Morning didn't arrive gently.
It crashed.
Haru woke up with the distinct feeling that his head had been replaced with something heavy, hollow, and mildly vibrating. Light seeped through the curtains like a personal attack, and every sound—footsteps in the hallway, distant chatter, the hum of the radiator—felt amplified to an unbearable degree. He groaned softly, rolling onto his side, only to regret it immediately when the room spun just enough to make his stomach protest.
He squeezed his eyes shut.
Never again, he thought vaguely.(He would absolutely forget this promise.)
For a moment, he didn't remember where he was. The bed felt familiar, but the weight of too many blankets and the faint scent of someone else's shampoo grounded him. Slowly, carefully, Haru opened one eye.
Yuri was there.
Still asleep, lying on his side, hair messy, one arm stretched out like he'd fallen asleep mid-thought. His face was calm in a way Haru always found unfair—like the world never pressed too hard on him when he rested. Seeing him helped. It always did.
Haru relaxed a fraction, exhaling quietly, then immediately winced as his head throbbed again.
"Ugh…" he whispered.
Yuri stirred at the sound, brow furrowing before his eyes fluttered open. It took him a second to register the situation—morning light, Haru awake, and the unmistakable look of regret written across Haru's face.
"Hangover?" Yuri asked softly, voice still thick with sleep.
Haru nodded without lifting his head. "Mhm. Everything hurts."
Yuri sighed, not annoyed—just resigned. He shifted closer, propping himself up on one elbow as he reached out to brush Haru's hair back gently. "I told you to drink water."
"I did," Haru mumbled. "Just… not enough."
Yuri hummed, already slipping into caretaker mode. "Stay still. I'll get you some."
Haru made a weak grab for Yuri's sleeve. "Don't leave."
Yuri paused, then smiled faintly. "I'll be back in thirty seconds."
Reluctantly, Haru let go.
The dorm room was quiet except for the muffled sounds of other students moving around in the building—doors opening, footsteps, laughter drifting down the hallway. Haru closed his eyes again, trying to breathe through the nausea, focusing on the familiar comfort of the bed beneath him.
It was going to be one of those days. He could already tell.
When Yuri returned, he brought water, painkillers, and a piece of dry toast he'd somehow acquired from the shared kitchen. Haru accepted everything like it was a sacred offering, moving slowly, deliberately, afraid that one wrong motion would tip everything over.
"Take it easy," Yuri said, watching him closely.
Haru nodded again, chewing carefully. "I feel like I got hit by a bus."
"That's what happens when you ignore your limits."
"I did not ignore—" Haru stopped, reconsidered, then sighed. "Okay, I ignored them."
Yuri smiled despite himself.
They sat like that for a while, Haru leaning against Yuri's shoulder, the world slowly settling back into something manageable. The plan was simple: skip the first lecture, let Haru recover, then maybe grab something light to eat later.
That plan lasted exactly fifteen minutes.
The alarm started faintly at first—a distant, unfamiliar sound that didn't quite register. Haru frowned, lifting his head slightly.
"Do you hear that?" he asked.
Yuri was already sitting up straighter, listening. The sound grew louder, sharper, unmistakable now.
A fire alarm.
The piercing noise cut through the dorm like a blade, sudden and relentless. Red lights flashed near the ceiling, bathing the room in an urgent glow.
Haru flinched hard, the noise sending a spike of pain through his head. "What—?"
"Fire alarm," Yuri said immediately, already on his feet. "We need to go."
Haru tried to sit up quickly, then froze as dizziness slammed into him. His stomach lurched, and he had to grip the edge of the mattress to keep from falling back.
"I—I can't," he muttered, swallowing hard. "I feel sick."
Yuri was at his side in an instant. "Okay. Okay. Slow. We'll take it slow."
The alarm continued to scream, joined by shouts from the hallway—doors opening, confused voices, someone laughing nervously, someone else swearing. The smell hit them next: faint, acrid, unmistakably wrong.
Smoke.
Yuri's jaw tightened. "Haru, listen to me. We have to move. I've got you."
Haru nodded, though fear was already curling in his chest. His head pounded, his legs felt unsteady, and the noise was overwhelming. He hated this—hated being weak, hated slowing things down.
But Yuri didn't hesitate.
He wrapped an arm around Haru's waist, steady and firm, guiding him up carefully. Haru leaned heavily into him, trying to focus on each step, each breath. The hallway outside was chaos—students pouring out of rooms, alarms blaring, the air hazy with smoke creeping along the ceiling.
Someone coughed nearby.
"Stay with me," Yuri murmured, voice calm but intense. "Eyes on me. Don't rush."
They moved forward with the crowd, but Haru's steps lagged. His head swam, vision blurring at the edges, the heat in the hallway noticeably warmer now. Panic fluttered in his chest, sharp and sudden.
"I don't feel good," Haru whispered.
Yuri tightened his grip instantly. "I know. Just a little further."
But then—Haru stumbled.
Not hard enough to fall, but enough that Yuri felt the sudden shift of weight, the way Haru's legs almost gave out. The smoke was thicker here, stinging Haru's eyes, making his chest feel tight. He coughed weakly, disoriented, the noise of the alarm blurring into a painful, endless wail.
For a split second, fear took over.
Haru's mind spiraled—too slow, too loud, too hot—and his body refused to cooperate. His knees buckled, and if Yuri hadn't been there, he would've gone down completely.
"Haru!" Yuri snapped, panic breaking through his calm for the first time.
He didn't think. He reacted.
Yuri scooped Haru up—not fully carrying him, but supporting almost all of his weight—one arm around his back, the other gripping his wrist tight enough to anchor him. Yuri's heart hammered as he pushed through the crowd, ignoring shouted complaints, ignoring the sting of smoke in his own lungs.
"Make space!" Yuri barked.
Someone did.
The exit door loomed ahead, glowing green like a promise.
Haru clung weakly to Yuri's shirt, breathing shallow, face pale. "I'm sorry," he mumbled, words barely audible. "I'm slowing you down."
"Do not apologize," Yuri said sharply, voice low and furious in a way Haru rarely heard. "You're not slowing anything down."
They burst through the exit together.
Cool air hit them like salvation.
Outside, the morning was bright and deceptively calm, students already gathering on the courts as instructed—lined up by dorm, by class, staff shouting names, taking attendance with tense efficiency. The smell of smoke lingered, but out here, it felt distant, manageable.
Yuri guided Haru to the edge of the courts and lowered him carefully onto a bench, kneeling in front of him instantly.
"Haru. Look at me."
Haru blinked slowly, focusing with effort. Yuri's face was tight with worry, eyes scanning him like he was checking for invisible injuries.
"You burned?" Yuri asked quickly. "Anywhere hurt?"
Haru shook his head. "No. I don't think so. Just… dizzy."
Yuri exhaled shakily, relief crashing through him so hard his hands trembled. He pressed his forehead briefly against Haru's knee, eyes closing for half a second before he pulled himself together.
"Okay," he said, softer now. "Okay. You're safe."
The rest of the group found them moments later.
Yuna was the first to spot them, breaking from her line instantly. "Haru!"
Riku followed, Jihoon right behind him, with Sophia and Sowoon close. Their expressions shifted rapidly—from confusion to concern—as they took in Haru's pale face and Yuri's tight grip on his hand.
"What happened?" Sophia asked.
"Fire in the building," Yuri replied. "Haru's hungover. He almost collapsed."
Yuna's eyes widened. "Are you okay?"
Haru nodded weakly. "Yeah. I think so."
Jihoon crouched slightly to meet his eye level. "Any burns? Smoke inhalation?"
"No," Haru said. "Just scared."
That admission sat heavy in the air.
A staff member called out their dorm's name, and Yuri responded immediately, voice steady despite everything. Attendance was marked. They were officially accounted for.
But Yuri didn't let go of Haru.
Even as things calmed—firefighters arriving, staff giving updates, the reassurance that the fire had been contained and no one was seriously hurt—Yuri stayed close, one arm firmly around Haru's shoulders like he was afraid the ground might disappear again.
Haru leaned into him, exhaustion crashing down now that the adrenaline was fading. His hands trembled slightly, the delayed reaction finally catching up to him.
"I thought I was going to mess everything up," Haru whispered.
Yuri shook his head immediately. "You didn't."
"I couldn't move fast enough."
"You moved," Yuri said firmly. "And you're here."
Haru swallowed, eyes stinging—not from smoke this time. "I hate feeling like this."
Yuri softened, pressing a gentle kiss to Haru's temple, uncaring of who saw. "I know. But you don't have to be strong all the time. Not with me."
The words settled deep, steadying something in Haru's chest.
They stayed on the courts until the all-clear was given. Eventually, students were dismissed back to their dorms, the tension easing into tired relief. Haru walked back slowly, supported the entire way, legs still weak but no longer threatening to give out.
Inside their room again, everything felt strangely normal—sunlight through the window, beds just as they'd left them.
Haru sat down heavily, exhaustion overtaking him completely.
Yuri closed the door and turned to face him, his expression unreadable for a long moment.
Then he pulled Haru into a tight hug.
It was sudden enough that Haru let out a small sound of surprise before melting into it, arms wrapping around Yuri in return. Yuri held him like he needed to confirm, physically, that Haru was real and unharmed.
"That scared me," Yuri admitted quietly.
Haru nodded against his shoulder. "Me too."
They stayed like that for a long time.
"Promise me you'll never drink so much again.." Yuri sad, his eyes trembling slightly.
Haru pulled back and looked at him, nodding slowly.
"Promise."