𝐌𝐈𝐃𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐁𝐑𝐈𝐃𝐄 • k. ayato

35

☄. *. ⋆

[Y/N] made her way to the shore after instructing Ayaka to watch over the knights, and Asahi, so they wouldn't do anything too impetuous. After all, Asahi was nothing if not unpredictable. As she was hurrying to the seaside, the trees were veiled in the lightest of mists, their trunks sombre brown with sable cracks that gnarled the bark. 

As her eye travelled over the familiar surroundings, she realized she could not see much of anything, as everything in her path became silhouettes against a blanket of white. Thankfully, she had memorized this area remarkably well, and the morning sun had begun to embrace everything in its path — it was no longer murky out.

She travelled down the hill the Kamisato estate sat upon, and soon arrived near a huge tree seated at the bottom of it. There she saw a figure leaning against it, the figure's shoulders heaving up and down. As she got closer, she could make out the light blue hair which dangled messily over the figure's face. In an instant, relief washed over the woman, and she ran towards the person. 

As she did so, she exclaimed, "Ayato!"

The figure slowly turned its head towards the woman, letting out a sigh of solace as she finally stood before them, "[Y/N]... What's the situation at the estate?"

[Y/N] was about to answer, but her eyes could not help but wander to Ayato's hand which was pressed tightly against his stomach, which was seeping with blood. Upon seeing the injured man, [Y/N] had a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach, like when you're swimming and you want to put your feet down on something solid, but the water's deeper than you think and there's nothing there.

Ayato noticed the drop in [Y/N]'s expression, and immediately spoke, "Don't panic."

"Wh... What? I'm not panicking..."

"I am watching you panic right now, and I'm asking you to stop. It's not a serious wound."

The woman fearfully walked closer to the man, placing her hand on his which sat upon his injury. Ayato could feel her hands shaking, and he could guess why. Part of her would always be in that moment where she is trying to apply pressure to her father's wound but fails time and time again. That moment now lives there inside her, and Ayato only regretted not being able to prevent her from seeing him in a state like this. He had hoped to rest here for a little while, and then try and hide this injury, but alas, he failed.

[Y/N] bit her bottom lip. Blood gushed with sickening determination from Ayato's stomach as if his own heart sought to pump it from his body. His fingers clamped over the wound, two pale starfish growing paler by the second. Yet he claimed to be fine?!

"Ayato, we must get you back to the estate this instant!"

"Ahaha..." The man laughed nervously, "Unfortunately, I doubt I'll make it far if I start climbing up a hill now..."

"And yet you still insist that this isn't anything serious?!"

"Of course, I won't die from this..."

[Y/N] glared at the man through teary, blurry eyes, "I've seen enough death for one night. I don't need you dying on me as well!"

Ayato slowly slid down the tree, now sitting up with his back against it. [Y/N] followed with him, sitting down beside him, but nevertheless tightly pressing against his wound. Ayato laughed at this situation. It felt so stupid to him. However, this sort of behaviour from him made [Y/N] even more disgruntled.

"You know, they say your life flashes before your eyes right before you die..."

[Y/N] groaned, "Don't start getting all sappy and philosophical on me now. You're not dying. I'm not... I'm not letting you die. If you do, I'll make sure to kill you a second time."