30-day OTP challenge: NaguSuzu

#7: A death of someone close

The rain was falling hard from the overcast sky. Gust after gust of wind howled along the road, threatening to tear through anything in their way. It was almost completely dark outside, the slippery road only lit by lonely headlights struggling to pull through. Something bad was bound to happen eventually.

"Careful darling, it's best not to rush in this weather." In the passenger seat of a small black car, a woman cautioned anxiously. Next to her, a man replied:

"It's alright, it's not the worst weather I've had to drive in. Besides, Haruya has a match in thirty minutes! We need to get there on time!"

"Yes, I know, but..." The woman tried to protest, but was cut off by the excited yelling of a red-haired boy sitting in the back:

"The match! The match! Please, I can't be late for the match! If we don't show up on time, we'll lose, and I never want to lose!"

"Settle down, Haruya, your dad is trying to drive." The woman spoke sternly, but the man laughed:

"Now now dear, he's just excited. It's completely natural! Let me see now, little captain... The rain isn't all that bad. We can go just a little—"

CRASH!

Nagumo woke with a start. Sitting bolt up on the bed, he took shallow, ragged breaths as he tried to calm his racing heart. The covers were all tangled up with his sweaty limbs, making the redhead feel so claustrophobic that he had to practically tear them off his body and push them to the side. Nagumo could feel a lump forming in his throat, but he dug his fingernails into his palm, determined to distract himself with the pain. I won't cry. I won't cry. I won't.

Nagumo turned to the other side of the bed, hoping to find his sleeping lover, but it was empty. Swallowing thickly, he swung his legs off of the bed and stood, slightly jumping at the coolness of the floor. For a split second, Nagumo felt like a little kid again, all alone, abandoned, and unloved.

No. No. It's not true. His conscience cried, and Nagumo clenched his hands in the hopes of stopping them from trembling so badly. Suzuno. He's here. Find Suzuno. The bedroom door was ajar. Gripping onto the door handle, Nagumo swung it open and stepped out of the room, when he suddenly collided with another figure. Both called out in surprise as they stumbled backwards, groaning in pain. The figure was the first one to speak:

"Nagumo? What are you doing?"

"Suzuno?" Nagumo immediately grabbed hold of the grayhead's shoulders, his fingers digging almost painfully into the other's flesh. Grimacing slightly, Suzuno tried to pry his boyfriend's hands off:

"Yeah, it's me. Why aren't you in bed?"

The question passed by unheard as Nagumo raised a hand to cup the grayhead's face, before gingerly pushing back a strand of hair that was falling over his left eye. Present in his golden gaze was a sort of bewilderment, like he wasn't sure if his boyfriend was really standing there or not. Taken aback by the redhead's behavior, Suzuno frowned:

"Are you alright?"

Nagumo didn't reply. His hand lingered on the side of Suzuno's face for a moment, before he abruptly yanked the grayhead into a tight hug, burying his face into the other's shoulder.

"Hey!" Suzuno yelped. He wasn't used to getting the wind knocked out of himself so suddenly — well, not by a hug, anyway. But the teal-eyed male went quiet when he realized how badly his boyfriend was shaking, and how quick and jagged his breathing was. "Nag... Haruya, what's wrong?"

Nagumo once again remained silent. He wouldn't — couldn't — speak. It would just result in tears. After what he just saw... just remembered... it was probably irrational, but his mind was filled with an overwhelming fear that if he doesn't hang on tight, all that he cares about will slip right through his fingers again, and he would be left helpless and hopeless, just like how it was when it first happened. He doesn't think he would last if he were to experience that again. He had tried over and over to push it back, to keep the emotions from overflowing, because he will not cry, he will not... And yet...

Inside the redhead's tight embrace, the explanation suddenly dawned on Suzuno. He knew about the nightmares that Nagumo would get more often than not, about how afraid and upset the redhead could become, even if he walks out of bed tomorrow like nothing had happened. This redhead likes to come off as tough and ferocious, and it is easier for him than it is for most, because it is who he is; but sometimes the violence is simply to mask the sadness within. Sighing softly, Suzuno raised his own arms to wrap around Nagumo, murmuring sweet nothings in the hopes of comforting his boyfriend:

"I'm here. Don't worry, I'm here. It's okay baby. You're with me now. Nothing like that will happen again, so you don't have to worry, alright? I love you. You're safe. You're not alone. I just went to the kitchen for some water, I'm sorry for not alerting you. If I knew you were having a bad dream, I would never have gone, I promise. But I'm here now. For you. And I will be, whenever you need me."

"When... whenever I need you?" Nagumo's weak whisper made Suzuno want to hug him even tighter, though he doubt that was possible. Stroking his boyfriend's soft red hair, the grayhead confirmed:

"Whenever you need me."

Nagumo was silent for the longest time, his hands still gripping tightly onto the back of Suzuno's shirt. Then he nodded, before pulling away and sniffling slightly:

"Um... should we go back to bed?"

"Of course." Suzuno smiled upon seeing that the redhead's mood has improved, even if just by a little. Getting into bed, he rearranged the covers before beckoning his boyfriend to join. Nagumo crawled in and settled down, his face only centimeters from Suzuno's own. Reaching over, the grayhead wrapped an arm around the other male and pulled him closer; Nagumo happily obliged and snuggled up against his boyfriend comfortably. They stayed like that for a moment, before Nagumo looked up into Suzuno's teal eyes, smiling ever so slightly:

"Thank you, Fuusuke."

"Anything for you, baby." The grayhead replied, before planting a kiss onto his lover's forehead. Just like that, they drifted off into sleep, curled up beside each other, with the knowledge that as long as they are together, neither of them will ever be lonely again.

♡ ♡ ♡

I hope you guys liked my take on Nagumo's backstory! I wanted to give him some of the angst today, since I feel like our ice-boy has been suffering for a little too long :3

That's all I have to say for #7 :P Have a nice day!