she can hear the small pitter patter of eri’s feet from down the hall,  and when she’s in the doorway,  rumi turns away from the boring ----- but necessary evil -----  of paperwork and official records to give her daughter her full attention.   her work can wait if it’s for eri.   a smile already plays on her lips,  softer than her usual wide grins that she gives the public,  as she looks at the girl,  spying the way she holds her arms behind her back,  not so subtly hiding a gift.

     “  oh ?  did you ?   well,  don’t leave me hangin’,  show me !  “   she holds her palms outstretched,  and when the paper is placed into her hands she wastes no time in looking at the drawing on the front.   it’s very obviously a child’s drawing,  between the splashes of color and the shaky lines.   she absolutely loves it.

          he’d avoided wataru as long as he possibly could, going longer than he should have without going to class and using shortcuts he had picked up in his almost three years at the school to avoid the third year class entirely in the hopes that he could continue to hide his continually deteriorating condition from the source of it.  not that he’d blame the other boy---  he couldn’t have known, it wasn’t his fault at all.

          all to spare wataru’s feelings---  surena doesn’t think he can bear to hear his affection isn’t returned, and he doesn’t want to push unwanted feelings onto someone who deserves better.  there’s only so much avoiding he can do though,  and when they finally run into each other,  it’s all he can do to smile and dance around the questions about where he’s been and if he’s feeling alright.

          and then he nearly falls over in a fit of coughing,  the delicate flower petals blooming in his lungs falling into his hands as he desperately tries to hide them.  the blood that comes up with them sticks to his hands.  he could have pretended that the petals were just remnants of him wandering around the school gardens,  but he’s not quick enough to hide the blood,  staining his palms red.

          his breathing comes weakly,  and he thinks there’s still flowers in his throat with the choked feeling he gets.  it would be easier to admit defeat,  but a halfhearted smile makes its way to his face,  and he looks up to his classmate,   “  it’s nothing,  don’t worry about it,  hibiki - kun!  “

    ❛ ...ah. i’m sorry for worrying you, my girl. i should have realized you’d be able to hear it, what with that brilliant quirk of yours, ❜  nolite timere is on your tongue as if there is not a backlog of blood lodged in your larynx, as if you’re not the old veteran who’s still-at-war body is perpetually waiting for someone to martyr it, as if your pulse is not skipping lines / thrumming in fingertips again, something dying & restless & wanting escape  ---  ❛ it’s just a simple heart murmur. the valves stiffen a bit with age, ❜  a half truth eclipsed on the latter; that’s the wrong diagnosis, it’s not the age & she probably knows that, given your condition. they do not know the full extent of it, though; it is best that way. to them, maybe, it might still not be right for you to be able to bleed / isn’t right / for the god made golden hero / to have blood so red.  ❛ it’s natural, nothing to be concerned about, i assure you ! ❜

Leia was heading to the shared kitchen in the dorms, wanting to find a cool snack to eat after training, and spotted Kosei sitting directly under the air conditioner. He must have just returned the dorms after being outside as he was a bit flushed, probably from the heat.

     it had always been assumed that wataru had gotten his flowers from  somewhere,  surena just had never quite been sure.   though now,  he’s more than delighted to be a hidden part of his magic show,  a helping hand to keep his fanciful displays going,  no matter how small a part that may be.

     the bundle of roses,  wrapped with care so as his classmate can keep them safe with no worries of damaging the flowers,  fits safely in one hand has he holds out his other.   he’s always been good at secrecy----   mostly because he could never bear the thought of betraying someone’s trust by giving away little secrets,  even ones as seemingly pointless as this,  but also because he really had nothing to gain by telling anyone.

     when their pinkies wrap together,  a childish symbol of a promise but still something surena was entirely willing to honor,  he adds softly   “  your secret’s safe with me,  i promise.  “

“Usa! Can’t you hurry up with that?” The petite woman called with a roll of her eyes. The more she animated a single object the more of it’s own personality it gained, so Usagi, having been with her since she was a child, was mostly it’s own person by now.

mine on nATSU DID THE SAME THING THE ONLY WAY TO ACCESS IT ON CHROME IS LIKE. TO CLICK THE LOAD UNSAFE SCRIPTS OPTION ????? if theres a better fix lmk tOO bc im so annoyed about it FGDHSJ

          you should have figured he could see any flimsy excuse you give.  you should expect no less from the person you look up to,  whose magic had captivated you from the start and who you’d been chasing behind since the beginning of what would eventually be your  /  his  /  their downfall.

                      still,  it would be easier if you didn’t have to look him in the eyes as you struggle and fail to convince him you’re fine,  you’re fine,  you’re fine,  like you always say when someone asks.  you stare at him for a moment before you let your eyes drift to the side.

  “  i’m fine,  wataru - niisan ----   don’t treat me like a child that needs to be taken care of.  “