Love Hurts (Teruyama)

Chapter 11

 Terushima rushed to the hospital as quickly as he could. As soon as he heard what had happened, he ran out of school as quick as possible. He didn't care about showing up to practice. That was the last thing on his mind. Yamaguchi had first priority. Terushima felt as if everything was his fault. If Yamaguchi got the stupid surgery, it was his fault. If Yamaguchi died, it was his fault. If anything happened to Yamaguchi, it was his fault. At least, that's what he kept telling himself.

 Unfortunately for Terushima, Tsukishima was sitting in the hospital's waiting room. When Tsukishima's eyes landed on him, there was an undeniable hatred, and anger in his eyes, but also fear.

 "You!" Tsukishima shouted, storming over to Terushima. "This is all your fault!" He hissed. "You gave him hope! Maybe, if you had just told him the truth, this wouldn't be happening! If you had just told him that you didn't love him right from the beginning, we wouldn't be here right now! If you hadn't spoken to him a year ago, my best friend wouldn't be-" Tsukishima cut himself off, afraid that if he finished the sentence, he'd break down sobbing. He couldn't bring himself to do it. Not here. Not now. And not in front of Terushima.

 Terushima, on the other hand, had no problem breaking down. "I'm sorry! I know that this is my fault! Now, because of me, something terrible might happen to Yamaguchi! I messed up! I-I just want him to live! I just-" He held his head in his hands. He felt like a monster. He felt it should've been him in Yamaguchi's place. He felt as though he should be the one on his deathbed, not Yamaguchi.

 Tsukishima glared at him. "I don't care how much you cry, or how much you hate yourself. I will still hate you, and I refuse to pity you," Tsukishima spat. "You don't deserve mine, or anyone else's pity. You don't even deserve Yamaguchi's love."

 Terushima opened his mouth to say something, but stopped when he heard a woman crying. He turned to face her, and he realized that she looked a little bit like Yamaguchi. "Oh no," He mumbled.

 The woman must've heard him, because she looked directly at him, and scowled. "You're Terushima?" She asked, her voice colder than ice.

 Terushima gulped, and gave a quick nod.

 She stood up, and walked towards me, the coldness in her eyes never leaving. "He wants to see you. I don't know why he'd want to see the person that's causing all this, but he wouldn't stop asking for you."

 Terushima stared a her in shock. "You're not gonna..." he trailed off, afraid that if he said anything, something might...happen.

 "No. Tadashi wouldn't want me to yell at you, or do anything that would...upset you, so I won't," She stated, crossing her arms. "His room is the first door on the left."

 Tsukishima looked hurt. "What about me? Did he ask for me?"

 Yamaguchi's mother sadly smiled at him. "He wants to see you, but he feels like he has to talk to Terushima first."

 Tsukishima looked down, and nodded.

 Terushima gave a look of sympathy before heading to Yamaguchi's hospital room.

 Terushima never liked hospital's. Especially not doctor's. Whenever he needed to go to the hospital when he was younger, the big white rooms scared him, and the doctor's seemed...apathetic. Once he reached his first year of high school, he did his best to stay out of hospital's for as long as he could. Now, he was back, but not because he was hurt...

 "Teru..." Yamaguchi hoarsely whispered, smiling a little once he caught sight of Terushima.

 It took everything in Terushima to not start sobbing. He figured he shouldn't. Not while Yamaguchi was like this. "Hey," he said, his voice cracking slightly. "You-you probably shouldn't be talkin' right now, right?" He asked, sitting next Yamaguchi.

 Yamaguchi gave a light shrug, then gave Terushima a stern look. "It's-it's okay to-it's okay to cry, Teru," he stated in-between gasps for breath.

 After Yamaguchi said that, Terushima broke down sobbing. "I'm-I'm so sorry, Freckles! I-this-this whole thing is my fault! I'm so-I'm so stupid! I shouldn't have-I shouldn't have-"

 Yamaguchi reached out, and grasped Terushima's hand gently. "Teru, none of this is your fault. If anything, it's mine."

 "No, it's not! How is this-how is any of this-your fault?"

 "I fell in love."

 "Yeah. With me. If I had never talked to you-"

 "If you had never talked to me, then this would still happen. Maybe not with you specifically, but it would've happened. The only thing that would've changed would be the time, and the person."

 There was silence between the two. The only thing that could be heard was Terushima's sobs.

 "But," Yamaguchi started, smiling brightly at Terushima, "that doesn't mean that I want it to be someone else."

 Terushima shook his head. "Why? Why would you love me? You could've loved someone who...someone who loves you back. I really do like you, Freckles, I do, but I just-I don't understand why you still have...why you still have the disease."

 Yamaguchi let out a small sigh. "You said 'like', not 'love'. That's why I still have it."

 Terushima brought Yamaguchi's hand up to his lips. "I'm sorry," he whispered, and gave it a light kiss, before walking out of the room, hating himself more than anything.