And We Fall

'I'm not afraid anymore'.

It was an answer to a question, once upon a time. In a dimly lit hallway with no one but Shizuru leaning against a metal rail. The inquiry was never forgotten. It was there, for both of them, unspoken and anonymous throughout. In every tea, conversation and two-minute silence.

So many months later, Natsuki answers in an equally shady alley, with no one but Shizuru to decide her fate.

'Why?'

Natsuki was never good at showing affection. She wouldn't hire a cello player to accompany dinner. She would probably write sloppy i-love-yous in oddly shaped post-notes before deciding it belonged to the waste bin.

So taking Shizuru's hand and looking her straight into the eyes, Kuga Natsuki defied everything Shizuru believed in. The reality was no longer real and even Natsuki is capable of pain. And it scared her, so much.

'I,' Natsuki stopped, Shizuru held her breath -

'I'm not well without you.'

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a/n: last-minute reviews are love.