Chapter Text
After the Auction operation, Sasaki ends up injured and in the hospital dizzy with painkillers and RC suppressants. He fades in and out of consciousness, in and out of old memories and places and people whose names are just on the tip of his tongue. One face in particular stays longer than the others, and desperately he reaches —
— and feels his hand settle on something soft and warm.
“Long time no see.”
He stops breathing. She turns her head to nestle it against his palm, and then sets it back down on his lap, and goes over to set a basket of flowers on his bedside table. She starts to leave, and stops when he musters all his energy to grab her hand. He’s halfway sitting up, and panting with effort. But his grip is weak, and she easily extricates herself from it.
“D-don’t go,” he says breathlessly, but she just pushes him back down on the bed. Her beautifulsad smile gets closer; she presses her lips against his. It’s the barest contact, but enough to stop his heart. she stands again, and this time he lacks too much strength to pull her back. He’s fading out again already.
But he hears her last whisper: “I’ll see you later.”
:::
After the operation, Ayato carries Hina far away, as far as he can. He’s as close to crying as he’s ever been since he was young, but this time there isn’t an older sister around to soak up his fears. Hina had been clutching him to keep from falling, but now her arms are dangling limply, and blood is streaming down each finger.
When he finally finds a safe place, he sets her down, as gently as possible. He wrenches her mask off over her head, and yanks his own mask down, and he calls her name — “Hina, Hina, Hina, Hina” — until her eyes crack open, black.
“S-sorry,” she coughs, but he shakes his head, cutting her off.
“N-no, don’t — just — just h-hang in there,” he begs. “I’ll — I’ll find you something —”
But she’s slumping. “S-sorry, Ayato,” she murmurs again. “I w-was weak after all.”
He’s stricken. “H-Hina, I didn’t — I’m sorry that I ever — I n-never meant —”
This time he is the one that’s interrupted; she’s hooked her hand around his mask and pulled him down, roughly. Their mouths meet, and then press, desperately. Then Hina shudders and shoves him away to cough blood on the ground.
“D-don’t blame Nii-san, okay?” she whispers. “It’s n-not his fault. He…he didn’t…”
Her voice fades. This time a tear does force itself out of his eye, and pools into a one of his mask’s lenses. He makes a strangled noise and lifts his arm to his teeth and tears it open, and then holds it to her mouth until she eats.