𝐁𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐃 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐁𝐑𝐔𝐈𝐒𝐄𝐒 | 𝐬𝐮𝐠𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐚 𝐤𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐢

𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘦

"I'm so sorry, my juniors keep making those jokes, and I just wanted to make you laugh and take your mind off the pain!" he explained, frantically making bowing inclinations with his head. "You really didn't need to hear that, I'm so sorry - please don't think I'm some creepy guy who just hits on-" 

Y/N interrupted him by descending into a fit of cackles: messy, snorty laughs as she hunched over, still moving forwards and laughing all the harder. "Why- Why was that actually funny?"

Her voice rose in pitch towards the end of the question as she giggled even more. Koushi gave a relieved smile, also letting out a few laughs. 

"That was kinda terrible," he admitted.

"No," she shook her head adamantly. "That was peak shit quality, and I will not have you insulting exactly my type of humour."

Their joking about stopped when Koushi dropped his hand from Y/N's elbow to pull a key from his pocket as he led her up the path to the door of a house. Before he could open up, Kosako slammed open the door, a volleyball in his hands.

"Okaasan isn't home, Koushi," the younger teen said, bouncing the yellow-and-blue ball up and down. "Can I practice with your stuff?"

"No!" Koushi hissed indignantly, batting the volleyball out of his brother's hands as he studied the small step before the door. "Well. How are we going to-"

Before he could finish the question, Y/N gently pulled herself out of his grip, sitting herself down on the step itself with a wince as she unwound the laces of her skates. "I think I can walk from here. Most of the pain is along my sides, anyway."

She left the shoes lying by the door as Koushi helped her back up again, proceeding down the hallway into a cosy, small house, lit with soft yellow lamps and smelling pleasantly of bread and meat buns. 

"Go upstairs, Kosako," the older boy ordered the younger. "Don't bother Y/N."

"Oh, I don't want to be an inconve-" she started, guilt tearing at her for intruding into this family home. 

Kosako just shrugged, taking the fallen volleyball into his hands and bounding away, leaving Koushi to turn to Y/N with a long-suffering sigh. "Sorry about him."

"It's fine," she shrugged. "I am sorry, though, I never- shit!"

Y/N hissed in pain as one of the boy's fingers accidentally brushed her arm, coming away tinged with red. She sat on the nearby couch, careful not to stain its leather. 

"Right, let's get on the injuries," Koushi reminded himself, digging around in some kitchen cupboard until he came back with a First-Aid kit. Unpacking a box of Band-Aids, he gave a hesitant smile. "Let's start with the small ones, okay?"

She nodded, taking one of the small bandages and unpeeling it, sticking it over her left elbow, which only sported a small scratch. Without warning, she suddenly found Koushi's face extremely close to her own, his eyes focused in concentration as his long fingers softly pressed a Band-Aid into her cheek. Though she didn't intend it to happen, Y/N began to blush, quickly forcing herself to look away from his piercing gaze and inspect the rest of her body.

Long scrapes marred her s/c skin in dripping blood, though there was nothing drastic enough for stitches or any need to be hospitalised. Grateful, Y/N went to grab the gauze, but was beaten by Koushi. 

"It's probably easier if I do it," he suggested, motioning for her to extend her arm, rolling the white fabric around first one wound, then the other. And then another.

"Jeez, I really did do a number on myself," she muttered, somewhat impressed how one fall had banged her up so badly. 

He hummed in agreement, taping the last bit of gauze with a click of his tongue. "Anywhere else where it hurts?"

Y/N took a moment to think, wincing when she came to the answer. "On my- um, on my side."

Both of them felt heat rise in their cheeks when they realised what exactly she was referring to.

"I- I- if you don't want me to-" Koushi began to stutter, clearing his throat about fifty times a second. 

Y/N inhaled deeply, choosing to just roll up the edge of her torn shirt just enough for the sizeable tear in her skin to be visible, not exposing anything ... else. "It's alright."

The moment felt surprisingly, inexplicably intimate, Koushi's gentle fingers feverishly warm against her skin as he used the ultimate care and delicacy. 

"Finished," he declared a moment later, his voice husky as he cleared his throat again.

"Thanks," Y/N whispered, standing slowly. Koushi didn't move back, and she found herself almost chest-to-chest with the boy who stood just a little taller than her. 

Why were they so close ... and why didn't she mind?

⊱ ──────ஓ๑♡๑ஓ ────── ⊰

thank you for reading this
book and i hope you enjoy it!
~ jazzi