Held by the Hours [Koga/Hana]

Hana had eaten a couple of bites by the time Koga finished his food. If he was that hungry, she wanted him to have more. She had enough to sate her stomach for the time being. She lifted her plate and set it in his lap, but took a couple of carrots for herself for the sake of raising her energy levels. “I will be fine,” she said, her tiredness making the lie more convincing, since she wasn’t breaking down.

Hana was in her own mental turmoil right now. She believed the words Akira said to her, that he was the one that brought them all here, and if she had done her job correctly the first time, none of this would have happened. She failed then, she failed now. And how many people were losing their lives because of it?

“Ms. Hatakeyama is nearby… Would you like her to check on you?”

"Nah. I just wanna sit down and spend time with you right now. She's done enough for me as it is."

Koga was more focused on making sure she was okay. He wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed by any measure, but he wasn't blind, either. Whatever that bastard put her through remained visibly apparent from his point of view. He ran through the second plate much like the first and stretched his arms out to navigate how well he could operate his upper body. Once he finished deducing that, he motioned for Hana to come a little closer.


"I know we're not like... I don't know how much I can ask ya, but I'd like to know what yer goin' through. Even if only a little bit. Would you like to uh... rest and lay down here beside me?"

Hana nodded. She’ll ask Kaminari for help later. She sat silently as she watched Koga measure his current range of motion, and was thankful to see that it wasn’t too bad. Being motioned closer to him, she tilted her head out of curiosity, and nodded. She scooted along the floor to sit closer, only to be surprised by his next request. She froze, but to her surprise, for only a moment.

Hana crawled onto the stretcher with Koga. Since many of these stretchers were made for people wider than Koga, her petite frame could snuggle in right next to him without much problem at all. She laid her head on his shoulder, sliding an arm under him and then laying the other over his chest. She was careful with each movement, doing her best not to stimulate any of his injuries.

"Huh, I didn't expect this to feel so nice..."

Koga voiced those words with a genuine tinge of sheepishness in his grin. He knew he was the one who offered for her to climb up here and enjoy some measure of peace, but still. How could someone look so goddamn cute? He warmly held her close as he sighed, gazing up at the ceiling before his gaze settled on her completely.

It dawned on him only now that he nearly lost her, and that thought brought him no small deal of anxiety. He was never the type to worry about anyone's hide, but his own most of the time... and yet, he couldn't quite shake how terrified he felt when he heard her scream, the abject terror he felt that he might lose her.

As each emotion settled in, he held onto her a little tighter. He quietly turned his head to the side as she scratched the side of his head. Was... this the best moment to ask this sort of thing? She was practically worn out right now. No, he'd hold it off for a moment. Hana's well-being was important.

"Even if ya don't feel like speakin' at length with me about anythin' yet, I'm just glad... i get to hold you in my arms like this. I know I probably put ya through a bunch of stress, but I just couldn't help myself. Hearing you screen and seein' that fuckin' bastard lordin' over ya pissed me off."

Hana was slowly being pulled away from her guilt and that darkness she was sinking into every time Koga seemed to hold her tighter and tighter. It was in this moment that she had realized she laid down with a man. She had never been in this situation before, and frankly was too tired to really react like she normally would.

Hana lifted looked up to Koga, her eyes dulled with exhaustion. “I should have been stronger,” Hana said, a tear sliding down her cheek until it fell to Koga’s shoulder. “This was my fault... I was unable to help anyone and so many were hurt... killed.”

"Mm..."

Koga didn't particularly know what to say offhand here. He recognized, without a doubt, the impact an invasion of this magnitude likely had on her. People died. Civilian casualties were likely astronomical, to an almost historical degree. In a word, it was rough. Nothing would be the same after this. A calloused hand rose to firmly wipe the tear from her cheek as he shook his head. This wasn't her burden to shoulder. The weight did not fall entirely on her. If he had reached her sooner, maybe she wouldn't be in such a defeated mood, but he couldn't fix the past. No, the present was the only thing that mattered now.

"That's not just your cross to bear, ya know. I should've been stronger, too. I was soundly defeated twice... and I couldn't do anything right even at the end. Even now, it's pretty rough to reflect on somethin' as gut-wrenching as this shit. 'Sides..."

Koga would warmly caress her cheek as he held her close, grinning down at her with that cocksure grin she was wholly familiar with.

"Kinda' customary for the potential boyfriend to protect his potential lady, ya know? I screwed up. I need to be better. If I had reached ya sooner, coordinated with ya... maybe things would be different, but the harsh truth is. War's kinda' ruthless like that. You win some, you lose some... And we lost. Badly. But we're still alive... and we can get stronger if we all put our heads together and work hard enough, ya know? Somethin', Somethin'... the sun will rise tomorrow. Tch... sorry I kinda suck at this pep-talk thing..."

Hana brought her hand up to Koga’s as he wiped the tear from her face. She layed her delicate hand over his. He could feel a light tremble there too, a reaction to exhaustion and stress. She closed her eyes as he caressed her cheek, sniffling as she held tears back again. She was sick of crying; she hated being so sensitive all the time, but this situation was one she gave herself a pass on.

'Potential boyfriend…’ Hana thought as she rose from Koga’s shoulder and stared at him, eyes wide in a genuine surprise. Her tears stopped. She looked to want to say something, but hesitated. She pushed up a small smile, a weak one, but it was and honest smile. She nodded and then laid her head back on his chest. “I will do my best…” she said, her voice fading. “So exhausted. Can I sleep here?"

"That's the spirit. Proud of ya, Hana."

Koga maintained his smile as he warmly caressed Hana's cheek. Perhaps she was capable of maintaining her composure in difficult times like these. He certainly welcomed that sort of character development, regardless of where she intended to go next. She was building character. More importantly, she hadn't lost her resolve over any of this. A soft exhale exited his lips as he leaned his head against the pillow and gazed down at her, running hand through her hair.

"Sure, I don't mind bein' yer body pillow for today. Get some sleep, Hana. I'll be here to greet ya when you wake up. Honestly... I... should be gettin' some rest, too."

Then, he closed his eyes. Finding contentment even on a day that saw his pride wounded twice.