Sugawara was a lucky man. Not only had his life been saved but so had his job in a sense. The hospital had decided not to sue him and instead fired him as he was leaving, sending him spiraling. He desperately wanted to go for the pills under the sink but Daichi had searched the apartment top to bottom and everything was gone. His pills, his weed, everything. Even his pipe had been thrown away.

     Daichi had also discovered three packs of cigarettes and had decided to keep them. He gave a cigarette to Sugawara and sent him outside, watching from inside as his lover finally relaxed. He came back inside and they held each other on the couch, Sugawara admitting softly his secrets.

     Daichi listened as Suga told him about feeling like a failure. Like feeling like a child in an adult's world. How he never felt quite comfortable with himself. How he hated himself. How he wanted to die.

     Daichi held him through all of it, nodding and whispering soft words to get him to spill more of his soul. Eventually his existence spilled out into tears and soaked the carpet and leaked down the steps into the parking lot, drowning his world. He was so sick.

     When it was all over Daichi grabbed an ice pack and sat in front of him, pushing away Sugawara's shame and replacing it with love. He wiped his face with the ice pack and kissed his hair. "I'm here. I will always be here, Koushi."

    Sugawara stifled a son of relief and leaned forward into the chest he'd called home since he was in high school. Daichi rubbed his back, pulling him close. "I'm so sorry Daichi."

     "It will be okay. I promise, we will make it better." Daichi leaned Sugawara back and pressed their foreheads together. "How are you feeling?"

     "Sick to my stomach," Sugawara admitted quietly. It was true, his body ached and he wasn't feeling well. He'd had a fever for the last few days and now the worst of the withdrawals were hitting him.

    Daichi got him a bottle of water and eased him into drinking some before laying Sugawara down in their bed. He slept fitfully, shaking. Daichi tried to hold him close to warm him back up and ease his pain but he just woke up, in a sweat. "Suga, breathe. Babe, breathe."

     Suga turned, trembling. "Help."

     Daichi turned him over all the way and held him to his chest. "I'm right here. I'm right here. Breathe."

     Suga cried out, grabbing at his chest. It ached and stung. He couldn't get a good breath in without something pulling and burning erupting inside of him. He sobbed into Daichi's chest, gasping for air. "Please. Please make it stop!"

     Daichi kissed his hair before leaning over and grabbing a single pain pill from the bottle they were cleared to bring home. He had Suga take it but the other male still sat there, aching. It wasn't enough. He could take ten more and it wouldn't stop his heart from hurting. Daichi still held him, praying he'd cry himself back to sleep so he wouldn't have to see another pained expression. Not another worry. No more tears.

     Suga ended up staying up for a few more hours, needing a bath and some food. Daichi sat with him in the bath, massaging his sore muscles and tried to ignore the bruising all over his chest. He'd need to call Asahi and Nishinoya later. Maybe he'd get Asahi's new little fling to help him out.

     "Daichi? I can't get to sleep."

     Daichi sat up a bit and rubbed his side. "I'll get you some melatonin. Don't worry."

     Suga whined softly. "I have another confession."

     "What?"

     "I stole sleeping pills too. It was how I slept during the day in preparation for the night shift."

     Daichi sighed. "Okay." He turned over and grabbed a bottle of sleeping pills from his nightstand. He handed one to Sugawara and Suga swallowed it down with some of his water. He still shook and sweat but soon he was able to fall asleep.

      In the morning when he woke up Daichi was getting ready for work, putting together his gym bag. Suga sat up, holding his side. He was so cold.

     Daichi turned to him and smiled. "Good morning. How do you feel?"

     "Cold." Suga grabbed a blanket off of the floor and huddled into it, praying it would help more than his thin comforter.

     "Why don't you go take a shower?"

     Suga nodded. He stood up and swayed a bit before sitting back down. Daichi helped him stand again and held him to his chest. "I hate that you have to see me like this."

     "I would rather see you recovering than on those pills. That wasn't you."

     Sugawara wrapped his arms around Daichi tighter and took in a deep breath, relaxing in the smell of his cologne. Daichi kissed his hair, smiling. Suga looked up. This time his smile reached his eyes and Daichi stared at him. "What?"

     "You are so beautiful." Daichi kissed him and immediately Sugawara melted into his touch, closing his eyes and letting his blanket drop. Daichi pulled away, laughing. "We can't do anything until you heal. I will not hurt you."

     Suga swayed back and forth a bit before sitting on the bed. He stared up at Daichi, pure exhaustion behind his big brown eyes. Daichi leaned down and kissed his cheek. Suga laughed as he decided to trail kisses down his neck and back up to his other cheek. His breath caught and he coughed, leaning away.

     "You okay?"

     Suga nodded, still coughing. His chest ached unlike anything he had ever experienced before. He sipped some water down before startling as a knock rang out from the front of the apartment. Daichi answered it and let Asahi in. Asahi took in Sugawara's tired frame and his sad eyes and his stomach clenched in worry.

     "Hey Suga... I'm gonna stay with you today if that's okay?"

     Sugawara nodded. He coughed again and winced. "Thank you."

     Daichi gave them both his well wishes before leaving, the pain pills hidden in the kitchen away from Sugawara. Asahi tried to engage in board games and conversation but the moment Daichi was gone Sugawara just laid under his blankets, staring at the wall. Asahi called Nishinoya, who tried getting Sugawara up and about. Nothing worked.

     Finally, they resorted to the one person they were sure would help.

     Aone was there within the hour, taking off his shoes in the doorway and removing his coat. He walked with Asahi to Sugawara's room and leaned by the bed. He bowed his head slightly before looking up. "Sugawara-San. You need to eat."

     Suga looked up, confused. "Who the hell is this?"

     Aone offered his hand. "Aone Takanobu. I was a paramedic when you overdosed."

    "Oh. You're Asahi's new fling."

    "Fling? No, I haven't even taken him on a date yet. I'm sorry if that confused you."

     Asahi smiled awkwardly. He leaned by the bed. "Suga. We're worried. You really need to eat."

     "If you don't eat, the symptoms get worse," Aone stated softly. "Please, allow me to take you and Asahi-San to lunch. Nishinoya-San, would you like to come as well?"

     Nishinoya frowned. "Nope. You guys have fun though. Don't screw him on the first date either."

     Aone nodded curtly before helping Sugawara out of bed. Asahi got him dressed and brushed his hair. Suga leaned into the wall of his bathroom, dizzy. "I can't do this. I can't."

     "Then let's start small." Asahi helped him stand properly and led him to the table. Aone was by the stove, stirring something in a pot. He turned to Sugawara and smiled softly.

*****

     Daichi walked into his apartment and heard what he wanted before he saw it. Sugawara was laughing.

     "Daichi's home!" Suga ran to the door and Daichi grinned, scooping up his lover. "Guess what!"

     Daichi laughed. "Six months sober looks good on you."

     Suga smiled. He gestured behind him where Asahi, Aone, Nishinoya, and Bokuto sat. Bokuto waved. "Good to see you man."

     Daichi waved back. He dropped Suga gently and turned to the group. "Thank you all for helping with him, honestly. You've been such a big help."

     Suga bounced on his toes. "Today has been amazing. I only smoked two cigarettes and have stayed out of the pills."

     "Amazing job."

     Sugawara spun in place. "I bought a cake and more spicy ramen!"

     Daichi chuckled. He hadn't drug tested the other male in two weeks and tonight he had to. It had been heaven finding each negative test. Heaven watching Sugawara heal. His ribs healed first, then his habits. As soon as he was able to, he began running. He would take daily runs around the block and come back and eat. The runs and the cigarettes had distracted him so much from the urges to relapse.

     Daichi had been taking him to couple's therapy where they had learned so much about each other. He loved this version of Suga. This was the old him, the sober him.

     This Suga danced with him in the kitchen now, loved him in the dark more than ever, and laughed. He'd been hired as a nurse at a school nearby and they lived.