Vermilion Blur

(Pt. 2) Clipped

An exhausted voice whispered behind her ear, sending an involuntary shiver down her spine.

"I'm sorry about this, Kid."

(y/n)'s head snapped back into the stranger's nose. His hand shakily let go. She could only cringe at the loud crash that followed. Her body stood upright and stiff, clenching a fist tightly until she found the will to turn around. Her throat dried and felt like cotton was pressed into it.

After a long minute, she somehow found the courage to turn around.

All of the term notes were floating in the air, the laptop on its side on the floor. Then, there beside the stranger, the table ended up knocked over. It was a male, about nineteen to twenty-one, with an average build-short dyed blond-ish hair. Two massive red wings protruding from his back complemented his light skin. Wounds littered his body. Blood leaked onto the beige carpet. The sight of the liquid sent a wave of nausea rolling through her stomach.

(y/n) sank to her knees, staring at the ceiling. After a second, reality hit. She searched around the mess for her phone, which had gotten lost in the heat of the situation.

Once found, she shakily dialed the emergency services number.

"Come on. Come on." The long echo of the rings was the only sound except for the pained groans of the stranger.

"What is your emergency?" A woman's voice calmly echoed.

"I have someone-" a hand latched onto her wrist, and all she could do was squeak. Following the hand, the male was awake but blinking in and out. Amber-tinted eyes locked with hers as he mouthed the word no.

The woman on the other end repeated her statement, this time more urgently.

All she did was stare at the stranger; brow upturned in confusion and fright. All logical thought screamed that the stranger needed to be at a hospital.

"No! Just stop; I'm trying to help." She tried to snatch her hand away, but the male wouldn't release his grip. She tried again to yank her hand away but failed. "Let go of me." Her voice shook.

Cloudy eyes locked with (y/n)'s (e/c) ones as he started to get off the floor. Blood trickled down his pale lips.

"Let me go." She tried again, but the male refused, almost knocking her over. He rolled over, took the phone from her clenched hand, and ended the call.

"I-I can't let y-you. I won't let you. E-even if I have to end... you or d-die trying." He grunted.

With a gulp, she stared in shock.

Only then did the male release her hand, which fell limply across the open wound.

The stranger's arms couldn't support him anymore, and he plopped down, almost crushing Lumin. His face twisted with pain.

Lumin's paws were cherry pink with blood. Scrambling up, she snatched one of the black towels in the bathroom. She placed a towel over the deepest laceration and applied her body weight.

"Get off me." He grunted with a weak attempt to push her off.

"I'm-I'm sorry, I-I can't. Just don't-don't hurt me for trying to help you." (y/n)'s words tumbled out haphazardly in an anxious mess.

Finally, his head turned towards her-cloudy eyes stared into a void. Blood crawled down his forehead, drenching the white of his vision with blood.

"A head injury too? H-hope, you know I'm not qualified to help." Her hands repeatedly ran through her short (h/c) bangs.

"Ob-obviously." His lips curled into a weak smile.

"No shit Sherlock. I'm an analytical student at Tokyo University. I know nothing about medical situations." (y/n) snapped in his face.

He laughs, only for his face to contort with pain.

"Time f-for an l-lesson then." The roughness of the male's voice was deep and defensive.

(y/n) turned to study the night through the sliding glass door. She sighed, and her eyes fluttered shut with defeat.

"Fine. I'll help you until you can care for yourself." His eyes fluttered closed as an act of approval.

"Just don't give me a reason not to trust you."

~ (separate chapter or just part of this one)

She pointed to the phone, still clenched in his hand. "I... I need that back. I'm not qualified to help, but I know who is."

He glanced between her and the white phone before begrudgingly handing it over.

"Thank you. I promise it's not a hospital."

He laughs and again flinches with pain. The stranger dabbles in and out of consciousness as she scrolls through the contacts.

Not soon enough, the ring echoed in the silent apartment. Then, finally, it was answered with a soft but tired, "hello?"

(y/n) stood, ransacking the apartment for any medical supplies she could find.

"Ryuu! I'm so glad you're awake! I-I need you and Saki at my place ASAP."

"What? Why? Are you okay? You sound frightened?" His tone lowered, but he was still concerned.

"I'm fine! You'll see when you get here. Bring all the medical supplies you can."

The phone dropped as she went back to applying pressure on his wounds. All (y/n) had was a couple of band-aids. "For what kind of wounds?"

"Lacerations and burns. Maybe head trauma? I-I don't know!"

"Calm down; we'll be there in a few minutes." Ryuu clicked off, and the silence loomed overhead.

The seconds ticked by into minutes until there was a loud knock on the door. (y/n) didn't dare take her eyes off the stranger.

"It's open!"

Ryuu and (y/n)'s best friend burst into the room. He pushed her out of the way and knelt beside the stranger.

"Saki, I'm so glad you're here!" (y/n) threw her arms around the black-haired female, crying into her shoulder.

"Ew. Who is this guy? He's bleeding all over the new carpet I got you."

"Honestly, I have no idea. He'd said he didn't wanna go to a hospital and tried to hurt me when I tried."

Ryuu fumbled with a bag, pulling out several rolls of gauze. "Hope you don't have any morning classes tomorrow. Because he has quite the fever, Saki, get me some hot water and a beer. We'll be up all night making sure he doesn't die on (y/n)'s new carpet."

Saki walked into the kitchen with a huff, "How many times have I said to call me babe?"

Ryuu never responded and just continued to dress the stranger's wounds. (y/n) chuckles uncomfortably at the tension in the room.