22 Rain

The first thing Natsuo remembered feeling when he awoke was something soft and warm.

The smell of musk and citrus enveloped his senses. The heartbeat under his ear was calm and even. His eyelids were too heavy to open, but what he saw under his lashes was a white wall.

Soft breaths brushed against his forehead and his skinny body was wrapped in strong arms.

Jiro.

While his mind drifted back to the nightmares he had been dreaming of, those few seconds of feeling secure were enough for him to realize that the worst was already behind him.

(One day later)

Natsuo leaned on the IV pole and tried to catch his breath as he sat on the edge of his bed. Even sitting up was a struggle for him and his heart was racing twice as fast as normally.

"Hey, what are you doing?"