Marked (BokuAka)

75. The (Actual) End

Keiji's POV (Day 48):

Keiji fiddled with his fingers, sitting next to Bokuto's sister and father. She insisted he call her 'Kenji', though every time he looked at her comatose brother, he felt less and less able to do so. "Hey, Akaashi!" Keiji glanced up.

Bokuto? No. A pang of disappointment rippled through him, and he immediately felt guilty for it. Instead, Bokuto's sister smiled at him, pointing out the door and at the hall. "I'm going to head out to get something from the vending machine. You want anything?"

"No. But you stay here. I'll get it for you." She looked at him skeptically, but Keiji could almost feel her need to stay by Bokuto's side. "Please."

"Fine. But get yourself something. Or else." She handed him the money and Keiji set out to the vending machine, the exact one they'd been snacking from for the past few days. E3 from the snack one, A8 from the drink one for Kenji... or Bokuto's sister. For Keiji, C2 from the snack machine and G5 from the drink machine. The pressing was nearly second nature, and he had the exact amount of change for it.

As Keiji twisted open a bottle of juice, he heard a scream echo throughout the hospital. "Huh. Probably some crazy patient. Or parent." Suddenly, Bokuto's father barrelled down the hall, shrieking ecstatically. "Wait. That's my crazy parent! Or... Bokuto's... whatever." Keiji rushed after the sprinting father, trying to squash the hope sprouting in his stomach. Maybe a false alarm. Probably a false alarm. Please don't be a false alarm.

Kenji stood outside the room, waving with tears in her eyes. "He's awake! I've already called both of your friends."

As Keiji and Bokuto's father walked into the room, trying to disguise their laboured breaths, they both burst into tears, their smiling wet faces matching Kenji's.

Keiji stepped back as Kenji and her father huddled around Bokuto and watched the tearful moment. They deserve this moment. They've waited so long. I am not taking it from them. Though Keiji couldn't hear Bokuto yet, he decided to leave the room, giving the three Bokutos some privacy.

After about fifteen minutes, Kenji and her father popped out of the room and gestured for Keiji to enter. "There is a small issue. You'll see. We're going to go get a nurse. And a doctor." They both scurried away, leaving Keiji with more questions than answers. Slowly, quietly, he entered the room before rushing over to Bokuto.

"Oh, my god. Bokuto. Are you okay? I'm so happy you're okay!" Finally, a ton of emotions flooded him, leaving Keiji crying, laughing and wallowing in self-hatred. "I'm so sorry, it's all my fault. I should've been faster. I shouldn't have thought she could be redeemed. I'm so sorry."

Finally, after shutting this floodgate of words, he observed Bokuto. I.V.s used his body as a pincushion, his hair was a disaster and his cheeks were wet and red. Half of his lips were turned up into a beaming smile around a plastic tube, but the other half didn't move out of a neutral position.

"Bokuto..." Keiji could feel more tears welling up. "How about this? Blink once for yes, twice for no. Okay?"

Bokuto blinked once, half his face still pulled up into a grotesque smile, but it was one of the best things Keiji had seen in a while.

"Okay then. Are you in any pain?" Two blinks. "I missed you a lot. Do you remember anything from the shooting?" Another two blinks. "Well, you were extraordinarily brave, you know? A little stupid, but very brave." One blink, even though it wasn't a question. "I'm so glad you're okay. I don't know what I would've done if you had died, Bokuto." Bokuto stared at Keiji and blinked twice. "What? Hmm." Keiji thought. Oh. "Did I say something wrong?" One blink. "Okay. Blink when I say it. I don't know what I would've done if you had died, Bokuto." At his name, Bokuto blinked again. "What's wrong? I've been calling you that forever." He shook his eyes from side to side, trying to simulate shaking of the head. Then, he blinked once.

Yes name? No name? What do you mean?

Bokuto blinked once again. Once. One. One name? First name?

"You want me to call you Koutarou?" One blink. "Well. Okay then. Let me tell you a secret. If you tell anyone else I said this, I will deny it vehemently, then I seek revenge. Okay?" One blink. Keiji leaned very close to Bo—Koutarou and whispered. "I love you so much, Koutarou. You are so brave." Keiji smiled, then pecked the tiniest kiss onto his cheek before drawing away. Koutarou blinked once, then began to cry, before the doctor walked in to check on him. Keiji squeezed his soulmate's hand and whispered once more. "I love you so, so much."

And around the tubing in his throat, Koutarou rasped, "Love you too."