Rainbow Veins (By Bokkuroo on Ao3)

Chapter 12

He watched as the nurses wheeled the bed out of the room and when Keiji's mom followed, he did too. He was unsure if he was allowed or even meant to, but there was no way he would leave Keiji alone now.

They got into an elevator and finally halted in front of the entrance to the surgery.

Koutarou stood a few steps away and watched as Keiji's mother bent down to hug and kiss her son. They didn't give them much time to say goodbye and she had to be dragged away by another nurse before they continued on.

When they set off to wheel the bed through the large door, Koutarou felt the lump in his throat widen.

This was wrong. He couldn't let him leave like that. He just couldn't let them-

The moment they pushed open the door, the gazes of the two boys locked and before Koutarou could even stop himself, he had already called out a desperate "Wait!"

The nurses stopped and when they looked at him expecting, the silver haired teen didn't waste another second to rush forward and clasped at the other boys hand tightly. Before he could even find the right words to say though, the other one had already reached out to remove the mask from his face which was providing him with oxygen.

"I'm gonna be alright... I promise" he breathed out with such a shaky voice, it only made Koutarou tear up even more.

He clenched at the other boys cold fingers with both hands and bit his lip.

"I just..." he started but hesitated. "I'm so scared, Keiji."

"I know."

A sad, weak smile appeared on his features as Keiji looked up to him.

"Me too..."

And it were these words which finally made Koutarou kiss him.

Their lips touched only for a brief moment and Koutarou wasn't sure if it really happened, but as he pulled away there was a warm feeling spreading in his chest, despite the surprised look the other one gave him.

After a short moment, Keiji's expression had calmed down again and he gently squeezed Koutarou's hand, a hint of a smile tugging at his lips.

Koutarou wished this moment never ended.

However, when the nurses began to continue on, their fingers slowly entangled until Keiji's hand let go of his own completely and he was left standing there, watching as they passed through the door.

"See you then, Keiji" he muttered although the door in front of him had slid close already.

He turned around then, grabbed the hand of Keiji's still sobbing mother and led her to the waiting area.

They sat down and Koutarou kept holding her hand. He clenched at it eventually to give her support and kept muttering quiet encouraging words, until both of them fell into a tense silence, waiting for one of the doctors to come back and bring them good news.

And they did.

It was after long hours full of desperate waiting, when the doctor finally came back in the company of a surgeon.

Keiji's mother stood up and walked towards them hastily. Koutarou had barely managed to follow, as he already watched the woman breaking into tears and hugging both men to express her gratefulness. She then turned around to Koutarou, who could feel his own eyes tear up as she sent him a relieved smile. He smiled back and they walked together to the recovery room.

When Keiji finally opened his eyes again, they both sat on each side of the bed.

The doctor claimed he would be dazed from the anesthesia when he waked up, but the boy only blinked a few times, before turning his head and asking with a hazy voice

"Am I still alive?"

And when his mother told him yes and Koutarou gently squeezed his hand, Keiji squeezed back in response.

He had made it. He had made it and he had a new heart and he was alive.

And Koutarou couldn't be happier.