The Accompanist

Chapter 37: Can't Catch a Break

Boutarou carried Sayaka all the way back to her hospital room. He gently set her down atop the bed, slid his arms out from under her, and touched his lips to her forehead in a lingering kiss.

Nothing else mattered.

Not Mr. Umari, not his cruddy old man, not the nurses in the halls or even Katsumi's whereabouts. All he cared about was her.

The moment he pulled back and stood to his feet to look for a stool, Sayaka whimpered at him.

His gaze softened. "I was getting there."

Deciding a stool wasn't necessary since he wasn't the average visitor, he sat on the edge of her bed and gently took her hand, warming her cold knuckles with his lips.

Never again. Never again would he make her go through something that would suck the life out of her. Never again would he leave her alone when she needed him, even if the world was ending. And never would he let that stupid creep Katsumi get within a mile radius of her whether he was conscious enough to do something about it or not.

"No fair..." Her small voice was gentle and soft, much more normal than it usually was in times like these. In fact, he was surprised she was already back to speaking.

"What's wrong?" His thumb brushed the wetness away from her knuckles.

"You said you'd let me kiss you..."

"Mm, I did, didn't I..." Standing up and drawing the blanket to her shoulders, he paused there to gaze into her puffy obsidian eyes that bloomed like two black roses when he drew near. She was hurt. But in this moment, there was nothing he wanted more than to make her happy. "Are you okay?"

"I feel like I was never beaten up in the first place." Her arms wrapped around his neck, fingers intertwining behind his head and pulling him closer. "Com'ere."

He hovered above her face, his bangs brushing her forehead. That didn't seem like it was a lie... She was back to normal. Because of him. He really took Sayaka out of a state he didn't think could be altered within the day. Not only was she talking, but she was smiling, and it was all because he was there.

"Before I kiss you, I just want to make sure you realize..." He touched his lips gently to hers and pulled away again, unable to resist the urge to tease her. "You taste like a bad case of morning breath."

"You're not any better," she mumbled, lifting her head to give him a similar soft and short kiss. "Smelling you is like walking through a rotting fish market."

He smirked, a tear leaking out of his eye and spilling onto her cheek. "I guess I should have asked for mints after eating tilapia with a side of garlic risotto."

She blinked up at him, her dark eyes filled with concern, fingers gently sliding into the hair just behind his opposite ear and sending a warm tingle down to his stomach. "Boutarou?"

He pressed a gentle kiss to the corner of her mouth. "It's okay," he whispered. "I'm just happy I can kiss you now." But as he shifted and descended on her lips with the intention of staying there for a good long while, the sound of someone distinctly clearing their throat made them both flinch.

Boutarou begrudgingly pulled back, his eyes drifting to the nurse with discontent. Something about her seemed vaguely familiar... But he couldn't place it. Not with her face and hair hidden by a mask and a cap.

"I was told to inform all patients... Don't come out of your rooms. There is an attacker with a highly dangerous weapon currently being held at bay by a war veteran... But it doesn't seem like following protocol will be a problem for either of you."