blackbox | kirishima eijirou

55 |12| cratered eclipse

"Sakura-chan?"

For the first time in days, her name left his callous lips, and he never thought he would see her again after everything. But he didn't expect to see her like this; stumbling into the Lycoris field, towards him, tears adorning her cratered surface as the moonlight fell over her.

No. No. No. Kirishima's small steps turned into a jog, reaching to get a clear view of what was wrong with her.

"E-Eijirou...?" She uttered out underneath the tone held back by whatever was happening to her, causing all kinds of emotions to run through him because she sounded so broken.

I'm supposed to be broken, not you.

When he reached her, he held her shoulders before feeling her weight falling onto him, causing him to let loose for her to drop on her knees alongside the redhead. The first thing he did was cradle her face, not bothering if the gesture was too much for his heart, but his heart ached when he realized the true colours of the damsel in distress.

Her dimmed hazel eyes were the first thing he noticed; fully brimmed with tears as if they were there all along, the lightning in her eyes that flickered every now and then, the burning craters surrounding the very core of the moon, and that was when Kirishima realized—the moon was crumbling.

"Eijirou..."

He was yanked back into reality when he heard the strained voice of hers, hands desperately clutching on his arms like her life depended on it—like the moon depended on the sun. Her tear-streaked face was twisted in a deep frown, lips holding back trying to seal her cries, trying to be strong.

But he knows the moon was tired of all its craters.

"Hey, hey. It's okay. I'm here. I'm here." He hushed, arms immediately wrapping around her to bring her closer, to provide the comfort she needed. Her rushed breathing was clear in his ears, and even though he tried to rub slow circles onto her back, nothing was working. He had to do something.

"Hey. It's okay. Breathe with me," he slowly breathed, trying to calm her down, trying to cast away the demons from engulfing her, trying to be the light that she needs. And when he noticed she was doing the same, she was still holding back her cries. At this, Kirishima held her tighter, placing his chin on top of her head. "I got you, Sakura. I'm here, you're fine. It's okay. Let it all out... You have to let it out..."

And she did let it out. She threw a fit, more hidden tears unveiling from the shadows, letting out cries in frustration as she pounded her fist into his chest, over and over again, and each impact was like a blow to Kirishima's heart. Tears brimmed on his own eyes, because honestly, Sakura was so broken, and it was causing all sorts of emotions to well up inside of him. But he had to hold them back, for Sakura's sake.

"I'm so—I'm so fucking tired of trying... No matter how many times I tried, no matter how hard, I'd get treated like shit... I'm so fucking sick of it...!"

After listening to those words, he couldn't help but wonder who or what caused her to be like this. Kirishima wanted to help, but he can't do it if he doesn't know what was really going on.

He felt her pressed into him, her face hidden against the redhead's chest, her arms squeezing his torso so tightly that it hurt, her voice catching as if she was trying to suppress the sobs that continued to wreck his heart.

Who? Who hurt you so much that you forgot the beauty of your own strength?

"I'm tired of being like this. I just want my parents to be proud because of me but they're not because of me. And they're all going away. I just wish I could turn back time and make things right..."