriend’s face, Kusano whispered “I love you anyway” Not only did it make Yamashita giggle, it made him cry too. Wrapping his arms around Kusano’s neck he pulled them both down, he to lay on his back and Kusano on top of him. Forgetting about the fact that both of them were still injured, Yamashita tightened the grip around his loved ones neck. “You said it! You said it! You said it! You said it!” Kusano did not fully understand what Yamashita was so happy about, but he acted with him, tickling him here and there. Rolling around Yamashita suddenly let out a scream that said ‘IT HURTS’. Crunching together Yamashita held his hand over his right hip. “Wh—What’s the matter?” Kusano asked, hands fumbling to take away Yamashita’s hand from his hip. “Let me see!” “It just hurts… don’t worry ne!” Yamashita said in a way that made Kusano more worried. “Just let m—“ Kusano had managed to move Yamashita’s hand away. The hip was all yellow and a bit purple after the bruise that had been caused by the car accident. “It’s just a bit swollen that’s all” Kusano looked up at Yamashita’s crying face. “I’ll get you a ice bag!” Before Kusano had gotten out of the bed, Yamashita pulled him back down pointing at the drawer on his nightstand. “I have one in there” “Sou ka~!” Kusano opened it roughly and pulled the ice bag out, then to place it on Yamashita’s hip. “IAAAAH!” Yamashita yelled as the cold bag came in touch with his hip. “Put the clout between my hip and the ice bag baka!” “R-Right!” he had never done this before! It was all new to him, new and scary. “L-Like so…” “Arigatou” Yamashita smiled and lay back down on his back. “Come here…” he invited Kusano to lay in his arms. Kusano did so. As time passed, the hand that was cuddling Yamashita’s tummy soon stopped to cuddle, and the eyes that were fixed on Yamashita’s chest closed.