Akari slowly opened her eyes, blinking against the bright lights of the hospital room. Looming over her was the Doctor, a woman with long, dark hair and a weary, professional demeanor etched into her features. Akari's gaze drifted to the side, where her friends Duri and Omani stood, their expressions serious and intense as they observed her.
Akari's body ached, a dull throbbing that radiated through her limbs, but she couldn't help the overwhelming sense of relief and joy that flooded her. No longer was she confined, chained, and trapped. She was free. It was almost too much to comprehend this newfound liberty, after so long being held captive.
She flexed her fingers tentatively, scarcely believing she could move them of her own volition. The Doctor began speaking, her voice low and measured, but Akari could barely focus on the words. She was alive; she was safe, and against all odds, she had escaped her prison.
The doctor noticed Akari was awake. "Hello, Rain, I am Dr Kato, I will be your doctor today, and you are recovering remarkably, your scar revision is impressive, you will have little to no scarring, but that's if you rest and don't move too much for a couple of weeks" She smiled sweetly at Akari. "But I must ask, who did your surgery?"
Akari struggled, scratching the back of her neck. "I don't know. I was out for all of it." she stared at the doctor.
"Okay" Dr Kato nodded, looking between Duri and Omani. "I will get a nurse in here to give you some pain meds. I will be back in the morning." She nodded before turning to Duri and Omani. "You two need to leave. Visiting time is over." She turned to leave.
"We are not leaving" Duri shook his head.
"You two have to," the doctor said in a stern voice. "I can't have you two in here. It is an active hospital with certain presences. It puts the patients here in danger." She commented. "Plus, I am letting it slide that she came into her with major scarring" Dr Kato moved closer to them, whispered.
Omani stared at her for a moment. "Then we are leaving" he turned away from the doctors, grabbing something.
"She needs rest and observation," Dr Kato began to argue back.
"And she will get it" Duri moved towards Akari, who just sat confused there.
"Okay, but she needs full-time care and this," Dr Kato gave Omani a prescription.
"Okay" Omani handed the prescription to Duri, who left the hospital room.
Omani pulled out an Akari hoodie and combat Converse. "Come on, mama," he said, moving towards her.
Akari looked up at Omani with big eyes. "You brought my hoodie and converse?" she asked in a weak tone.
"Yeah, why wouldn't we?" Omani looked at her for a moment.
As Omani began positioning himself next to Akari on the bed, kneeling down before her, Akari felt a sense of trepidation wash over her. She averted her gaze, unable to meet his eyes as he expertly slipped her shoes on, brushing his fingers delicately across the soft skin of her ankles. The gentle, intimate touch sent a shiver through Akari's body, and despite her initial hesitation, she found herself compelled to look down at him.
When their eyes finally met, the lightness and tenderness struck Akari in Omani's gaze. A look that caused her to draw in a soft, tremulous gasp. Unable to hold his captivating stare, Akari quickly broke eye contact, her focus returning to Omani as he methodically tied the laces of her shoes.
With his task complete, Omani then reached up to help Akari into her hoodie, draping it gently over the hospital gown she wore. As he did so, Akari found herself acutely aware of his scent, a familiar and comforting fragrance that enveloped her senses.
The closeness of his body stirred something deep within her, and she found her eyes tracing the contours of his face, drinking in the details she had once been so familiar with. She marveled at the calculated intensity of his pitch-black eyes, the elegant curve of his long, aquiline nose, and the alluring fullness of his lips. Features she had once thought she would never see again.
Duri walked in on the scene. His heart skipped a beat. He steadily walked over to him. "Let's get you home" he lifted her chin, looking into her honey-hued eyes.
Akari affirmed with a nod, flustered. The nurse entered the hospital room, removed the IV, and administered pain medication, causing her to pass out before being taken away.
….
Akari stirred slowly, her consciousness gradually returning as she awoke to the comforting presence of Duri's head nestled against her neck. His familiar, earthy scent enveloped her, a surprising yet soothing fragrance that she had grown accustomed to over time. Lifting her arm, a pang of discomfort, a dull ache that radiated through her weary muscles struck her.
Ignoring the protest of her body, she gently trailed her fingers through Duri's pin-straight hair, delicately tracing the soft lines of his small, aristocratic nose before gliding her touch over the gentle curve of his lips. Akari longed to remain in this tranquil moment, to bask in the comfort of his presence, but her growling stomach and the lingering effects of her medication reminded her that she needed this embrace to come to an end. Just as she contemplated extricating herself, Duri began to stir, his dark eyes slowly fluttering open.
"Sorry" Duri stirred to move, but Akari held his arm. "You just smelled so good," he whispered, sitting up. "Are you hungry?" He asked, tenderly.
"I need pain medication," Akari struggled, not looking at him.
"You need to eat first" Omani appeared at the door with a spoon. "Get off her" he gently kicked Duri's leg. "She is in pain"
Duri growled into Akari's neck, making her shiver. "Calm down, sweetheart, she just smells so good," he said to Omani.
Omani rolled his eyes, moving to sit in front of Akari. "Eat," he nodded to the spoon.
"Pain medication," Akari said, pointing towards her mouth.
"Eat," Duri echoed Omani's words, sitting down next to Akari on the bed. "No arguments" he leaned his head against the headboard. Akari subtly moved away a bit.
Omani tenderly cared for Akari, spooning the soup into her mouth with the utmost gentleness. As Akari ate, Omani carefully wiped away any excess from the corners of her lips, their fingers lingering on her chin for a moment, savoring the softness of her skin. Duri watched the intimate scene unfold. Suddenly, a stray lock of Akari's hair fell across her face, partially obscuring her features.
Without hesitation, Duri reached out and nuzzled the wayward strands back, his fingers grazing her forehead. In that moment, Duri realized that Akari's hair had become dirty, with the once-vibrant strands now dull and matted. The realization filled him with a pang of concern.
"Let me wash your hair later," Duri whispered softly.
"I can handle that," Akari nodded, not looking at him.
"You are in pain, we got this, especially since we need to change your dressing," Omani fed Akari, wiping her mouth.
"That's too intimate" Akari shook her head, with a frown.
"My head was in your neck. I think we are past intimacy," Duri said, looking between Akari and Omani.
"I would feel better with a nurse" Akari ate more soup, licking her lips.
Duri watched Akari for a moment. He noticed her shaking hand and the distance she had subtly made between them. "Do we make you uncomfortable?" he asked as Omani paused on her feeding her.
Akari was quiet for a moment, looking at her fingers. "Yes," she whispered.
Akari had always felt a sense of control over her own body, even if she had used it as a weapon in the past. It was hers, and hers alone, a last line of defense against the cruelties of the world. For so long, her body had been her shield, her weapon, her armor against the world.
But now, with that security gone, she experienced a sense of exposure, vulnerability, and overwhelming fear about what the future might bring. Akari found herself torn between her gratitude towards Duri and Omani, the very people who had saved her from a fate worse than death, and her own discomfort in their presence.
"Okay, we will do that," Omani nodded at her, giving her another spoon of soup.
Duri, with a sense of urgency, swiftly tapped on his phone, searching for a nurse to assist. Meanwhile, Akari, overwhelmed with emotion, found tears welling up in her eyes at the thoughtful gesture.