"Ow!" Kanna hissed wincing as the doctor wound the bandage tight around her throbbing ankle.
"It's a severe sprain- I highly suggest that you go to the hospital as soon as possible to get it properly looked at." The on-site doctor said, frowning as the young woman protested.
"It feels fi-nh!" She bit back a cry as a strong grip held onto the slightly injured ankle and squeezed. Kanna ducked her head, letting her hair hide her expression though her hands refused to relax their excruciating grip on the bed she happened to be sitting on.
"Ore-sama will ensure that she gets treated."
"Very well Atobe-kun, please see that she does." The doctor replied stiffly before bowing and leaving the room.
"You can let go now." Kanna hissed, her bright blue eyes, one of the few gifts from her father's side, flashing at she glared down at the young man of 18 who knelt on the floor before her. "I can't believe you just did that! I'm perfectly fine Atobe-san and I'm certain that the doctor was worrying too much."
The man refused to let go of her ankle however and murmured something as he untied the doctor's knot and began to unwind the bandages parts of the way, before slowly rewinding them, even more tightly than before.
"I thought it was considered rude to mumble." She snapped, irritated by the young man's lack of response.
"Ore-sama said shut up!" He growled, tugging on her foot as he looked up at her, grey eyes darkening in anger, "You pulled a stupid stunt out there and now must pay the price for your stupidity!"
"If I hadn't done that Kirihara-kun would've-"
"Kirihara is a tennis player Yoshimizu!" He barked, cutting her off, "I have no doubt that he knows exactly how to deal with pain. And unlike you he is not recovering from a surgery!"
"Why the hell was I on the court then?!" She growled back eyes rising as the tallest of the pair stood.
"Because you swore that you wouldn't do anything stupid and that you would play carefully!" Atobe wanted so badly just to take the small young woman and shake some sort of sense into her female brain.
Even now he could barely stop himself from seeing her face as it morphed from a grin of triumph to a look of horror as her male opponent in the mixed doubles game grabbed a rock from the ground and smashed it towards the already injured Kirihara. The sight of her falling to the ground with a cry of pain and tears in her eyes was more than he could bear, standing on the side lines as he had been. Thankfully Yukimura and Sanada weren't useless in the situation and had been quick to act.
"You had already sprained it a week ago and now you only injured it further! That is not being smart or careful!" Atobe caught his breath as he glared fiercely down at the person he had known since early childhood. The blue eyes that gazed back at him with burning defiance only provide more fuel to his temper. Stuffing his hands into his shorts pocket he turned his back to the girl and headed for the exit, "Now let's go and Ore-sama will call Sanada if you don't follow quickly."
It was a brief walk and limo ride later that Kanna found herself at the hospital being treated by a doctor, who solemnly informed her that she had a facture and in order for it to heal would have to put as little weight on it as possible for a month and a half. Three weeks of rehabilitation would follow before she was allowed to play tennis once more.
"Mou… Yukimura-buchou is going to murder me when he finds out." She groaned as the doctor left. Thankfully the brace on her foot was small and didn't call for much attention though the temporary crutches would.
"Ore-sama will see to it that you follow the doctor's orders."
"I don't need a babysitter, especially when my health doesn't concern you." She retorted acidly, reaching for the metal sticks that would help her walk for the next few weeks.
"How can you-?! Dammit Kanna!" Suddenly Atobe was far too close, his hands on either side of her legs as he leaned in, grey eyes filled with fire as they locked onto hers. "Can you not see that I am worried for you?!"
"A-Atobe…" Blue eyes steadily widened as her heart rate abruptly quickened.
"I would not see you suffer once more. I will not permit you to drive yourself so hard that your body can no longer perform and watch as you lose yet another sport that you love!"
Just as suddenly as he had invaded her personal space his hands cupped her face, as grey eyes looked down at her full of worry and pain- pain, she realized, he felt for her!
"Can you not see that it's because you have caught my eye and have remained in my heart for three years that I care about you?" He voice was soft, gentle and filled with so many emotions that Kanna found that she was almost too dizzy to make them all out and understand them.
Lips brushed gently against her, full of hesitant control but steadily growing firmer as they pressed more adamantly against her own when she responded.
"I love you Kanna." His breath was warm as he murmured those three sacred words that he meant from the very depths of his soul.
"I'm sorry Keigo, for making you worried."