Touma and Misaka were in a patient room in a certain familiar hospital. Misaka was laying in the hospital bed in a hospital gown while Touma was sitting in a chair next to her bed. Then he noticed something was brushing his hand. Touma looked and saw that she was grabbing his hand.
"Misaka?"
She just looked at him. Her face was slightly red, but she had a very serious look on her face. She stared into his eyes.
"Ah, you're awake. Thank goodness you're ok, Heaven Canceller said you had hyperventilated for some reason and-"
"Touma," she interrupted. She just stared straight at him. He felt extremely uncomfortable and gave back a very awkward expression. "I need to... I need to tell you something..."
He just nodded.
"I love you..." She said softly and slowly.
The wind began to blow through the room and time seemed to freeze for a minute.
"... hah?" Said Touma
"DO YOU NOT GET IT YOU FRIGG'N BLOCKHEAD!? DO I NEED TO REPEAT MYSELF?!" She screamed. She tried to charge electricity at him, but he simply blocked it with his right hand. She threw off the sheets and jumped at Touma. He tried to get away from her, but she delivered a furious punch straight into his gut.
"EEIGHGHBFFFT!?"
"You dense jerk!" she yelled as she began pounding on Touma's chest. Touma was trying to brace each impact, but she kept hitting harder and harder. But then she stopped and wrapped her arms around him. She hugged him tightly and buried her face into his chest.
"You're always running off and protecting people... I'm constantly worrying about you. You appear for a little while and show everyone that stupid smile of yours, and then you just disappear again. You never seem to realize what you're doing to me, toying with my feelings and leading me off into the wrong direction. I don't know what to do anymore! I want to be by your side, Touma. I want to be there for you... Because... because I-I love you."
"... ..."
"...Why? Why must you carry such a heavy burden all by yourself. I can help you... I know you just want everyone to be happy, but why do you have to suffer so much? I can be of use to you! Why won't you ask me for help!? Touma..."
"..."
"I-...I love you... So, please... Please, just let me help you."
She hugged him tighter.
"Misaka..." Touma uttered softly. Touma vowed to protect her. He made that promise a long time ago, and he said he would never break it. He could not let Misaka into the dark merciless world that he was fighting every day. He already rejected her pleads in the 7th Mists a while back, but this was different.
"I... Misaka, I-" Then Touma noticed something wet was being smeared against his shirt. She was crying, he had made her cry.
"..."
He looked at her, sobbing into his chest. He slowly begins to wrap his arms around Mikoto and looks at her. He opens his mouth, but stopped.
"I can't" he thought to himself, "I can't let her get hurt, I can't let her suffer because of me..."
But then again, she was suffering already. She was being torn apart by her emotions. By not letting her help him was enough to hurt her. But, there was more than one reason for his stubbornness. Not just because he was dense, and that he wanted to protect her, but he was afraid. He was afraid that she would be hurt because deep down inside he loved her too. But he still didn't realize it, even in this situation.
He looked down to see her face was still buried into his chest. He hated to see her like that.
To be continued...
