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15. ꜰɪɴᴀʟ ɢᴏᴏᴅʙʏᴇꜱ

a/n: read with angsty music <3 recommended the one above.

His worst nightmare had just come to life.

He felt as though his heart had suddenly come to a standstill. Collapsing onto his knees, he brought his hand up to his mouth in efforts to stop himself from shouting or crying.

She couldn't go now. He still had lots of places to take her, he still had to keep his promise of keeping her safe.

He thought he had time. He believed everything would be alright if he only stayed hopeful.

All these thoughts were making him dizzy. He clumsily stood on his two feet and walked over to her bed.

He clenched his teeth in agony and his grip tightened on his chest after seeing her weakened form.

Why's this happening? Was what he was thinking to himself.

Bending down slightly, he brushed strands of hair from her face which made her slowly open her eyes.

From her eyes alone, the blonde haired male was able to tell she was losing strength quickly and it completely broke his heart.

"Manjiro..", she signed weakly, supporting her hands against her stomach. Mikey's lips began to tremble and his shoulders shook violently to suppress his tears.

"You're not crying are you?".

Mikey closed his eyes and inhaled sharply to recompose himself and as he opened them again, he mustered up a sad smile and shook his head.

"Good. I don't want to see you cry", she also tried to form a smile on her lips.

Mikey pushed a chair close to her bed and sat down on it as he combed her hair with his fingers.

"I'm very tired right now", she signed.

He immediately raised his head again, "No not yet", he thought of what he could do to keep her from closing her eyes again and so he quickly got up and picked up the flowers he'd previously dropped. Y/n delicately turned her head to the side.

"They're forget-me-nots, right?", she signed.

"That's right. And do you know what they symbolise?", he signed, trying to catch Y/n out. She was a flowers connoisseur.

"Of course I know, it's true love and respect", she signed while Mikey frowned, slumping his shoulders. He thought he'd got her this time.

"You and your flowers", he signed as Y/n let out a brisk chuckle.

He sat back down and placed a kiss on her forehead.

"It's also a promise that you'll be in my thoughts forever and ever", he gave a closed eye smile which greatly warmed the girl's heart.

There was a moment of peaceful silence as Mikey laid his head onto her stomach, looking into her eyes.

"I can't feel in my legs anymore and my left eye is going completely blind now, but even so, can I vent to you Manjiro?, she asked at which he nodded, signing the words 'i'm listening' before Y/n got ready to sign.

On the outside, it seemed like Mikey wasn't moved by the fact that she was paralysed in her legs and blind in her left eye, but on the inside, his heart was aching. An ache that was indescribable. An ache that made him want to take the place of Y/n.

"Ok. Ever since i've been hospitalised, not once has Baji come to visit me", she began. Even moving her hands to sign was tiresome for her but she just wanted to get things off her chest.

"But i'm not angry because I did something to upset him which made him distance himself from me and you. I don't know what I did, but I hope he'll be able to forgive me", she signed.

Mikey's eyes widened at what she signed. Surely she wasn't blaming herself for Baji's dissociation.

"But I don't think it was your—", she put her hand of top of his to stop him from further explaining.

"Hey, you said I could vent to you, right?", Mikey sighed and nodded, insisting for her to continue.

"Mom and dad, I hope they'll be able to look after themselves properly, now that I'll no longer be a burden on them", Mikey couldn't sit around and listen to her belittle herself so much.

"Y/n do you know what they did to you? They hurt you physically and shattered you mentally and you still want them to be happy??", he signed.

"But they never left me, and that's good enough for me", she smiled which took Mikey aback.

Y/n was the most kindhearted person Mikey knew. She wanted everyone to be content before she could be content herself. In all of the years they've known each other, Mikey had never seen Y/n get overly furious about anything. She certainly was unique.

"Don't sympathise for me Manjiro. As far as you've promised to always keep me in your mind, i'm happy. And so now, physically, you have to let me go", she signed causing a look of great sadness to overtake the blonde boy.

He held her hand in his.

And that was when, he'd came to the realisation that he was only being selfish.

She was tired and in excruciating pain, if she were to die, she'd be able to be at peace. Right now she was suffering. Struggling to breathe along with the headache she was feeling, the pain in her chest.

He wouldn't even have to break his promise of keeping her safe- he'd keep her safe in his thoughts.

Just let her go.

"Are you sure you're not scared?", he signed. He wanted to know how she felt and what she wanted.

"I'm sure, i'm not scared at all", were those really her true feelings? He hoped they were.

"Even if we're not together Y/n, I'll forever love you and only you", he signed before bringing two of his hands up to her cheeks.

"Good, 'cause if you were ever to forget me, i'd have no other choice but to come back and haunt you", she signed jokingly earning a small chuckle from Mikey. "So, can I sleep now?".

"Alright then. Get some rest, you've earned it", Mikey grinned as she slowly started to close her eyes.

"Thank you. I love you, Manjiro", she finally signed before her hands softly fell back down onto her stomach.

He lifted up her mask and placed a gentle kiss on her lips.

"Goodbye, Y/n".

A/N: one more chapter and a short epilogue left <3

Make sure to vote and have a great day/ peaceful night

Author out

Word count: 1107 Words
Date: 27/8/21
          (D/M/Y)