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Daisuke was used to arguing with Haru—whether as partners or lovers. They fought constantly, whether over work or more serious matters, and more than once their relationship had nearly fallen apart because of it.
Every time he and his boyfriend got into a heated exchange, Daisuke would always fire back. He never wanted to lose, even though deep down, he could’ve easily let Haru win—just once. He especially loved seeing Haru pout when he lost an argument. It was cute. Kind of adorable, actually. Though Haru would definitely lose it if he ever found out.
Daisuke truly enjoyed spending time with Haru—even their arguments, weirdly enough. Except for this one.
They were in the car, fighting again. Only this time, it felt heavier, more serious. Emotions ran high, voices got loud, and hurtful words slipped out before either of them could stop. Eventually, Daisuke just gave up on the argument, gripping the wheel tighter and focusing on driving while Haru kept calling his name, desperate to be heard.
It didn’t last long.
As soon as Daisuke noticed Haru growing quiet, staring out the window with teary eyes, guilt hit him like a truck. He sighed, ready to end it all with an apology.
“Listen, Haru, I didn’t mean—”
“Daisuke, look out!”
A car, seemingly out of control, crashed into Daisuke’s luxury car from the passenger side.
The last thing Daisuke remembered was Haru’s agonized scream.
Somehow—by what must have been divine intervention—Daisuke survived the accident. He had a mild concussion and a few cuts on his face. He regained consciousness about an hour after being brought to the hospital, and the first thing on his mind was—of course—Haru.
But Haru wasn’t there.
Daisuke's heart pounded. He sat up in bed, ripped the covers off, and staggered toward the door—only to bump into a nurse.
“Mr. Kambe? Are you okay?”
No time to explain. Daisuke just gave a small nod and asked, “Where’s Haru?”
The nurse hesitated before answering, “Ah, Katou-san? He’s in the next room. He just finished with the surgeon—”
Surgeon.
Daisuke felt his heart drop. “Surgeon?” his voice trembled. “What happened?” His head throbbed again.
“W-well, I heard a piece of glass pierced his body, but—”
Daisuke didn’t wait for the rest. He rushed out and ran straight to the room next door.
It looked similar to his—except for a few more medical machines. Haru lay on the bed, dressed in hospital pajamas. From the outside, he looked peaceful, as if just asleep. His skin wasn’t pale. But Daisuke knew better—knew that Haru was hurting. And all he could think was: How could I let this happen?
Daisuke sat beside him, hesitant but desperate, and reached out to touch Haru’s cold hand. His heart twisted with guilt. If Haru didn’t wake up soon, it would be his fault. If Haru had long-term injuries, Daisuke would never forgive himself. And if—God forbid—Haru didn’t survive…
There were too many dark thoughts swirling in his mind.
Eventually, Daisuke leaned forward, resting his head on the edge of the bed, holding Haru’s hand tightly until he drifted off to sleep.
When Daisuke woke up, the first thing he heard was the sound of two men talking. He blinked a few times, then slowly lifted his aching head.
“Well, good evening, princess.”
That was Haru’s voice.
Daisuke's sleepiness vanished in an instant. He turned his head, just to be sure. Was he dreaming?
But no—it was real. Haru was awake, fully conscious. And for the first time in hours, Daisuke felt like he could breathe again. His eyes blurred with tears.
“Kambe-san, you’re awake,” a doctor said with a relieved smile. “I’m glad you’re both okay.”
The doctor started with Daisuke’s condition. Nothing serious—just a couple of days of rest for the headache to go away. Haru, on the other hand, had glass shards embedded in his stomach and arm. Thankfully, they hadn’t gone too deep, and he hadn’t lost much blood. A minor surgery had already been done, and he’d be discharged in two days.
Once the doctor left, the room fell silent again.
“I’m sorry.”
“Are you okay?”
They spoke at the same time, then paused awkwardly, realizing it.
“Why are you apologizing?” Haru asked. “Don’t tell me you’re blaming yourself for the crash?”
“Of course I am,” Daisuke replied. “If I hadn’t gotten so worked up, you wouldn’t have been in that accident with me.”
“That’s not your fault, idiot. The driver fell asleep at the wheel and lost control,” Haru said flatly. “Besides, I started the argument. I’m sorry, too.”
“You can start a fight with me anytime, I won’t mind. The problem is, I didn’t handle it well—and it led to this.”
Haru clearly didn’t like where this was going. He tried to sit up, only to wince from the pain in his stomach.
“I’ll call the doctor,” Daisuke panicked.
“Shut up and listen with those dumb ears of yours,” Haru hissed. He clutched his side with one hand and used the other to gently stroke the back of Daisuke’s hand. “Okay. The argument wasn’t just your fault—it was both of us. But the accident? Not our fault. The driver fell asleep and rammed your car. Got it? So stop blaming yourself. We both made it out. What’s there to dwell on?”
Haru, as usual, was calm and kind. The older man shrugged and smiled warmly at Daisuke.
Okay, maybe the fight had been mutual. Maybe the crash wasn’t on them.
But…
“But I almost lost you, Haru.”
One sentence. That’s all it took to silence the room again.
“I didn’t know what I’d do if you didn’t wake up. I could’ve paid for the best hospital in the world to save you, but what if that wasn’t enough? What if I lost you? I was so scared, Haru.”
Daisuke’s voice trembled. Anyone could hear the panic and fear in it. Haru’s hand tightened around his.
“But I’m okay now, aren’t I?” Haru whispered gently. “There’s nothing to worry about anymore.”
Daisuke couldn’t reply. His eyes welled up as Haru ran his fingers over the back of his hand.
“I love you,” Haru said softly, with that warm smile that always got to Daisuke.
Hearing Haru say that, especially after everything that just happened, was too much. Daisuke couldn’t hold back his ridiculous sobs and threw himself into Haru’s arms.
“Hey… not that I hate affection, but this is kinda weird coming from you,” Haru mumbled, chuckling as he rubbed Daisuke’s back.
“I almost lost you. Cut me some slack.”
“Well, if I lost you, I’d probably go insane too.”
“…Haru…”
“Yeah?”
“I love you.”
“I know.”
“I love you.”
“Okay. You can stop now. Think about your pride, man. What if our coworkers saw you crying and confessing your love like this?”
“Let them see. I don’t care if the whole world sees me like this.”
That made Haru laugh, really laugh. His tired body shook in Daisuke’s arms.
That night, they spent hours just talking. Some coworkers came by to visit, bringing food, crying, and asking what happened. Daisuke stayed quiet, while Haru handled all the explaining—like always.