I'll Protect You- MatchaBlossom

Chapter 5- Scared

I just stare at Cherry for a few minutes, not saying a single word.

"Y- You are?" I finally ask.

"Yes, you idiot. I have been for a long time," Cherry replies.

"S- so you heard everything I said to you in the last week and a half?"

"Yep."

I just stare at him for a minute. I watch his expression change from happy to concerned, but I don't know why.

"Kojiro... you're crying," he says.

"I am?" I reply. I lift my hand up and touch my face. Sure enough, there's a stream of tears trailing down my cheek. "Oh. I am. It's probably because I'm so happy you're awake."

"Idiot," Cherry says with a smile.

Reki sits down next to me, with Langa and Miya on the other side of Cherry's bed. We all talk for hours about Reki's victory over Adam, Langa's upcoming match against him, and everything else that happened while Cherry was asleep.

After a few more hours, plus doctors coming in and checking on Cherry, Shadow wakes up, and then him and the others go home, leaving just me and Cherry alone again.

I don't look at him for a while. I don't know what to say, or what he'll say to me, and I'm scared. I can feel him staring at me, but he doesn't do or say anything else.

"Kojiro," he says after a while.

I don't move. I just fidget with my fingers in my lap.

"Kojiro, look at me."

"Why?" I reply.

"Just look at me."

I slowly look up, and lock eyes with him. The look on his face makes me want to cry. He looks so upset, and I don't know if it's at me, which makes me upset.

"You haven't left since you got here, have you?" he asks.

I look back down again, and shake my head no.

"You need to go home. Don't worry about me, I'm fine. You need to take care of yourself. And what about your job? You could get fired."

"No, I'm not leaving you. I already have my job situation covered. I'm not going anywhere until you're out of this hospital."

He sighs. "You're so stubborn."

"That says a lot coming from you. You're the most stubborn person I know."

"Dopey gorilla."

"Four eyes."

***

A few more days pass, and Cherry gets to be released from the hospital tomorrow.

I'm sitting in my chair next to him like usual while we talk meaninglessly.

"Hey, come here," he says randomly, and motions towards his face

"What? Why?" I reply.

"Just lean forward."

"Um ok."

I lean my head forward like he asks, and watch as he inches his face closer. And then he presses his lips against mine softly. I lean into the kiss, and place both my hands on his cheeks. Then I pull away slowly while keeping one hand resting on his cheek. I lean my head forward, and press my forehead to his gently.

"I love you Kaoru," I whisper to him.

He doesn't move for a few minutes, and just stares at me in shock, but he also looks a little fearful. I watch as his eyes begin to tear up, and before I know it, he starts crying.

"Hey, what's wrong?" I ask comfortingly.

"I'm sorry," he says back as he wipes away the tears with his hand, but continues to cry softly.

"For what?" I ask, genuinely confused.

"For not being able to say it back, and then crying over it like this," he says through his tears.

I quickly wrap my arms around him and pull him into my chest. I put one hand on the back of his head as I hold onto it, and rub circles into his back with the other.

"Shhh," I soothe. "It's ok. I'm not upset. I don't ever want to make you upset or uncomfortable, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have sprung that on you like that," I whisper, and then kiss him on the head gently.

"I- it's not your fault," he replies, his voice barely loud enough that I can hear.

"Are you scared?"

"Mhm. Not of you though. I feel safe with you."

"Don't worry. I promise I'll always protect you, and I won't let anyone hurt you ever again."

I kiss his forehead gently, and cradle him in my arms.

"I'm still scared of him," he says shakily as he grips onto my shirt tightly, and buries his face as deep in my chest as he can.

"Adam?" I ask.

He nods. I wrap my arms all the way around him and place my chin on top of his head, reminding him that I'm here and I won't ever let go.

"I understand that he hurt you and he's scary, but there's no reason to  be scared anymore because I'm here and I'll protect you, ok?"

"Ok."

"And there's nothing wrong with being scared. You're still the bravest person I know for being able to go through that and still be here today, and you even raced against him. You're so strong. Who cares if you're scared. Anybody would be of him and the things he did to you. That's all he wants, to make you feel like less than you are. But I know your stubborn ass won't let you go down that easily. And I'm here now. I'm sorry I wasn't before like I should've been, but I'm here now, and I'm not going anywhere for as long as you live, ok?"

"Ok, thank you."

"Always."

After only a few minutes, I feel Cherry's breathing start to slow, and I look down, only to realize he's fast asleep in my arms. I smile slightly, kiss him very gently on the forehead, and just continue to hold him. After a while though, I start to get tired myself, so I carefully remove him from my arms, lay him down in his bed, and sit back in my chair. While in my chair, I lean my head onto his bed, and fall asleep within minutes of putting my head onto the soft mattress.