For my dear, preabevee
Here's the fruit of my research!
~~~~~
You sat up quickly and lunged into a coughing fit. Your throat burned from the sudden action.
Loud footsteps were heard running in your direction. "(Y/n)!"
The door slid open but you were still in the process of hacking your lungs out.
"Are you okay?" You briefly glanced at the person. It was Chizuru.
"Y-Ye-" You tried to reassure her but couldn't find the strength to talk between coughs. Instead, you settled for nodding your head.
"There's blood!" Chizuru's eyes widened in surprise. "I have to go get someo-"
You grabbed her wrist to stop her from leaving. "No." You groggily declared.
Your pleading eyes made it hard for her to disobey you. "Not even Souma?" She knew that the both of you harbored mutual feelings. It was no secret, but for some reason the man was oblivious about your feelings.
You heart ached at his name. "No... please... go... get... Okita..." You managed to get out between your coughs and wheezing. You felt the need to be in the presence of someone who's been in your situation.
Chizuru was taken aback by your request. "O-Okay." She nodded sternly and made her way to the male.
When your coughing seized, you looked outside into the center courtyard and admired how peaceful the night looked.
While scanning the open area with your eyes, you could have sworn you saw a familiar figure standing behind a tree. 'No, Souma shouldn't be back so soon.' You thought.
Your beloved Souma was sent on an errand in a neighboring city and was told to spend the night away. No matter how much he protested, he wouldn't be back before night fall. It was nearly impossible.
"(Y/n)." Okita muttered your name and stepped into the room, closing the door behind him.
"Where's Chizuru?" You asked, searching behind him, even though the door was shut.
"I told her to let me handle this." He sat down next to your futon. "How often have you been having these coughing fits?" He asked.
"It's been preventing me from getting a good nights' rest. About 2-3 times a night." You sighed.
"Then it's gotten pretty serious." He furrowed his brows.
"What should I do?" Your eyes teared up. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to be emotional in front of you." You felt a hand wipe away your tears.
"Don't be sorry." Okita patted your head, his gaze showed genuine sympathy. "I understand how you're feeling."
"I want to refrain from drinking the Water of Life." You hugged your knees to your chest. "But I don't want to die like this, Okita." You looked to him for advice.
"I don't know any different from the path I chose, so I can't tell you the difference between the two. But I can tell you that I don't regret it." He gently helped you lay back down.
"Okita?" You called out.
"What is it?" He stood up.
"Is Kazue back yet?" You asked. This took him by surprise.
"Not from what I've heard." He thought for a moment. "Although, he was hesitant to stay the night. I wouldn't be surprised if he came back earlier than expected."
