Rosario and Joestar

[x]Approach her seriously and with concern.

You make your way towards Mizore, who turns toward the tap-tap of your shoes against the floor and damn near lights up when she sees you.

It was one thing to see her from out in the hall, but now that you're up close... in a word, she got fucked up.

Asking if she's okay seems like an astoundingly stupid question in light of her obvious condition. You can't really say nothing, though. "...hey."

Even if you couldn't feel the quartet of judgmental stares boring into your back, you'd still be aware that that was pathetic.

Mizore doesn't seem to mind, though, the bandages around her mouth twisting up as she smiles. "Hey."

Grr... you appreciate that she's happy to see you, but energy spent on conversation is better used healing, especially when her voice is so coarse. "Don't talk--"

The Snow Woman quietly shushes you, before patting a space next to her on the bed. A bit awkwardly, you turn around and take a seat, at which point Mizore shamelessly leans on you without consideration for all that burn ointment getting on your uniform.

Well, whatever... even though it's a nuisance, it'll wash out. More concerning is how unusually warm Mizore is; you'd long since gotten acclimated to the contact chill that results from her elemental nature, but at this moment her body almost feels like it's at room temperature.

Reaching out and lacing her fingers in yours, Mizore gently traces the number 2 against you with her thumb.

Two? Is she saying she needs or wants two of something? Or could it be that she's referring to the second instance of something having happened?

A playful shoulder bump breaks you out of your musings, and with a faint nod she indicates the peanut gallery outside while tracing a 'W'. W...? None of your friends' names start with a W, but Yukari's a witch--

...oh.

Back at Witch Hill, when you all fought The Memory Remains together. You'd honestly forgotten that the phantom Kars burned Mizore pretty badly before Inner Moka fought him -- mostly because it was in your peripheral vision, then you were distracted with the Stand, then you yourself passed out when the battle was over, and then by the time you woke up Mizore had already fully recovered.

Which makes this the second time Mizore's been burned half to death trying to help protect or rescue someone from an enemy you were fighting.

Great. Just goddamn great. If you were stronger... faster... maybe just smarter, then this probably could've been avoided.

And for all that you and Tsukune tried modeling a more positive example for the student body of Youkai Academy to follow when the two of you spared Kuyo's life, you have no idea how effectively that's going to take or even if it will, in which case the entire school minus the people you personally know might well relapse into being a hostile environment where damn near everyone you meet is an enemy.

How many more times are you going to let shit like this happen? How much more are you going to bask in the fortune that nobody dies in one of these fights before that luck runs ou--?!

Mizore's hand squeezes yours, tightly. With more strength than you expected, honestly.

I'm not going anywhere, she's telling you. I've been through this before and I'm gonna be alright.

...Mizore is strong. You're not sure you would've been able to tolerate her for so long, much less come to like her if she hadn't at least been comfortable in a scrap.

But for a half-second, part of you can't help but want to go back.

Back to before Youkai Academy, when getting into fights that left people in the hospital wasn't a big deal.

Back when it was so much easier because you didn't have nearly as much to lose.

God, a decent smoke would do wonders for this... but no, you're in a damn school infirmary with faculty all over the place, so you can't right here. Damn it.

You feel Mizore shifting against you, and by the time you can think to turn and see what she's doing, she's left a sticky, medicinal-smelling kiss on your cheek. "I love you."

You love her too. And that's exactly what makes your demonstrated inability to protect her agonizing.

"You're tense," Mizore whispers, and it takes a world of patience for you not to snap at her to save her strength. Even if you objectively know she's stronger than she looks right now, even if she just showed you a glimpse of that, none of it makes it any easier to deal with how much you're fucking worried about her. "They'll get it, senpai. Talk to them."

[]No. You're not dealing with stupid touchy-feely shit right now. Any time you're not with Mizore or stuck in classes, you need to be going out and making yourself stronger so that the next psychotic freak you fight doesn't come within inches of wiping out your entire friend group.
[]As much as it absolutely infuriates you to work on something that isn't solving the actual problem, Mizore... might have a point. Pushing away your friends to protect them from your own goddamn weakness sounds great right up until you admit to yourself that most of your enemies were people you beat with their help.

Your heart heavy with frustration you can't easily disperse, you get back up to your feet with a sigh and one last squeeze of Mizore's hand. "I love you too."

"I'll be right here," she promises.

You tug the brim of your hat down over your eyes, and make for the door.