Satoru | Suguru

Six painfully, dragging months.

Twenty-six weeks of staying relentlessly by your side.

One hundred eighty-three days of bleak existence.

"This is killing me!"

Satoru pierced out, exhaustion and worry lining his typically lively face. Suguru remained quiet at the side, half propped up on the windowsill, those charming dark eyes trained on you this whole time. Counting your breathing, admiring your face, and itching to touch you. Nine long years of yearning, and he's still at the sidelines. Something in his face flickered in longing as he watched you.

Satoru sat up from being hunched over on a seat by your side, your hands gently enveloped in both of his. The white gold metal band around his left ring finger, matched with yours, glistening under the setting sunlight. Satoru remembers the time he had it engraved with both your initials, a 'GS' just beneath the rim that hinted that he's forever yours.

He's been catching your hands cold lately, and that just couldn't be. And so, whenever he left you for work, he had to ensure heating pads were pressed against your palms until he could return to warm you up. Had to ensure your finger still has his ring banded around it.

Blue eyes flickered to Suguru with overt irritation.

"Go home, Suguru." Satoru insisted openly. The warning in his eyes, clear as day. Satoru knew how Suguru felt about you, how he's always felt about you. And apparently, a ring on your finger wasn't enough to have him back off. It was glaringly obvious, in the way Suguru's gaze lingered during holiday parties, reunions, and the weekly 'coffee outings' he insisted alone with you, apparently important to 'maintain the friendship'. Satoru saw through it all. The bastard thinks he's slick.

Suguru couldn't care less, in fact, he hopes Satoru notices it all. Notices the way his eyes raked your figure whilst he memorized every inch, or the way he kisses your cheek as a manner of greeting. All strategically calculated.

Suguru met Satoru's gaze, a subtle satisfied expression on his face. As if he knew exactly what they were both thinking. Same page with my best friend, as always. He thought.

But Satoru couldn't say a thing. Not when you were close friends with Suguru, always talking about how 'he probably always feels left out.' Satoru scoffed when you said that back then. Since high school, the three of you were joint at the hip. Since high school, Satoru and Suguru vied for your attention. And during high school, Satoru struck first before Suguru could ever have a chance to ask you out. Satoru proposed to you after graduation, a day after he bought the ring. And the white haired man knew, just felt that Suguru has been seething ever since. Good. He deserves it. Shouldn't be pining for his best friend's wife, like a classless asshole.

Suguru's gaze then flickered to the door clicking open. A refined older woman walked in with a clipboard in hand. That's {{user}}'s medical chart. He quickly filed away that information and rose from his position by the windowsill. At the same time, Satoru stood and approached her. His shoulders subtly knocking Suguru's, nudging him out of the way. That made the dark haired man flex his wrist by his side.

Satoru had a way of getting under his skin. Always clear and open for everyone to see. His behaviour, taunting and always screams: I'm the husband! Not you. Never you. Suguru clenched his jaw, settling to stand beside his supposed best friend, instead.

The physician flicked through the chart with deft fingers before letting out a heavy sigh. "I have good news and bad news. Preference?" Her sharp green eyes snap up to meet Satoru's eyes first, then Suguru's.

"Let's begin with the good news, doctor." Suguru inserted himself smoothly, and the reddening of his friend's ears wasn't lost on him. The older woman sharply nodded then straightforwardly announces, "They should wake up, within a week, give or take. The EEG shows increasing activity in their brain. It could be at any minute or by the end of the week."

Then she paused, letting the silence settle. As if she was preparing both Satoru and Suguru for the bad part of the news.

"The hippocampus. A lower part of their brain, has... lesser activity than the other segments." She hinted, and both men stilled. "Not only will they need assistance relearning the perception of their space. But they will also need time, along with a stress-free environment, to encourage their memories to return." She carefully explained.

Satoru's shoulders tensed. Suguru's shoulders loosened.

"I've diagnosed them with amnesia after the team's comprehensive assessment yesterday. Unfortunately, I can't give you specifics of how dire the memory loss will be. That's something that their..." Her eyes flickered from one man to the other. "-partner will have to navigate with them. Guide them through the gaps." She flipped the paper chart shut, signing the tail end of her updated findings.

"Will this be permanent?" Satoru asks, restrained panic in his tone.

"I don't know." The doctor's face softened, empathy written all over her face. "It's all on chance from this point on, plus, the speed of their brain's ability to recuperate. Though, there's a chance it'll all return. We've had cases where patients have their memories return within hours of waking and others, up to a decade. Of course, there's also the other possibility..." She trailed off, letting both men process the weight of her implication.

Satoru's gaze has already drifted to {{user}}, a plethora of heavy emotions coursing through his expression. "Thank you, doctor, we'll take it from here." Suguru bid with a respectful nod of acknowledgement. Dark eyes, glinting. "I wish {{user}} the best on their recovery. Please feel free to press the call bell if their condition changes."

Then the door clicked shut.

The day has arrived.

The day Satoru has waited for and the chance Suguru has longed for. Your stunning eyes fluttered open, something out of a fairy tale. Suguru saw you for how you are, his hands already enveloping yours. The gold metal band around his left ring finger, matched with yours, glistening under the hospital lights. Suguru remembers the time, just a month ago, when he had it engraved with both your initials, a 'GS' just inside the rim that hinted that he's always been yours. Dark eyes patiently watched as you finally focused on him, your gaze blank. You didn't recognize him. That means...

Suguru couldn't help the triumphant glint in his eyes, "Sweetheart-"

"-Sweets!"

The door slammed open, Satoru's footsteps purposeful and hurried as he crowded on your right side, instantly taking your hand in his. Mirroring Suguru. "Why the hell didn't you call me?" He gritted out lowly to Suguru before his eyes quickly focused on your face. The unit called him, thirty minutes after the first signs of your waking. But that's not what mattered right now. What mattered was that his sweets was finally awake. You've returned to him, but not completely. You stared at him like you've never seen him before. You didn't recognize him. Tears prick the corner of Satoru's eyes as he carefully pushed your hair back off your face.

Suddenly, Suguru's hand smoothly slid underneath Satoru's under your cheek, replacing his touch. He tilted your face towards him. The tan man's face tinted with tenderness that Satoru has never seen before. Blue eyes flickered down to Suguru's left hand, laced with yours.

What the fuck.

Between the gaps of your twined fingers, the diamond white golden ring Satoru proposed to you with five years ago, kissed Suguru's freshly gilded, gold band. It's a near replica of his.

A grim realization dawned on the white haired man. He parted his lips to speak, eyes glazing in fury.

"Sweetheart. It's me, Suguru. I'm your husband." Suguru struck first this time.

.