Dlbn: Another chapter! This one is dedicated to Ritsuka's birthday!
Nbld: One or two chapters left before Christmas so we're excited. Maybe one and an epilogue or two and an epilogue.
Dlbn: We'll see how we're feeling about it once tomorrow hits, so look out for another update
Nbld: This is our first chapter with a Review Corner! Thank you to Maki-Sensitivity for reviewing! Cookies for you!
Maki-Sensitivity: They're just so fun to write for in Careless that I just had to feature them in their own fic. I love these two so much 3 I was emotional writing this. I cried a few times honestly ^^"
Disclaimer: I do NOT own Loveless or anyone canon that appears here. It all belongs to Yun Kouga. I DO own Kunugi Asitai, Shenai Mirai, Asitai's assistant Kimiko, and any non-canon characters that appear in flashbacks. I make NO money off of writing in this category
000
Asitai was pacing back and forth in the ER waiting room about five hours later with his friends passed out in chairs around them. They had one more left to fight, Ritsu's father, but they'd go after him with all they had later. A doctor had yet to come talk to him or shoo out his friends, three or four of which were snoring loudly. Only Aidien was still awake with him, eyes wide and unseeing as he tried to make sense of the fact that his Fighter was gone forever. His eyes followed Asitai as he walked around the room.
"You're leaving a path in the carpet, Kunugi." Aidien informed, deadpan. "You should sit. You've been doing this for an hour."
"I've been waiting for five hours." Asitai stated, looking at his watch. "No one's told me a damn thing…they know I'm not family…"
"He has no family. Just you. They'll have to let you know. You look like a nut case…"
Asitai gripped the bridge of his nose and sat next to the blonde. "I guess you're right, Aidien…how are you holding up…?"
"As well as I can…" He replied. "Nana's handling this better than I am."
The now earless computer genius was asleep with the laptop on her lap. She jerked every so often in her sleep to keep it from falling off as her glasses slid down the bridge of her nose.
"I thought there was something with the two of them…" Aidien muttered.
"You and Kofai were never a thing, were you?"
"No." He stated. "She knows who I like…we never crossed that line…"
"But you know she loves you…"
"Loved."
"I used present tense for a reason, Aidien."
"I know."
They sat in silence as the door to the ER opened and a doctor came out. Asitai scrambled to his feet.
"Please tell me you're here for me." He all but shouted.
The others began to stir as Aidien managed to get up on his own two feet.
"Depends." He replied. "Are you here for Shenai?"
"Mirai, yes, we are."
That got the others up and out of their seats.
"How is he?" Asitai asked, though part of him was afraid to receive the answer.
"Is anyone here family?" The doctor asked.
"He doesn't have family." Asitai replied. "I'm his boyfriend. We've lived together for a year and a half. Please, please don't tell me you can't tell me anything…"
"Shenai is stabilized." The doctor said instead.
Asitai felt a wave of relief crash over him and almost collapsed, but Aidien supported him, tail thumping against his leg.
"What does that mean?" Nana wondered, shutting her laptop and adjusting her glasses.
"Is he awake?" Asitai wondered. "Can I see him?"
"I'm afraid it's complicated…we did some CAT scans. I've never seen anything like this."
"What is it…?"
"There is…in simple terms, there is a bridge connecting the left and right sides of your brain. A few of them actually, where neutrons fire across each way to transmit information."
"Pardon, sir, but we are not simpletons. No need to dumb it down for us." Gomon stated.
His Fighter shushed him with a hand over his mouth and a kick to his shin.
"Go on. My apologies." She stated, glaring at Gomon out of the corner of her eyes.
"There are several of these pathways between the two hemispheres." The doctor continued, rolling his eyes at the rich teen. "Simply put, neither side of his brain are firing neurons at a normal speed. We'll see a spike every few hours, but that spike means a couple dozen when there should be thousands."
"What are you saying?" Asitai wondered. "He's not dead…is he…?"
"He's breathing shallowly on his own, but he'll be on a feeding and breathing tube within the next hour or so."
Asitai's hands flew to cover his mouth. "He's…what…?"
"To put it plainly, he's unconscious…and if he does wake up, it will take months, maybe years…"
"Don't tell me…" Asitai muttered. "Please…anything but that…anything but that or death…"
"I'm sorry." The doctor replied. "Your boyfriend's in a coma."
Asitai slid to his knees, body falling out of Aidien's already weak grip on him. He could feel the warm liquid draining from his eyes.
"No…there's…isn't there something you can do!?" He wondered, looking up. "Anything at all?"
He could tell by the concerned, wounded looks on his friends' faces and the concern on the doctor's that he was a mess.
"We'll do what we can…but he'll most likely need to be put in an isolation chamber until he wakes up, to keep him free of germs. He's stabilized now but that can change at any time. I suggest you go say your goodbyes."
"You don't think he's going to live…do you…?"
"His condition is the most severe I've seen in my career." The doctor spared no expense. "I understand he has no family, but you can't expect him to stay on life support and a bunch of machines forever."
"I'm…I'm his healthcare proxy…so I'll be the one to decide what does and doesn't happen to him, right?"
"From this point on, yes."
Asitai nodded, looking at the floor again.
"Tai?" Ritsu wondered, kneeling at his side. "You don't look good. Are you okay?"
"What do you think…?" Asitai muttered.
"Physically."
"I'll…be fine…"
"Son, the color is completely drained from your face. I'm afraid you might pass out." The doctor informed.
"That's nonsense." Asitai shook his head. "I'm just in shock…I'll be…fine…"
Ritsu shouting his name was the last thing he remembered.
000
Half an hour later, Asitai stood outside the decontamination chamber near Mirai's room. He was wearing a clean pair of scrubs form the nurse's station, nurses' shoe bags covering his shoes, and one of the white gloves he'd been given by Yue. With Mirai's condition improving, she'd allowed him to take temporary lead on the case so she and her team could spend time working out their plan of action. Like the doctor twenty-seven years ago that had informed Asitai of his love's fate, she hadn't had much faith in him ever waking up.
He dialed a phone number he knew by heart and waited for an answer. It rang four times before a groggy voice answered.
"Asitai?" Ritsu wondered. "It's midnight…"
"I know…I'm sorry to call so late…" Asitai replied, voice almost gone with a dry throat.
"What's wrong?" Ritsu wondered. "I've only heard you like this before once…is something wrong with Mirai…?"
"No…he's…" Asitai laughed. "He's breathing on his own, Ritsu…his eyelid moved…"
"What?" Ritsu sounded fully awake now. "How did that happen?"
"I don't know…I was just talking to him and I checked his vitals and what not, and he started improving. They took the breathing and feeding tubes out half an hour ago."
"That's great news."
"I'm hoping he doesn't slip backwards after this. I can't handle this…Ritsu…I know you're a busy man and you're tired…but…I don't want to be alone…"
"We'll be there."
There was no question in his voice as he spoke, ending the phone call with those three words. Asitai pressed his hand against the glass, his forehead following suit. He was too tired to stand, to stay awake, but he had to. His secretary had gone to get him a drink and would be back shortly. She was in no rush to head home to her empty apartment, she had said, since her boyfriend was out on a business trip that she didn't think was really a business trip. He was surprised that this woman who was mostly a stranger to him outside of their professional career together was so willing to stay with him through the night. Almost as surprised as he had been that he'd answered her questions honestly earlier. Something about this anniversary…that was it…damn it, Mirai, even in a coma he was a romantic. Waking up from a coma three and a half centuries after they met. It was almost as if his body had planned this. Heh, perhaps it was Asitai's promise of marriage that did it. After all, Mirai had promised that the day before he fell into the coma. Just how fitting would it be if he woke up the day after Asitai promised the same thing?
"Here." His secretary handed him a water bottle. "I would have got you a mountain dew or a Red Bull, but you need to hydrate more."
"Thank you." He replied, opening the bottle and drinking a quarter of it. "Our friends are on their way."
"What friends?"
"They were here with me when he fell into the coma. Well, only half of them are left now…"
"What happened to the other half?"
"Moved away or dead." Asitai stated. "One of them had a kid before she passed. Car accident."
"So his father's raising him."
"No, Ritsu was." Asitai stated. "They both died after a car crash; him instantly, her in the hospital. I guess her last dying wish was to have Ritsu, her best friend, take him in."
"And he did so?"
Asitai nodded.
"What a peculiar bunch you and your friends are." She informed. "It seems misfortune follows you around."
"Hm?"
"Shenai…the woman you just told me about…any others who died…"
He nodded. "We were all expelled from the same school as kids." He laughed. "We met on a fluke. Overhearing each other talk about the old school. We joined together once we found out what we had in common. Our bonds are strong, but even the strongest bonds can be broken by death…"
"But apparently not by a coma."
"No, not by a coma."
000
Asitai woke up about forty-five minutes after he last heard Ritsu call his name. He was laying on a hospital gurney in the hallway of the ER. There were no privacy curtains surrounding him, but he figured they were for the more critical patients who were actually in rooms with three walls and not the hallway. Mirai was behind one of them. Asitai scrambled off the gurney before anyone could stop him, standing on Jell-O-like legs as he did so. The doctor who he had spoken to upon arrival at the hospital was the first at his side with some nurses. She hushed them all away.
"You took quite a tumble." She stated. "You're lucky your friend was able to catch you before you hit your head."
"My…friend…? Oh, Ritsu…" Asitai rubbed his head. "Yeah, good thing…"
"How are you feeling?"
"Devastated, destroyed, ruined, broken…"
"Physically." Ritsu stated from across the way.
He was leaning against the wall with his arms folded over his chest, watching Asitai like some twisted guardian angel.
"I have a bit of a headache…"
"I'll get some aspirin. You're not allergic to any medications, are you?"
"None."
She nodded, leaving him alone with Ritsu.
"Where's everyone else?"
"Waiting room. They're all exhausted from today. It's been a long day."
"You're telling me."
Neither spoke for a moment.
"Did you go see him…? How did he look…?"
"They're going to put in feeding and breathing tubes in about an hour." Ritsu stated. "We haven't gone in to see him yet. You're the one he needs, not us."
Asitai nodded. "Go with me…please…? I don't know if I'll last on my own…"
"You're so fragile, you know that?" Ritsu wondered, walking over and brushing Asitai's bangs out of his eyes.
"I am not…"
"You never want to be alone."
"I've never done anything like this before…" Asitai muttered. "Rai…he was…he promised when this was all over…he was going to ask me to marry him…" He laughed. "Now he'll never get the chance…"
Ritsu frowned, sleep tugging his eyebrows down and making his eyes look like two holes in the dirt.
"Don't say that." He stated. "Celebrating our victory with marriage…how romantic."
"He's always been like that." Asitai stated. "I'm the one who says vaguely sexual things without meaning to, and he's the hopeless romantic."
"He's younger."
"So?"
"He's bound to be the more romantic, love at first sight type."
"What about you and Iyani? Do either of you take that role?"
"We're…we're not…like you two." Ritsu pointed out his fuzzy, twitching ears. "These aren't fakes."
"I didn't mean sexually, pervert." Asitai slapped his arm. "You're a thing, no? You were holding hands…"
"We've…we've kissed before, and we care about each other deeply, but we're not a thing."
"But you want to be?"
Ritsu flushed.
"Thought so."
"Shut up."
The doctor returned with two white aspirin pills and a Styrofoam cup of water.
"Arigato." Asitai took both pills in one gulp and downed the water to soothe his burning throat and ease the pills down.
She nodded. "You can go see him, if you'd like. Before the tubes."
"I'd very much like that…"
"Alright. We have a breathing tube and an oxygen tank on him now, but that's in the nose. The feeding tube will be in his arm, liquid nutrients, and the breathing one in his throat."
"You didn't have to cut him open, did you?"
"No." She shook her head. "Luckily, he was stabilized with the simple tube we have on him now. He can take in air with help, but breathing on his own is difficult."
He nodded.
"Room 1479C."
"Thank you."
He walked slowly along the wall in a direction where the numbers increased. Ritsu fell into place at his side.
"1479C." The bespectacled teen informed.
Asitai stopped and back tracked a room. How had he missed that? He took a deep breath, leaning on the wall.
"Are you sure you want to do this?"
"I want to kiss him one last time…"
"Now who's the hopeless romantic?" Ritsu brushed aside one of the curtains so Asitai could go in. "I'll stand out here. Call me in if you need me."
"I will." Asitai moved towards the room.
"And try not to faint again. I may not be able to catch your head this time."
Asitai rolled his eyes and entered the room. An oxygen tank was sitting against the bed, held on by thick Velcro straps. Monitors beeped and buzzed around him as the curtain fell closed with a slightly audible 'whoosh'. He looked around the room, up at the clock, to the floor, and to a heart monitor. Anywhere but Mirai's face. He gathered himself and finally looked at the Fighter. He looked so peaceful lying there; wearing a hospital gown, covered in a thin white blanket, brown hair plastered to the white pillowcases behind him. A thin, plastic breathing tube was wrapped over his ears, a prong in each nostril. He was a little pale, Asitai noted, but that was probably from a lack of sun while he was stuck in this place all day.
"Oh, Rai…" He knelt next to the bed and laid his head on the mattress. "I'm so sorry…we never should have accepted Ritsu's offer…" He didn't care that he had heard. "I was perfectly content living a normal life with you in our apartment…but then I wanted more…" He took Mirai's cold, unmoving hand in his and kissed his temple. "I don't know what to do, Mirai, I'm so lost without you…We thought being expelled would separate us…but we found our way back to each other. If that was possible then maybe…just maybe…you can find your way back to me from this, as well…" He laughed once. "I'm a fool…"
He leaned down and placed warm, trembling lips to cold pale ones; as if his breath could somehow breathe life back into his other half. He moved Mirai's shirt to the side to see their shared name, Calmless, emblazoned on his flesh just below his collar bone. His name on his own flesh ached and burned. The pale, piano wire-like strand that was only visible to awake Fighters and Sacrifices thrummed in his fingers as it led from his heart towards Mirai's, but as he trailed his fingers down the thread, he found that the pulse ended instead of continuing on. With Mirai in his coma, their unbreakable bond was wavering. Asitai pressed his lips harder to his lover's.
"Looks like true love's kiss doesn't work…" He muttered, pulling back and laying his head on the bed again. "Ritsu? You can come in if you'd like…"
The curtains rustled as Ritsu walked in, his sneakers squeaking on the floorboards.
"Hell…" The silverette muttered.
"I know…"
"I've never seen him like this before." Ritsu admitted.
"Neither have I, and I've known him eight years…"
"He was eight when you met?" Ritsu did the math.
"A little young, I know, but he had skipped a grade."
"I see." Ritsu put a hand on Mirai's shoulder on the side where his name was. "I'm sorry, my friend." He leaned down to place a gentle kiss to an unfeeling temple. "You were never meant to be a casualty."
"A casualty insinuates that he's deceased, Ritsu…"
"No offense, but he may as well be." He stated. "I don't mean to be unsympathetic, but…"
"It's not like he's going to wake up any time soon." Asitai muttered. "I know…"
"Hai…"
Silence reigned.
"Ritsu?"
"Hai?"
"I know…Mirai and I never discussed this with anyone, b before you came around, we both knew we wanted to make a difference. Maybe offer shelter to kids thrown out by their parents due to their sexuality…or maybe to students of Seven Voices that were tossed aside like trash, just like us…we were going to be a team, work together…"
"Have you figured out what you're going to do?"
Asitai nodded. "I've been thinking, a rare instance for me, I'm aware, but I was thinking while I was in that waiting room once I relaxed a bit. As much as I could for my name." He replied, a gentle smile tugging at his lips. "But yes, I know what I want to do."
"So which is it?"
"Neither, actually. I'll save that for when Mirai wakes up." Asitai stated with conviction. "I mean, the homophobe option. Once we take over, there won't be any more turning students away."
Ritsu nodded. "No one will suffer our fates again."
"Right."
"So what did you decide?"
"I'm going to be a doctor."
"Say what now?"
"A doctor. I'm going to help people. People like Mirai…"
"A neurosurgeon…?"
"Right!"
"You know that takes a lot of time, correct?"
"Yes?"
"And it's difficult?"
"I'm no moron."
"And competitive."
"Where are you going with this?"
"They won't keep him on life support until you get the credentials and become a neurosurgeon."
"How did you…?"
"You want to help people like Mirai, yes, but most importantly, that means you can help Mirai."
"Perceptive."
"I tend to be, but no one ever expects it of me. Not even Iyani."
"As long as I'm his proxy and continue singing the papers to keep him on, they will."
"Don't you think that's a bit selfish? Expecting him to suffer this way for you?"
"I'm not making him suffer for me. I'm doing this for him. I want to help him…I want to see him smile, and hear him laugh, and feel his touch…" Asitai paused. "He's only sixteen, Ritsu, he's one of the youngest of the group. He hasn't gotten a chance to live yet, and his life has been stolen away by some broad that knew a spell none of us encountered before. Tell me, what's crueller? Him suffering that fate and knowing he won't be there for his friends and I as he slips into unconsciousness? Or not being able to feel anything while the hospital keeps him alive? I'm going to work in this hospital. Where I can be close to him. And while I'm doing that, I'll look for a way to reverse the spell."
"There isn't a way…"
"I'll make a way…I know it."
"You're determined."
"A wise teenager once told me you have to make concrete decisions and stand by them."
"Hell." Iyani muttered as the curtains fluttered and she and the others entered the room.
"I used my bond." Ritsu explained. "I hope you don't mind."
"No." Asitai stated. "Keep what I said between us. I'll tell the others later."
"About the doctor thing?" Iyani wondered. "We could hear you when we were waiting in the hall."
Asitai flushed.
"It's a very noble thing for you to do, Asitai." Nagisa stated.
"Thank you…"
"He doesn't look too bad." Nana informed.
"No…but this is the last time we'll see him without tubes in him."
"We know."
They stood in silence, silently saying prayers for the fallen Fighter while Asitai snuggled up against his leg. The doctor came into the room.
"Children, I'm sorry, but we're going to put the tubes in now. Why don't you all go home, get some rest, and come back tomorrow, okay? I don't need any more visitors collapsing tonight." The doctor ordered them. "In addition to you, Asitai, we had three people faint when a code blue ran through."
"Did they make it?"
"The person who was coded? Yes, she's fine. But you kids all look drained, and it's late. Go home."
The others slowly filed out, Ritsu at the lead. Aidien stayed behind with Nana and Asitai.
"Come on, Tai." He ordered. "Let's let the doctors do what they have to do, okay?"
"Just…one more minute…" Asitai muttered, eyes welling again. "I don't want to…"
"We know." Nana gave him a gentle hug and pat Mirai on the hand. "Don't worry, Rai, we'll watch over him for you." She promised, before grabbing her laptop bag and leaving.
Asitai kissed Mirai one last time, lingering there until another doctor came in to shoo them away for the night.
"Come on, Tai." Aidien offered, giving the redhead a hand. "Let's let them help him, okay? I'll bring you back in the morning, myself."
Asitai nodded, taking his hand. "I love you, Mirai…never forget that…"
He watched as he walked out with Aidien and the doctors surrounded Mirai.
"He'll be fine." Aidien stated. "Look…what you plan to do with your life…? That's great, you know? You're a strong person, Tai, don't let anyone tell you otherwise, alright? I'd never be able to stand on my own feet like you are."
"Then why do I feel so dirty for it? If it's so brave and noble of me…"
"I know how you feel. You want to curse the world to the moon and back. You want to scream until you run out of breath and your chest aches and your lungs burn. You want to ask why, but you don't want the answer. You wish it was you there in his place instead of him. You blame yourself for following Ritsu and the others into this pit of hell we're calling our reality. You're running on pure adrenaline right now, but once you get back to the hotel, you'll collapse on the bed or to your knees, and you'll just let it lose. You're holding on strong for him, want to make Mirai proud, but no matter what you do or don't do, he'll always be proud of you." Aidien stopped him near the double doors and grabbed him by the shoulders, forcing the redhead to look up at him. "I know how you feel about Mirai because, whether I'd like to admit it or not, that's how I felt about Kofai…my heart belongs to another, but she was my soulmate, as Mirai is yours. No one can take his place. There will always be a part of me that will be empty because she's gone, but you have the chance to get him back, and you're willing to take it. I could never do what you did…I'm only standing on my own feet now because I've watched you. I watched you fall apart and put yourself back together again numerous times today. I've never seen you so broken, and as your friend, it kills me." He informed. "You stay in my hotel room tonight. We'll order ice cream and pizza and mourn our Fighters. We'll scream and cry and do whatever we want and just let it out. Because tomorrow we have to pick ourselves back up and move along with the plan before it's too late. But for tonight, we'll let our emotions control us…just for tonight…"
Asitai collapsed against him, sobbing into the blonde's shirt.
"Why…just why…why did God have to take him…?" He whispered. "Why…?"
Aidien let him cry until the nurses shooed them out into the waiting room. Asitai felt Nagisa take his hand and help the others walk him out of the building. A woman who had been there since he got there stopped them.
"I'm sorry, dear." She stated, handing him a tissue and a candy. "I'll pray for you."
"Thank you…" He muttered. "I'll pray for you as well…"
"Thank you." She stated. "But there's no need. I will be alright. God's got my husband now…"
Unable to comprehend, Asitai muttered apologies and let his friends led him out of the ER and into the night. It would be three weeks before Asitai got the courage to visit Mirai again.
000
"Try not to collapse. I might not be able to catch you this time." Ritsu's sleepy voice greeted.
Asitai turned over his shoulder to see the silver haired male he'd performed eye surgery on months before standing behind him. He still used his cane as he was told until his next check up with Asitai in three days. Nagisa was with him, rubbing the sleep out of her mauve eyes with an overly long sleeve from her white cotton pajama top. Even in her sleep, she tried to look like a Princess. Nana was typing at a keyboard on her tablet, standing there in just shorts and a tank top despite the cold weather outside and the AC inside. She smiled at him, adjusting her glasses.
"You all came…?" He wondered.
"Why wouldn't we be?" Nagisa wondered, yawning. "It's been forever since we've been here last…"
"Twenty-seven years." Asitai stated.
"That long?" Nana wondered. "I wonder why he's waking up now…did you do something?"
"Yue asked me the same thing earlier." He muttered. "I just talked to him and to Kimiko here about him." He replied. "My secretary, Kimiko. Kimiko, Minami Ritsu, Sagan Nagisa, and Saotome Nana."
"Charmed." She replied with a tired smile.
"As well." Ritsu agreed. "Any changes since we spoke?"
"No. His breathing seems to be settling now. Earlier it was more gasping."
"That's great." Nana stated, closing the case on her tablet. "Do they think he'll wake up tonight?"
"I don't know." Asitai replied. "They don't think so, but you never know."
The elevator dinged and a young lady Asitai hadn't expected to be there stepped out, a young raven haired boy and sandy haired teen male in tow.
"Gomon? Fujiwara? Ritsuka?" Asitai wondered. "What are you guys doing here?"
"Ritsuka's staying with me." Nagisa stated. "He's looking for Agatsuma."
"There's nothing that goes on with Septimal Moon that I don't know about." Mikado stated. "I know the three of us don't know your Fighter…"
"His boyfriend, Mikado." Ritsuka corrected. "Boyfriend first, Fighter second…"
Asitai smiled gently at the almost-teen's sympathy.
"Boyfriend," she corrected herself, "but in lieu of our fathers, I think that Ritsuka and I should suffice."
He nodded. "Heh…the team, back together again…"
"Minus a few." Ritsu stated. "Kaido isn't represented here."
"She's probably with Seimei…" Ritsuka muttered. "You said she vanished when he was at the school."
"He and Akame were distractions, yes." Nana stated. "We think it was Agatsuma and Chouma he really wanted."
Ritsuka shrugged. "Well he got her…did he need my Soubi, too…?"
Asitai blinked in confusion. My Soubi? Well now…
"Pardon, but I'm confused…" Kimiko stated.
"Don't ask, it's a long story." Asitai stated. "Seimei is Ritsuka's brother. It's complicated."
"I see." She nodded. "And you all know the patient?"
"Only in Asitai's stories." Ritsuka stated. "I'm only twelve, I wasn't alive when he was awake."
"Neither was I. I'm fourteen." Mikado added.
"I'm eighteen." Tokino tossed in.
"I see." She smiled gently. "It's nice of you all to be here for your friends…"
Ritsu nodded. "Minus the few of us who are no longer with us."
"I've been told that your group is what's left here and the rest have moved or died. Condolences."
"Not our group." Mikado corrected. "Theirs. Three of us weren't alive."
"Which means three of you can go back to the school." Ritsu stated. "Aoyagi looks exhausted, and you two don't look any better."
"Tai's my friend, too." Ritsuka challenged. "I want to stay."
"If you think we should go, Ritsu, then we may take our leave…"
"You're welcome to stay." Asitai stated. "In this hospital, Ritsu isn't in charge. I am. It's your decision."
"Well, I do have a mountain of chores and homework for tomorrow that father will insist I finish…" Mikado trailed.
"So go home. You're more than welcome to."
"Alright." She muttered. "Tokino, let's go."
"Hai." He agreed, yawning.
"Aoyagi, don't leave unless someone here does. We can protect you only if we're at your side." Mikado warned.
"I know." He replied. "Go, I'm fine."
She nodded and the unit departed.
"Give him our best when he awakens." Tokino stated, tapping his fingers on the hall as he followed his young Sacrifice to the elevators.
"Sweet kids…" Kimiko muttered.
Asitai didn't know whether or not she was serious.