→ 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 (𝐧𝐚𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐦𝐢)

xxi. luck

a loud thud caused everyone in the class to stop in their tracks and look over at the bleachers. naegi was laying on the floor, completely motionless. togami knelt next to him, mumbling his name and slapping his cheeks. "naegi. wake up. wake up!" togami shouted. "WAKE UP, DAMNIT!!" the sight of naegi's limp form was almost too much for togami to handle. the boy's face was deathly pale and his lips were blue. the soft, pink lips that togami used to kiss so passionately were cold and lifeless. the sweet, freckled cheeks he used to hold so lovingly were devoid of color and warmth. the class was crowding around the unconscious boy. togami bowed his head, putting an ear to naegi's lips. there was no breath, no sign of life. "STAY AWAY FROM HIM!!" togami screamed, clutching naegi's body and holding him close. "call the hospital AT ONCE!! NOW!! HE ISN'T BREATHING!!" the entire class stood stunned for a moment. nobody had ever seen togami so concerned about another person, let alone this panicked.

          ishimaru sprinted to the emergency phone in the gym as togami gently sat naegi's body up against his torso. togami fought the urge to sob when naegi's head dropped lifelessly into the crook of togami's neck, showing no signs of consciousness. he pressed two fingers into the boy's neck, praying for even the smallest flutter of a pulse. naegi's fingertips were white. it looked like all the color had been drained from his body. he was hauntingly still. togami found naegi's pulse, but it was rapidly weakening. "HIS INHALER!" togami shouted, his voice breaking. "HE NEEDS AN INHALER!" togami rapidly set naegi down in a laying position and pinched his nose, tears sliding down his cheeks. he's so cold... "naegi. you cant leave me like this. please," togami whispered, opening naegi's mouth and breathing air into the boy. naegi's chest lifted a small amount, but deflated again when togami stopped delivering the rescue breaths. togami kept trying, attempting to open up the boy's airway so he could breathe.

          "the ambulance is coming," ishimaru announced. "keep trying to get him breathing. where is his inhaler?"

          "he said he was gonna have it with him. i don't think he had time to get it before he started running," oowada spat, trying to hold back tears. "dumbass."

          "it should have been in his bag," kuwata jutted in, rushing to the bleachers and unzipping naegi's backpack. "that's what he was trying to do before he passed out. he was trying to find it in his bag. he always has one with him." kuwata continued to rummage around in naegi's bag. "it's not in here. somebody check his pockets!"

ishimaru sprinted to naegi's side, checking the pockets in his hoodie as well as the pockets in his pants. he came up with nothing. "he doesn't have it on him."

the teacher rushed into the room, dropping to togami's side. "the ambulance is here. go with him."

togami nodded and picked up the lifeless form of his lover, carrying him outside and into the ambulance. the EMTs loaded the boy into a stretcher and gave him a dose of medicine before hooking him up to a ventilator as the class watched from inside the gym. togami sat in the back of the ambulance with naegi, tightly gripping one of his cold hands. togami watched the boy intensely, making sure nothing happened to him.

about halfway through the ambulance ride naegi's finger twitched, causing togami to stand up and hover over the boy. his eyelids fluttered, opening ever-so-slightly to reveal his dull eyes, unfocused and delirium-ridden. a muffled "togami" fell from his lips before his consciousness slipped away again. togami just continued to hold his hand, watching his chest rise and fall as tears fell down his face. this was the first time togami had ever let himself cry.

•

the nurses allowed togami to stay in naegi's room as they set up his ventilator. naegi had woken up shortly after arriving at the hospital, but was still experiencing difficulty breathing and was in a state of extreme delirium. the weakened boy had been repeating togami's name in a wheeze over and over, refusing to relax until togami squeezed his hand. as they injected him with sedative to keep him out while he was being ventilated, one of the nurses explained to togami that naegi was a frequent patient. they had never seen an asthma attack this severe for him before, so he would need to stay in the hospital for two days to be treated, then another day to be weaned off the treatment. he would be under sedation the entire time.

togami watched as one of the nurses tilted naegi's head back, feeding a tube down his throat before fitting him with a mask. he was sitting next to naegi's bed, cupping one of his hands with both of his own. he reached out and brushed naegi's hair out of his face. it was still soft and silky to the touch. togami gently brushed his fingertips across naegi's cheek. it had started to regain warmth, which brought him immense relief.

when naegi's family arrived at the hospital, they each introduced themselves to togami and thanked him for staying with naegi. togami nodded, not sure if they knew about their relationship. the family made small talk with togami for a while and spent time with naegi until late that night. all of the nurses had left, leaving togami alone in naegi's room with him.

          just togami, naegi, and the soft beep of naegi's heart monitor.

          naegi, togami thought. i don't know what you've done to me. that first day of school, you tore down my walls with a single glance. you stole my heart with a smile. you have absolutely uprooted my entire world up to this point. you have made me smile, you have made me laugh, you have made me cry. i hadn't cried in months before today.

          i don't know what i would do if you were gone, naegi. i would still be isolated, cold and ruthless. that isn't me. i am the person i am with you. you make me who i am. i would be... lost. i would be incredibly lost had you not found me. every day i look at you and i think your title should go to me. i am the luckiest boy in the world because i have you in my life.

i need you, darling. you complete me. you are my lifeline. you pulled me from an eternity of darkness and into the light when you met me. you are absolutely wonderful for that. you're wonderful for many reasons, of course. but that one is especially important to me.

i want to be your boyfriend.

•

a/n: OW OW OW THAT HURT—