A/n: I saw this prompt on the creativepromptsforwriting tumblr and it just screamed TyHil to me, so here we are. That blog has so many good dialogue prompts, if you ever come across any that you want written for TyHil, you can always drop me a request!

Also sneaked in the word bubble to put this as a Mayblade entry, it's there if you squint.

Prompt: "Have you ever broken a bone?" / "One of my own or someone else's?"

Tale 19

- x-

As her foot hit the hard mattress, Hilary finally let go of the breath she hadn't realised she was holding in. With her palms pressed down on the bed, she positioned both of her feet straight ahead of her, careful about not accidentally bumping the two and worsening the state of her injured ankle. With her remaining strength she leaned back on the pillows, grumbling to herself about the stiffness of it, and that their school needed to rethink whether this level of discomfort was appropriate for the Medical Room. Once she was settled in, a sigh escaped her lips and with it disappeared the warmth that had been surrounding her till now. Tyson had pulled back his arms and was now stretching them over his head, maybe carrying her all the way from the gymnasium hadn't been as easy as it had looked. She felt a redness creep onto her cheeks as Hilary realised two things, she might be heavier than she felt and that she hadn't wanted Tyson to let go of her so soon.

"I wonder if you broke a bone."

She heard him murmur as he hovered around her feet, which was even more embarrassing as she was currently missing a shoe on one feet and that made her feel like an oddball, "How would you know? Have you ever broken a bone?" She asked quickly, hoping to steal Tyson's attention away from her mismatched feet.

It worked and he turned towards her, pulling a nearby stool closer to her bed and sitting down on it with a smirk playing on his lips, "One of my own or someone else's?" He asked, the usual mischievous twinkle in his cocoa eyes almost brought a smile to her face.

But Hilary, being the stubborn girl that she was, managed to roll her eyes in annoyance instead.

"Just kidding, no I haven't." Tyson shrugged, unbothered by her stale reaction to his medical humour, he attempted to take another shot, "Though when I broke a guy's nose, there was this loud, cracking sound and we didn't hear anything like that today so I suppose you're safe."

"Tyson!"

"What? I'm just trying to make you feel better," He grumbled, visibly wincing at the volume of her voice, which was satisfying to watch, "lightening up the mood, you know?"

"Don't." She warned, raising her head slightly to peek at her ankle which looked poorly swollen and bruised, "It's probably just a sprain."

"Well from the way that you were wailing back there, it looked like you were close to death."

Hilary moved forward with all her strength to punch Tyson but he easily evaded her attempts, his loud laugh echoing across the whole room infuriated her even more. His words weren't a total exaggeration however, she wasn't proud of how she had reacted a few minutes ago and would've ideally liked to wipe the scene she had caused out of her memory, but it's not like Tyson himself hadn't freaked out and barged his way into the middle of the court to make sure she was okay. She wanted to point this out to him, but remembering that what followed was him picking her up in his arms and carrying her out in front of half the school, Hilary decided to stay quiet for the sake of both of them.

Sports Day at school had never managed to give her a good memory, if she wasn't stuck with managing the whole event and pretty much doing what was supposed to be the teacher's job, then she would be stuck in a team full of her classmates who lacked the necessary spirit to win. Today was no different and the only reason she was now lying in the Medical Room with a possibly sprained ankle was because the rest of the girls in her team were unable to keep up with her and she alone had to keep the chance at victory afloat. It didn't help that the class they were playing against had few members from the school's Volleyball club, giving them the obvious upper-hand and driving Hilary's competitive spirit up a few notches. She tried to overcompensate for the skills their team clearly lacked, and thus not only ended up injured but also outing their class from the competition.

But the disappointment that loomed over her wasn't just related to getting hurt or losing the match, Hilary had also now come to realise that she had actually been in Tyson's arms but had been too preoccupied with her foot to care. She couldn't help but sneak a glance in his direction, and then internally curse herself over the fact that she didn't remember what it felt like to be surrounded by those firm, muscular arms, to be so close to his chest that she could hear his heartbeat, to be able to breathe in his musky scent that always made her feel a bit dizzy. Hilary's train of thought was about to rail into the outright drooling territory when her attention was diverted by the sound of the stool scraping against the floor. She looked up to see Tyson standing and her hand reached out and grabbed onto his wrist on it's own.

"You're leaving?" She asked, a bit surprised that he would just leave her alone after how dramatic she had been about her foot a while back.

"Shouldn't I go get the Nurse?" Tyson seemed more surprised by her reaction than her, his eyes dropped to where her hand was wrapped around his wrist, his face softened for a brief moment as he added in a quieter tone, "Or I can stay and wait here with you, if that's what you want."

A familiar silence settled between them.

This was something that had been happening more often lately, moments where they both knew what the other wanted but either were to stubborn to say it out loud. It was obvious to her that Tyson wanted to stay, it was very rare for them to find themselves alone like this, especially at school. And if he really felt the same way about her as she did for him, then he wouldn't want to miss such a golden opportunity. But as it was with all things that transpired between the two, it all boiled down to their egos, so of course his pride wouldn't allow him to say that he'd rather stay by her side, away from the crowd and free of any interruptions. However, he'd instantly agree to it if Hilary was the one making such a demand, only her pride wouldn't allow her to do so.

So they just waited in silence, hoping that one of them would break character, and as Hilary had just suffered an injury she believed that the one to do so should be Tyson, out of concern for her wellbeing. She locked eyes with him, determined to make him bend to her demand without saying it out loud, but was met with an equally challenging hard look, his jaw was firmly set and his eyes showed no sign of sympathy for her, only a longing to see her be the first one to bow down in this game.

"No, you should go get her." Hilary stated finally, turning her gaze away from his, which could also be counted as a sign of defeat, but she was a bit too exhausted and disappointed with Tyson to care anymore.

"It hurts." She added flatly, making no effort to even act like her ankle was still paining.

Tyson opened his mouth as if to protest her statement, but when she didn't look his way and denied him the attention that he wanted, he decided against it and eventually after shuffling his feet for a minute, left the room grumbling under his breath.

Once the sound of his footsteps died down, Hilary covered her face with both her hands and muffled an exasperated scream. Of course, now that Tyson had left the room, she wanted nothing more than to have him back at her side, even if it meant listening to his silly jokes about her foot or letting go of her pride to tell him that she was glad that he had stayed with her. Why was it so hard for both of them to just be honest with each other? Since when had they decided to start this game that didn't seem to award anything to the winner?

With thoughts of her now numb with pain ankle and her infuriatingly stubborn best friend plaguing her mind, Hilary allowed her exhaustion to catch up with her and before she knew it, she had drifted off to sleep.

When she woke, the state of the Medical Room was quiet the opposite of what she had been expecting. Her eyes groggily adjusted to the scene in front of her, a classmate and a good friend of hers was icing her swollen ankle as the School Nurse prepared the bandages for it. Surrounding her bed on all sides were the rest of her female classmates, peering over her curiously, until she opened her eyes and the barrage started.

"Oh Hilary, we're so sorry-"

"You worked so hard!"

"We lost-"

"But you did so well!"

"I hope you don't have to miss school on Monday!"

"The Volleyball Team Captain asked about you!"

Hilary barely had a moment to register all the information that was thrown her way, but still tried to nod and acknowledge each of her classmates, murmuring words of gratitude and surprise wherever necessary. She tried to lift herself up to look beyond the crowd of her female friends but the Nurse was immediately at her side, putting her hand on her shoulder and pushing her back down, ordering her in a superior tone to stay still until the bandages were done. Hilary, being the obedient girl that she was, followed the instructions, even if not knowing whether Tyson had stayed or left was eating her up inside.

She tuned into the chatter of her friends, learning about which class had won the tournament and how another person had gotten hurt, though not as bad as Hilary. She was bummed about the loss but seeing as her classmates felt equally guilty about it, she tried her best to not let it show on her face. One of the girls informed her that they had already called her mother and the school would allow her to leave early, which was a relief to hear. She thought about asking them if they knew where Tyson was, but Hilary knew she wasn't capable of keeping a straight face while doing so and would just end up arising suspicion and some light teasing that she didn't want to face right now.

Finally the Nurse finished tying the bandages around her ankle and declared that now she was free to go home whenever her mother arrived. Seeing that she was doing okay now, some of the girls took their leave, and Hilary could finally breathe a sigh of relief as she was now able to get a view of the rest of the room, and to her excitement, she caught sight of Tyson standing right outside the door tapping his foot impatiently. She smiled, he had probably been waiting for their classmates to leave for a while now, serves him right Hilary thought, for not staying back in the first place.

Suddenly his expression changed and she saw him wave at someone, and about a minute later, her mother came into view. The girls made way to allow Mrs. Tachibana to rush to Hilary's side, and she noticed that Tyson quietly followed her mother into the room, blending in behind her as if he was supposed to be there from the beginning. For the next several minutes, her mother interrogated their School Nurse, taking every possible detail about her injury and then spent many more fussing around her feet to check if they had been bandaged properly. Her friends took this chance to say goodbye and gradually emptied the room, until it was just her, her mother, the Nurse and Tyson remaining.

"How should we get you to the car?" Her mother asked out aloud, not to anyone in particular. It was a valid question, as the Nurse had just informed them that she should not exert any strain on her feet today.

While Hilary was not the type to go against rules and instructions, she decided that there was no other option available to her except limping on one foot. She didn't feel like she would succeed, knowing how far the parking lot was from where they were right now, but seeing as her Mom wouldn't be able to help out more than holding onto her as she limped, this was the only way to go.

"It's fine Mom, I can-"

"I don't mind helping out."

Hilary had only just begun to explain to her Mom what she had planned, but surprisingly Tyson interrupted her. She turned towards him and their eyes met for a moment, his dark eyes seemed to shine bright with the inclination that he was about to do something that she wouldn't enjoy at all.

"Oh, would you be so kind Tyson?"

Her mother looked relieved, while Hilary looked aghast. She tried her best to catch her mother's eye and tell her to take back her words but somehow her mother just refused to look in her direction. Sure a while ago Hilary had been dreaming about what it must've felt like to be in Tyson's arms but if it happened now, she would be fully aware of each sensation and that was something she just wasn't mentally prepared to handle right now.

"Mom, I can walk just fine!" She squeaked out but her plea fell on deaf ears.

"Don't be ridiculous, Hilary. Let Tyson carry you."

Her mother met her gaze with a sly smile playing on her lips and Hilary almost let out a tired groan, she had forgotten how much her mother enjoyed putting her in these uncomfortable situations with Tyson, in an attempt to get Hilary to come clean about her true feelings. Having given her final word on the predicament, Mrs. Tachibana stepped back from her spot next to Hilary and gestured to Tyson to take the lead.

The minute Tyson took a step forward, she felt her stomach twist into a knot and her hands instinctively curled into fists. She witnessed him bending down towards her in slow motion, with a bubble building up inside her chest the closer he got. His arms moved forward, one sliding behind her back and the other under her thighs, and the minute his fingers made contact with her bare skin below the hemline of her shorts, the bubble burst with a loud echo in her mind that sprung her into action. Hilary took both her fists and pressed them against Tyson's chest, pushing him back with all the force her body could muster.

"Not like this." She said, her voice barely a tone above a whisper due to her ragged breathing, and her face now the same colour as the bright red shorts she was wearing.

She worried for a moment that she had pushed too hard, but seeing that Tyson had corrected his balance and was looking down at her with an annoyed yet crestfallen expression, she wiped the concern out of her mind. He held her stubborn and flushed glare for a while, but eventually gave up with a huff and turned around. With his back now facing her, he bent both his knees, giving her enough space to adjust her arms around his neck, while her mother, with a disappointed sigh, helped her to adjust her legs around his waist.

Once Tyson lifted her up and they thanked the Nurse for all her help, the three left the Medical Room, with her mother walking a bit ahead of them.

"If only you weren't so stubborn."

Hilary heard Tyson mumble under his breath, unsure whether he had meant for her to hear it she rested her chin on her arm and whispered right into his ear, "I'm the one who's stubborn?"

Tyson jumped at her words and she stifled a giggle as he tried to maintain his balance and not trip on his own feet.

"Oh, how funny. If I'd fallen right now, your foot would've only gotten worse." He muttered and as much as he was trying his best to sound aloof and irritated, she could feel his heart beat really fast agains his chest and his ears turn red every time she adjusted her arms or rested her cheek next to his.

It might not have been the most ideal situation, but Hilary felt quite comfortable on Tyson's back. As embarrassing this whole situation was for the two of them, not being able to see each other's faces provided a sense of security. If she would've allowed him to carry her bridal style, then the two would've avoided each other's eyes and barely made any conversation.

"How did your match go?" She asked as they turned a corner and began to head down a flight of steps. She'd had this question on her mind ever since she woke up but with all her friends and then her mother, she hadn't gotten a chance to actually put it forward.

Unlike the girls, the boys were supposed to be playing soccer, and Tyson was the reason their class had been winning the competition for the past two years. She still remembered the first time they'd won during their first year of high school, and the Soccer Team Coach had begged Tyson to join their club, but he had to decline due to clashes with his kendo training. Since then the whole school looked forward to watch him play at Sports Day, and needless to say Tyson really enjoyed his few moments of glory.

"Uh...about that…" He stuttered in reply, making Hilary regret that she couldn't see his face well because this didn't happen very often, "I ended up missing it, you know, since it began right after you got hurt. Our team didn't make it past the first round."

Hilary's jaw almost dropped open, she couldn't believe what she was hearing, Tyson had missed his match, the one that always turned him into a school celebrity for a few weeks, because of her? Guilt washed over her as she rested her forehead against the back of his head, taking in his musky scent and allowing herself to get lost in it. She should have asked him to stay with her back at the Medical Room, after all the lengths he had gone to take care of her today, he deserved to take that win. But it's not like she could turn back time, so she did the only thing that was within her control now, she was honest with him.

"Thank you, for putting me first."

It was a shame that she couldn't see his face but his hitched breathing and turnip red ears were enough to tell her what he was feeling.

"Well, you would've done the same for me." He replied, almost mumbling and his voice lacking his usual confidence.

"I wouldn't have been able to carry you in my arms." She smiled at the back of his head.

"You'd definitely try though."

- x -

A/n: If you watch Kaguya sama, then you could treat this AU as a scenario where Tyson and Hilary know they like each other but they want the other to confess first.

Reviews are always welcome, and if you're participating in Mayblade and feel any of the other prompts suit Tyson and Hilary, then drop a request and I might be able to make something of it.