Hiding in a barn somewhere, Hirato sat on the ground with his back pressed against the wooden wall while suppressing the urge to wince from the pain in his abdomen. One hand held his wound, while the other took out the phone from his suit pocket. Despite the pain, the only thing he wanted to do was to hear a certain doctor's voice. Thank god for speed dial. Hirato held the phone against his ear with what little strength he had left, encouraging himself with the thought of Akari's voice against his ear.
Meanwhile back at the Research Tower, although it was just a few minutes before midnight Akari was still in his office buried in his paperwork when his phone rang. Just from the obvious voice record as his ring tone that continuously said "Akari, it's me. Won't you pick up? Now? Now? Now? Pick up now?", he knew who it was. It was annoying to no end that he actually felt compelled to pick it up every time it rang, that clever bastard of a captain. "Go to sleep!" was his greeting to the man in the other end.
Hirato closed his eyes in relief when he heard the older man's grumpy tone, then smirking to himself afterwards. "Can you keep me company for a few minutes?" He asked softly, almost in a pleading voice.
His first thought was to, of course, decline. He had a stack of documents littering his desk, craving for his attention. It was obviously a bad timing, but there was something about Hirato's voice that somewhat made the decision easier for the senior, "Fine. Where are you right now?" Before the commander could reply, someone burst through Akari's office door, who the doctor later realized to be Tsukitachi.
"Akari..." He looked at the other with furrowed brows and a mourning glance.
"What are you doing here?" One would think he's used to the first captain's invasion of his privacy, but unfortunately no - it was still hard to believe someone his age lacks the knowledge of common courtesy. Akari fell in silence at the look given to him, it somewhat gave him a feeling...of pity. "What is it?"
Swallowing hard, Tsukitachi approached Akari before stopping a few feet away from his desk. "Hirato...he's KIA - killed in action."
"That's impossible." Akari insisted while shaking his head as an evident no, and disbelief.
"Akari-san..." There was that look of pity again.
"I love you." With his phone still against his ear and under his pink hair, Akari was able to hear Hirato's last whispers before the phone died.