Warning: Err, what can I say? Shoot me. AU, OOC, bittersweet... The usual, angsty/depressing shit. Dark.

Disclaimer: Disclaim.

The Other Woman

"You have eight unheard messages."

"Hey Mikan-chan, it's me, Nonoko... I haven't seen you at work lately. Are you okay? Please talk to me..."

"To delete, press one. For more options..."

"Hi, it's Anna, calling to see if you're alright. Look, I know what happened... It's not your fault Mi-chan. ...You can always talk to me, you know..."

"To delete, press one. For more..."

"The great Sumire won't stand being ignored, Mikan! Come on, we need to hang out to get your mind off that ass-wipe. Seriously. Shopping. And take a shower. I know when you feel awful you tend to forget about yourself."

"To delete, press one. For..."

"Come back, Mikan. You've been stuck in your apartment for five days now. I won't stand for your ugly face crying over that stupid Hyuuga. I'm coming over later. - Hotaru."

"To delete, press one..."

"Mikan-chan, it's Ruka-pyon! Listen, we miss you! Please pick up your phone at least, so that we know you're alright!"

"To delete, press..."

"Oi, it's Youichi. I'm sorry. I knew and never told you. I thought... I don't know what I thought. Maybe that you'd figure it out by yourself while you still weren't in too deep."

"To delete..."

"Look, it's Koko. I know what happened. I also know you've probably heard a thousand 'sorry's when all you wanted was one. I'm not here to apologize. Just... call, alright? We're all worried. Even that crab eater Imai."

"To..."

"Mikan... It's Aoi. If memory serves correctly, I'm probably the last person you want to hear from. I'm sorry for all the shit I told you... I just thought, you know, that you knew but were still going along with it. I never would have guessed... I'm so sorry, Mikan-chan!"

"T-"

And she once wondered why his kisses had been so bittersweet. So gentle yet heartbreaking. So beautiful, yet mourning.

So lovely, yet longing for lips that were not hers.

Permy was wrong, Mikan thought as she looked at herself in the mirror. Because this was nothing like when her first long-time boyfriend dumped her for another, resulting in Mikan crying herself to sleep for three nights, hardly eating, and only mumbling when spoken to. This moment was nothing like the time she suffered after her dad died of cancer. She had cried for weeks, no energy in her cheerful amber orbs, not even bathing unless forced by her mother or a friend.

Because this time, Mikan was so, so dirty and she needed to wash away the filth that continued to cling to her skin like a parasite.

She already showered thrice that day, scrubbing at her flesh in such frustration that she made herself bleed.

And then she cried. She fell down on her knees harshly, yet didn't seem to mind the burning pain and the bruises that would eventually come. The water, boiling hot, sprayed down like acid rain as she continued to cry and wail and scream in hatred and confusion, pounding her small, elegant hands on the tile beneath her.

She finally came out roughly twenty minutes later, sober and hurting and absolutely lifeless, her bloody, wrinkly skin not helping the image at all. It took another ten or so minutes for the wrinkles to disappear, leaving the blood all alone.

Mikan quickly chose her outfit for the day, hardly caring if it was in any way 'fashionable'.

She was broken when she finally picked up her phone, only to see unheard messages that she forced herself to listen to.

And now the scene before her...

She looked at herself in the full-body mirror, noticing every small detail that was usually dismissed completely from her mind.

But this time was different.

The woman that stared back was a pretty one, with large, doe like amber eyes that glowed. Her lashes were long and thick and stunning, her eyebrows, perfect. She had a small nose, and pleasant, soft-pink lips. A natural blush was on her cheeks, and her face was heart-shaped. Long thick bangs fell just above her eyes, no longer splitting in the middle like they had so long ago. Her locks were long, cascading all the way down her back in layers, curling at the ends and being a lovely shade of dark caramel.

But oh, the woman was so, so sad and completely shattered. Those orbs were emotionless; droopy. The woman's usual porcelain skin was far too pale, far too sickly, and there were dark, ugly bags underneath her eyes. Her hair was unkempt and unruly, lathered so much it was falling out. She looked like a corpse and she knew it.

The door rang. "We're coming in" was audible, and Mikan scrambled to the living room as quickly as her sleepless body would let her.

Please please please don't look at me!

"Haha, Hotaru... Sumire, what are you guys doing here?"

"I told you I'd come by later."

Sumire didn't answer for herself. "Mikan... You look like crap."

"Ahaha, what are you talking about? This is what I always look like." Don't see through me, please, please don't.

"Mikan." Hotaru walked towards her best friend and carefully grabbed her lower arm. Mikan was bone thin and cold. "What are you hiding beneath your clothes?"

Sakura gulped and quickly slipped from the grip, laughing hesitantly and turning her head to not face those penetrating eyes. "Nothing. Nothing at all."

Imai's amethyst eyes narrowed as she took the other arm painfully, making Mikan wince. She quickly rolled up the long, navy sleeve of the plain shirt and stared in shock. "Mikan..."

"I just, uh, you know, took a couple showers. That's all. No biggie."

"..." Sumire looked and gasped. "Sakura..."

"It's no big deal guys! I'm fine. Perfectly fine, okay! It'll heal, I swear!"

"These are third degree burns and you're bleeding!"

"You don't get it! I just – I feel so dirty." She whispered, and then she started wailing, bawling her eyes out. Dropping once more on a harsh, uninviting floor, she cupped her face with her hands, muffing her desperate cries.

"Mikan-"

"I- I lost the b- baby..." she hiccuped.

Hotaru grew furious as the dots connected in her head. "What?" she seethed, barely keeping her temper in line.

"I- I was so, so happy when I heard that I was pregnant. And – And then I heard – I heard about him and Luna and how he was just playing with – with me and... and I lost the baby. I instantly knew that I was the – the other woman, and, and I- I lo-l-lost..."

And she could continue no more, because she was a broken doll who could no longer be fully repaired.

Shouda dropped down and hugged Mikan, her own tears spilling down like a waterfall. "Honey..."

"Idiot," Hotaru sighed, putting her arms around the two and saying soothing words.

They stayed like that for what seemed to be eternity, before letting go and laughing at each other's messed up faces.

Three months later

The two approached.

"Hey guys." The amber eyed beauty looked far more healthier than she did all those months ago. "How was the wedding?"

"Like hell. Everything went along perfectly and I wanted to puke on Luna's wedding gown."

"Hahaha, calm down, Permy."

"Oi, Mikan, you have an unheard message." But before Mikan could reach for the device, Hotaru already had the message playing softly in her ear.

"Hey, Mikan. I just wanted to say I'm-"

"Message deleted."

"Mou! What was that all about, Hotaru!" Sakura pouted, trying to go for her Blackberry again.

"Nothing you need to concern yourself with. The person had the wrong number."

And voila, I came up with this heartbreaking shit. Don't think lowly of me, I love Natsume as well... I was just in a dark mood.

So tell me, do you like, do you not like? ….Reviews?