Author Name: xShadowMaskx
Title: Putting together Pieces of Love
Rating: PG-13 ... Because of Romance. And maybe languag.
Pairing: Meroko/Izumi Might seem One-Sided
Summary: It's wasn't that she had loved him always. Her love was made of many small pieces of care, hints of love, moments of comforting. And once a year, she brushes the dust off the Picture of Love and Memories, wishing it could be more than just her tormenting longings and love for him.
Setting: This is after Manga because I have seen only 8 Episodes this far . It takes somewhere in those 3 years between 29th and 30th Chapter when Takuto is absent and Mitsuki is not singing, etc. Maybe about one month before the Concert in which Meroko confesses again, Takuto returns, Eichi goes to Heaven... Well, if you have read 30th chapther, you know what I am talking about.
Status: Completed
Disclaimer: I do not own Full Moon wo Sagashite, none of it's characters or anything else related to it(Excluding hopeless fan-girlish liking). If I did, it would never be even half as awesome as it is.
Thanks: To all who reviewed "Your Rain", my first Fan Fiction, but especially ChesireCatAlex, who gave me real courage to ever try and write Fan Fics again. And nevermore199 who's Fan Fics inspired me to try write FMWS Fan Fic... And who gave me deeper insight in wonderful couple of Meroko/Izumi. -Rainy/xShadowMaskx waves and winks, cause has been too lazy and tired to change her display name-
Warnings: English is not my first Language, so, I believe you will notice some mistakes. Also, I'm writing this somewhere in between 2am-5am, so, I am not very "fresh" and there could be some major logical errors that I might not notice when proofreading tomorrow. Also, I have always sucked at dialogs so, mine won't be the best. AND I am the type who talks and talks, not getting to point. Sorry. -sweatdrop- But if this doesn't scare you off, please, continue reading and I hope you will enjoy it!

It wasn't like she had loved him always.

No, it was not like that at all. Meroko wasn't the girl who would fall in love with near-emotionless guy from the first sight. He wasn't even that handsome(Alright, he was, at least for her). But there was many tiny and not so tiny pieces, that much like puzzle pieces, formed a picture... A large, colorful, never fading picture called Love. And today was a very special day - some years ago, she had finally put the Picture together.

Yes, that was the reason why today she was sitting on a rooftop and longingly looking at the fading sun. Because only once a year, she brushed off the dust from the Picture and over-looked all the pieces of it, half hoping that something would have disappeared or lost meaning, so she finally could free her self from it. But the other half desperately hoped, no, knew, that nothing would have changed at all.

Girl sighed softly and brushed strand of pink hair out of her face. And remembered.

It had been not long before the day she confessed to him first time and while she still had been just "Apprentice Shinigami". Maybe it was gave her courage to do it? However it was, she had set her mind for dying her hair. Or doing anything to change it permanently, so that NO transformation could make it pink again. Maybe it was because she had been rejected that day and she seriously hated pink color at the moment(The rejection was somehow releated to it) but maybe there was some other reason. Meroko couldn't recall it anymore. But she had been very serious about it.

Doors slammed as she stormed in apartment where she and Izumi lived, tugging wisps of her own long hair mercilessly. Her face was flushed but not from embarrassment but pure anger. "I HATE PINK!" she stomped her foot and announced to the room that she thought to be empty. But she was wrong and pale haired head poked out of next room.

"What is it again?" her partner asked, giving her that stare which made her wonder if he was looking at her or the wall behind her.

"Are you deaf?! I said I HATE PINK!" Meroko repeated, too angry and pained to care what he would think about her - she was sure it never was anything good , anyway. "I'm going to do something about this," she tugged her hair one more time, "so it can never be this stupid color again! Hey, maybe you know some way to do it - after all you know all this magical stuff for longer time, no?"

But in this time, she had let Izumi slip out of her sight and when she turned around to look at his room's doors again, she found him standing behind her, looking at her with unreadable expression. She gasped, because he was so unusually close and when his hand raised, freeing the abused hair from her grip and holding it gently, her eyes went wide.

"That's too bad. Because it's... Unusual. Just like you," she heard him say but was almost too surprised to register his words. Then his hand dropped, letting hair go and he stepped back shrugging. "So, no, I won't help you. After all, you have to figure some things your self," with that he left apartment, her protesting and angered shouts never gaining answer.

She really didn't speak with him for two days(Maybe because she had yelled so much she had problems with speaking for two days). But never spoke about changing her hair color again.

Shinigami, now "Angel" for almost three years, sighed again. Now she almost felt surprised that she had not fell in love with him right away... After all, she had so many smaller and bigger crushes trough the first years of her Second Chance Life. Strangely enough, most of the Latest Pieces were connected to times when he had comforted her after being dumped or another reject with some wry remark or some other "Izumi-ish" thing. Like that one time...

Small heartbreaks was her every month thing. It was like she was going and going, and going... Looking for some one special, hoping that one of all those guys, all those Shinigamis that she dated for a day or few weeks, could be her Prince Charming. But none of them was. Only this time it had been more serious and that's why it hurt like nothing she remembered before.

They had been together for a month and a half and she had been crushing on him for whole month before that. Meroko was sure that they were perfect match(And almost everyone else was, too), because they had same interests(Well, even Shinigamis can have hobbies), they laughed about the same things, understood each other and looked beautiful together... And that was only half of the list. She lived in every girl's dream. And then, like lightning bolt from clear skies, her friend told that he was cheating on her.

Of course, she broke up with him. But not without big tantrum. And after that, she started to wander around city, trying to find place where she could be alone and could cry. Less than anything else, she wanted to return home because Izumi's words "I don't think he fits you - he's just another playboy" said almost carelessly after her ex-boy friend's visit in their apartment(Which had summoned big teasing about jealousy from her, though, he always answered so calmly that it quickly grew boring) still echoed in her mind. She assumed he would give her another "I told you so" comment and smirk which would make her feel even worse.

But it was he who found her, crying her heart out on some rooftop. Meroko had no idea how long he had stood there silent, watching her but his voice startled her. "You shouldn't cry," he told her and it ignited anger in her. She raised her head and glared daggers at him trough tears.

"And why shouldn't I?? I just found out that guy I love is cheating me!! It's not like you know anything about love and heartbreak! And, actually, what do you want? Smirk and point out that you were right?" she spat.

Izumi merely shrugged and sat down beside her. "I just think you shouldn't give him the pleasure to know that he made you love him enough to cry after him. Carry out your Punishment, no matter what shape it takes, with highly raised head and emotionless face. Always. Because most who would notice your tears when you're not hiding them, would be just pleased or laugh about them. Besides, he never was really worthy your tears. You have more pride than that."

"...Is this supposed to be cheering up?" she asked, sounding quite annoyed and starting to brush tears away furiously. Because, even if she hated to admit it, he was right... That jerk never deserved her tears... Or her love. Or the pleasure of hurting her. Not that it did any good to Izumi - he belonged to those who would laugh about her tears, as well... Did he not?

"You could call it so."

Another moment of silence, while she tried to swallow lump in her throat(Was it another wave of tears or something else?). Then: "Why did you look for me?..."

He rolled his amber eyes and stood up. "Don't get your hopes high - I didn't even say I looked for you. But Boss gave us another assignment and as you have been absent on few last ones, he demanded me to bring you along. Not that I'm happy to have such amateur with me... And," he paused, as if thinking what else to say, "told you so." With a smirk, he flew away.

"DAMN!! YOU JERK!!" she screamed, rushing after him, wanting to smack that smirk off of his face. Of course, she never managed to do it. But whenever she thought about it later, she understood that he had given her important advice that day - one that taught her to not forget her pride and not let unimportant people who really cared about her see her tears or despair. Of course, she still cried when broke up or was rejected but never again so badly... That is, until he was the one to reject her.

She felt tears well up in her eyes and blinked them away. Today she was supposed to... Be happy? That she had finally found a Real Love, a thing she had been looking for such a long time, that she had feared so badly. Because even if she could not remember her life's experience, there was something left from it, planted deep down in her heart - doubt about men. And while she dated all those guys, even the one who cheated her and she cried so much after, she never got really attached. What she thought to be love was just deep attraction with add of friendship sometimes. Her heart did not want to, could not, fall in love for real with someone she didn't trust completely.

Sometimes, especially on this day, she thought that her doubt had been right in the end. After all, despite all the nice, sweet things he did to her, he rejected her in the end. And more than just once. He even pushed her on another partner, just when she got her hopes high... Oh, that rainy day, and many weeks after that, had been living hell. She wasn't even sure how she managed to help Takuto and do her assignments... Maybe that was why he always thought her to be quite useless? After all, first impression is quite important... Yes, maybe if there wasn't Izumi, she would be happy with Takuto now - they would meet anyway, right? Because it was fated meeting - he taught her so much... And then even Mitsuki wouldn't steal his heart away... But Meroko wasn't jealous. Not anymore. She was just sad that even with all the love he gave to Mitsuki, the one who never accepted like she would do it, he had to fade away. From hers, Mitsuki's and everyone's life... They all missed him. Maybe even Izumi, though, she still could see his gaze darken when she mentioned him.

Actually, they still talked or met rarely. She had thousand of questions for him, and enormous wish to spend time with him but she never dared to voice even one of them - another rejection would be too hard. And that's why she was left wandering in the maze of Confusion. She still had not gathered up courage to ask him become her partner again... Of course, they were not partner-less, but Meroko had gained a new best friend in form of Ayu-chan, her partner. Izumi's partner was girl, too, and even if she disliked to admit it most of the time, she often felt pang of jealousy when they passed her together. Especially when he did not try to make her jealous anymore when he visited her... Because he didn't do it anymore.

Meroko frowned, wondering if Izumi had helped that girl on her first assignment like he had helped her. That day was still fresh in her memories and another piece of the Picture.

Her name was Reiko Komatsu. She was only year or two older than Mistuki, and just like her, was also sick. Made sick by life and it's cruelness. Meroko was standing at the bed side and looking at the small body, covered with blankets. Her face looked terrible because of her her step-father's hits it was made all blue and red. She did not know how cruel man had to be if he could hit a sick child, even if it wasn't his own, so much. And she asked that to Izumi, tears streaming down her face.

"I c-can't do it! She... She deserves to live! To see something better than her step-father's fist! Get proper treatment and get well again!" she sobbed, too hurt and shocked to even think how stupid it was to cry in front of him.

Her new partner stood silent for a while, his arms crossed and face emotionless - sight that she was used to see and did not like very much. It always made her unsure, made her think if she had done something wrong... He didn't have to scowl or even speak to scold her, really. "You're wrong. It wasn't man who did it. It was monster. But just look at her - she is in constant pain and sleeps so peacefully now only because of pain killers. Even if she recovers from this, her heart it too weak to keep her living. And her mother would never have enough money for surgery," he explained and she noticed unusually kind note in his voice. As if he felt sorry for Reiko. And her. But Meroko did not need pity!

Girl scowled, still feeling tears trickling down her cheeks but most of the waterworks had ended. "They could... Gather money! Yeah! ... I won't take her life..." At first, her voice felt hopeful and then it became rebellious.

He sighed softly and she didn't understand if it was sad sigh or just his usual "Oh, why I have to deal with her?" one. Then picked up a book from night table and handed it over to her. With big, childish letters, there was one word on the cover - "Diary".

"You don't want me to read her diary, RIGHT?! It's a private thing! Don't you even know that much?? " she asked, angered. "Actually, I do. Because then you will understand what I meant with "she can't be helped". Just read the last entry. It is meant for others to read, anyway. At least her mother," Izumi told calmly. She glared at him but knew that she had no choice - if she wouldn't do it, he would read it for her. She just wondered when she had time to read it. So, she opened the end of book and read what Reiko had written.

It was something like letter to her mother, written day or two before the beating up that brought her in hospital. She said that she really loved her, her few friends, this world but not her life. That she wanted to die. And if her step-father will not finish what he had started many times before, she will make sure to say good bye to this world on her own... That she is carrying his child and has found it out too late to do anything. By this time, Meroko was crying again and barely noticed the hand that landed on her shoulder gently. "You will free her from pain, Meroko... If you don't, she will do it her self, with more pain, as soon as she can walk again. Do you want her to become Shinigami and kill that life within her? Now they both will just pass away, without any pain and maybe be happy in Heaven," he told her, still having that soft undertone, and finally she nodded. He was right - she would only free them both, not be cruel and evil by freeing her soul. And so she finished her first Assignment, to always remember it as moment when Izumi had helped her... And two poor souls.

It was very important for her and any other more caring Shinigami to understand that their work was not always bad, that they helped some, not just pulled out of life mercilessly. It was that day, his words that made her believe in Mitsuki's words about Second Chance and Angels so easily... Unfortunately, it seemed that the one who taught her that didn't agree his own lesson. It always was just a Punishment to Izumi... Oh, how she wished to show him differently, make him understand that they could live better this time.

In this time, the sun had set and the stars had came out. The wind was becoming harsher and she shivered, wrapping hands around her self to keep some warmth. This meant it was time to end her Memory Evening. After all, it would take a whole week to remember all piece of the Picture. Today she had touched and cleaned many of them and knew that her heart would hurt for a long time, wanting to return to them again. But except this one day, she had forbid her self to do so. She was still hopelessly trying to get over Izumi because he would never answer her feelings. Especially now, when they both had stopped trying more or less.

Meroko stood up and looked at the skies. She did not try make her thoughts reach him, after all, Izumi wasn't gone like Eichi-kun was, but just wished upon a star, that small, bright point that was moving trough skies. Maybe it was plane, not falling star but she had always thought that as long as there is true belief and wish, it didn't matter on what you wish. It was kind of selfish wish, where she asked to give her at least a bit of happiness but even more to Izumi. Because if he was happy, even if it was with another girl, she would be tiny bit happy, too...

For a moment, she wondered why she had not wished to forget Izumi and find a new love but then shook head and flew off the roof. She knew why - she just wasn't stupid enough to wish for the impossible. The Picture was simply too Big, Special and Colorful. It could never be ruined or forgotten because it was only artwork she owned.

Yes, she had not loved him always but she will love him forever.

A/N: Haha, my late child has been presented to you. -unsure smile- I really don't know how logical it is or how In Character they both seem(I strongly doubt Izumi is like Izumi at all. T.T But then again, those are special moments) but I tried my best to make this good and will work hard on my future Fan Fictions... That is, if there ever will be some.

P.S. If I get some nice reviews who will encourage me, I might do Izumi's "It's not like he had always loved her" Fic. xD But I can't promise anything, as my Muse is very unstable young lady and I have school(And I don't know if you won't throw rocks me for this weak attempt of writing). And one last thing...

Reviews are welcomed and flames accepted!