Rainbow Veins

Chapter 20

When it went dark outside and the official visiting hours were over, Koutarou refused to go.

"I'd like to stay" he had told the nurse.

There was a bit of arguing, but in the end she let him stay.

"You don't have to" Keiji muttered when she was gone.

"I want to" Koutarou simply replied and squeezed his hand more firmly.

"What about your parents? The will be worried... "

"They know I'm here" he insisted. "Please, just let me stay."

They silently exchanged a look, before the dark haired boy closed his eyes and a faint "okay..." left his lips.

As the hours went by, they grew even more silent. At some point, Koutarou's eyes fell close and he jerked awake when Keiji clasped his fingers.

"I'm sorry" he muttered out, not even sure himself what he was apologizing for.

The clock on the nightstand said it was past midnight already. Keiji's mom still wasn't back.

"It's late already" the other stated.

"I'm not tired" he lied.

"I'm sure there's an extra bed somewhere you could sleep in. I can call the nurse if you-"

"I'm fine."

"Bokuto-san..."

"I said I'm fine" he mumbled sterner than intended.

The dark haired boy only sighed and when he suddenly let go of his hand, Koutarou was afraid he had offended him again. He was already looking up to apologize, but froze when he watched Keiji patting the empty space on the bed next to him with his now free hand.

"At least come here then."

Koutarou's eyes widened and he shook his head, trying to hide the blush which definitely formed on his cheeks.

"You don't have to... t-the tubes and everything... I don't want to-"

"We just have to be careful, that's all."

Koutarou swallowed hard. Was it even possible to refuse this boy? Probably not.

"O-okay."

He slowly got up then, climbed onto the other teen's bed and carefully lied down beside him.

Their gazes met and Koutarou felt a lump forming in his throat when Keiji lifted his hand and brushed his cheek with the back of it. It was cold and bony, since the boy had stopped eating properly since his condition worsened.

"Koutarou?"

It was the first time Keiji addressed him by his first name and Koutarou shivered. He wished it wasn't in a moment like this, when his voice sounded so weak and tired.

"If I died... will you regret that you ever met me?"

Koutarou slowly placed his own hand on the top of Keiji's and stared at him sincerely.

"I'm thankful for every moment I got to spend with you, Keiji" he whispered and watched, as tears started to form in Keiji's eyes.
Koutarou reached out and brushed a few strands of dark hair out of his face.

It was the first time he had seen the other boy cry.

There was a lot on his mind he could've told him right now. Like telling him that he won't die. Telling him he's still got a chance.
He could've told him it was okay to cry and that it was okay to be afraid. He could've told him that his mother was egoistic for leaving him alone. And that he wished there were more people at his side in times like these.

He could've told him he loved him.

Instead, he just pulled him close carefully and pressed their foreheads together.

Quiet beeping and soft whimpers were the only sound that resonated though the room, when Koutarou continued to stroke Keiji's hair, their foreheads kept pressed together tightly and both of them fell into a long awaited sleep.