Disclaimer: I don't own Pretty Cure. There would be a lot more yuri if I did.
Two Sides of the Same Coin
Everything was spinning.
Nagisa stood in her kitchen, holding a phone away from her ear as the voice rattled on.
The voice. From the moment she first heard that voice she knew that somehow, something was wrong.
She knew.
"Honoka Yukishiro was admitted to Red Cross Hospital as of 10:24 this morning."
What did that even mean? Nagisa didn't understand.
"I…can't believe this…"
Hospital? Honoka never went to hospitals, even when she was sick. Never. Not once in the whole eleven years Nagisa had known her. Nagisa had always thought that Honoka hated hospitals. So why was she being admitted there now?
She said she would call me if anything happened, Nagisa thought. "Why are you in the hospital, Honoka?" Nagisa whispered softly.
Nagisa pressed a button on her phone and the constant drone of the voice abruptly came to a stop. Her arms dropped limply to her sides.
Honoka was in the hospital. She was in the hospital.
Honoka was in the hospital.
Nagisa shut her eyes tightly.
She had to get to that hospital.
Nagisa's eyes flew open.
When Nagisa and Honoka returned from the Garden of Light, the other students started to notice how close they were. They started to talk.
Rina noticed them first.
Shiho was in the locker room after the school relay race. She was toweling off the beads of sweat springing up on her face and neck.
"Shiho," whispered a low voice next to her.
Shiho looked over at her friend. "'Sup, Rina?" she said happily.
Rina looked around furtively. She let out a small breath of relief. "Shiho…I've noticed something."
Shiho cocked her head and gazed at Rina, intrigued. When Shiho said nothing, Rina barreled on.
"I think Honoka and Nagisa are dating."
Shiho was still staring at Rina.
Rina shifted uncomfortably.
Shiho's eyes slightly glazed over.
Rina looked at the ground, biting her lip.
Shiho's jaw slowly fell open.
Rina directed her eyes upwards expectantly.
"Say what?!" Shiho's eyes widened until Rina could clearly see the whites of her eyes.
Rina fiddled with her hands nervously as she nodded. "I've just been seeing a lot of things," she began.
Shiho was quiet and Rina knew she was listening.
"Like at our most recent lacrosse game. You know how Honoka comes to all our games now?"
Shiho nodded.
"Well, that day when Nagisa went missing, I went into the stands to ask Honoka if she knew where Nagisa went off to. When I got to where Honoka was before, she wasn't there."
Looking slightly puzzled, Shiho spoke up. "But Honoka and Nagisa being missing together doesn't mean they're dating, right?"
Rina nodded in confirmation. "It doesn't. However, I started to notice more things about them after that. Their shared absence at the lacrosse game was only the first hint."
"First hint, huh…" Shiho mused.
After taking a quick swig of water, Rina resumed talking. "They're always together, almost literally. Much closer than two friends could be." Rina paused. "Or might be. They walk to and from school, go to shops, go on trips, and disappear and reappear from lacrosse games together." Rina's eyes sparkled as Shiho let out a short laugh. "Heck," Rina leaned her head closer and lowered her voice. "I heard from Fujipi that they even went on a date together," she whispered conspiratorially.
Shiho's eyes bugged out of her head as she reared back to look at Rina, shocked. "What?! When? Where?"
Rina winced at Shiho's outburst and put a finger to her lips. Shiho sighed. "Sorry," she said. Shiho let her head fall on her arms as she sat down on the floor, pretzel style. "I just…can't believe I didn't notice it sooner."
Dropping to the ground and folding her legs underneath herself, Rina reached out and rubbed Shiho's back. "It's okay. I think a lot of people have noticed how close Nagisa and Honoka have gotten, but I don't think anyone has put all the clues together yet."
"Not like you, Rina," Shiho said. "I don't think anyone is as smart or observant as you," Shiho spoke earnestly. "Not even Honoka!"
A faint blush appeared on Rina's face. "Now you're lying to me."
Shiho opened her mouth to protest, but Rina shook her head and Shiho immediately closed it. A period of silence fell upon the two friends.
Rina turned her head towards the distant horizon and stared. Shiho looked at her shoes. "You know…I really should have known though," Shiho said quietly. "They're just such good friends. They just…fit together, ya know?"
Rina knew what Shiho meant. "They're like night and day; total opposites, but somehow they can work together to create something different and…complete."
Shiho burst into stifled laughter. "You're comparing Nagisa and Honoka to day and night? How cheesy is that?" Rina bit her lip to stifle her smile. "Really though," Shiho mused. "They can't be day and night because day and night are separated from each other. They could never be companions like Nagisa and Honoka."
"If we're getting all deep and meaningful now, to describe Nagisa and Honoka, I would say that they're the most like two sides of the same coin. Sides of a coin are bound together tightly, like Nagisa and Honoka, and not separated like day and night. And—"
Rina cut in. "If you take one away…"
"The other will completely fall apart."
Nagisa stumbled over a box in the middle of the floor. Recovering and sprinting to get her wallet from the kitchen table, she growled. It was times like this when she wished that she hadn't made their house this messy.
"Damn it," Nagisa cursed herself. She snatched her wallet off the table. Wrenching the door open, Nagisa ran out the door, barely closing it behind her.
Soon after Rina confided her suspicions to Shiho, the whole school caught onto the situation between Nagisa and Honoka.
Or, thought they had caught onto the situation involving Nagisa and Honoka.
One bright and sunny afternoon, Nagisa and Honoka were walking away from school. The students around them would stop and stare at the two as they walked past.
Eventually, Nagisa noticed all the students' eyes upon them. "Honoka," Nagisa whispered to her friend. "Why's everybody staring?"
Honoka looked around at the groups of watching students and frowned. A few turned away when they were spotted, but most averted their eyes for a second but looked back not soon afterwards. Honoka tilted her head. "I don't know," she said, puzzled. "I can't fathom why anyone might openly stare at us like this."
"Hey Nagisa! Honoka!"
The aforementioned pair exchanged glances and turned to the newcomers.
"Good afternoon, Shiho and Rina." Honoka smiled.
Shiho laughed nervously. "Uh…hehe, hey, Nagisa and Honoka."
Nagisa jumped as she felt a hand on her back. Rina had put both of her hands on Nagisa and Honoka's backs and was ushering them forward, away from the crowds. Nagisa and Honoka shared a confused look as Shiho and Rina quickly navigated through the watching students.
A minute later, Nagisa, Honoka, Shiho, and Rina were standing together in a more-or-less hidden area away from the main gates of the school.
"Okay. I bet you both're really confused right now," Shiho said.
Nagisa and Honoka both nodded silently.
Sheepishly, Shiho cleared her throat and looked at Rina, who stepped forward.
"We really have to apologize. We never thought it would spread to the whole school…"
"What would spread?" Nagisa interjected.
It was Rina's turn to clear her throat. "Ah, you see, I'm getting to that…"
"So, you know when there are those two people who everyone thinks is a couple and gossips about? Like all the time?" Shiho said.
Honoka froze. Nagisa, however, still had an utterly perplexed look on her face. "Okay. So?"
Shiho scratched the back of her head and offered a nervous smile. "Yeah. So. Basically, those two people are you guys."
Nagisa cocked her head. "Us…?"
Honoka was still frozen. Shiho and Rina looked at her nervously.
Honoka blinked.
"Us…"
Quite a while after Rina and Shiho left Honoka and Nagisa alone, Nagisa watched the sun set over the river.
The two girls sat side-by-side on the riverbank near Verone Academy. Neither had said a word.
Nagisa broke the silence that had resided thickly in the air. "Hey, Honoka."
Honoka looked over to meet Nagisa's gaze.
Nagisa looked back toward the reflection of the sunset on the shimmering surface of the water. "Don't you love watching the sunset? I like seeing the day turn into night. It's like real-life magic." Nagisa smiled to herself. "Well, it's magic from the Garden of Rainbows, at least."
Honoka smiled at her companion. "I do love watching the sunset." She followed Nagisa's eyes to watch the vivid colors of the sunset come into being. "Yet, I think the sunrise is the most beautiful. It symbolizes new hope in the transition from night to day."
"Really?" Nagisa said skeptically. "I've always thought that the nighttime was so beautiful. There's no way that the night can mean despair, if day is hope."
Her dark-haired partner hummed softly. "That's a sweet way to think about it."
Silence.
"Nagisa?"
The mentioned girl didn't turn her eyes away from the horizon. "Yeah?"
"What do you think of what Shiho and Rina told us?"
Nagisa ran to the garage that her car was parked inside. She opened her wallet and snatched her keys out. Fumbling with the door handle, she inserted the correct key into the keyhole and swung the door open. Nagisa pulled her key out and reached for her car door. Opening it quickly, she got in and slammed the door shut as she inserted her car key into the ignition.
Nagisa was quiet as she continued staring at the sunset. Honoka's fingers twitched on the ground beside her as she sat still, awaiting Nagisa's response.
"You know…I don't really mind."
Inside her black compact car, Nagisa bit her lip impatiently as the red light in front of her refused to turn green. "Come on…" she muttered.
The light switched to green and immediately Nagisa was off like a rocket, exceeding the speed limit by at least 10 mph. At the moment, she did not care.
Honoka's breath caught. Nagisa continued. "Rumors are annoying, but pretty harmless. I've learned to at least try to ignore them and keep up with my normal school life."
Honoka looked away from Nagisa.
"Also, it might be better if they think…you know…instead of the truth, right?" Nagisa grinned. "It all works out in a way."
Speeding through the streets of her hometown, Nagisa passed a grassy riverbank and felt a wave of nostalgia rush through her. I wonder if that's the same one…it's been so long since we've been there.
"It does work out pretty nicely," said Honoka. "Except for one thing."
Nagisa turned to Honoka in confusion. "Eh? What do you mean?"
Nagisa shook her head violently as she passed the riverbank. Recalling past events would only lead to distraction, and distracted was the one thing that she could not be when driving. Nagisa continued to race towards the hospital.
Honoka met Nagisa's confusion with an unwavering stare. "I've rarely been dishonest with myself about my feelings," she said. Nagisa's confusion turned into hesitant curiosity and some intrigue at Honoka's bolder and more confident aura. She could sense that something was about to happen.
Honoka…what's happening?
"So for the good of both of us, I'm not going to be dishonest to you about my feelings," Honoka said. Nagisa watched as a strand of blue-purple hair fell out from behind Honoka's ear and hung close to one of her closing eyes. Nagisa's breath caught audibly. She blinked and cleared her throat, a little embarrassed. That's been happening more and more often lately, she thought. I've got to stop spacing out.
I don't know why you're in the hospital…but wait for me, okay?
"I like you, Nagisa."
Nagisa blinked. No way…
She must mean something different…
"As more than a friend."
Please don't be hurt, or injured, or sick.
Nagisa didn't feel anything. Nothing. No disgust, no joy, no fear, and no excitement.
Why? Why didn't she feel something?
Nagisa drove on grimly. She had gotten time to think this out—if Honoka had been admitted into the hospital, something must have gone horribly wrong.
Honoka looked down, her face cast in shadow. All of a sudden, Nagisa realized how hard it must have been for Honoka to confess to her. They were best friends, which complicated things, according to Nagisa's secret stash of romance novels. As well as being best friends, the two were both girls, so in confessing to Nagisa, Honoka came out of the closet. To Nagisa. Nagisa's heart was touched at the show of Honoka's trust.
She's so brave, Nagisa thought.
And just like that, Nagisa felt.
Hang on, Honoka. Don't you dare leave me.
Nagisa felt. She felt light. Happy. Free. Liberated. Defined. Confident.
Most of all, she felt love.
Love for Honoka, her best friend. Her partner in the world of light, darkness, and Pretty Cure. The only person who truly knew who she was, and loved her fully and completely.
Nagisa drove into the hospital's parking lot and parked her car. Running to the doors, she barely felt any fatigue from her earlier sprint.
She would sprint for miles for Honoka if she had to.
"Honoka."
Honoka looked up at Nagisa, who had stood up. "Here," Nagisa said offering her a hand.
Honoka, now confused, took Nagisa's hand and stood up. She almost pulled away her hand, but left it because it seemed like Nagisa didn't want to let go. Her heart thumped.
"I think you're so brave, Honoka."
Because…
"I love you, Honoka," Nagisa whispered as she took Honoka's other hand. "Thank you so, so much for helping me realize that.
I love her.
Honoka's heart stopped and she froze mid-breath. Nagisa…loved her?
Nagisa burst into the hospital and the people in the lobby all looked at the panting woman with pale orange hair. She walked over to the receptionist's desk and slammed her palms down. She leaned forward to the intimidated receptionist and spoke.
"What room is Honoka Yukishiro in?"
Is this a dream?
Nagisa raced through the halls and up seven flights of stairs. 7th floor, room 713.
She found Room 713 just as a nurse was stepping out. She looked at Nagisa and hurried away.
Nagisa knocked on the door and entered. She saw a doctor and a few nurses clustered around a bed.
"I never realized it because there's really been no one as close to me as you before. I thought the feelings were normal for two best friends."
The doctor and nurses turned around when Nagisa entered, exchanged looks, and left the small room. Nagisa stopped walking.
"The feelings I have when I'm around you are different than the feelings I get when I'm around anyone else."
Honoka was sitting on the bed, dressed in her normal clothes and looking none for the worse. When she spotted Nagisa, her face lit up.
"I feel…so happy and energized," Nagisa said. "Like I can do anything. And then when you go everything becomes so dull. I sometimes feel like sitting around until you come back to make everything bright again."
"Nagisa!" she exclaimed happily. She met Nagisa in a hug. "Why are you here?"
Nagisa pulled away and looked at Honoka with an eyebrow raised. "You seriously expected me not to come when I got that call at our house?"
"Oh," said Honoka. "I forgot that hospitals did that now."
Nagisa nodded. "They do. So, care to tell me why the hell you're in the hospital?"
Honoka's eyes widened. Nagisa had just described her feelings exactly.
Honoka looked away uncomfortably. Nagisa noticed and sat down on the bed next to her, taking her hand. "What's wrong?"
"When I go to sleep I think about you every time. Sometimes I stay up for hours, thinking about our adventures as Pretty Cure. Remembering all the good times we've had."
"Nagisa…I have something I need to tell you."
"I do the same thing," Honoka said. "Remember when Porun first came along? Mepple and Mipple would constantly fight about what to do about him. They were just like an old couple."
She and Nagisa shared a small laugh and a smile.
Honoka took a deep breath and Nagisa squeezed her hand harder.
Resting her forehead on Nagisa's, Honoka smiled again, full of warmth and happiness. Nagisa smiled back, the smile containing equal love and adoration within it.
"I have an advanced brain tumor."
"Hey, Nagisa."
"The doctors…they said that surgery could be an option, but it would be really high risk. If I didn't get surgery…I might only have a month or two to live."
"Yeah, Honoka?"
Nagisa's heart stopped for a second then painfully restarted as she realized what Honoka had just said.
"I was thinking…"
"A...a month?" Nagisa said numbly.
"…about what two people usually do when they confess to each other."
Honoka shut her eyes and nodded, a sad expression upon her face.
Nagisa raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And what's that exactly?"
"I know…we promised to live out the rest of our time out together…"
Honoka shut her eyes tightly. "Don't make me say it…" she mumbled shyly.
"…but that time is shorter now then what we thought it would be, back then at the riverbank."
Nagisa grinned happily. "Say it…" she said playfully.
A bitter tear slipped out of Honoka's right eye. Nagisa, who had been frozen the whole time, stifled a small gasp when she saw the tear. Immediately she started forward and wrapped her arms around Honoka in a full-body hug. She held Honoka tightly.
Honoka was silent as she and Nagisa rested their foreheads together.
"Shhh…no, baby. It'll be fine. We'll get through this somehow," Nagisa whispered, tears beginning to leak out of her own eyes.
"How about…if I just show you?"
Honoka began to sob in earnest. Nagisa embraced her even more tightly, quietly crying the whole time.
Before she knew it, Nagisa felt a pair of cool lips on her own. She was surprised at first, but quickly responded, kissing Honoka back. The kiss was sloppy and short, but when they broke apart, the two girls knew that at that time, they were both the happiest they would ever be.
Honoka and Nagisa broke apart and smiled at each other tenderly, hands clasped between them. Honoka sighed softly. "I wish this could last forever."
"Somehow…we'll get through this. You'll live, Honoka. We promised," Nagisa said when her tears had abated somewhat.
Honoka opened her eyes from Nagisa's shoulder and smiled sadly.
"It will."
Honoka shook her head. "But nothing lasts forever."
Nagisa grinned. "That's why you're a scientist and I'm a lacrosse player. You overthink things too much. If we believe that we'll be together forever, we can."
Honoka smiled. "Then we'd better start believing right now."
Suddenly, Nagisa let out a cry. Honoka started as Nagisa fell forward onto Honoka's shoulder this time and began sobbing herself. "I was so wrong!" she wailed. "So damn wrong!"
Honoka felt fresh tears come to her eyes as she heard the cries of her partner.
"Nothing ever lasts forever…you were right that day."
"And how do we do that?"
"No, Nagisa," Honoka whispered as Nagisa cried in her arms. "You were right. Even if I die right now, we will still be together forever. Because I believe we can."
Honoka smiled widely. "For a start, we can do this again." She wrapped her arms around Nagisa.
"Because I love you."
And their lips met once more, with the reds, oranges, and purples of a sunset shining through their two figures on the riverbank.
If one side of a coin is taken away, the other will completely fall apart.
Yet that will never happen.
Because the sides of a coin are bound together, forever inseparable.
A/N: Sorry if you were confused by all the line breaks.