It was the most devastating day of Seiya's life. Not only was I in mortal danger, he didn't even arrive in time to prevent the enemy from hurting me. Like a guard dog he walked in front of the operation room, waiting for the trauma surgeon to tell him that I was alright. He himself was wounded, since he had to fight dozens of opponents before he rushed to the hospital. But he simply couldn't let himself be tended to, knowing that his girlfriend was in a worse condition. Looking at all the wounds and blood on his body, he almost looked like a serial murderer but the staff already knew better. Too often was he bought into the hospital, making the staff aware of their regular patient and his ever lovely girlfriend.

Shun, the only person seeing some sort of hope, was sitting near Seiya and reassured him that I would be fine, since I was in capable hands "How often did we evade death because of the surgeons of the Grand Foundation?" He would say "If anyone can keep her from dying, it's the surgeons here."

But despite their hope, the truth was much more brutal than death. I was in a coma and the doctors couldn't tell when I would wake up, if I ever wake up.

Seiya was sitting next to my bed when he received the news, clutching my hand like I was about to run somewhere. Not knowing how to handle the situation, he turned to me and looked at my bandaged body.

He may lose me forever...

Tearing up, he sobbed and pressed the back of my hand against his forehead "No... Not like this..."

The doctor excused himself and Shun stood behind his brother, consoling him through his grief.

A whole year went by in which Seiya would visit the hospital everyday, buying my favourite flowers and simply holding my hand. He didn't know what else to do, since he never was on the other end of such situations.

It was always me that waited for him to wake up again.

There was a time in which he contemplated whether I should be transferred to his apartment, so I wouldn't be stuck in the hospital, after all I was an easy target as a comatose patient. But Seiya didn't trust himself to be able to take care of me.

What if he gave me the wrong medicine? What if he forgets something? What if he had to go to battle? Who would take care of me, if he couldn't?

The hospital wasn't the most pleasant place to visit one's girlfriend but its staff provide better care. And Saori promised to pay for the fees, since my condition happened because of her negligence.

Entering my room, Seiya held a single flower in his hand "Hey." He greeted me with a painful smile "I'm back. I hope you weren't lonely." He stepped to the vase and placed the flower among the ones he had already put in previously, some of them already withered. Putting his jacket away, Seiya sat at my bedside, carefully holding my hand "Are you feeling stiff? Did a nurse massage you already? I hope you aren't cold with your hand out like that."

Shun once said that even in a coma, some people could still hear what is happening around them. It was only a small hope, but Seiya held on to it, trying to simply talk, so he wouldn't go mad because of the silence. To simply sit next to my motionless, pale body felt like clinging on to a corpse. Holding my hand and talking to me about his day, made it feel less like I was already dead.

"Today Marin visited me, asking about my life in Tokyo... How you are doing..." With his thumb he caressed the back of hand, trying to warm up my pale skin "I'm thankful for her worry but... I wish you could have met her in person. Whenever I meet Marin, I talk about you. You know how much of a mother figure Seika is. But Marin has been my teacher, the one person looking out for me while I was training in Sanctuary. She is also like a sister to me. That's why I want to introduce you to her someday. But maybe I can convince her to visit you tomorrow. She is going to stay here in Tokyo for a week. I'm sure she would also be happy to meet you."

The silence that followed was quite unbearable. Whenever Seiya got something to say, I would respond with honesty, giving him my opinion and full support. To not have that kind of conversation really hurt Seiya, reminding him how much he needs me in his life.

With tears in his eyes, he carefully tugged my hand back under the blanket and stood up from his seat "I will be right back. I just need to go to the toilet." His voice broke during his last sentence but he didn't even try to correct it. Hurriedly, he dashed to the WC and clutched the edges of the sink. Letting out a strangled cry, Seiya tried to keep in his sadness but more and more tears poured out of his eyes. In a matter of seconds he became a sobbing mess, not knowing to straighten up his life.

He was falling apart without me.

That one full year in which I was in a coma was the most painful period in Seiya's life. More than once did Shun catch his brother by my bedside, passed out from crying.

The day I opened my eyes, Seiya was also passed out, his head laying next to my body, holding my cold hand. My whole body was stiff but seeing Seiya's red, puffy eyes, I simply knew that he needed consolation. His grip on my hand was loose, so I could slowly take it out of his hand. Moving my arm hurt very much but after a few attempts it slowly dulled enough for me to place my palm on the brown hair. Caressing his head, I could feel the slight oily texture of his hair, telling me that he wasn't taking proper baths.

At first Seiya muzzled my side, enjoying my gentle touch. At last he was awake enough to realise that someone was caressing his head until he finally snapped his eyes open. Despite my weakened condition, I gave him a smile, my throat too dry to say words. Tears reappeared in Seiya's eyes, slowly falling down his already reddened cheeks "You are finally back." He sobbed.

I smiled apologetically, caressing his wet cheek slowly.

Kissing my cold palm, he moved closer to my face and gave my forehead a long kiss "I'm so glad that you are back. I finally understand the pain you always go through because of me."

And I felt the relief, knowing my love would never abandon me, even at my most vulnerable moments.

Seiya didn't care to call the nurses or the doctors. All he wanted to do was to hold his girlfriend, telling himself that his one year of wait paid itself out.

Never again would he let someone break me like that again.