Okay, this is just an idea I got and I really wanted to write it and in a way, it's kinda a summary for what I planned to happen with Yui and Hinata in New Beginnings so I figured I should make it like an apology.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy.
I don't own Angel Beats.
Two Lives Connected
Yui laughed, she ran ahead of her mother towards the shops, her happiness and excitement showing with her every step, "Yui! Wait up!" the girl frowned and turned back towards her mother, evident displeasure on her face, "come on," she called impatiently, before turning back and running on. Her mother sighed then shook her head fondly, smiling, she followed.
Hinata tilted the water bottle up, face flushed, some of the clear water spilled from his mouth and dribbled down his chin, he wiped it away, "Hinata, you're up," he turned to the coach, and gave an easy grin and a nod.
Yui ran from shop to shop, cooing with delight at the clothes and accessories on display, she turned back to her mum, "I'm going on ahead," she called out to her. She paused, looking up from a bracelet that was sparkling beautifully in the light, looking over across the road at the other side of the street she saw a clothes store that she hadn't been to before, realising that it must have just opened, she smiled an headed over to it, curious to see what kind of store it was.
Hinata watched the batter hit the ball, a clumsy, uncertain shot brought out by the pressure of the entire game, the win depended on this one. Hinata saw the ball connect with the bat with a loud 'thwack' that sent it flying up into a perfect arc, flying right towards him.
"Yui!" she turned at the sound of her name being called in panicked tones, turned to see the car coming towards her at a high speed, 'but that's not right,' she thought, in a detached, vaguely confused manner, 'it's a green light for pedestrians' the car came towards her and Yui's body wouldn't move and she felt offended and indignant despite how strange it was to be. But this driver was being inconsiderate, breaking the rules and driving when they weren't supposed to. If she had been in her right state of mind, she would have laughed at her odd thought.
Her body wasn't moving, she couldn't make it move.
It was frozen in place.
In the path of the car.
The car that wasn't going to be able to stop in time.
Hinata followed the path of the baseball as it flew towards him and- no, the sun was in his eyes, he squinted- where is it?
The glare blocked out everything else- I can't see it!
He heard a collective groan from the crowd, he looked down to see the ball only a few metres away. He was frozen, he hadn't caught it.
There was a shout of triumph from the opposing team as the batter made it to the last base.
Hinata didn't hear them.
They had lost the game.
Yui lay in the hospital bed, whimpering quietly at the pain that was coursing through her body; her mother was seated next to her, tears still wet from the tears that had coursed down her cheeks, now drying slowly as she bravely held them back for her daughter. She was trying to smile and be positive, saying that everything would work out in the end.
Yui wasn't listening, because her mother was wrong, it wouldn't work out in the end, everything was wrong and why did it have to happen to her? And it wasn't fair and she wanted to cry but it hurt to do that and that just brought more tears and why did everything hurt and it just wasn't fair. It was the driver's fault, why did she get punished, shouldn't God have done something? It's too cruel, it's not fair.
Her dad came running in, looking at her and crying out, rushing over to the two of them and hugging her mother and taking her hand, whispering over and over, "it's okay, it's going to be okay, daddy's here, don't you worry my little baby girl, everything's going to be fine somehow," and Yui wanted to shake her head at him and tell him, no, it wasn't going to be fine, it was never going to be fine again.
But she couldn't make her body move.
Hinata sat with his head in his hands, everything about him oozing desolation and despair, he had missed it, quite possibly one of the easiest catches and he had missed it. It wasn't fair, the sun had gotten in his eyes, he hadn't been able to see anything and it wasn't fair they shouldn't have lost, it was a fluke, why had this happened? Some of his teammates had tried to comfort him, coming up to him and patting him on the shoulder, saying that everyone makes mistakes, it was just a game, they understood. Hinata ignored them. Some of his teammates got angry at him, yelling at him and saying that he lost the game for them, that he should just do them all a favour and quit. He ignored them to.
Finally, they started to give up, as the baseball players gradually drifted away, leaving him to his guilt and shame, until only one was left behind. Hinata sensed someone sit next to him, out of the corner of his eye, he saw Takahiro, a boy who he didn't often speak, the other was usually rather quiet and withdrawn; he wondered what he wanted.
"So," the boy began, drawing out the word, "today was kinda big, huh?" Hinata scowled but didn't reply, Takahiro leaned forward, rubbing the back of his neck, "look," he began, "I don't usually do this, but you look like you could use some," Hinata frowned, what was he talking about? He turned towards his teammate to see him pull a small packet out of his pocket, it had no label, no means of identification for the content, and yet, he knew instantly what was in it. He pulled away violently, "I'm not-" he began, Takahiro interrupted, "I know, but with something like this, these really help," and before Hinata would protest the bag was being pressed into his hands and Takahiro had walked off.
Hinata gazed at the bag, opening it cautiously, he caught a glimpse of white powder, he shut it again quickly, getting to his feet and walking over to the trashcan. As he held the bag over the gaping hole he hesitated, Takahiro was a good guy, and he had said it would help, hadn't he? He thought of the panic he had felt when he couldn't see the ball, and the shame when he realised he hadn't caught it, he thought about the unfairness of it all; he cautiously withdrew his hand, cupping the bag like a precious object in his hand.
Just one time couldn't hurt right?
Yui's chest hurt, constricting with pain as she drew in short, sharp gasps of breath, it felt like she was dying, if she could, she probably would have laughed, she could tell she was. Mum was out at the moment, buying groceries, she had promised she would only be gone for a short time, but it seemed like forever. Yui whimpered, she wanted her mum and dad to be here, she was scared and lonely and everything hurt and where were they? Why couldn't they be here? She was going to die and she didn't want to and she was scared to but she could nothing to stop it, she was powerless. Useless. As she had been ever since that day.
She looked out of the window, eyes searching for something calm and peaceful to gaze at, something that could hopefully distract her from her pain. She homed in on a teenage boy with curious blue hair, as odd in its colour with blue as hers was with pink. She smiled slightly as he walked around slightly erratically, pausing for a moment to rub at his forehead as though an irritating thought had just appeared, he looked like a nice boy, she wondered if they would get along, if they had ever had the chance to know each other.
She felt peaceful as she watched him walk, turning to cross the road an- she stopped, struggling to move, 'wait! You can't cross there! It isn't safe!' she tried to yell out to him, but her body wouldn't obey her command, she saw a car heading towards him and she felt a hopeless scream rise in her lungs, her heart hammered painfully in her chest and it hurt but he's in trouble and it hurt but she had to help him but she can't.
A desolate wail morphed into a broken cry as the light exploded and everything was black then everything was brightness and it hurt and that boy and what was happening? And he had flown so far and her body is burning and she hadn't been able to help him and why is it all so unfair? And she hated it. She hated it. And everything was a jumble and she couldn't see and where was up and what was happening and the confusion flooded her and she wanted to cry out but now she couldn't even speak and was that down her down there on that bed? And what was happening and why did it hurt make it stop, please, make it stop.
Hinata stumbled along through the streets, his mind was hazy and he couldn't quite see where he was going, he saw some of the passerbys shooting him irritated glances, slotting him in the 'delinquent' category, but he couldn't care less. He didn't care about anything anymore except for that white powder that Takahiro would so kindly sell to him when he needed it.
'I'd normally be at baseball practise right now' he paused at the thought, rubbing his forehead to try and dislodge it and the guilt that accompanied it from his mind. He lurched away, walking onto the road, 'I need to find Takahiro, I'm running out' he thought to himself hazily. He paused as he heard a screech of tyres and turned with a dazed expression to see a car coming towards him, skidding as the driver frantically attempted to brake and people were shouting at him to move and he felt like something inside of him was braking but through the drug-induced haze in his mind he simply stared not comprehending until it was too late.
His body was breaking and shattering and why did it hurt and it was like someone had smashed him up with a hammer why did it hurt? He remembers that baseball match, the one he didn't catch the ball in and no he doesn't want to where's Takahiro what's happening why does it hurt why is someone screaming? Why is someone crying? Won't someone help him? It hurts, what's happening, it hurts, why is this happening to him, it's not fair, it was never fair, why, why, WHY? And something snaps and its light and darkness and colour and bland and he's in his body but isn't that also him down there and it's all at over and all together and it's so confusing and he doesn't understand and why does it hurt?
Why is it all so unfair?
"Thank you," Yui whispered, to the boy who held her, the boy who she had always fought with but had always cared deeply with. The boy who had just promised he would marry in life, no matter what shortcomings she would have. The boy who had promised to love her.
And she felt the tears running down her cheeks but it was okay to cry because they were for her happiness and she was happy and whatever happened in her life, that's okay, it's all okay, she had met this wonderful, amazing boy and it had all been worth it and maybe they would part ways for now but they would meet again someday. Most definitely.
'See you later, Hinata.'
Hinata gazed up in despair at the window, he winced as another shard fell off the frame, 'why does this happen to me?' he wondered despairingly, knocking uncertainly on the door, 'if it's some grumpy old codger I'm screwed' he thought miserably. He heard a cough then, "the door's open," curiously, he walked in, peeking through to see no one around, "upstairs," with a frown, he followed the instructions and walked up the steps to the second floor, that was where the baseball had gone through anyway so he had no choice in the matter.
He passed a few doors, peeking cautiously into each one as he went, when he reached the final one, he came across a pretty girl with a petite frame and beautiful pink 'pink? That's as weird as my blue hair' hair and eyes, sitting up in bed. In her hands she held his baseball.
"Ah," he said, "um... yeah... s...sorry, my bad, that was... uh... yeah," the girl rolled her eyes, "you disturbed my sleep, I have a really bad cold at the moment and you're not helping," Hinata chuckled nervously, "right, sorry," she sighed before throwing him the baseball, "don't worry about the window, we can get it fixed, simple."
Hinata nodded, he felt a weird constriction in his chest as he gazed at this girl, like he knew her from somewhere, and he didn't want to let her go, he bit his lip, "well, since I caused such an inconvenience for you..." he began uncertainly, "how about I take you to the movies to make it up to you?" The girl glanced at him and smiled, and it was a beautiful, mischievous smile that was so familiar it made his heartache because where was it from and did it really matter because he's found her again and she's beautiful and perfect an- "I'm Yui," the girl said, Hinata smiled, "Hideki Hinata."
Yui walked hand in hand with Hinata, smiling at him and feeling her heart fluttered whenever he looked down at her, she loved him. She had felt it the moment she had seen him, the familiarity and safeness and a promise. As though she could trust he would always be there for her. There to love her.
"Ah, hang on a sec. Yui," Hinata said, letting go of her hand and running into a store, she sighed, looking at her hand forlornly, she already missed his warmth. He was back in a matter of moments, holding a pair of bracelet cuffs, she looked at them with surprise and he grinned sheepishly, "I noticed them through the window and couldn't help but think they'd suit you," Yui smiled, slipping them onto her wrists and marveling at the fact that they felt so right and so familiar to her. She smiled up at Hinata, "thank you," she told him gratefully, Hinata flushed, mumbling that it was fine.
Yui giggled, did a twirl and ran on ahead, she Hinata calling out to her and she turned to poke her tongue back at him, she saw his expression turn from amused to horrified, "Yui!" he cried, and she turned and she realized she had foolishly run onto a road and there was the car and it was coming towards her and she knew what was going to happen and she was scared and she couldn't move and she wanted Hinata she was scared he could make it better where was h-
She felt hands grab at her waist there was a flurry of flashing lights and the whoosh of air flying past her and she's lying on the ground but she isn't really because there's something soft under her and she isn't hurting, and there's no blood and no pain and no hospital and she can still move and she feels relief for something she doesn't understand and its overwhelming, "are you okay?" she turns to see Hinata, looking at her, wincing in pain because it was him who had grabbed her, he was the one who had saved and she was okay now because of him and everything was really going to be okay now because he was here and it would all be alright. And the tears welled up in her eyes and she hugged him, whispering thank you over and over and the bracelet cuffs on her wrists clinked quietly and he hugged her back, stroking her hair softly and whispering nonsensical things in her ear. But she understood what he meant and she knew he was telling her that it was fine and she had the feeling that people had told her that before, but she had never believed it more whole-heartedly than she did now.
Because he was the one who was saying it.
And with him, everything would be okay.
Hinata adored baseball, it was the love of his life 'not including Yui of course'.
It was a big match and he was standing out in the far field, everything was depending on this last batter, he watched as the teenager hit the baseball, his nervousness formed from the pressure turning the hit into an easy catch. It was coming straight for Hinata and he knew he'd e able to catch it and he tensed but the sun was in the eye and where was the ball and he couldn't see it and he could practically hear the crowd's disgusted groan when, "go Hinata!" and it was Yui and there was the ball and it was still coming right for him and the panic was gone and he could catch this and he knew and he reached forward and it fell into his glove and he gazed at it with disbelief and happiness and he couldn't help the shout of triumph and he was laughing and they're leaving the field and there's Yui running towards him and he grabs her and hugs her hard because he knows that she helped him, when he was scared, she was there for him and they would always be together because there was a promise and maybe they don't remember making it but they would have no trouble keeping it.
Because they were two lives, two souls, forever intertwined, connected.
And neither would have it any other way.
Okay, it's not great, but I literally wrote this up at 11 at night so cut me some slack.
I literally had no idea how to do the drug scene with Hinata, like I don't understand anything about them, I don't even know for certain if it comes in form of powder (but I think it... might?) anyway, yeah, if I did anything silly just let me know so I can use that knowledge for future stories and... yeah.
That's all I had to say, sorry again guys, for deciding to redo New Beginnings... uh... yeah...