A very matchablossom book

After the race

EP. 9 SPOILER WARNING!!!

...I feel dead.

Kaoru was sprawled out on the hard dirt ground. He saw the dust around him settle as Adam spoke words that he couldn't hear over the ringing in his ears. Everything had seemed to be moving in slow motion, right up until he hit the ground. His face stung with pain, and his eyes stung with tears. The cold air bit through this skin, but the exhilarating feeling that it often bought was gone, replaced by pain.

He closed his eyes.

He felt the ground vibrate softly around him, telling him that Adam was walking away. He was sure someone was walking towards him, too, but Kaoru felt too numb to care. A strong pair of arms picked him up. One hand held up his head, and he was being cradled, like a baby. He felt like a baby.

"Are you okay?" Joe whispered.

"He's different, Kojiro."

"I know."

"He's not Adam anymore."

"I know."

A faint hiccup could be heard from the smaller male, then quiet sobs.

"Please don't cry, Kaoru. I'm going to take you to a hospital, okay?"

"Okay," he murmured.

"It's okay, I'm right here."

"You're not gonna leave like he did."

"No, Kaoru."

"I believe you."

"Thank you."

He let his now opened eyes close again as Joe lifted him into the backseat of his car and propped him up against one of the doors. "Safety first," he said, and did his best to secure the seatbelt in the proper fashion. After draping his jacket over the calligrapher, he made his way to the front seat. Kaoru began to drift off. He was faintly aware of the car starting and being jostled slightly, but he was too tired to care. He felt so safe.

"Miya has Carla at his house. I told him to grab it before he left."

"Thank you, Kojiro."

"You're welcome, Kaoru."

He drifted off to sleep.