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Aira smiled. Today was going to be a good day.
He had two amazing partners, and for the first time in a while, both of them were actually free at the same time as himself. Finally, a group date! He swung his hands back and forth excitedly, each one clasped in a partner's hand.
It seemed like forever since they'd been able to go out at all. Aira had been especially busy lately (he'd been forced to spend extra time after class studying after his last failed exams), and Hiiro and Kohaku refused to go out without him, since "we aren't dating, after all." He couldn't help but roll his eyes at the thought.
It was obvious that his partners liked each other; it had been for months. Aira had even confronted Kohaku about it once. The other had frantically denied it (as if Aira cared about monogamy when he was already dating both of them, geez ) until finally, when she did admit it, she'd still insisted "Hiiro-han definitely doesn't like me, though." Dummy.
Kohaku had been the one to get Aira and Hiiro together in the first place, and yet all the same signs she'd used then to convince him that "obviously he's in love with you" were now being interpreted as "totally platonic" for some stupid reason, simply because they were directed at her instead of Aira. That said, Kohaku had made him promise to say nothing, so he'd reluctantly obliged.
As for Hiiro, Aira was never quite sure what was going on in his head, but he could tell that whatever emotion it was Hiiro looked at him with, it was the same one he directed at Kohaku. If that emotion was love (and he was pretty sure it was, after about a year of dating), then it was obvious he loved Kohaku, too.
Aira sighed. If only one of them would just confess…
He'd let go of their hands, trailing behind a bit while the other two rushed ahead to argue over who would buy their drinks at the boba shop they were heading towards. He half-watched, not paying much attention as he strolled casually, lost in thought.
He was then yanked from behind by the collar of his shirt into the nearest alleyway. "Gyak—!"
He was forced roughly against a wall, a masked person covering his mouth with their hand as they held a knife to his throat with the other.
Aira let out a muffled scream. His mind raced. Did they want money? He didn't have cash! We get paid in L$! What am I even supposed to do here!?
Then, a foot flew into the side of his attacker's head, knocking them to the ground.
"Leave Aira alone." No sooner had they landed than Hiiro had already rushed back to Aira's side, standing in front of the smaller boy protectively. He then turned to face him, face etched with concern. "Aira, did they hurt you?"
Aira was too stunned to respond, still searching for words when he saw the assailant struggling back to their feet, before rushing in to attack Hiiro, who's back was still turned. "Hiro-kun, watch out—!"
Hiiro whipped around, but before the knife could reach him, it was intercepted.
"Oi, Hiiro-han, pay better attention, will ya?!" Kohaku had grabbed the knife, redirecting the energy back towards their attacker. They now had a large gash on their cheek, but that was seemingly not enough to deter them, as they and Kohaku struggled for control of the knife.
Hiiro stepped forward to help. I need to protect her—!
"Hiiro-han! Grab Rabu-han and get out of here!"
Hiiro hesitated. He looked at Aira, still paralyzed with fear. He looked back at Kohaku, struggling against an attacker nearly twice her size.
"Now!" Kohaku barked.
Hiiro nodded grimly, and scooped up Aira into his arms.
"Hey, what are you—!" Aira was cut off as Hiiro started running, as fast as he could, to ensure he got their boyfriend to safety.
We both agreed we would protect him, no matter the cost.
"Hiro-kun!" Aira shouted, still being carried bridal-style as Hiiro ran. "Stop! We can't just leave her behind!"
No matter the cost… Hiiro's footsteps slowed, ever so slightly. No matter… even if…
He slowed to a stop, before shoving Aira into the nearest building. "Hide in here, please."
"Oi! Hiro—" The door slammed in Aira's face, and Hiiro raced back to the alleyway.
When he returned, Kohaku was the only one remaining. She turned at the sound of footsteps. "Ah, Hiiro-han? I thought I told'ja to…" She swayed on her feet. "Idiot…" she mumbled, starting to tip over.
Hiiro rushed to her side, catching her just in time to lower her gently to the ground. "Kohaku!"
"Eh~ don'tcha usually call me Kohakucchi…?" She smirked deliriously. "So you do know my name, after all…"
Hiiro just held her, slowly realizing, to his increasing horror, that he was crouched in a puddle of blood, matching the large splotch of red on Kohaku's torso. No… that can't be…
"Hiro-kun?" A voice from the edge of the alleyway called, before a loud gasp. "Kohakucchi!"
Aira rushed to Kohaku's other side. "Kohakucchi! Can you hear me? You're gonna be ok, got it?!" His voice began to choke up. "You have to be okay, understand?!"
Kohaku just gazed back up at him, smiling softly. "You're okay." She looked at Hiiro as well, gaze still equally fond. "You both are."
"Of course we're okay!" Aira cried. "You'll be okay, too! You just need to hold on a bit longer…"
Kohaku brought up a bloodstained hand to Aira's cheek, wiping away a tear with her thumb. "I'm so happy." She brought her other hand up to Hiiro's cheek, cupping it softly. "As long as y'all are safe, I can rest easy."
Hiiro just sat there, stunned. He barely registered the touch to his face, or the sticky feeling of semi-dried blood as it rubbed against his cheek. This can't be happening. This isn't real.
Kohaku laid in his arms, bleeding out, holding the faces of the other two in each of her palms. She struggled to keep her eyes open, even as tears began to blur her vision. "I love you. I love you both so, so much. Never forget that." Her eyes began to flutter closed, as she gave up fighting. "Goodbye."
She went limp in Hiiro's arms. Aira screamed, sobbing, begging her to wake up.
Hiiro didn't do anything. He didn't say anything. He didn't think anything.
He just sat there, frozen. Silent.
The next few hours were a blur. Hiiro didn't remember moving, but somehow, he wasn't in the alley anymore. Instead, he was curled up into a ball on a bench in a hospital waiting room. Aira huddled close to his side, sobbing. Kohaku wasn't in his arms anymore.
There was a blanket around his shoulders, and he noted he was holding it firmly around his shoulders, grip so intense that his fingers had turned white. He idly wondered when he'd gotten it in the first place.
"Aira…?"
The boy in question looked up from where he'd buried his face into Hiiro's shoulder, and gasped. "Hiro-kun!" He rushed to hug the other tightly. "You weren't responding—they said it was shock—and I—"
Hiiro opened his arms to pull Aira under the blanket with him, and the other readjusted his grip accordingly, wrapping his arms around Hiiro's torso so the other could pull him into his lap, arms held around him protectively. "I'm sorry. I'm here now."
Aira went silent, and then fresh tears began to well up. "You dummy…" He buried his face into the other's chest, engulfed by the blanket along with his boyfriend's arms. He spoke up once more, voice now quieter and slightly muffled. "I'm just glad you're okay."
"Umu." The two sat there for a while, taking comfort in the other. Neither knew how long they sat there; it could have been anywhere from seconds to years. It didn't matter. They had each other.
And soon, they would all be together again. Surely.
While they waited, Hiiro tried to process what had just happened. It was only fair, as apparently Aira had been the one doing everything to even get them here in the first place. I was weak. I'm supposed to protect Aira. I'm supposed to be strong. Instead, he had to do everything… I failed…
Focus. He could wallow in self-pity later. For now, it was time to pick up the slack and be the strong one. Aira had been far too strong for long enough.
He hugged the teary-eyed boy closer to his chest, and forced himself to remember.
Blood. So much blood. Too much—
He squeezed his eyes shut. Don't think about that.
He was usually unbothered by blood. Back home, he'd hunted plenty of different animals, even helping to butcher them on occasion. (Not to mention the fact that Rinne had a scientific interest in the various animals he caught, and would often invite Hiiro to view the results of his latest dissection, much to the younger's chagrin.) Kohaku's blood though… he shuddered at the thought.
Aira's arms tightened around Hiiro's waist at the movement. He squeezed back, conveying his unspoken gratitude for the comfort.
I really don't deserve him, Hiiro couldn't help but think to himself as he rested his head on top of Aira's.
Kohaku deserved him. Kohaku, who was so kind, caring, protective…
Kohaku, who'd gently caressed their faces, even as she could barely move from the pain. Who'd struggled to keep her eyes open, to say she loved them one last time before allowing herself to rest.
Wait.
She'd said she loved them.
Both of them.
"Aira…" Hiiro spoke up, hesitantly.
"Hmm…?" Aira reluctantly lifted his head from where it rested on Hiiro's chest to look the taller boy in the eye. He absentmindedly wiped a stray tear, trying to act normal (as if anything was normal about the situation).
"Kohaku… before she—well… she…" Hiiro struggled to broach the topic. Did I mishear? Misremember? "She said she loved us… right?"
Aira just smiled sadly. "Yeah, she did."
Hiiro reiterated his point, just to be sure his boyfriend understood him properly. "She said she loved both of us."
"Yeah…?" Aira processed this, slightly furrowing his brows for a moment, before his eyes widened. The soft, melancholy-yet-fond smile returned to his face. "Yeah, she did. Both of us."
Hiiro was confused. "I thought she only loved you, though?"
"Then why would she say that?" Aira asked, smirking a bit.
"I don't know, that's why I'm asking."
"Hiro-kun, you're a real dummy sometimes, you know that, right?" Aira sighed, rolling his eyes. Then his expression shifted, looking somewhat uncertain. "Do… Do you love her?"
Hiiro tilted his head. "I love you, though…?"
Aira huffed, "I'm allowed to love both of you, aren't I?"
"Of course." Hiiro said. He meant to continue, insist that it was different, but then… he paused. He thought about it, carefully considering the idea.
He thought about how the same warm feeling he got around Aira also seemed to linger in Kohaku's presence, as well. He thought about how he felt safe around her. About how, even when the two of them would playfully fight for Aira's attention, he still enjoyed the attention from her just as much as he enjoyed Aira's.
"Oh." His face flushed. I love her.
Aira nodded approvingly. Hiiro thought some more.
He thought about how she'd told both of them to run, not just Aira, even though she knew he could fight, knew he could have helped her against their attacker. He thought about how she'd trusted him to protect Aira, even when she couldn't be there. How she'd protected both of them.
How she'd cradled both of their faces in her hands, and looked at him with the same warm, affectionate gaze she'd directed towards Aira, as well.
How she'd given her final confession before saying goodbye. How she'd gone limp in his arms.
Tears began to well his eyes. "Oh."
Aira just gave him an empathetic, sad look, and Hiiro knew he understood.
We both love her, and she loves us… but now… she's…
They hugged each other tightly, praying that it wasn't too late.
…
"She's awake." The doctor barely got out those two words before the two boys were already pushing past her to get to Kohaku's room.
They then stopped at the end of the hallway, realizing they didnt actually know where her room was. The doctor sighed before pointing them in the correct direction.
They sheepishly thanked her, walking to the correct room while avoiding eye contact. (Well, Aira was sheepish, Hiiro displayed no visible signs of shame, as per usual.)
When they entered the room, however, any shame they may or may not have had was forgotten as soon as they laid eyes on Kohaku. She looked surprisingly well, all things considered—there was an IV inserted into her arm, along with a few bandages visible, but the largest injury had been the stab wounds in her abdomen, which was currently hidden under her hospital gown—she certainly didn't look like someone who'd been on the verge of death just hours prior.
The two rushed to her bedside. Aira didn't hesitate in practically throwing himself at her, relieved beyond measure. "Kohakucchi~!" She lifted herself up a bit, so he could waste no time in hugging her tightly. "You're okay~!"
She hissed, "shit—Rabu-han, careful—!" Aira jumped back as Kohaku winced in pain.
"Sorry, sorry!" He frantically examined her, head whipping around to see if the doctor was in the room. "Did I hurt you?"
"No, no, I'm fine," she reassured him, laughing slightly. "Just a bit sore, is all."
Aira sighed, sagging in relief. "Okay. You're okay. Okay…" He repeated this mantra a few times under his breath, as if trying to reassure himself.
Kohaku grabbed his hand, snapping him out of his reverie. "I'm okay," she confirmed. "Sorry for making y'all panic like that, but I'm tough, so ya don't gotta worry about me, got it?"
"How were we not supposed to worry after that?!" Aira huffed, cheeks flared out in a way Kohaku always thought was quite reminiscent of a hamster's. Then, his angry expression started to fade, replaced with something far more somber and scared, that made her heart ache. "You were talking like you were… like you were going to…" His voice started to break, and he trailed off as tears started to well up in his eyes.
Kohaku brought a hand up to cup his cheek, wiping away a stray tear that managed to fall (in a way that felt far too familiar for comfort). "Rabu-han. I'm fine. Really." She smiled up at him reassuringly, trying to calm him down. Aira's tears hurt about ten times worse than any stab wound ever could.
He sniffled, bringing his own hand up to the one on his cheek, lacing their fingers together. "Promise you'll never do anything that stupid ever again, okay?"
"Promise," she lied.
"Okay." Aira closed his eyes and took a few calming deep breaths. Kohaku squeezed his hand to help ground him. "Okay. I'm okay. You're okay." He opened his eyes, doing his best to match Kohaku's comforting smile with his own shaky grin. "We're all okay."
"We are." Kohaku repeated, firmly and confidently. "We're all okay, Rabu-han."
"Okay." He sniffled, squeezing Kohaku's hand once more before standing back up and stepping back a bit. He cleared his throat, trying to regain his composure. "I'm—I'm fine. Hiro-kun, there was something you wanted to talk to her about, wasn't there?"
Kohaku just now noticed that unlike Aira, Hiiro had frozen before reaching her side, instead standing awkwardly near the foot of the bed, fidgeting with his hands a bit.
She smirked. "C'mon, I can't even beat you up like usual. What're ya afraid of?"
Hiiro looked away, before Aira gently took one of his hands and tugged him to stand at Kohaku's side properly. The smaller boy gave him an encouraging look, and Kohaku wondered just what exactly he was so scared of in the first place.
Hiiro took a deep breath, in and out, before finally speaking up. "You said you loved us. Both of us."
Oh. Kohaku's heart stopped. I did say that, didn't I?
In her defense, she'd already been pretty delirious at that point, and any memories from before she'd passed out were still pretty foggy. (Not to mention the sheer volume of pain medication she was on currently, clouding her memories even further.) Besides…
"I didn't think I'd live long enough to have to answer that."
"Excuse me?!"
Shit. She'd said that out loud, hadn't she.
"What do you mean you thought you wouldn't… that you thought you were gonna…" Tears welled up in Aira's eyes once more, and Hiiro looked equally alarmed.
Kohaku frantically attempted to backpedal. "I mean—I didn't—I just—" Shit, shit, fuck, dammit, fucking hell.
Hiiro, thankfully, decided to press onward instead of lingering on the point. "You specified that you loved both of us. Not just Aira. Why?"
"Well, because, um," Shit shit shit shit shit— "I was, um, you know, kinda out of it and—"
Aira shot her a look that said if you finish that sentence I'll fucking kill you myself right here right now don't even try it, and she wisely decided to shut up.
Hiiro didn't seem to notice, as Aira turned back to him with a look of pure, innocent encouragement on his face. "C'mon Hiro-kun, tell her."
Tell me what…?
"I… You see, I… um…" Hiiro's face went bright red, and he struggled to get the words out. Kohaku's heart raced with anticipation and fear. He's going to reject me, it's going to be awkward as hell and I'll have to break up with Rabu-han, and I'll never be able to talk to him or Hiiro-han ever again, and Rinne-han will kick me out of Crazy:B for messing with his brother, and— "I love you too."
What.
"I love you, too." Hiiro repeated, more forcefully this time. "I realized in the waiting room, I was thinking about it and…" Tears started to form, and Kohaku's heart stopped. Aira crying was bad enough, but not too unusual. Hiiro on the other hand… "I thought I might never be able to tell you. That I might've been too late."
Oh, Kohaku realized, blankly registering as Hiiro's body shook with silent, repressed sobs, and tears began streaming down his face. He really means it, huh…?
He loves me…
Kohaku smiled once more, that same, fond smile she gave Hiiro before, when she'd confessed the first time. She took his hand, freezing him in place. "Thank you, Hiiro-han. I really do love you, too."
Hiiro just stared at her, frozen in shock, before his face began to crumple. "Kohakucchi…"
She sighed, opening her arms invitingly. "Alright, get in here, ya big baby. Just be careful, will ya?"
Hiiro wasted no more time, quickly going in for a hug (though still careful not to aggravate her injuries) as he broke down crying. Kohaku rubbed his back, trying to be comforting despite how awkward it felt to have the larger boy curled up and hunched over so he could bury his face in her shoulder.
Aira took advantage of the opportunity to wrap his arms around them both. "Now we can all date each other, and we can all be happy, okay? No more hiding our feelings, got it?"
They all nodded in agreement, not one of them intending to actually follow through with this promise.
"Deal."