Disclaimer: The only thing I own is the plot.
His hands shakily pressed the cloth to her wound, staining the already red vest a deeper crimson. He muttered a paradox of profanities mixed with words of assurance. Her breathing labored as he forced himself to apply more pressure, a pitiful attempt at clotting the blood. Her brown eyes were watery with pain as she watched him avoid eye contact.
"You're going to be okay." He kept repeating over and over under his breath. "You're going to be okay."
She began to wonder which of the two he was trying to convince.
The blood continued to pour, streaming from the gash like a river of molten rubies. He cursed and tried his best to keep out the panic. He shook his head desperately and told himself to keep his cool.
"You're gonna be alright."
Her hand twitched at her side, muscles spasming with the effort of raising it. Her hand was stained red as she weakly grasped the wrist that was so determined to heal her.
"Stop it." It came as a whisper, but it sounded as if she had screamed it into his ears.
His hand kept pressing down as he frantically tried to save her. He grit his teeth and ignored how cold her skin felt on his arm.
"No. You're gonna be okay. We just have to hold off until the ambulance comes. Then you'll be safe." He had tried. He had really tried to say it firmly, keep a level head, but his voice cracked on the last word. Damn him. He was supposed to be the calm one. He was supposed to be the one that knew what to do in situations like this.
"Hey," She breathed. "It's alright. Don't be scared."
He let out a bitter laugh and finally met her gaze. "You're the one bleeding to death, and you're trying to comfort me?"
She smiled sadly. It was a shame that his blue eyes sparkled the most when he was crying.
Her grasp on his wrist tightened. "Stop it. You-" She bit her lip as a sudden wave of pain launched through her. "You and I both know they aren't going to come in time."
"Shut up, Sakarai! You're going to be fine!" Her eyes leaked pity, unfazed by his aggressive tone. He angrily swiped at the tears on his cheeks with the heel of his palm. "Don't say-"
She cut him off before he could protest any further. "Enzan, stop it."
He didn't try to stop the tears anymore. Pride and image forgotten, he shut his eyes angrily and let his wrist go limp in her grasp.
She put a hand to his face, and his eyes snapped open. She vaguely noticed the streak of red her hands left on his cheek.
"Tell me what to do. I need to do something." He begged, pleaded. He hated feeling helpless. He hated feeling useless.
Her chest heaved up and down with the effort of breathing. His hand came to cover hers on his cheek.
"I-" She rasped softly, uncertainly. "I've never had my first kiss."
His eyes widened a fraction of an inch at her confession. A kiss. She wanted a kiss.
"Okay," He whispered.
Slowly, he leaned down, hand still clutching hers. Her eyes fluttered shut, blood drained lips parted slightly to accommodate to her breathing. His other hand gently settled on the base of her jawbone, fingers tangling in her cherry-red hair.
His lips touched hers, lightly at first, and then the desperation hit. She returned the kiss with equal force despite her state of injury. He felt a part of his heart cracking.
It's ironic how the moment he realized she was everything he ever wanted, was the moment she would be ripped away.
They seperated, tears slipping down their cheeks. He pressed his forehead against hers, forgetting for once all the walls he had built to keep emotions out, forgetting that he was Ijuuin Enzan, and that he wasn't supposed to act like this.
Her deep brown eyes were gradually closing, as if they were too heavy to keep open.
"Enzan, I'm scared." Her voice shook.
He held her close, wrapping an arm carefully around her shoulders, pulling her into his lap. At the moment, he could afford to not be Ijuuin Enzan.
"It's going to be alright." He cradled her and hummed softly into her ear as her breathing slowed. "I'm not going to leave you, Meiru. I promise."
She sighed into the crook of his neck, inhaling the faint smell of cologne. Her eyes closed, no longer fighting the darkness that swamped her vision. Her hand that had been clutching his shirt loosened.
By the time the sound of a siren reached his ears, she was long gone. The paramedics gently lifted her out of his arms, and he stumbled numbly after her, despite Hikari's attempts of restraint, because for once, he wasn't Ijuuin Enzan, he was just Enzan, her protector, her friend, her first kiss. He held her cold hand as the the ambulance drove away, ignoring the protests of the professionals around him.
He would stay with her, because he told her he wouldn't leave. He promised.
Author's Notes: Really depressing, I know. Sorry, but this oneshot has been on my mind for a while, and I had to write it down. Kind of an odd pairing, but lately, I've been obsessed with it. Feedback is always appreciated!
MI3