Title: In Need of Comfort
Author: lkwREADer
Fandom: GoGo Sentai Boukenger
Pairing: Sakura Nishihori/Masumi Inou, and slight Natsuki/Souta.
Rating: PG, for Character Death and language.
Disclaimer: Nothing from Boukenger belongs to me. It all belongs to Toei.
Warnings: character death.
Summary: One of the Boukengers has died, and Sakura turns to Masumi, looking for some comfort. Written for Theme #3 at 7snogs at LiveJournal, Embrace. Reviews are love!
"How could he do this?!" Sakura shouted, while bursting into tears. "How could he leave us?!" She was at the SGS headquarters, and frantically pacing the length of the room.
Earlier that day they had been involved in a vicious battle with the Jaryuu tribe. The battles had been getting more vicious lately, and all of their enemies were aiming for a kill. They all knew how dangerous it had become. Masumi & Sakura had been captured and were about to be blasted with the latest precious. Satoru had broken away and leapt in front of the two of them, shielding them and taking the brunt of the hit. It demorphed him, and anyone could tell that he was suffering from labored breathing.
"Chief!" Sakura had cried. "Are you okay?!"
"No," he got out in between his coughing. "It's time for me to leave. I've taught you everything I know. I know you guys will be excellent Boukengers," he said, closing his eyes. They watched as he stopped moving. None of them could believe what had just happened. Never in million years had they thought that Satoru would die. Wordlessly, Sakura summoned the Acceltector and blasted through the monster.
After the battle was over, Souta and Masumi carried Chief's body back to SGS, while Sakura and Natsuki walked behind them, crying and holding onto each other.
The funeral was especially sad for all of them, because it meant acknowledging the reality that Chief was dead and he wasn't going to come back. Natsuki hugged Souta, as he held her against his chest, allowing her to sob. Sakura was transfixed at his grave, trying to get it through her head that Satoru was really dead, and there was nothing that she could do to change it.
'Maybe,' she thought to herself, 'If I hadn't allowed Masumi and myself to be captured, none of this would've happened.' This thought only made her burst out sobbing. Masumi came up in front of her, and wordlessly gathered her in his arms. She sobbed into his slightly taller frame, until he pulled her chin up.
"Hey," he said, "Are you going to be okay?"
"I don't know," she said with a hesitation that he had never heard before. Chief had been her erstwhile crush, and even though she was over that now, he would always remain in her heart. And it was very tough for her to let go of that.
Masumi inwardly cursed Akashi. 'That punk, how could he do this to her? Just leave like that?' Even though he would also miss Akashi, he knew that he would have to be strong for Sakura.
"I'll be here, if you need anything," he said, looking into her eyes.
She managed a slight smile, and gave him a light kiss on the cheek. "Thanks, Masumi," she said. She knew that it would take a long time to heal the pain, but that eventually, it would go away and she would be stronger, partially thanks to Satoru's death. She knew, in her heart, that he would always be there for her.
