Change Never Hurt

Mizuki blinks. "Is this real?"

Mizuki sits up a third time. This time, she's properly awake. To her side, there's the soft tinkling of utensils against each other. Hinata lazily prepares himself a cup of tea, shirtless and revealing a mosaic of scars.

The bandages tightly wrapped around his waist barely do anything in covering him up. Heat rises to Mizuki's cheeks once she realises how long she's been staring. "You could have woken me up and I would have cooked something for you."

Hinata pivots around. Mizuki musters the courage to meet his eyes. The ones she has oddly missed. I kind of want to hug him right now.

Would it hurt if I do? Hinata's expression softens at the sight of her, trudging over in small and heavy steps, wincing as he totters. Mizuki stands, reaching her arms out to support him. Hinata lowers his forehead against Mizuki's shoulder. Her heart stops and she could melt.

She raises her hand around the back of his head and ruffles it affectionately. "I didn't expect to see you like this once you returned," she says, though it's only loud enough to be called a whisper. Hinata remains still and Mizuki can only wonder where he finds comfort.

"Whenever I thought about you, you weren't there with me," Hinata mutters softly and Mizuki can tell he's embarrassed from the way his ears have flushed. His face is averted away and he whuffles softly, like he's coming down with a cold.

So you've been thinking about me too. Mizuki has heard how getting too many injuries can leave your immune system prone to fevers. Her heart feels a little heavier at this speculation.

"You always get yourself into danger, idiot," Mizuki smiles.

"You try hard all the time, I had to do something too," Hinata lifts his head this time and it gets increasingly harder to focus on much else. His face is a countable distance away and they're so close that one wrong movement would send everything off the rails.

Mizuki stares, raising an eyebrow at him. Somehow, she manages to maintain eye contact, not with ease however. Hinata finally straightens his back, massaging his waist lightly with the edge of his palm.

"Can I hug you?" Mizuki asks and she says this with way too much determination. There's no harm in asking, other than the fact she might be embarrassed for the rest of her time here if he takes it the wrong way.

Is there even really a wrong way? It's not like Mizuki knows her intentions either. Hinata's eyes widen and this time, his cheeks flare. Mizuki's lips part in amusement. I didn't think he could make a face like that.

"I won't hug you back, though," Hinata silently lifts his arms to his side. Mizuki smiles, lurching forward. Out of instinct, she hugs him a little too tightly. He winces in agony but he doesn't argue. Mizuki notices him shifting uncomfortably when her arms are wrapped around a little too abrasively, loosening her grip around him a tiny bit.

Hinata stands awkwardly still, hands at his sides.

"Have you never hugged anyone before?"

"My father was never fond of me engaging in physical contact with strangers."

"Am I not a stranger?" Mizuki teases.

"Well, I've gotten far too attached to you to call you one."

Mizuki is caught off guard by the rhythm of Hinata's loud, palpitating heart. She's reluctant to separate but she does, either way. It's not like she can hold on to him forever. "I don't want to let anyone hurt you."

"Isn't that meant to be my line as your knight in shining armour?"

"Misogyny," Mizuki scoffs, rolling her eyes. Hinata lets out a laugh, knowing quite well that there's not much bite in her words. He rubs her head affectionately.

"I wish you could follow me again, I don't think I'll be safe on my adventures without you. Guess there's a reason why the Main Quest is for the both of us," Hinata suggests and he notices Mizuki visibly tense. He takes a step back, "I'm not forcing you. I don't want you to feel bad," he chuckles awkwardly.

"No, I'm not—I don't hate the idea," Mizuki coughs out. "What I'm worried about is… you… and how I'm going to get friendship levels in time to get people to join my party. Officially, that is. Or provide enough of a reason for them to. Also, I have classes with Adeline that I need to do and they're really helping."

"They're continuing for another six months, right?" Hinata forces a smile.

"Yes," Mizuki expresses. Hinata nods. "It's odd seeing you not protest everything I say," Mizuki jokes. Hinata follows, though he still doesn't have the liberty to do so properly because of his injuries. It's okay, though, for now because Mizuki's going to make sure they don't part until he's back again. And she'll hope he won't be as cold as the person he used to be before they were separated.

"I'm not letting you go out of the house until you get better. I'll stay home to take care of you for today since it's not like I have much else to do," Mizuki drags Hinata to the couch, sitting him down a lot gentler than she normally would. He looks sadly towards his cup on the kitchen counter and Mizuki gets the message to fetch it for him. "I know how to take care of myself and you too."

"You know you don't have to. I'll recover soon enough and I can start doing things around the house again. Did you manage while I was gone?"

Mizuki looks down at her bandaged arms. At least the house isn't in shambles. "In one way."

Hinata sips his tea slowly, a content smile on his face. Mizuki wonders how she hasn't seen this of him either. His hair is tied into a low ponytail unlike his usual style and it looks a little shorter than she recalled.

"Did you cut your hair?"

"More like it got chopped off."

"Would things have been different if I followed you?" Mizuki fidgets, her regretfulness painfully obvious. Hinata looks up, noticing the guilty lilt in Mizuki's tone. He ponders for a couple seconds for the right words to say. It's not easy fighting back old habits of responding without thought.

"It would've happened either way," Hinata mutters with uncertainty.

Mizuki nods knowingly. "Are you hungry? I'll make you something that you like," and for a split second in time, Mizuki opens her mind to the possibility that she doesn't need to be the only person who exists closely in her world.