The eye of the storm (Sanemi x Reader)

34| Signs from the wind

When I woke up, the first thing I felt was the softness of the stretcher beneath my body. Gradually, my senses began to become aware of my surroundings. A gentle light filtered through the window, illuminating the room with a warm and reassuring glow. Through the faint hum of the machine monitoring my vital signs, I could hear the steady beats of my heart, a sound that anchored me to reality. Looking at my arm, I saw an IV line connected to a bag of saline, hanging beside me.

I slowly sat up, letting my gaze wander around the room. Everything was in order, the shelves filled with well-organized medications and the walls adorned with simple pictures of flowers. In a corner, Kimura was busy arranging bottles and vials in a drawer.

Noticing my movement, he turned to me with a smile.

"That was quick," he said, coming over to my side.

I brought my hands to my head, still a bit dazed, and let myself fall back onto the pillow.

"How many days have passed?" I asked, my voice hoarse and weak.

"Not many, just two. We thought it would take you longer to wake up, but it seems your body is very strong. You endured the low temperatures well. Anyone else would have died."

His attempt to cheer me up didn't have the desired effect, but I still returned his smile and thanked him for taking care of me.

As I settled back on the stretcher, memories started to return. The mission I never completed, the confrontation with Upper Moon Two, Kaigaku... and Sanemi. I remembered how he had warmed me with his breath, and immediately, a blush rose to my cheeks. Sanemi kissed me. Well, more like he pressed his lips against mines, but still. I forced myself to calm down, telling myself it hadn't been a real kiss. He hadn't kissed me out of desire but to save me, right?

"I'm going to check your temperature; you're very red all of a sudden," Kimura warned, opening a drawer.

"There's no need, I'm fine," I hastened to say. The reason for my blush was definitely not a fever.

In the end, I spent twenty more minutes on the stretcher while Kimura made the final checks of my vital signs and ensured I was ready to go. We chatted for a while, and he confessed that he was going to propose to his boyfriend but still didn't have the ring.

"It's a big step," I said, smiling to hide my own turmoil. "I'm sure you'll find the perfect ring."

Kimura smiled, apparently pleased with my response. "Although the ring is just symbolic since... well... we can't get married. You know..." he said a bit sad.

"Why don't you have the wedding here?" I suggested. "I'm sure the girls from the Butterfly Mansion would be happy; they've always wanted to attend a wedding."

"Yeah... I thought about that and... I asked Kocho if she could read our vows," he added with a hint of embarrassment on his cheeks. Kimura was very shy. "She told me it was no problem, so now I just need to propose it to my boyfriend..."

He was nervous, and it showed. I encouraged him while he went over my signs once more to make sure everything was in order.

"Thank you for everything, Kimura," I said before leaving the room.

He nodded, giving me one last encouraging smile. I left the room slowly, my mind still lost in the memory of those critical moments and, especially, in Sanemi. Where would he be now? Would he be okay? But most of all, what did that gesture we shared mean to him? Questions that, for now, had no answer.

Wandering through the halls, I heard a door slam. Curiosity immediately took hold of me. My legs moved on their own to where the sound had originated. I hid around the corner of the hallway and took a peek. Aoi was pulling at her hair while inhaling and exhaling deeply at an increasingly desperate pace.