Rhythm Of Love || Bungou Stray Dogs || Chuuya x Reader

- 13 -

You wake up to a sharp pain in your chest. Immediately you bolt up, coughing up water. Your back flares up with immense pain and you wince, holding down the agony.

"You good?" Chuuya asks, holding you steady by the shoulders. You flinch away from his touch.

"It hurts..." You mutter. He pulls back his hands immediately and you keep yourself up.

You brush the hair out of your eyes, it being drenched in water. "Where... are we?" You ask.

Chuuya glances around before shaking his head, "I have no idea."

His clothes are just as drenched as your's are. He drapes his coat over your shoulders. His fedora is nowhere to be seen.

You groan, covering your eyes with your hands. "God dammit Chuuya. We're ultimately fucked.."

He gives you a hand up, "We'll be fine."

"No, we won't. I'm bleeding out of my back, we're lost. We have no food, no money, no way to get back to the palace, nothing is familiar around here! Don't you dare tell me we're going to be 'fine'." You ramble, shaking Chuuya by the collar.

He finally slaps your hands away, glaring irritably. "I'm just trying to put some positivity back into this conversation but you've always got to trash it with your massive rain cloud." He snaps. You punch him in the shoulder.

"Whatever, we're wasting daylight. Go climb a tree or something and find the nearest village."

"Or, we can follow the river upstream."

You wave Chuuya off, "The waterfall is most likely far away. Just check for a nearby village. If you see one, we'll go to it first. If not, then let's go upstream." You compromise. Chuuya sighs in defeat before jumping onto a tree, quickly climbing up.

You watch Chuuya, hand shielding the sun from your eyes. "See anything?"

Chuuya jumps down from the tree, landing right in front of you. He holds a sour look on his face before nodding.

"Yeah, I saw Mali's palace."

---

After holding a serious pro and con conversation over whether or not you two should go to Mali, you made a good point about your injury.

Your back had begun to bleed once more, and you're beyond weak and ready to fall unconscious. You used your shirt to act as a bandage for your back, covering yourself with Chuuya's coat so that you don't get too cold. The both of you are still wet after all.

"This isn't a good idea.." Chuuya grumbles under his breath. You hear it anyways. The palace is close.

"Yeah, but this is the only option we have. There's a little girl that's basically the queen right? We just have to bribe her with cake or something and she'll help us."

Chuuya rolls his eyes, "That's not how it works. Elise has... very high standards."

"So a wedding cake?"

"Well, no."

"Shit, you're right... That would be too much."

"That's the issue?!"

Chuuya sighs in frustration, hand raking through his half dried hair. You smile wearily.

"Sorry, I'm just trying to lighten the mood somehow. We're both kinda tense with this plan." Chuuya looks over at you, stopping in his tracks.

He tries for a smile before wrapping his arms around you. "Thank you. If this plan doesn't work then we'll just put our heads together and work out another one." Chuuya says.

He doesn't hear a response. Chuuya feels a warm liquid on his hand. He retracts it, eyes widening to see that blood has seeped through both the make-shift bandage and his coat. He grasps your shoulders, pulling away to check on you.

"Fuck." Your eyes are shut closed and he now notices the extreme paleness to your face. His heart rate quickens with panic and fear.

"(f/n)? (f/n)?!" You don't stir.

Chuuya doesn't waste time, wrapping his arms under your knees and your neck before bolting after the palace. He pants, moving fast and weaving through trees. He could feel your life slipping through his fingers. The very thought of losing you after all these hardships?

Impossible.

He won't let it happen.

He bursts through the forest. The palace is just in front of him. Two guards are stationed at the entrance of the palace and they immediately spot Chuuya.

"Please!" He shouts, running towards the gates. The guards get into position. "Let me through! I can't let them die!"

"Apologizes, sir. But we are under strict orders to not let you in." One says.

Chuuya grits his teeth, holding you closer to him. "Like hell. Under whoes orders?" He asks. Your breathing slows down even more.

"Nevermind that, I'll just kill you two." Chuuya says. The soldiers back up warily. Chuuya runs forward in a flash, you still in his arms.

All he has to do is touch the both of them, most likely kick, and they'll be glued to the floor. Then he can let down the drawbridge and find the infirmary.

The bridge slams down, startling both Chuuya and the soldiers. "That's not necessary." A bubbly voice says. Chuuya freezes at the familiar voice. The soldiers get down on one knee, bowing.

"Chuuya~ What're you doing here?" Elise wonders, her head tilted to the side with a finger on her pouting lips.

Chuuya lets out a breath of relief. "Elise, please, help me." He gestures to you in his arms. Elise looks at you, her eyes widening.

"So what Rintarou said is true..." She wonders aloud.

"Who is at the gates?" Another voice asks. A blonde lady steps out, wearing a loose white dress. Her eyes widen in shock at your state.

"(f/n)?!" She gasps. "Let them in!"

The other soldiers look uncertain but comply when Elise nods her head in agreement. "Do it." She says.

Chuuya dashes in not a moment later, panting for breath.

"Chuuya, take them to the infirmary. We don't have a special doctor like you do," Elise looks at Zelda, "but we can heal her."

All four run off into the palace, headed straight towards the infirmary.

Chuuya holds you closer, choking up at your near death state.

"Don't die on me.."