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English
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Published:
2020-08-25
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1,369
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1/1
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Don't let me fall

Summary:

Falling wasn't an issue, Chidori Takasaki was.

Notes:

I'm not sure if people still read this fandom but if by some chance there's someone left out there, hey there I hope you enjoy.

Work Text:

If I’m completely honest, I knew this was bound to happen sooner or later. There had been instances where my wheelchair would tilt slightly when going over the roots of the trees or would get caught on some small rock while going over the road. I had made a mental note to be more careful when passing through. Yet here I find myself, laying down on the cold grass looking up to the leaves of the trees that cover the surroundings of our school. 

 

I’m such an idiot, I mutter to myself. To be fair, I’d attribute this incident to my Amitie partner who left me alone when she went back to our room to bring the bag we forgot. Yet that wouldn’t be fair since I was the one who decided it was a good idea to continue by myself and wait for her in the lake. 

 

Yes, I was confident. I had traveled through the woods before when I chased her to the spot where we promised to hide our little secret about the incident months before with no complications. 

 

Foolish of me to think I’d have the same luck again. 

 

A sigh escapes my lips, I guess saying I wasn’t lucky isn’t accurate; I was lucky enough to not hit my head too hard and fall unconscious, nor I have a concussion and my bones are still fine. Although it seems my wheelchair didn’t have the same treatment, from where I can see, the wheel has a dent and one footrest is facing the wrong direction.

 

 Well, damn it.

 

 I would have moved by now but dragging myself through the floor would make my uniform dirty and heck, I’m not going to crawl like an animal until I get to the road and wait for the first unlucky girl to see me. I have standards too. And besides, I don’t feel like asking help from a bunch of people I barely know. 

 

I wonder what would Chidori think if she saw me like this. Would she blame herself for leaving or would she berate me for being careless? I let a chuckle escape and close my eyes. I never thought I would be self-conscious of what someone thought of me. Sure, Sister Basquiat’s opinion of me is also something I’m also conscious of, given that she took care of me for a long time, but it doesn’t really feel the same when I think of what Chidori may see in me.

 

Maybe it’s because of how our relationship has changed since we met. I’m not sure. In any case, I won’t accomplish anything laying here and I must move, eventually. 

 

As I try to move my body to sit, I hear some footsteps and the bushes rustling. I’m tempted to call but I recall one of the Seven mysteries of the school, The Wendigo is the first to come to mind. I don’t really know much about it and I ought to ask our blondie friend about it. I smile at how ridiculous it is for me to remember such things right now. 

 

“Oi! You there!” I call out.

 

The footsteps come to a halt and bushes are rustling no more. Jackpot. 

 

“I need a hand here!” 

 

I hear them coming closer to me, and I put into my best smirk before facing them. To my surprise, the first thing I noticed was the green hair from the distance. Wow, my luck must suck more than I thought. I can’t believe it was the last person I wanted to see me like this. 

 

“...Erika?” the disbelief in her voice makes me smirk wider. “What are you doing here?”

 

“Oh? Haven’t you heard of people that come in contact with nature to cleanse their souls? I was hoping I could get some of my classmates to join me in this purification journey.”

 

She frowns and ignores my sarcasm, as usual, and  glances around, spotting my wheelchair. Realization spreads through her face and the next thing I know is that she’s over me.

 

“W- wait, Chidori!” 

 

“You’re not hurt, are you?” there’s a slight hint of panic in her tone and I can’t stop a flush appearing on my face. Who would have known that someone worrying about me would make me feel this way? She crouches in front of me and starts inspecting my face. I have to deviate my gaze away from her pale skin peeking behind her uniform.

 

“H-hey, calm down. I’m ok,” I try to put my hand over hers to separate them from me but Chidori isn’t taking the hint and I eventually have to give up and let her inspection me as if I was some kind of gem that fell to the floor and she’s some kind of alchemist that can’t let their work go to waste.

 

Give me a break, I mutter to myself. Chidori doesn’t seem to have heard or if she did, she simply chose to not comment on it. The atmosphere is awkward, I’m not accustomed to having someone take care of outside things like bathing and helping me change in the morning. It feels way different. It’s like some kind of intimate moment, and I can feel Chidori’s actual worry. It makes my chest burn and heart ache.

 

I put a hand on her arm and squeeze her slightly, "Hey, seriously, I'm fine. It was just a little accident."

 

Her stern face doesn't change and it reminds me of how she used to glare at others when she first transferred.

 

Although, I'm sure this time isn't her trying to squint her eyes to get a better look at other people, but actual annoyance. I'm pretty sure it's directed at herself. 

 

"Don't beat yourself over it. It's not your fault."

 

"!" Oh, she looks surprised. Is it really surprising? I've been able to tell what she's thinking most of the time ever since we met, this should be normal for her by now. 

 

"Come on, I'm not mad at you. You didn't do anything wrong."

 

"But I shouldn't have left you alone. Sister Basquiat trusted me to take care of you and yet I did something like that."

 

"Okay, first of all, she left you in charge of helping me with the troublesome morning routine. You aren't responsible for me in any other way," I say, crossing my arms and glaring at her. "I can take care of myself in any other way and what just happened was just a slip from my part, therefore, my error. There's no need for you to worry about something like that."

 

"And what would you have done if something bad had happened to you?" She retorts, and I have nothing to come back at her with, she has a point. "We're Amities, you're not alone anymore, Erika. It's my duty to look after you and it was careless of me to leave you on your own in this place."

 

Silence falls and I'm too annoyed to even say anything. She keeps looking for any sign of injury and asks me if something hurts to which I only answer with nods or shake my head.

 

Some time passes before Chidori stops and wraps her arms around my body and buries her face on my shoulder. This act of affection takes me by surprise and I can feel my faces flushing. 

 

"I'm glad you're okay."

 

"...thanks for coming, Chidori," I say.

 

I've become a sap during the time we've been together. I don't think is bad, but it still surprises me when such things leave my mouth.

 

Chidori moves and moves her hand below my legs and easily lifts me up. "H-hey!" I protest, I've never been carried outside our room or in the bath and may god be dammed if someone were to see us.

 

"Let's go back, we can come to the lake anytime,", Chidori says smiling.

 

"What about the wheelchair?"

 

"I can retrieve it later. I’m sure Sister Basquiat will understand what happened.”

 

Yeah and issue a punishment for us, I mutter and I can see Chidori smiling brightly. I sigh and wrap my hands around her neck, ready to leave this place. 

 

“Don’t let me fall.”

 

“I would never."