A little one-shot that I wrote in order to take a brief break from "Whispers of Love." Speaking of which, you should all click on my profile and go read "Whispers of Love." And then review it.
…Come on. Please?
Izumi has long since lost any desire at all for sleep.
Now, he only closes his eyes at night so that he can see her in his dreams.
Every night, he dreams of her.
Meroko.
And when he sees her, for a moment—a brief, heart-stopping moment—it seems as if everything is alright.
When he is dreaming, he can forget about his regrets—a rainy day and a mistake that haunt his mind. He can immerse himself in her, do all the things he longs to do—hold her body close against his, let his fingers run unchecked through her strawberry hair, press his lips gently against hers. Feel himself smile at her—the pure smile that she had always longed for, that he had never given.
When he's dreaming, he can be with her, and all the world seems right.
Then, when he wakes up, he croaks her name in a whisper. He reaches out for her, but feels nothing.
And when he realizes that she isn't there, and that his rainbow-colored fantasy is nothing more than a dream, the shadows of the past come crashing back in, and the regrets pain him, even worse than before.
Izumi and Meroko are such a sad couple, when you look at it. That's why I wish the anime had kept a little closer to the manga, and not made Izumi such a jerk…
RRE.