Work Text:
Kosame stirs from her shallow doze when she feels the first twitch of motion under her head. Immediately wide awake, she pulls back from the bed and sits straight up in the chair where she's been keeping vigil.
"Kiyo-chan?"
Relief ripples through her as watery blue eyes blink open and the girl in the bed lifts her head from the pillow. "Kosame-chan, where am I?"
Kiyoharu brings herself up on her elbows and gives a soft gasp as the blanket slips down. Bandages encase her otherwise bare torso, securely wound around her abdomen. Kosame gently takes her by the shoulders and eases her back down. She pulls the blanket back up because she knows Kiyoharu is antsier without the comfort of her bra. A little more insecure, brows a tad taut with discomfort. She's never said as much but she doesn't have to.
"Rest, Kiyo-chan," she murmurs. "Try not to move much. Between Aya-chan and I, we could heal your organs to save your life. But you were dying and even my blood couldn't fix you all the way. There's no gaping hole in you anymore but you still have smaller entrance and exit wounds. This is one of Sayuki-chan's guest rooms, she's going to let you stay here until you feel better. Unless you want me to use my stick again, it would probably—"
"No," Kiyoharu stops Kosame with a gentle tug at her hand. "This is fine. I could use a break after everything."
Her lips quirk in a bitter smirk. Kosame bobs her head in agreement. Kiyoharu walks her fingers up to Kosame's sleeve and pushes it back. She gingerly brushes over the thin, narrow lines of scarring and bloodied band-aids. Kosame allows the touches but doesn't glance to eyes she knows are sad. Carefully, Kiyoharu reaches over and takes Kosame's wrist in both hands. She brings it to her lips and softly kisses the newer cuts. The cuts that saved her own life.
"Thanks," Kiyoharu says. "Try not to use up too much of your lifespan though. I want you by my side when I finally have my revenge, you know?"
"So scary, Kiyo-chan," Kosame sighs softly. "Besides, you might not have your revenge if we can't stop the Tempest. At this point it looks like we're going to use up all our lifespans just figuring it out."
"That's gloomy." Kiyoharu tsk-tsks in disapproval. "I need to cheer you up."
"It's a distinct possibility," Kosame defends herself. "How do you plan to cheer me up? You shouldn't move."
"I can roll over at least." Kiyoharu scoots to the side of the bed and then pats the empty space. "C'mon, Kosame-chan. Snuggle with me."
Kosame feels a rare smile quiver at the corners of her lips. She climbs into the bed and nestles next to Kiyoharu. She can feel her (possibly more than a) friend let out a soft gasp of surprise as she takes it upon herself to be the big spoon. Usually Kiyoharu is the big spoon but right now Kosame needs to be the one doing the holding. She wraps her arms gently but firmly around Kiyoharu and tangles their legs together, stretching her neck up to place a kiss upon her temple. She needs to hold her and feel her breathe, and remind herself she's here.
Kosame needs to hold her for her own benefit. She was mere moments away from losing her. She can still hear Kiyoharu's strained breath; scarcely audible, wet rasps. They weakly slipped through her lips between spurts of blood. So much blood, foamy blood streaming from her nostrils. Buckets of blood pouring from that great, yawning hole the size of a coconut in her middle. Kosame could see her torn organs tangling and dropping out of place, seeping fluids. She was pale as dough and limp like a rag doll in Asahi's grasp, just bleeding, bleeding, bleeding so much Kosame's own blood wasn't enough to bring her back from the edge.
"H-Hey! Kosame-chan?"
Kosame blinks rapidly and finds herself back in reality. Her cheek is wet. She's crying.
"Kiyo-chan," Kosame murmurs, clutching her even closer. "I didn't think you were going to make it..."
Kiyoharu shifts slightly and brushes away the tear track with her knuckle.
"It's okay," she promises. She runs her fingers through Kosame's hair. "I'm okay now."
Kosame nuzzles against Kiyoharu's collarbone, watching the rise and fall of her chest.
"You've been keeping watch over me for awhile, right?"
Kosame nods.
"Why don't you get some sleep?" Kiyoharu suggests warmly. "I'll be here when you wake up. I promise."
"Well I did nap a little earlier...but it wasn't very sound. So okay...talk to me about something, Kiyo-chan. Anything that doesn't have to do with any of this."
Kiyoharu smiles and begins telling her all about these new parfaits at this restaurant and how they'll totally have to go get some and it'll be her treat because it's her idea, but Kosame has to treat next time and...
And soon Kosame is breathing soundly, deep in slumber. She drools in her sleep all over Kiyoharu's shoulder. Kiyoharu gallantly tolerates it, tenderly stroking Kosame's tresses all the while.