Tobacco
Suzume / Shishio
x
i. Tobacco.
She closes her eyes when the tobacco bleeds onto her tongue, reminding her again of what he tasted like.
"So, how shall we arrange the flowers?"
"Ooh, how about all in front of the altar? That'd be so cute!"
"Wouldn't it just! They had roses dangling from the ceiling of the Church where my uncle got married, it was amazing~"
"Seriously, Monika-chan!"
She clamps her teeth down a little harder on the shaft of the cigarette, inhaling the taste of the vapour she knew too well.
"And I ordered so much food, I don't think we can finish it all..."
"That's okay, better safe than sorry."
"Ha, trust you to finish all the food, Nana!"
"Hey! I promise I will follow through on my diet for real this time!"
She closes her eyes when the familiar warmth thrums in her chest, the bitter scent violently bruising her soul but at the same time setting fireworks off up and down her spine.
"Do you guys want to see the dress I'm going to wear?"
"Of course, Yuyuka-chan! Did you buy the one we saw the other day at the mall in the end?"
"Darn it, I still haven't got one yet. I am so lazy when it comes to dress shopping."
The cigarette's life is almost up and she wearily eyes the dimming glare of the fire, a mixture of fear and helplessness coursing through her veins as she watches the once-blazing light diminish and waver into a ragged version of its former self.
It was a feeling she was all too used to.
She reaches over to her bag and delves her hand into the contents of her almost empty cigarette packet. She feels light-headed and dizzy as she fumbles around for another, just one more-
"Mamura-kun wouldn't like it if his future-wife tasted of tobacco all the time. And you're not even paying attention to the wedding plans of your own wedding."
Oh.
She blinks and takes the dead cigarette from her teeth, smiling.
"Haha, sorry."
fin.