Disclaimer: I do not own absolutely anything that has to do with Strawberry Panic. That belongs to the author.
This story was posted on another account, but I deleted that account.
Come Back to Me
She could here the blood pounding in her veins. Her heart fluttering at an abnormal pace. A thin layer of sweat clung to her skin like crystal. Why did she think she could actually hide the other Etoile from her? Why did she think there was no possible way for her to find out? And WHY does she feel the need to actually tell her about it?
Her hands clenched tightly around the silk sheets on the bed that she was sitting on. When did this start happening to her? She was so happy with Nagisa. True happiness. Not that false euphoria that she got from the small flings with other girls that barely lasted. No, truly happy. But every time when she wasn't with her, when she was alone, things were different.
Her old trick of putting distressing thoughts to the back of her mind seemed to not work anymore. Her walls were disintegrating. The loneliness hung in the darkness of the room like a thick fog; threatening to suffocate her. When she was alone she couldn't stop thinking about her. Her. The other Etoile. It left her completely hopeless.
And it was because of Nagisa. She knew it. Nagisa reminded her so much of her it was unbearable.
She wasn't numb anymore. She was feeling. Shizuma felt so vulnerable. The agonizing pain in her chest; relentless. Draining everything that was left in her.
She had to tell Nagisa. She had to tell her about the other Etoile. Hopefully it would relieve her of her past.
But the thing is, she didn't want to be free.
Shizuma slowly unraveled herself out of the bed, feet lightly hitting the cold wood floor, and walked over to the old oak dresser. Her hands traced the patterns from one end of the dresser to the out-of-bounds drawer she was aiming for. She couldn't believe she was doing this, but she had to.
Shizuma took a deep breath and opened the drawer. She felt her heart beat faster as she looked at the picture frame turned on its face. It was now or never right?
She lifted the picture frame out of the drawer and put it on her chest without looking. Her head slumped back against the wall. She could feel the tears welling behind her lids. Slowly she lowered her head to look at the object in her hands.
Her breath caught in her throat, The first tear sliding down her pale, porcelain cheek. "Kaori," she whispered, with all the strain in her voice. She fell to her knees, clutching the frame tightly in her hands. "Kaori. Kaori. Kaori," Shizuma mumbled dazedly over and over again. "Kaori!" Sobs raked her body, shaking uncontrollably. "Kaori...".
