Disclaimer: I don't own jack!

Throwing Stones

Chapter Twenty-One: Solutions over Hopes

Touya curled his arms around Kagome's waist as she settled herself upon his lap.

They'd opted to play hooky today and hang out at the dorm while Hawks was busy corralling the rest of the group. This would be their one chance to spend any time alone together. Plus he wanted to watch his brother compete in the Sports Festival live. Sure Hawks might scold them later, but what could he do to him if he simply stated that he was looking after Kagome's health? It wasn't a lie and she'd already told him to say as much.

Touya stretched his legs across the entire length of the couch as he pulled Kagome further into him. The woman curled up against his chest, her eyes focusing on the battles taking place on the television.

His mind was still racing after everything she'd confessed to him.

She was dying.

She wasn't just sick and she wasn't going to recover. Day by day, her heart was slowing giving out on her. Little by little, she was creeping ever closer to the plane beyond their existence.

He buried his nose into the thick of her hair. He closed his eyes and fought down the subtle twinge of anxiety beginning to take root.

Right now, she didn't need him freaking out over her mortality. She just needed someone that could stay beside her. She was already scared enough. She didn't need the additional stress of trying to comfort other people over her impending death. So he would just hold her and enjoy this rare moment of solitude from the rest of the group.

Kagome winced as she watched Shouto and a boy named Midoriya fight each other on screen. The green-haired kid wasn't doing bad, but his quirk was so powerful that it destroyed his fingers with each new attack.

His girlfriend peered through the gaps between her fingers as Midoriya used his already broken finger to keep Shouto at bay. Touya fought the urge to flinch as well.

That had to hurt.

"Shouldn't someone stop the fight? They're just babies." Kagome kept hiding her eyes behind her hands, periodically splaying her fingers apart to catch glimpses of the ongoing fight.

He reached up and covered her eyes with his own hand.

"They'll stop it if it goes too far. Besides, real villains won't give those kids a break no matter how young they are. That's just part of the risk of being a hero." Touya watched as the boys stopped fighting momentarily.

There were no microphones on the competitors so it was impossible for the cameras to pick up what they were saying. However he could make out Midoriya yelling something at Shouto.

The battle picked right back up again afterwards.

That time Shouto's left side flared to life, his flames blazing as he and Midoriya darted towards each other.

His lips curled up into a smile as a bright flash of white blinded the cameras before Shouto was seen still standing in the ring.

He'd won this round.

"Shouto's moving on." Touya announced.

His words carried more meaning than one but he didn't feel as if he needed to explain it. Kagome already knew about his past thanks to this program. So she didn't need him to point it out to her.

"Will the other boy be alright?" She winded slightly when Midoriya fell to the ground, both his arms and all of his fingers a broken mess.

Touya carefully used his hand to turn her head back towards his chest and away from the screen.

"I doubt that it's anything that'll affect his career. They do have Recovery Girl on staff." He reassured her.

Although he honestly had no idea if that was really the case. Midoriya's injuries really did look bad. The scene then cut away and Kagome slumped in his grip, as if all the tension in her body had melted away.

Touya craned his neck as he captured his girlfriend's lips in a searing kiss. The blaring sound of commercials were little more than white noise to them at the moment.

Kagome shifted in his arms and moved to straddle his lap. He braced both of his hands around her hips as he felt hers rest upon his shoulders.

Under normal circumstances he'd pick her up and carry her back to his room where they could indulge in their tryst to the fullest.

Kagome winced as her hand instinctively came to rest upon her collarbone.

His eyes thinned at that.

Her heart.

It would seem that even the mild bit of excitement from their kiss was enough to cause her body to falter. She hadn't lied when she said that anything physical would be too much for her to handle.

"Do you need your medicine?" He rested his forehead against hers as he held her closer to himself.

He knew almost nothing about Heart Failure. The only thing he knew for sure was that it was bad and incurable. Exercise was off the table for Kagome as was sex for that matter, as unfortunate as it was. He'd seen Kagome take medicine periodically when she seemed to be struggling. Perhaps now was one of those times?

The young woman shook her head, "No, I'll be fine. My pain isn't that bad. It's only a three out of ten."

Touya's brows furrowed at that.

If this was her three then what classified as her ten? He was almost terrified to find out.

"If you say so." He tipped his chin up and pressed his lips against hers once more.

Neither of them paid the television any mind as the program returned from its commercial break.

Touya curled an arm around Kagome's waist as he flipped their positions, pulling her beneath him on the couch. A sharp flush stained her cheeks as she wrapped her arms around his neck. He paid little heed to anything else around them. Touya leaned down as he slammed his mouth against hers once more, pushing his tongue past the seam of her lips with ease. He focused on the subtle gasps and sounds that'd escaped her lips as he continued.

He wanted so much more but the slight flinching in her hands warned him of the dander of doing so. It was frustrating but he knew that she must be doubly so. To have a body so frail to be unable to enjoy physical intimacy must've felt like a curse.

The two froze when Ohagi leapt onto the couch with them. The little feline let loose a displeased meow before he perched himself on Kagome's chest, forcing Touya to sit up on his haunches.

Emerald eyes narrowed at him sharply while the creature's claws kneaded at her chest.

He'd be lying if he said that he wasn't jealous of the cat. There were plenty of things he wanted to do to Kagome but her body simply wasn't in the condition to handle it. So he would take what he safely could. It wasn't like he was going to run off in search for some other woman just because she had her own set of struggles to deal with.

"Looks like his kitty timer has run out and now he wants his daily dose of attention." Touya slunk back to give his girlfriend room to sit up.

Kagome braced her arms around the feline as she carefully rose to a sitting position.

"Do you want to go upstairs?" Her question was soft, as if she were still in disbelief that she was asking in the first place.

His lips curled into a smirk, "If we go upstairs, I'll be putting you in a grave without meaning to. I'm not exactly good with restraining myself."

Kagome might not be offering him full sex, but he knew that if she did try to 'satisfy' him the only way her body would allow, he wouldn't be able to stop himself.

As much as he wanted to take that next step, that was a line they couldn't cross. At least not like this.

Touya traced his thumb along the soft petal of her lower lip, "We'll put that to good use later after everyone is asleep. Wouldn't want anyone walking in on us before hand."

Her face flushed an even deeper shade of red that time.

He knew that she was offering to help him get his release, but he'd feel like an absolute louse if he couldn't return the favor somehow. So if he couldn't help her in the normal way, then he'd just have to get creative.

Touya took to his feet as he offered her his hand.

"Come on, let's get the little gremlin fed and taken care of before he decides to turn my leg into his scratching post again." He reached over and scratched at Ohagi's chin. "We'll worry about the rest later."

Come what may, he wanted to enjoy what little time the both of them had left. Hawks and the Safety Commission both could kiss his ass for all he cared. Right now, he just wanted this moment to last.

Touya wrapped his arm around Kagome's shoulders as they made their way towards Ohagi's emptied bowls.

If he'd managed to survive despite the doctors warnings, then who was to say that Kagome couldn't too? He just needed to help her find something to strive for.

Touya wrapped his arms around her waist as he buried his nose into the crook of her neck.

He would find a way to save her no matter the cost.

It was the least that he could do.

He caught a glimpse of his brother on the number '1' podium and being handed the gold medal for his performance in the Sports Festival. It seemed as if they'd missed the final fight but he still felt proud of his youngest sibling all the same.

Touya traced his palms up the hourglass figure of Kagome's waist.

A future where they could be together like this freely and where Shouto could come and go as he pleased. Now that was a future that he longed for.

"Hey," Touya used his thumb and index finger to tip her chin up towards him. "Let me in at midnight."

The scarlet flush in her cheeks returned in full force as she processed what he was asking.

The world wouldn't stop for them. Nor would death be staved off by something as flimsy as a wishful hope. So he would find a solution, one step at a time.

Tonight, he would take that first step to finding a solution.