𝘡𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘴𝘶 𝘚𝘩𝘪𝘱 𝘍𝘦𝘴𝘵

[𝗥𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗼𝗸𝘂 𝗞.] 𝘙𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵

"...oku-san!".

"Ren...-san!"

"Rengoku-san!"

A golden eye circled by fiery red shot open. These screams sounded so distant, so familiar. Who had it been again? Who had screamed his name in such agony..? "Rengoku-san!". It was exactly the same, just like back then, the fight against Upper Moon Three. She had screamed so helplessly...

"Kyoujurou!". His eye shot open a second time. Rengoku hadn't even noticed that it had fallen shut again. The mist inside his head cleared up slowly. Eventually, he was able to recognize the sun beaming down on him. He instantly warmed up, the cold numbness fading away. The sun moved frantically over his face, down to his torso. It inspected him, and his wounds. "Kyojurou...". It wasn't the sun, he noticed. It was someone whimpering his name.

Ah, the Golden Girl. She was here. She was safe.

Thank the Gods.

Another minute passed, until the blurriness in his vision faded entirely. He was met by deep pools of sorrowful honey. Salty tears streamed down the girl's face, washing away some of the blood on it. He blinked up at her while reaching for her plump cheeks. They were red due to irritation. "Zenko...", Rengoku mumbled, his thumb wiping her bloody tears away. "Kyojurou!". She wailed, as she clasped a hand around his, hugging it even closer to her face. In the other hand, she held her Nichirin blade, back in its sheath, where it was protected, right next to his arm she was now clinging to.

Something told him that he had once again escaped death by pure luck.

Perhaps, his luck was named Agatsuma Zenko.

A soft kiss was pressed against the balm of his hand, accompanied by a shuddering exhale. "Thank the Gods.". Rengoku wanted to thank her instead.

Now that he was fully conscious again, he began noticing the damage he took in their last fight. There was a definite stinging pain near his left lung, located too close to his heart as would be comfortable. His head hurt as well, especially at the back. It was throbbing painfully, indicating that he had fallen and landed on it. He could only hope that it wouldn't be anything too serious. He'd get over it, no matter what. He had to.

His thumb brushed over Zenko's skin, over dried blood and a fresh cut.

He'd make sure to always come back.

"Zenko.", he repeated, gaining the girl's attention, "Are you alright?". She scoffed, tears continuously falling, "Do I look alright to you?". Rengoku sighed, causing the stinging wounds to be more noticeable. "You look alive.". Indeed, she did. With her pupils blown wide, shaking hands and heavy pants leaving her lungs. Unlike him, a lot of adrenaline was still pumping through her veins. Zenko had been fighting until a few minutes ago.

His Tsuguko had protected him once again.

"I am.", she shuddered out a breath, "And so are you.". The blonde hid her face in Rengoku's hand, nuzzling it to calm herself down. "... You're alive.".

꧁⸻꧂

"Once again not one to die, huh?", Shinobu joked, easing the tension in Rengoku's shoulders. She had just finished bandaging him up after he'd been brought to the Butterfly Estate as an emergency. Aoi had looked after Zenko, all the while, and treated her minor wounds. Somehow, Shinobu had a Deja Vu. "You should consider retirement, Rengoku-san.". How he resented that thought. "I'm perfectly fine.", the man sent her a genuine smile. It was bright as ever, yet tired. Exhausted. "You may be, but the girl won't. You're making her cry.". She began putting aside the formerly used utensils for cleaning, while sending him a serious look. "I mean it. As a colleague and as a doctor.", Shinobu hesitated for a short moment before continuing, "And as a friend.".