A/N: Hey all! It's been a while, ne? Yes, I'm still alive... although for the second time this year, I lost another loved one. *sigh* yeah, bummer. I dunno, I think it affected my writing a lot. I'll let you be the judge of that.
For now, I bring you this HeiZuha oneshot, written for Poirotcafe's Short Story Contest 4: Fear.
Enjoy!~
Warning: Suggestive material, skin contact, but nothing limey, thank you very much. Grammar mistakes may be present. I'm still a wreck.
Breakable
Happily ever afters only exist in fairy tales, in stories unreal... and theirs, as real as it can get, is not an exception.
For a moment, Life was perfect for them both: they graduated in high school, got themselves college degrees and landed themselves decent jobs—she as a pre-school teacher, and he as a private detective.
And like everyone—except them—has predicted, they ended up a couple. In fact all that's missing is an engagement ring.
Yes, it was everything both of them ever dreamt of, whether in their waking hours or in their sleep. It was their own "happily ever after," so to speak.
Only, happily ever afters only exist in fairy tales, in stories unreal… and theirs, as real as it can get, is not an exception.
About a year into their relationship, for reasons unclear, she became fatigued to the point of passing out. He was away on a case that time, and a very exasperated voice of his girlfriend's father spoke to him through the receiver. He was told there was an urgent matter he had to attend to, and in a matter of hours, after finishing up the case in record time, he's very well back to Osaka… and found himself escorted to the hospital.
-*-.-*-.-*-.-*-
She was breaking.
Even without clear test results, she can feel it in her veins.
It was bad enough her body gave up on her, but three months after the incident, she was getting worse instead of better.
It hurt her, that nauseous feeling, the chills and fever that come with it, the itching in her throat, the way she's rapidly losing weight and turning paler. But nothing hurt her more than the sad smile in Heiji's eyes whenever he visits her. It's the complete opposite of the sparkling grin she likes so much whenever he's solved a case. She never saw him make that expression, until she contracted this time bomb of a sickness… And it hurt her more to see him getting hurt because of her.
There came a point she wasn't sure anymore, about whether or not she wanted him close.
She grew afraid she might not become the girl she wants for him.
She grew afraid of what might come for him after she's gone.
-*-.-*-.-*-.-*-
She was pushing him away, he knew, and he was getting tired of it.
Too many times he's caught her pretending to sleep. Other times he brought her food, only to get turned down. Finally, on his last visit, she told him she didn't want to see him anymore. This, he only laughed at as he kissed her goodbye.
She's still stubborn, but he's more persistent, even more now than ever.
Because she was breaking… and he has to save her.
He swore to himself he'll never give her up, not even to Death.
And so it was that he cracked up a plan, one involving a basket of fruits, a get-well-soon card signed by her friends, and a bouquet of flowers—one that hides a small red velvet box.
-*-.-*-.-*-.-*-
Heiji opened the door without a sound, just in case he catches Kazuha asleep.
What greeted him, however, were the sight of an empty bed… and the sound of the shower.
Finding this odd, he dropped everything and went straight to the bathroom, only to find a shivering Kazuha crouched naked on the floor, dripping wet with cold shower on full blast.
"KAZUHA!" Heiji yelled. It was all he can do not to lose his wits.
Quicker than a beat he turned the shower off, placed his jacket over her and carried her to the hospital bed.
"What were you doing AHO, trying to die faster?!" he barked as he dried her off with a towel. Damn his butt getting kicked later; he needs her to pull it together.
Perhaps, it was his touch that brought her back from her dazed state. She lifted her head to his direction and whispered, trying to sound spiteful but failing, "What are you doing here?"
"What do you think I'm doing here? Taking care of you, of course," Heiji replied.
"I told you not to see me anymore," was her comeback, avoiding eye contact.
"I've only gone away a few days and this is what happens? Geez, you're useless without me," the detective continued with his ranting, completely ignoring her cold treatment towards him.
"I meant what I said! Don't see me anymore," the girl spat. Her retort caused Heiji to raise his voice.
"I'm not stupid, Kazuha. I know you're…" he stopped abruptly, as if something got caught in his throat. Somehow, this time around, he's having a difficult time just saying the word. Heiji then continued, "falling apart."
His hand moved to cup her face, and he forced her to look at him.
"But please don't shut me down like this."
Tears rolled down her cheeks once her emerald eyes met his. The sadness in both pairs was unmistakable.
"I'm dying, Heiji! Why would you still like a dying girl?"
"BECAUSE," he screamed in a failed attempt to cover up the tremble in his voice. "You're Kazuha. You're not just any girl."
Heiji leaned his forehead against hers, and he whispered to her, "When did I ever give up on you?"
Kazuha bit on chapped lips, as the person she loves continued, "Never. And I'm not planning to start soon. Now if you give up on yourself just because of this… what do you expect me to do? Throw everything out the window? I don't think so."
He studied her frame, frailer than he last saw, before he pulled her to a hug.
In a reassuring tone, Heiji told her as she cried on his chest, "You don't have to go through this alone, you know."
They sat there still, in the comfort of each other. After a while, the detective reluctantly said, "Show them to me, your bruises."
Curious eyes looked up at him, before Kazuha gave him a small smile. Trusting Heiji completely, the lass turns to show him her bruised back. It was painful to him to see her bare skin for the first time this way. Slowly, he ran a finger through each one before placing light kisses on them, as if he could kiss it all better.
The ring can wait. Her sweet "yes" can wait. The engagement can wait. Right now, Heiji focused on healing both of them up.
Because she was breaking, and little did she know, he was too…
A/N: Aaaand done!~
So? What do you guys think?
Not my best work, but I'm still proud of it... The theme was Fear, and I tried my best to write both Kazuha's and Heiji's.
Heheh, I love me a little shot at HeiZuha. They're a lovely bunch of dorks (LOLWAT?). Despite their endless bickering though we all knew they love each other *giggles*
This is partly inspired by my headcanon where Kazuha gets super sick but she and Heiji end up together in the end and even had a daughter and... ahem, that's a story for another time *smiles innocently*
As for my other stories, since some of you are asking (probably to the point of nagging but I hope not), yes, I'm still writing them, but expect slower than slow updates. I do not want my personal problems to affect the quality of my writing. I dunno about this one, though. I hope not *paranoid*
Anyways, hope you enjoyed this one. I'll be back soon-I hope. I swear I'm working on getting my head straight again... and keeping my down moments to a minimum.
Comments and Reviews are looooved, awesome people. STAY AWESOME!~
.
Love lots,
-neonquincy1217