Cupid’s Bite

Aden doesn’t fall in love too often. She just looked for something in ride in bed. The kitsune wasn’t one to attach herself to one man so easily. When she did find a man that she was solely interested it, it didn’t take long for her to get attached.

Case in point happened over the third summer of Tokyo-Zion Academy running.

Aden was visiting a coworker in the hospital. Said coworker broke his leg while setting up the designs for the summer line fashion show. He laughed and made jokes the whole time he was in his bed.

“I fought with that ladder and I lost,” he said.

“Yeah,” she said. “How long are you going to be here?”

“About six weeks,” he said.

“Bummer,” she said. “The group talked about postponing the show.”

“Seriously?” the coworker asked. “I hope not.”

“I’m hoping that they won’t either,” Aden said. “We will know something by morning.”

“Cool,” he said. She and him stuck around talking until the nurse came to deliver the patient’s lunch. Aden was about to go home for the day when she passed a door opened in the hall. She found herself taking steps backwards and taking a peek inside.

The kitsune thought that she was looking at an angel.

She didn’t think she had seen hair that golden blonde before in her life. This man looked so pale in the sunlight from the window. His profile wouldn’t let go of her attention. Aden fought with herself to clear her throat and speak up. But, what was she going to say? This didn’t look like the kind of guys that she would pick up in a bar. No, this required to be handled with class. But, what should she start with? “Hello” was just too simple. Aden couldn’t come up with something cheeky, either.

She froze when a pair of blue eyes stared at her.

“Hello?” that beautiful man asked. Aden stood up straight.

“Hi!” she yelped. The man tilted his head.

“Are you lost?” he asked. The kitsune woman shook her head, slowly.

“Uh… what is your name?” she asked.

“Mamoru,” he said. “And you are?”

“A-A-Aden,” she said. His smile was the last thing to have her.

“Nice to meet you, Aden-san,” Mamoru said. The kitsune could’ve sworn she heard angels singing around him. Her cheeks turned bright pink.

“Are you sick?” she asked. As soon as those words left her mouth, Aden realized how stupid that question sounded. He sat in his bed, blinking.

“Yes…” he said. Aden lowered her eyes.

“What happened to you?” she asked. “If you don’t mind me asking.” Mamoru looked down at his hands.

“Terminal cancer,” he said.

“Oh…” Aden said. She walked into the room and sat down by his bed. The kitsune didn’t know why she did this. Something inside of her told her to stay.

“How long have you been here?” she asked.

“About two years now,” he said.

“Two years, huh?” Aden asked in a dreamy tone. She rested her right hand against her cheek. She couldn’t take her eyes off of him.

“Do you have a girlfriend?” she asked. He took in a slow breath.

“I was married,” Mamoru said. The light in Aden’s eyes died a little.

“Oh…” she said.

“But, she left me,” he said. “Said that she couldn’t handle the burden anymore.”

“What a bitch,” Aden said. She tried to hide the excitement in her voice. “I apologize.” Mamoru smiled and shook his head.

“It’s alright,” he said. “I guess you know who is really there for you when you are at the lowest point in your life.”

“Um…” the kitsune said.

“What?” Mamoru asked. Aden shifted her shoulders as her cheeks turned red. Why was she like this? Usually, she would win over a guy with a smooth and cheeky line. Here she was, a grown woman acting like a shy little high school girl about to confess her feeling to her senpai. Her senses couldn’t even reach out and smack her. It was as if her heart was on autopilot.

“Can I see you again?” she asked at last. “I mean, if you don’t mind it, of course.” There she was breaking her main rule: don’t get too close to a guy. Her bitchy self would’ve smacked her around for asking such a thing. But, Mamoru flashed his boyish smile.

“I don’t see why not,” he said. “I don’t really have much to do around here anyways.” Aden’s heart did little flips in her chest.

“Okay, I’ll see you tomorrow,” she said.

“I look forward to seeing you again,” Mamoru said. Aden bowed and headed out of the room. As she walked down the hall giggling, she hadn’t seen cupid seeking in biting her on the back. However, the kitsune had to beg the question. Would it be okay to fall in love with a terminally ill man in a hospital?

Love and Death will Follow