Gifts and roses..-*

Chapter 30 -

"Tomioka!" Sanemi shouted, the word ripping from his throat as a desperate plea.

Giyuu crumpled to the ground, his body going limp like a marionette with its strings cut. Silence enveloped the training grounds, the world around Sanemi fading into a blur as shock gripped him, heart pumping out of his chest as he rushed to Giyuu's side.

He knelt beside him, eyes wide with alarm as he searched for any signs of consciousness. "Tomioka? Hey, Tomioka!" he called, checking him over. Giyuu's breathing was shallow and uneven, his skin cold and clammy, betraying no hints of wellness.

"...Giyuu?" He tried shaking him gently. "Damn it," Sanemi muttered under his breath, already losing sight of what to do. He wanted to call for help, to do something, but he felt paralyzed, unsure how to deal with the situation without making it worse. He glanced around, hoping to see someone who could help, but the training grounds were empty. He shook Giyuu's shoulder again. "Giyuu, wake up. Come on, wake up..."

Sanemi's brows knitted tightly; body brimming with barely contained panic as he continued to try wake him. His lips pressed into a thin line as it ended up fruitless, tension etched deeply into his face, his normally fierce expression cracking with worry.

What the hell was he supposed to do? Should he find Shinobu? One of the butterfly girls? But he couldn't just haul Giyuu around like a sack of rice, surely that would make this worse? And he didn't dare leave him here, alone and vulnerable.

His mind scrambled to piece together whatever fragments of first aid he'd actually bothered to pay attention to. He swallowed, feeling the weight of the responsibility in his hands as he ruffled a hand through his crazed hair. There had to be something useful in all those hurried instructions he'd half-listened to- a position to put him in, a way to check his breathing. Anything.

The sun beat down hard on his back, pressing into his shoulders and neck as he knelt on the ground. Sweat pricked his forehead as the heat rose in his body, but that was the least of his concerns- Giyuu looked pale, and he quickly realised lying here in the baking sun couldn't be helping.

With a careful breath, Sanemi slipped his hands beneath Giyuu's shoulders and knees, bracing himself as he lifted him off the ground. Giyuu was limp in his arms- disturbingly so- and Sanemi couldn't tell if he was shaking was from the panic or from the fact that he was actually holding Giyuu, holding him.

He clutched him tightly, his fingers digging into Giyuu's uniform as if anchoring him in place, savouring the quiet heat that radiated from him. Shifting his grip, he straightened up, holding Giyuu close and steadying himself. Sanemi's pulse thundered as he held Giyuu's weight against him, an erratic thumping spreading through his ribcage. The world around him misted in his focus- there was only Giyuu, fragile and unresponsive in his arms.

An ache pooled in his stomach, almost tender, as he realized how close they were- closer than he'd ever dared let himself imagine. The scent of rain-dampened earth clung to Giyuu, mingling with something soft and faintly calming, making Sanemi's heart squeeze painfully in his chest. He'd never thought holding someone could feel so grounding, so right, yet here he was, clutching him like he'd break if he let go. It was dizzying, intoxicating, and for one fleeting moment, Sanemi found himself wishing he could stay in this closeness just a little longer.

But shit- this was no time for his foolish lovesickness. He had to stay on task, damn it! Shaking off the distraction, he forced his focus back to the matter at hand.

Careful but swift, he moved to the shade of a nearby tree. Even if he didn't know how to help, he knew that the sun had been cooking them alive all afternoon, and the last thing Giyuu needed was the heat draining him further.