AN: OMG I'm so sorry guys, I feel like I haven't written a fanfic for this anime in forever. I hope this small piece makes up for it. I do not own Seikon No Qwaser or any of its characters.

Mafuyu's Point Of View

I quickly help Sasha into the dormitory. Tomo has set up a bed and is waiting for instruction just like I asked her to. "Tomo, go get the first aid kit and anything else that could be of use for this wound,"I plead as I help Sasha rest on the bed.

Tomo nods and disappears for a while. "I'll be fine, woman. You don't have to be so loud for something like this."

"Baka! Don't talk so much, you can put a strain on your wound like that. Just let me take care of you."I don't mean the last part to come out sounding so meek and pleading like but there's no point in taking it back either. Sasha relaxes a bit and looks away shyly. I relax myself once Tomo arrives with the necessities.

I work with shaky hands as I think about what happened. I was the one that was supposed to take the blow, not him. If only I had paid more attention while backing up Sasha against the two Meotors. He wouldn't be in bed wounded if I had done my job as his partner.

I hold back my tears. I can't allow myself to continue looking weak before him. I swallow the lump in my throat as I rip his blood soaked shirt open. I gasp when I see the wound and begin to cry when I see other scars.

Sasha mumbles with lidded eyes, "Stop crying, Mafuyu. Just clean it and bandage it, I've had worse wounds and you know it."I nod as I begin to clean the cut across his stomach.

By the time I finish bandaging it, Sasha is asleep and Tomo looks exhausted. I whisper to her, "Go get some sleep, Tomo. I'll take care of him."

"Mafuyu-chan…"Tomo says my name worriedly

"Don't worry, Tomo. I'll wake you up if I need you or if something happens." I say while holding back my tears once more. She nods and hugs me before exiting the room silently.

Carefully, I look through his drawers to see if I can find a shirt for him. When I find one, I set it at the foot of his bed. I can give it to him when he wakes up since I can't put it on him without waking him up.

I sigh quietly and gently sit in the space next to him on the bed, looking at his face that for once, doesn't look so angry. I look down at his chest and see smaller scars; but as I proceed downward, the scars seem to get bigger.

I cringe as I try to imagine how he got those. The Silver Witch, Phoenix, and Gold were probably the ones that left him the worst scars. Of course, there are the scars on his hands. He covers them up because they're the most obvious and visible scars of them all. And they're from burying Olja in the snow covered, frozen ground.

My forefinger gently traces one of his scars on his abdomen. I wonder how he got some of these, or when. How many were because of me? My hand begins to tremble when it touches the edge of the bandage.

A few tears fall down my face as I close them shut. I'm about to wipe them away but someone else does it for me. I freeze and open my eyes. "Sasha…you're awake?"

"Mafuyu, I told you to stop crying. There's no reason for you to cry,"Sasha says as he slowly sits up. I panic and help him while adjusting the pillows behind him. He tries not to give me an annoyed look as he says, "Calm down. I could have done that myself."

I let a small smile show. He's returning to his normal self if he's being very unappreciative. "Mafuyu, why were you crying?"

"Eh? What do you mean why? You were hurt and it was because of me…like some of your other scars right?"I reply as tears fill my eyes again.

"You're wrong. All these scars are because of me. I'm the one that made a choice that led to these scars. Or they're battle wounds, which everybody gets regardless of what they fight for,"He says while motioning for me to sit next to him.

I hesitate but do so. I can't help but continue though, "But there would have been no reason for you to make such choices if I had paid more attention or if you just stopped protecting me…that wound should be on me, not you."

"Baka. I chose to protect you because I wanted to. I wouldn't be able to live with myself knowing you got hurt when I could have prevented it. Stop blaming yourself…I don't like seeing you like this,"Sasha says as a faint blush appears on his cheeks.

I nod but continue to look at his abdomen, at his scars. I can't help but blurt out, "Was there a time where you almost, or did, end up with an internal scar? A scar to the heart?"

"Besides what happened with Olja…yes. When I thought I lost you…when you were kidnapped by the Adepts,"Sasha whispers while gripping the bed sheets.

My face grows warm as I turn to face him and slowly lean in to kiss him. I feel him relax when our lips meet. I pull away and blink a few times before getting up and explaining nervously, "I'll be back; I'm just going to change into something more comfortable."

I turn around, attempting to ignore his confused look. I quietly close his door and head to my room to change into my usual shorts and tank top that I sometimes sleep in.

I walk back into his room quietly but he isn't asleep like I had hoped. He's looking out his window. He whispers, "Why did you act nervous? It wasn't our first kiss."

"No but I wasn't sure if you were okay with it,"I explain quietly as I sit next to him again. I sigh quietly as I rest my head on his shoulder. I manage to whisper before falling into deep sleep, "Thank you."

I feel something but can't make out what it is. I lay still however, since I am not completely awake. When I feel the same thing again I can't help but let out a light 'hmm'. That's when a deep voice speaks, waking me up completely, "I didn't know about this…"

I sit up quickly and turn around to find that Sasha is awake. "Sasha, how are you feeling?"

"I told you I'd be fine. I'm curious about that scar on your back," He says calmly while scooting closer to me.

Sasha rests his chin on my shoulder and wraps his arms around me. I stiffen as he lifts my tank top slightly with one hand and uses his other hand to trace the scar on my back. "Oh, that."I think about how only Tomo knows of it and only because she was there. If not, then Sasha would be the first. The scar really isn't visible or in a place I show a lot, not even in my revealing battle dress. My battle dress covers up in the right places.

"It was before we met, wasn't it?"He murmurs against my hair.

"It was during the time that Uncle first disappeared. The bullying was at its worst then. They were going to whip Tomo, just once. One painful strike. I arrived in time to shield her body but not in enough time to move both of us away,"I say this aloud for the first time.

He pulls my shirt down and hugs me, muttering, "I should kill them…but you and I are alike."

"How so?" I ask as I hug him back, trying not to cry.

I can almost feel his smirk as he explains, "In the sense that we'll both protect the ones we love no matter the cost. So don't blame yourself ever again for any injury I get in the process of protecting you."

"I promise you,"I whisper.

AN: The feels. Anyway, please review:)