Taiga’s phone incessantly buzzes on his bedside table. Despite his best efforts to drown it out and ignore it, he was forcefully awoken by it. It was a Sunday morning, and one of Taiga’s very rare day-offs. He disgruntledly checks his phone to see who’s been messaging and/or calling him.
6T LINE GROUP CHAT
Hokuto: Can’t make it to work today, already told my manager. Thought you guys should know.
Juri: Hokuto r u ok??
Shin: Hokuto??? U never miss work!!! What happened?
Juri: Maybe he’s got a date (lol)
Hokuto: Dumbass, I don’t. I feel sick. Like, I-have-a-virus type shit.
Juri: Aw, poor baby.
Jesse: Hokkun, get well soon <3 Miss u already!
Ah, so Hokuto’s sick? His phone buzzes again, snapping him out of his thoughts.
Juri: I know ur awake, Taiga. I c u reading the chat.
Jesse: [eyes emoji]
Shin: [eyes emoji]
Kochi: What’d I miss?
Taiga scoffs at Juri’s text message. He types a reply.
Taiga: STFU Juri. Too early for this shit. I woke up b/c my phone kept buzzing but it was just u guys. Thought the world was ending.
Taiga: BTW, get well soon, Hokuto. I’m off today, do u want me to buy anything for u?
Kochi: Oh..so Hokuto’s sick? GWS Hokuto!!
Hokuto: Thanks, guys <3 And thanks for the offer Taiga, but my manager was here earlier and he already bought me way too much stuff. I appreciate it tho! <3
Shin: GET A ROOM!
Private message to: Matsumura Hokuto
Taiga: R u sure u don’t need anything else? I have nothing else to do today.
Hokuto: Taiga, I’m sure. Stay home and rest. I can manage.
Taiga: But are you sure?
That was the last text Taiga sent before he decided it was for the best to do what Hokuto told him to do, stay home and rest, but something in his gut tells him that something isn’t right. As if on cue, his stomach rumbled.
He made his way to the kitchen and fixed himself a quick breakfast, watched the news and a few reruns of episodes from shows he’s missed because of work, but the feeling of uncomfortableness didn’t go away. Something was wrong, and he felt the need to go and check up on Hokuto.
Private message to: Matsumura Hokuto
Taiga: I’m coming over
❀
Taiga drives to Hokuto’s apartment, a high-rise building in the city. He tries to be as unsuspecting as possible, blending in with the crowd. The receptionist at the front lets him in easily, he’s been there enough times to be known. He wordlessly enters the elevators and makes his way up to the 35th floor.
He went to a grocery store before coming to the apartment, picking up a few things. Fruits, sports drinks, and snacks he knew Hokuto would like. Hokuto did say he didn’t need anything, but he also didn’t want to go empty-handed, it was only appropriate to get him things as a courtesy.
Taiga knocks on the door first, letting Hokuto know that he’s outside, but there was no answer. He tries again.
“Hokuto! I’m here!”
Taiga tried calling out, to no avail. Usually, Hokuto answers the door right away. Taiga’s uneasiness grows.
He fishes out the spare key from Hokuto when he first moved into the apartment. Taiga remembers the day Hokuto gave them all spare keys, indicating that the key is for emergency use only. He feels a little guilty for using the key, but he had no other choice.
He unlocks the door and slowly opens it, calling out for Hokuto. No answer.
He enters the apartment and takes off his shoes, he calls out again.
“Hokuto?” Still no answer.
Taiga places the groceries down on the kitchen counter and finds Hokuto out on the floor, pale and drenched in sweat.
Taiga panics and rushes to the man. Hokuto’s body was heavy, but Taiga still tried his best to lift him. In the end, Taiga places Hokuto’s head on his lap.
“Hokuto? Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?” Taiga asks, feeling his forehead. He thinks about calling an ambulance but quickly shuts the thought down.
Hokuto lets out a pained moan in response, his eyes tightly shut. His hair damp and his entire body felt like it was on fire. Hokuto is very, very sick.
“Can you stand? Hokuto, we need to get you out of these clothes and into new ones. Stand for me, please” Taiga says, grabbing Hokuto’s arm and wrapping it around his own shoulder. They struggle a little, but eventually, Taiga gets Hokuto to stand. Taiga wraps his arm around Hokuto’s waist to support him, and they make their way to the bedroom.
Taiga sits Hokuto down on the bed and finds a clean pair of pyjamas and a clean towel to clean him with. Hokuto was weak, too weak to even undress. So Taiga helps him out of his shirt and pants and wipes him down with a clean towel. He helps Hokuto dress and tucks him into bed, and Hokuto instantly falls asleep.
Taiga cleans while Hokuto sleeps, not that there was anything to clean in the first place. He puts away the groceries he bought and finds vegetables laid out on the counter. Seems like Hokuto was trying to cook himself something to eat before he collapsed. Taiga isn’t entirely sure what he was trying to cook so he puts away the food.
He rummages through the cupboards to look for something easy enough to cook and finds miso paste. This could work, he thought. Taiga suspected that Hokuto would be hungry when he woke up, so he wanted to at least cook him something before he leaves.
A few attempts and one phone call to Hokuto’s mom later, he had successfully made miso soup he deemed perfect, half the day had passed when he finished.
He prepares a pail of warm water and a towelette for Hokuto, carefully opening the bedroom door to not wake him. He kneels next to the bed and gently dabs the moist towelette on Hokuto’s face. The other man squirms awake.
“Kyomo?” Hokuto asks, voice hoarse from sickness.
Taiga chuckles at Hokuto’s disbelief. To see someone like him so powerless and unguarded, was endearing. He wanted to tease Hokuto a little but decided against it, thinking it would be too cruel to play pranks on a sick man.
“Hi. Are you feeling better?”
Hokuto doesn’t respond, instead reaches his arm out and touches Taiga’s face as if to check if he was real. Taiga places the towelette down and grabs Hokuto’s hand, “I’m real. I’m here.”
Hokuto was still in disbelief.
“How’d you get here?” He asks, not letting go of Taiga’s hand.
“I drove, and I used the spare key you gave me.”
“You drove?”
Taiga laughs, “Is it so unbelievable that I drive? I have a licence, you know.”
Hokuto smiles and sighs, “I’m so glad you’re here. I’m so happy.”
He kisses Taiga’s palm and fingers. Hokuto may be a little woozy from his fever and will most likely forget he ever did this, but Taiga doesn’t mind. He cups Hokuto’s face, “Do you want to eat? I made miso soup.”
“Uh oh. Is my kitchen still in one piece?” Hokuto jokes. Ah, so he’s too weak to undress but not too weak to tease.
Taiga lightly pinches Hokuto’s cheek, “Oi, don’t test me. I’m being nice.”
Hokuto giggles, the type Taiga likes to hear. “I’m kidding. I’d love to have some, please.”
Taiga nods and heads off to the kitchen to fix up a plate of hot soup and a small bowl of rice. He takes the food to Hokuto’s room on a lap tray so he could eat in bed, along with a glass of water and a Tylenol.
“I didn’t make anything else. I figured you’d be too weak to have something heavy, but if you want a heavier meal, I can try and make something.”
Hokuto shakes his head, “You’ve done enough for me, Taiga. Thank you.”
Hokuto sits up and eats his food in silence, and Taiga stays in the room with him in case he needs anything else.
“Is it good?” Taiga asks.
“It’s very good…suspiciously good, even. Where’d you learn to make this?”
“It’s a secret.”
❀
Taiga stayed with Hokuto the entire day, even though he never planned on staying. They end up talking and watching television all day and by the time they finish, it was late into the night.
Hokuto yawns halfway into a foreign movie they’d found on one of Hokuto’s many streaming subscription sites. Sometime in the day, Taiga has found himself in bed with Hokuto.
Taiga pauses the movie, “Do you want to sleep?”
“We should finish this first, at least.”
So they do, but after a few minutes, Taiga finds Hokuto asleep.
He turns the TV off and watches Hokuto sleep for a little while. Better than any film in the world, Taiga thinks. Soon after, Taiga himself falls asleep.
❀
Taiga wakes to the sound of someone chopping vegetables and the smell of bread coming from outside the bedroom.
He stands and goes to the kitchen where the other person he was in bed with is, making breakfast.
“Good morning,” Hokuto says, still in pyjamas and his glasses on. Better than any dream.
Taiga sits on one of the kitchen stools and watches Hokuto do what he does best. He doesn’t know how he cooks so effortlessly. He remembers making the miso soup yesterday and the multiple attempts he had made before he deemed it good enough, so watching Hokuto cook was like watching magic happen right before his eyes.
“How’re you feeling?” Taiga asks while Hokuto cooks.
“Much better. I called my mom this morning, she was asking about your miso soup.” Hokuto says without looking up from the eggs he was frying.
Taiga raises his hands, “Ah, I’ve been caught.”
Hokuto laughs, “Dumbass.”
Hokuto serves breakfast, eggs in a basket with a side of fresh vegetables. Taiga takes a bite and closes his eyes to savour it.
“Good?” Hokuto asks. Taiga nods, mouth full of bread. No words can describe Hokuto’s cooking.
After breakfast, Taiga showers and borrows clothes from Hokuto. He uses Hokuto’s soap and shampoo, and wears Hokuto’s sweater and joggers, it feels intimate.
“Ar you sure you feel okay enough for me to leave?” Taiga asks before leaving.
“It’s cute that you worry,” Hokuto pinches his cheek, “I’ll be fine.”
“And you promise to call if you feel sick?”
Hokuto laughs, bright and full. “Yes! Now go home.”
Taiga grabs Hokuto’s hand and kisses his palm and fingers.
“I’ll see you tomorrow.”
❀
Private message from: Tanaka Juri
Juri: [article link: Kyomoto Taiga spotted! Going to a high-rise apartment and leaving the next day. Visiting potential new girlfriend?]
Juri: ?
Juri: DID U GO TO HOKUTO’S HOUSE??
Read 10:04 AM