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Komahina Oneshot WIP- jacket

'Has he always been so thin and frail? What if something is seriously wrong?'

What if he never wakes up?

Hajime tries to shake that last one out of his head but can't seem to keep the thought at bay...

How long had he been sitting here waiting? How much time had he wasted here when he could have been getting help... He tried so hard to hold on to hope that everything would be ok, but somewhere around the 15-minute mark he had gone into full panic mode.

Hajime had been debating for a while now if he should remove Nagito's jacket. On one hand, it could really help out. On the other, he knew it would be a serious breach of privacy and could potentially ruin any chance he ever had of being more than just friends with the boy he's loved for years now. As the half-hour mark grew nearer and Nagito showed no signs of waking up he had made his decision. He began tugging at the jacket's sleeves slowly moving it downward. He had almost pulled the jacket to the edge of Nagito's short-sleeved tee shirt when he felt a weak, clammy hand stop him. He looked down in shock to see Nagito in obvious pain. Nagito's face was laced with terror as he opened his mouth to try to speak. Words came out in a breathy whisper, but for now that was all he needed.

"Please... please don't" the boy groaned.

Hajime immediately dropped the jacket in shock.

"S-sorry, I just thought it would help... I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable"

Hajime was never one to stutter, but he felt like a completely different person when he was with Nagito. He was easily flustered in his presence. How could he not be? The man was gorgeous and gentle and everything Hajime ever dreamed of. So of course he was flustered, who wouldn't be?

He was broken out of his reverie by the sound of Nagito's trembling voice.

"Well this is ironic," he said with a pained laugh, "isn't this how we met?"

"Yeah," Hajime chuckled, "except this time the roles are reversed" he sighed in a somber tone, worry coating every syllable.

After a few minutes of staring longingly into each other's eyes, Hajime comes back to his senses, moving his gaze from Nagito's sage green eyes to his emaciated frame. The anxiety that was previously quelled by the calming comfort of his lover's eyes faded away as the fear of losing him set back in.

"Can you stand?" He asked with a serious look on his face. He was in full protection mode, and Nagito knew there was no getting out of this one.

"I... I can try?" Nagito managed to sputter out. Speaking hurt like hell, but Hajime's worried expression when he was silent was worse than any physical pain he could possibly be put through.

"Good. We need to get you out of the heat."

Hajime said with a relieved sigh, shifting to move Nagito's head off of his lap, helping his friend sit upright.

——————

The wind picked up a bit, carrying with it the salty smell of the ocean. Nagito's disheveled hair danced in the breeze, and he let out a weak chuckle that devolved into a fit of coughing. He winced, clutching his chest. Hajime's concern deepened at the sight of Nagito struggling. "Hey, easy there. Take it slow."

Nagito's lips curved into a strained smile, his voice shaky. "I-I'm alright... Thanks, Hajime..."

Hajime's gaze bore into Nagito's pained smile. "You don't have to pretend with me, Nagito. I can see through it."

Nagito's response was a simple subtle nod. Hajime sighed softly and extended his arm, supporting Nagito as they started walking back to his cottage.

As they walked, Nagito's strength continued to fail him. His steps became increasingly unsteady, and more than once he stumbled against Hajime's side. Hajime tightened his grip, praying Nagito would be ok. He shot quick glances at Nagito's face, seeing the glazed-over look in his eyes and the pained grimace he was passing off as a smile.

Nagito's attempts at speech were becoming even more strained, his words almost a whisper. "Sorry..."

Hajime's eyes flashed with a mix of determination and worry. "No need to apologize, Nagito. Just focus on breathing."

Nagito's responses became even more minimal—nods, weak squeezes of Hajime's hand, and the occasional word. They walked on in near silence, the only sounds being the gentle crashing of waves and their uneven footsteps.

As they finally reached Nagito's cottage, Hajime helped him inside, and the reality of the situation hit him even harder. Nagito was barely able to sit upright, his breathing labored, and his complexion the same corpse white as before.

Hajime's hands moved towards the jacket with a sense of unease. He was desperate to find a way to cool Nagito down and this seemed like the most obvious solution. "Nagito, we need to get your temperature down. Let me help you."

Nagito's voice was barely a whisper, "No...jacket..."

Hajime looked at him, confused and a bit frustrated "Nagito, I know you're uncomfortable, but we need to cool you down. Please, trust me."

Nagito's gaze met Hajime's, his eyes full of fear and vulnerability. He shook his head slightly, barely managing to rasp out, "Can't..."

Hajime's heart ached at the sight. He moved closer, voice gentle. "Nagito, I won't hurt you. But we need to get you out of this jacket."

Nagito's breathing grew shallower, and his body slumped against the couch. He managed a small nod, allowing Hajime to carefully remove the jacket.

Nagito's frail build became more evident without the jacket, his arms displaying the scars he had been hiding for so long. The sight tugged at Hajime's heart, and he fought to keep his emotions in check. He continued to cool Nagito down, using a damp cloth and helping him sip water.

As Nagito came back to he started to gently push Hajime away, ashamed of what Hajime must have seen. An awkward tension fills the air and Hajime can tell that Nagito is seriously upset.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm really pathetic aren't I?" Nagito spits in pure self-loathing.

Hajime is concerned but this isn't his first rodeo. He's known Nagito for years, this is par for the course, but it's been a while since it's been this bad.

"You're no pathetic, Nagito"

"But I am!" He cries, "I can't do anything right"

Nagito stares back down at the scars on his arms. Hajime follows his gaze finally allowing himself to take it in. There are several scars from more superficial cuts and scrapes, but there are two jagged vertical lines on each arm. He knows what that means.

"When?"

"Before I met you. The day I was diagnosed"

Hajime knows what that means. Nagito's dementia. When it comes to Nagito's diagnoses there's only one he refuses to talk about openly and it's that one. It took a few years for Hajime to figure it out, but when he did he was surprisingly understanding. Since that day, Nagito trusted him more than anyone else, which is why it hurt so much that Nagito hid this.

"In the end no one found me. It was just my luck. I woke up the next morning feeling like a failure. I bandaged them and Mikan helped stitch me up the next day at school."

"Nagito. I didn't... I had no idea."

"Yeah, well now you know how useless I really am"

Hajime sighed, trying his best to think of what to say. How do you say I'm glad you failed without sounding like an insensitive prick?

"Nagito, I know you're disappointed in yourself, but I don't know where I would be if you hadn't failed. My life would be so empty without you."

The air around them turns suddenly serious.

"Don't say that"

Hajime knew exactly where this was going. Nagito hated when Hajime said he needed him. He hated the thought of Hajime needing him and him not being there for him, because that was the grim reality of things. Nagito wasn't going to be there forever. He was already living on borrowed time.

"I'm glad I met you and I don't know where I would be without you. I refuse to take that back"

Nagito just glared at him, gaze softening when he saw the sincerity in Hajime's eyes.
"You really mean that, don't you"

"I do."