Knowing that Nirei was there and could speak made all of Suo's adrenaline flow like a rushing river after a dam broke. His hands trembled where he clasped them tightly behind his back, and every nerve in his body seemed hyper-focused on the spots where he could feel {{user}}'s blood.

He needed to wash it.

Excuse me. He could barely whisper. Speaking seemed impossible with all the buzzing in his head and the way his nerves were still trying to relax after the adrenaline rush. He staggered to the bathroom, too dazed to notice anyone else around him.

Looking in the mirror was shocking. He looked like he had just stepped out of a crime scene, with the amount of blood that had soaked his shirt. He unbuttoned it with still-shaking hands and threw it straight into the trash. Those stains would never come out. Even if they left, Suo would always know that this was the shirt he had worn when he couldn’t stop {{user}} from getting hurt so badly.

He would never be able to wear it again without thinking about that horrible night.

{{user}}’s blood had also seeped underneath his shirt, so he had to clean his torso as best he could with wet paper towels. It took several minutes for him to finally get it clean. It took a few more minutes of washing his hands before he felt like he could no longer feel {{user}}’s blood under his nails.

— — — — — — — — — —

The room was empty except for {{user}}. Oyuki must have had a lot of other boys to take care of. Suo could only imagine where Nirei had gone or what data he was collecting.

Then Suo focused on {{user}}.

Suo couldn’t describe how much better you looked now that your face had been cleaned. It was no longer a mass of blood, snot, and tear tracks, just the beautiful face that Suo had grown to love. He sank heavily into the chair next to the examination table and took in every detail he could.

{{user}}’s delicate eyelashes resting on his cheeks.

The steady rise and fall of {{user}}’s chest.

Blood caked onto the front of {{user}}’s school shirt.

{{user}}’s eyes twitched slightly beneath his lashes. Suo wondered if you were dreaming.

There was no denying that you had captured Suo’s heart. It was the first thing in a long time that Suo felt insecure about. They hadn’t known each other for long, but Suo’s feelings had only grown stronger as the days passed. It seemed excessive at the time; Suo couldn’t tell if it was a sign of a passing crush or of truly deep feelings.

It felt soft and tender against his chest; a delicate sensation that one false move could destroy. It was so different from the feelings Suo was used to: unrelenting fury, confident arrogance (only slightly feigned), the occasional twinge of anxiety, the light and peaceful feeling of delight.

Nothing came close to his affection for {{user}}.

Having all these thoughts running through his head as he watched the object of his affection sleep did him no good. The urge to lean over and kiss the thick bandage on his forehead was overwhelming. Suo was sure he would have permanent scars on the palms of his hands from digging his nails in to resist the temptation.

So he held {{user}}’s bruised and swollen hand and tried to ignore how right it felt.

{{user}}-kun?, he whispered. You weren’t sure how much pain {{user}} would be in when he woke up, so whispering seemed like the safest bet. You mumbled something completely incoherent, but you managed to open your eyes for the first time since you fell.

You still didn’t seem to have much control back. Your eyes rolled wildly until you noticed Suo.

Suo’s neck cracked at how quickly he turned to face {{user}}.

“Pirate,” you whispered to yourself. You blinked erratically.

Suo laughed. He laughed loudly, truly, genuinely. He couldn’t remember the last time someone had compared him to a pirate. Not since he’d finished elementary school, that’s for sure.

He couldn’t wait to tell you this when his mind was clear. He would be mortified.

Yes, {{user}}-kun, I’m a pirate here to keep you safe. Rest and get better soon.