Haikyuu Creature Collection

Grey 3 (Naoyasu Kuguri)

Wizzy: IMPORTANT! Okay, now that I got your attention, Wizzy wants to say a couple of things. First, always remember to leave votes and comments on works that you enjoy. Not just this book, but others too. Seriously, if you don't, then how will I know that you even want me to continue updating it? This goes for any other writer too!
Secondly, once the Creature Collection is finished, I'll be taking some of these stories and turning them into full stories of their own. This is where voting and comments will help. If you don't tell me which stories you'd like more of, I won't know.
Anyways, here's Kuguri's final part. It didn't quite go as I planned, but it works out. Also by now you should realize that every single one of these is connected to each other. That's what makes this little challenge so entertaining.

The wolf that had cornered us turned out to be a part of the group that attacked the compound. When his friends had shown up, Kuguri and I were dragged back to the compound.

The aftermath of the attack was rather horrifying. No Collector had been left alive... aside from Kuguri. If I hadn't been there or hadn't tried so hard to protect him, they probably would have killed him too.

I sat on the floor beside him, watching over the vampire. He'd fallen unconscious somewhere before we'd been brought back here and still hadn't shown any sign of waking, despite all the commotion.

His skin was so pale... the wound must have been taking a major toll on his body... It must be worse than I had originally thought.

While the other Collected are enjoying running free around the compound, I don't dare to leave Kuguri's side. With so many roaming around who wouldn't hesitate to kill him, how can I risk leaving him?

I don't know how many days pass. The werewolf who had tracked us down came to visit a few times. One of those times, he'd even brought me some normal clothes, but I rejected them. This man wanted to kill the one person who had treated me kindly; why would I want anything from him?

"He's not worth it," the werewolf said, leaning against the closes door. What was it the others had called him? Aki? "He never actually cared about you. It's just some act they put on to gain your trust."

The wolf's words disgust me. "Kuguri didn't have to free me... He could have just left me in my cell, but he didn't."

"He's a vampire; you were just a snack for later."

I'm well aware that they all think that I'm crazy... that I'm delusional... that this is just some psychological disorder that makes me think he's special to me. This isn't like that. I know that it's not.

"Kuguri isn't like that." I sent a glare in the werewolf's direction. "If you're not going to help him, then just get out."

Aki sighed. "We've got someone on the way to transport everyone back to Tokyo... should arrive by tomorrow afternoon... There's also supposed to be a doctor as well, to treat the injured Collected."

I don't miss his wording. He's not intending for Kuguri's injuries to be treated, even though I know that Kuguri's are the only serious ones. The wolf flashed a look my way and left the room.

No one wanted to help him... and I can't deny that there is good reason to not want to, but that doesn't make it okay to just leave him to die. Vampires were never liked much by other nonhumans... and Collectors are hated by pretty much all... Kuguri... he's both of those things.

As promised, several vehicles arrived to take us all far away from this place. With them came a doctor and a young male he claimed was a med student. Both were werewolves and with the older one bearing a strong resemblance to Aki, I don't trust them.

When I don't let the old werewolf near the injured vampire, the younger male decided to speak up. He claimed that he had several friends that were vampires and that he won't harm my friend. The fact that he is willing to refer to Kuguri as my friend said a lot... and it was enough to convince me that he meant no harm.

During the very basic treatment he's given and all through the time it takes for us to be taken from the compound to the point when he's safely in a hospital, I don't leave Kuguri's side.

Maybe it's stupid, but I can't shake the feeling that if I were to leave him, I'd never see him again. At this point, he's probably safe from harm, but even so, I don't want him to be alone.

Kuguri hasn't woken even once since we'd been dragged back to the compound. The condition that he's in... it wouldn't be surprising if he ended up dying, even if they say that he's slowly improving.

I laid my head down on the edge of his bed. Maybe I'll rest my eyes for a moment... Can't go too long without food or sleep... despite how much I might want to.

"-hasn't left your side. Wouldn't even let Dr. Sugiyama anywhere near you," a voice said as consciousness slowly returned to me. "For an angel, she can be pretty fierce."

That voice was the guy who had been treating Kuguri... I'd eventually learned his name was Shirabu and that he was still only a student. Even so, he had gained my trust.

I felt something stroke my hair. There was no way that it's that Shirabu guy... he didn't strike me as the touchy-feely type... but the only other person that could have been in the room was...

My eyes snapped open and I'm greeted by the slightest smile on Kuguri's face. He still looks like he's in rough shape, but that was to be expected. You'd probably look like shit too if you had nearly died, wouldn't you?

As I sit up, the conversation slows to a stop. Shirabu quietly left the room, giving the two of us a moment. He probably had other things to do anyway.

"You didn't leave me..." Kuguri's voice is faint, giving away how rough he was actually feeling. "Why didn't you?"

Honestly, there wasn't much of a reason for me to have stayed with him. "You didn't leave me behind... even though it was risky... How could I just leave you?"

He laughed a little but stopped abruptly with a wince. "Funny thing about werewolf saliva... it might have a lot of disinfecting qualities, but on vampires, it slows the healing... and hurts like hell... Ironic, isn't it?"

Kuguri gently put his hand on mine. "You don't have to stay with me anymore... You can even go back to your family... I'm sure they've been worried..."

His words were meant to be kind, but they hurt. To think about not being around him anymore... after all the time we had spent together... I couldn't stand it.

"Unless... you want to stay by my side?" Maybe he could tell that I didn't want to leave him... "I probably won't be able to get around too well on my own for a while... so if you wanted to stay a little longer, I won't stop you."

A lot of people would call me crazy for this. I don't care. Kuguri had always been kind to me when he had no reason to be... and he didn't need to take me with him when he tried to escape. "Could I stay with you... always?"

A big smile spread across his face. He tried to sit up, only to wince in pain before instead settling on giving my hand a squeeze. "As long as you want to."