“How the hell did you end up like this??!”
Toru was obviously upset if not to say really angry. The vocalist looked up with a helpless expression on his face and didn’t know how to react best. The younger stood right in front of him with his arms crossed in front of the chest and he didn’t avert his gaze even for a second.

“Well…you know…It just happened.”
Taka shrugged with an innocent grin but felt damn nervous and insecure. It almost never happened that their bandleader seriously got mad and it was definitely a bad sign that Taka managed to make him get angry.

“It just happened? Are you nuts?! Fracturing your ankle doesn’t ‘just happen’! And you didn’t even bother to contact me afterwards. If Tomoya hadn’t called me I still might not know about it. Why did you inform him but not me??!”
Yes he was mad but about what? Taka couldn’t figure it out anymore and frowned in irritation. What was the point of being yelled at randomly with everything that came to the younger’s mind? It seemed like the other didn’t exactly know himself what to be pissed off about.

“Uhm…I tried to call you right away…but you wouldn’t pick up so I phoned Tomo instead. I also asked him to inform everyone because the doc told me to get some rest and sleep.”
This innocent gaze from the brown orbs made Toru sigh almost distressed. He so wanted to kick the smaller one’s for being such an airhead but he would never hurt this adorable idiot on purpose, no matter what happened.

“You ever heard of an invention called ‘mailbox’? It’s the same as an answering machine and really practical to leave a short voice message if no one answers the phone. That’s especially useful when you have to tell something important.”
Even the most inattentive person would’ve been able to sense the reproach in Toru’s voice and gaze. Taka unintentionally jerked backwards when the guitarist bent down to get at eyelevel.

“Actually…I didn’t think of that…Really, I’m sorry about that but it’s nothing too grave so I thought it doesn’t matter that much…”
The vocalist took a deep breath and avoided a nervous shiver that was about to run through his strained body. He felt uncomfortable under this piercing gaze of his colleague but there was no chance to get away because every movement would cause a stinging pain in his lower leg.

“Doesn’t matter, hm? So it doesn’t matter to you if I might be worried when I get told that you’re in the hospital with a fracture? Okay, I understand. Sorry that I bothered you. Get well soon.”
Toru turned away with a sad and hurt expression that he couldn’t hide successfully. He obviously intended to leave and that realization made the vocalist panic. He reached out to his friend without thinking and somehow managed to grab the hem of the other one’s shirt even though he almost fell out of the hospital bed and couldn’t suppress a low whimper thanks to the pain caused by this sudden movement.

“Please…don’t leave…”
He felt so pitiful with his shaky voice and the upcoming tears in his eyes but he felt like had to stop the younger right now or he might lose him. Pure surprise and even a bit shock were written all over Toru’s face who immediately hurried to turn around again to prevent the other from really falling out of the bed.

“What are you doing, idiot?! You like getting yourself in trouble?! Damn…”
The leader recognized the first small tears rolling down the smooth skin of Taka’s cheek and he instantly fell silent. He wrapped his arms around the smaller one’s upper body and pulled him gently against his chest.

“Sorry, I’ve been a bit too rough, hm? I didn’t mean to make you cry. It’s just that it scared the hell outta me when I heard you’re hospitalized. I apologize for yelling at you, it’s not your fault and I know you didn’t intend to make anyone worry.”
Toru’s long finger ran through the soft strands of hair while the other hand rested on the slightly trembling lower back of his friend. The only thing he ever wanted was to protect this clumsy and pure-hearted being in his arms, not to hurt this sensitive soul himself.

“It’s okay. Most important is that you’re here right now. It was so scary to be alone in this completely white and empty room. Please stay here, would you?”
Big still teary eyes gazed up at Toru with a pleading expression. He felt his heart beat faster in his ribcage and his fingers unintentionally moved to the other’s warm moist cheek.

“I will, don’t worry. Nothing could keep me from staying by your side as long as you ask me for it.”
The soft blush on Taka’s face let a gentle smile appear on the younger’s lips. The distance between them almost disappeared when Toru leaned a little closer to place a soft kiss on the full lips of the vocalist.
The elder froze in surprise at first but then he dared to be a little more courageous and wrapped his arms around Toru’s neck. Right when the guitarist was about to pull the smaller one on his lap Taka whimpered lightly into the kiss because this movement caused the pain in his leg to start again.

“Ah, sorry. I guess that has to wait until you’re recovered, huh?”
Toru chuckled and ruffled the vocalist’s hair while loosening the embrace a bit. Taka looked at him with a shyly smile while even his ears turned bright red and exactly when he was about to say something the door opened and a nurse entered the room. So the discussion about the visiting hours could start but Toru definitely wouldn’t give in because he promised to stay.