Walk With Me

Chapter 16

Tamaki's P.O.V.

The room fell into an awkward silence after the hosts left. Kyoya was still holding Tamaki's hand in his own, but by now he has simply laced their fingers together again. It was driving Tamaki insane, and he couldn't focus on anything else. Having Kyoya touch him, run his fingers on his skin, stand so close to him, it held more weight now. Kyoya knows now, that Tamaki loves him. Tamaki didn't care about anything else, he was too groggy to remember much of anything anyway, but he knows for a fact he told Kyoya he loved him.

If only Tamaki could remember what Kyoya said back. Vaguely, he thinks his shadow king said he loved him too, but that could have just been wishful thinking. Tamaki wasn't exactly worthy of love from someone like Kyoya. But nevertheless he desperately hoped it was true. Tamaki continued to wrack his brain, searching for any clear indication his feelings were reciprocated, but his memories were unstable, threatening to topple over at any moment.

"What has you thinking so hard, dummy?" Kyoya said softly. Tamaki felt the covers shift as the black haired boy sat down next to him on the bed. "Is something wrong?"

"Doyoureallyloveme?" Tamaki blurted, immediately slapping a hand over his mouth.

Kill him. Kill him now. Bring back the sepsis.

"What?" Kyoya said with a startled laugh.

Code red. Code red. This is bad. Tamaki could feel himself blushing, red from head to toe. The heart monitor sitting next to him started to beep more frantically and Tamaki never wanted to die more in his life.

"Do... youreallyloveme?" Tamaki muttered between his hand, looking anywhere but at Kyoya. His room was startlingly bare, now that he was paying attention. In fact, he was paying so much attention that he could almost pretend Kyoya wasn't in the room. He could practically ignore the most beautiful person he had ever met, much like how a tourist could ignore the Mona Lisa while walking through the Louvre. Which was to say, he could not ignore his shadow prince at all.

"Tamaki?"

The ceiling had six cracks in it. No, wait. Seven.

"Tamaki, look at me."

The monitor was beeping faster still now. It was embarrassingly loud, and Tamaki was almost worried a doctor would come in to check what was wrong.

"Care to let me into your little world?"

The floor was spotless, save the crumpled up piece of paper Kaoru had dropped. What was with those two damn twins anyway? What were they planning?

A warm hand pressed gently against Tamaki's cheek. It slid from his cheekbone, down to his jaw, feather-light in its path to his lips. As if Kyoya had lit a match with his touch, Tamaki was burning from the inside out. If he had the freedom to move, he might have gasped or even moaned and leaned into it, which god was that embarrassing, but he was shell-shocked. Tamaki was a deer in the headlights in the best way possible.

Kyoya's fingers lingered on his bottom lip, pressing down. Immediately the monitor started screeching, beeping fast to keep up with the pounding of Tamaki's heart. The blonde gulped loudly, suddenly finding himself on the verge of drooling, and he heard Kyoya huff a laugh under his breath. Sliding his fingers down to his chin, Kyoya tilted Tamaki's head up to look Kyoya in the eye.

That fucker stole his move.

"Now that I have your attention, what was it that you want to ask me?" Kyoya smirked, eyes trained on Tamaki's lips.

"Do you love me?" Tamaki rasped out, staring at Kyoya for any sign of rejection.

"Idiot. Does the sun shine?" Kyoya whispered, leading Tamaki closer.