SHARPER || Chishiya Alice in Boarderland

-29- stay with me

Chishiya's breath is warm against my temple, steady but trembling. His hands, usually so precise, so controlled, are gripping me like I might vanish if he lets go. He tilts my face up, brushing his lips over my forehead, my cheek, the corner of my mouth—again and again, like he needs to keep proving to himself that I'm real.

"Stay awake," he murmurs, voice rough. His fingers trace down my arm, pressing against my wrist like he's memorizing my pulse. "You're too cold. Your breathing is too shallow. You have to stay with me."

I hum weakly, my body sinking against him. "'M not going anywhere."

"You better not." He exhales sharply and kisses me again—this time on my lips, soft but insistent. It's quick, but the desperation in it lingers, making my chest ache. "You're bleeding too much. You need water. A hospital. Something."

I barely have the energy to answer. I just curl closer, resting my head against his uninjured shoulder, my fingers weakly clinging to his sleeve.

"Do you know," he whispers suddenly, "that the human body has about five liters of blood?"

I blink sluggishly. "...Huh?"

"Five liters." His voice is steady, even, but I can hear the strain beneath it. "It takes losing about forty percent of it for your organs to start shutting down." His fingers graze my wrist again, feeling my pulse, before he exhales through his nose. "You're dangerously close to that number."

I huff a quiet, broken laugh. "Are you... lecturing me?"

"I'm keeping you awake." He presses another kiss against my hair. "And trying not to panic."

My heart clenches. I lift my head weakly, meeting his gaze. "Chishiya—"

He shakes his head, jaw tight. "Don't say anything." His voice dips lower, almost fragile. "Just... just listen to me."

I nod, barely, and he lets out a breath. His thumb brushes my cheek, smearing blood that's not just mine.

"Did you know," he murmurs, "that sharks existed before trees?"

I blink. "What—?"

"They've been around for more than 400 million years." He presses his lips to my temple, breathing me in. "Trees only showed up 350 million years ago."

My lips twitch, a pathetic attempt at a smile. "Why... are you telling me this?"

"Because you love sharks." Another kiss, this time against the cut on my forehead. His voice drops even softer. "And I love you."

My breath catches.

"I love you," he whispers again, fingers curling into my hair, like saying it once isn't enough. Like he needs me to hear it, to believe it. "I love you, I love you, I love you—"

I choke on a sob, curling into him, burying my face against his chest. The pain fades for a second, replaced by warmth—by him.

"I love you too," I whisper, my voice breaking. "I love you so much, it hurts."

He pulls me tighter, his body trembling against mine. He's kissing me again, pressing frantic, feverish kisses to my face—my cheek, my nose, my lips, anywhere he can reach. His hands won't stop moving, tracing over my skin like he's trying to piece me back together with just his touch.

"Did you know," he breathes between kisses, "that your heart beats about 100,000 times a day?"

I let out a soft, shaky laugh. "That's... a lot."

"It is." He presses his forehead against mine. "And every single one of mine beats for you."

He kisses me again, swallowing my broken breath. His lips are warm, familiar, everything I need. I cling to him, ignoring the pain, ignoring everything except the feeling of him holding me like I'm the most precious thing in the world.