A/N: FINALLY! New Chapter :D Do enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Sasameki Koto or its characters


"Mmpphh." Sumika groaned as she gradually gained consciousness.

Her chest was on fire. Her face felt raw. Her stomach throbbed painfully. Her arms and back were stinging. Her hand was numb.

Turning to investigate her numb hand, she was surprised to see a bob of chestnut coloured hair pooling around the unresponsive appendage. The corners of her lips twitched upwards as she tried to contain her laughter. Kazama was drooling onto her hand.

Sumika tried to raise her other arm to pat Kazama's head gently but she realised that she couldn't move her arms at all. Instead, a searing hot pain shot up her arm, up to her shoulder.

Flinching only resulted to her body feeling like a thousand daggers were slowly sinking into her flesh. Instinctively, she twisted in agony, attempting to clutch onto her body with her slack arms, but the movement only made it worst.

Her breath quickened and she felt her heart pound against her already weakened chest. Her heartbeat was all she could hear as she drowned in her agony.

Her eyes started to tear up as her breath became laboured and tortured. Groaning and screaming in anguish, Sumika felt hands grab at her and she fought against them feebly, vaguely remembering the contorted human claws that bit into her flesh just hours ago.

Kazama was downright panicking. One moment she was dozing peacefully and the next, Sumika began thrashing around on her bed. The monitors screamed in protest as Sumika thrashed viciously on the bed.

Kazama tried to soothe her but that only resulted in Sumika struggling even more violently against Kazama's outstretched hands, shouting out in pure suffering against the oxygen mask.

Not knowing what else to do, Kazama climbed onto the bed and tangled herself around Sumika, whispering soothingly and effectively halting both their movements.

"Sumi-chan. Sumi-chan. It's me, Ushio. It's me. I'm right here. You need to wake up and take your painkillers, Sumi-chan."

Amidst the excruciating pain that ran up and down her body, Sumika heard a voice. Calling her name. Warmth enveloped her entire being and she eventually relaxed into it.

"Sumi-chan? Can you hear me, Sumi-chan?" Kazama asked as she heard the monitor's beeping gradually stabilised but remained quick.

Sumika reluctantly peeled open her eyelids, "Ka...za..ma?" She croaked, her voice muffled.

"Here, swallow these. They have some sedative effects, but you certainly do need all the sleep you can get."

Reaching for the bottle of pills by the bedside, she quickly lifted the breathing aid and dropped 2 capsules into Sumika's slightly ajar mouth before placing the straw between her pale lips.

With some effort, Sumika drank from the glass but the moment the cool liquid touched her parched mouth, she became aware of how thirsty she was and drank every last drop of water from the cup. When she was finished, she looked at Kazama with pleading eyes, silently begging for more.

"You don't have to look at me like that for a glass of water, Sumi-chan." Kazama blushed.

Hopping off the bed, she refilled the glass cup and once again directed the straw into Sumika's eager mouth before replacing the breathing aid.

Sumika could feel the effects of the medication instantly. The agony she felt earlier reduced to a slight throb however, she still couldn't move her arms at all.

"Sumi-chan. Are you hungry?"

"Kazama. Can you see if my hands are moving?" she mumbled against the mask.

"What?" Kazama asked, lifting the mask slightly.

"...I can't move my arms. They feel like dead-weight." Sumika clarified, attempting to shift her fingers.

"Does this hurt?" Kazama gently lifted Sumika's bandaged arm but stopped immediately when Sumika hissed, "Hikari-san never mentioned anything so I'm sure with some rest, they'll be functioning once again."

"Is that so... You're quite the expert now huh?" Sumika smiled, unable to tear her gaze away from the alluring brown orbs she thought she would never see again. Now that the pain had receded, she was glad to be back. Glad to be in Kazama's company again.

"If you were actually listening to me just now, instead of sleeping, you would have learnt that I'm an official assistant nurse now!" Kazama boasted, showing off the red cross band around her left arm.

"Wow. Kazama. Or should I call you Kazama-sensei?" Sumika teased, laughing when Kazama started pouting.

"Sumi-chan's a meanie! First you refuse to call me by my first name and now you want to call me Kazama-sensei?! That's not right, Mu-ra-sa-me-san!" Kazama challenged, huffing and crossing her arms across her chest.

"Come on, don't be like that. I was just kidding." Sumika apologised as she tried to sit up once most of the throbbing turned into a slight soreness.

Noticing this, Kazama immediately went to help Sumika. Adjusting her pillows so that she could lean back onto a stack of soft pillows.

"Gosh that's better." Sumika sighed, closing her eyes to relax further into the pillows.

Blushing, Kazama painfully realised that Sumika was wearing nothing but bandages that covered her entire upper body; giving her a full view of every curve and crevice on Sumika's lean and slender torso.

"I-I'll prepare some food for you okay? So don't fall asleep."

"I won't." Sumika mumbled, her eyes remained lidded as she contentedly listened to Kazama hum to herself.

"Okay, Sumi-chan. Since you just woke up, I won't give you too much to eat. Just some warm porridge okay?"

"Mmhm." Feeling her bed shift, Sumika opened her eyes and carefully scooted over to make room for Kazama who reached over and switched off the oxygen tank behind them. The mask around her mouth immediately stopped puffing the cool gas and she watched as Kazama pulled it off her head.

Blowing on a spoonful of white mush, Kazama brought it to Sumika's mouth, "Say aahhh."

Taking the spoon into her mouth, Sumika couldn't help but feel contented. Chewing the porridge a bit before swallowing, Kazama continued to feed her as they chatted briefly.

They continued chatting while Kazama put away the containers and utensils.

"Yabase-san's working at the construction section?"

"Mmhm! She says she needs to keep fit otherwise you'll overtake her with ease." Kazama explained with a small grin.

"I suppose it makes sense. I doubt there's any other kind of work that Yabase-san would fit into. Except maybe hunting..."

"Oh, she had considered that but since it's going to be winter soon, she was complaining about being forced to sit in the snow stalking their prey."

"That girl... So how about the others? Have they chosen their jobs?"

Kazama assumed her position on the edge of Sumika's bed, "Tomoe-chan joined the preparation of food. In fact, she has been preparing our lunch for the past few days already! And Miyako-chan still hasn't decided..."

"That little brat probably just doesn't want to do anything..."

"...Probably." Kazama smiled.

There was a moment of comfortable silence that settled between the two best friends and Sumika's thoughts went back to the last few days of pure horror, her mood darkening rapidly.

Continuous fighting, never resting, never eating, having to stay on your toes every second of the way, the rush of all sorts of emotions, anxiety, hope, fear... Fear of not being able to save her family. Fear of falling to the hands of the zombies. Fear of not being able to return to Kazama's side.

'I nearly died if it weren't for Shadow and the others.' Her thoughts wandered back to her fight with the deformed creature and how horrifying it was to see death right in front of you, 'I nearly died. I was so close. Those zombies… They were so close and there were so many. Can I really go on living without ever knowing her answer? Do I want to?'

A gentle, feather-like touch brought her out of her musings and Sumika focused her eyes on Kazama's face, worry lines creasing her eyebrows, her eyes full of concern and her lips parted as if searching for the right thing to say.

'She's beautiful.' Sumika thought to herself. 'Maybe I should just take a chance... Like Miyako said, it's a risk, a gamble that I choose to take. The world's coming to an end… even if she does push me away in disgust, I won't give up. I can't.'

Taking a deep breath, Sumika stared straight into the concerned chestnut orbs she had come to love so much.

"Kazama. On the mission Shadow and I went on, when we were headed back here, something happened and… I nearly died. But at that very moment, as I stared death in the face, you were the one I thought of. Your face was the one I saw and kept me going as I struggled and fought for my life.

"You have always been the one who conquered my thoughts day in and day out. But as I was at death's front door, I realised that death really isn't to be taken lightly. No one can say for sure we'll live till tomorrow… and I've realised now… I can't go without ever telling you this." Sumika paused, took a deep breath, held it before releasing it.

"I've loved you for the longest time and I will continue to love you for evermore. I don't expect you to say anything nor return my feelings. I just need to get it out because, after what happened, I know I won't be able to die in peace without telling you. I understand how you like cute girls and I know I'm the complete opposite of cute so I just hope nothing will change between us. I really hope we can still be best friends and just forget about this night." Sumika confessed, eyes downcast.

Nothing could compare to the sensation she was experiencing now. The words that had caused her so many problems were finally out and although the weight on Sumika's chest had been lifted, she was overwhelmed by the feeling of dread.

'Oh lord, I know that look. Complete and utter surprise. What was I thinking? Our friendship will inevitably end the moment I confessed! What was I thinking? Maybe I should just blame the drugs! Yes!'

"Man, I sure feel dizzy right now... What was in those painkillers! Maybe I'm allergic to-"

"Sumi-chan." Ushio said, her face impossible to read.

'Here goes... a stake through the heart. I just dug my own grave. What on earth am I going to do without Kazama? At least I can now die without any regrets.' Sumika considered, preparing herself for the no doubt, excruciating rejection.

"Sumi-chan. Sumi-chan, look at me. I love you to-"

"I know you do. But I don't mean that kind of love, Kazama. I'm ...in love with you. Madly and hopelessly in love with you. I don't want to be your best friend... I want to be your lover. I want to be able to hold you... and kiss you. I want to walk home with you from school and hang out at a shopping mall, not as friends but as something more. It's okay, Kazama. You don't have to put it nicely. A rejection's a rejection." Sumika forced herself to grin, no matter how painful it was.

"You're right, Sumi-chan. I don't think I want to be your best friend either..."

'Ouch, I didn't expect that...' Sumika winced, ignoring the growing ache in her heart as Ushio's words tore it into an irreparable glob.

"I don't want to only be your best friend." Kazama grinned, "I too, want to be more than your best friend. Do more than just what friends do every day. I love you too, Sumi-chan."

'No... way... Did she just say...' Sumika's mind raced over the words she had just heard. For so many years, she had imagined every possible result of confessing. This was one of them and yet, hearing those three words coming out of Kazama's own mouth, was overwhelming.

Sensing this, Kazama leaned closer and repeated herself, "I. Love. You. Murasame. Sumika."

Sumika stared back into Kazama's loving gaze. Unable to believe it, she turned away, ashamed.

"Kazama, you don't have to feel obliged to return my feelings..." Sumika whispered, her eyes stung as she struggled to keep the tears from escaping.

"Sumi-chan. I'm being serious. I'm not saying any of this because I feel obliged to. I really do love you Sumi-chan. While you were gone, I spent a lot of time thinking and I've realised that I love you more than a best friend should. You've always been there for me. Always supported me. But I only just recently realised just how much you mean to me. How much I love you, Sumi-chan!"

'There's just no way Kazama would possibly feel the same way for me... She has been obsessing over cute girls for as long as I can remember... If I go with the flow and Kazama gets bored of acting some where along the way... It'll only hurt more... Unless she really does love me back...' An internal war raged on in Sumika's head.

Seeing this, Kazama persisted, "Sumi-chan! I love you! Why can't you just accept that I love you too, Sumi-chan?" Tears slowly began to form at the rims of Kazama's desperate orbs.

"...Ka..za..ma..." Sumika's gaze softened when she saw the tears, her kryptonite.

Reaching over, Sumika pulled Kazama onto the bed so that Kazama was sat with one leg on either side of Sumika, straddling her lap as she wiped away the lone tear that had slipped out of Kazama's eye.

Slowly and cautiously, Sumika raised her hand to Kazama's face, caressing her cheek.

She never broke eye contact, attentively searching Kazama's eyes for any sign of discomfort and hesitation. However, all she saw was the same level of passion and nervousness reflected from her own silver orbs.

Sitting up, Sumika closed the distance between their bodies so that their faces were now inches apart.

Sumika paused. Her lips hovering over Kazama's with their foreheads touching.

She waited. Waited to see if there was any sign of fear in those magnetic brown eyes.

Waited to see if Kazama would pull away.

A minute passed, two and when she didn't, Sumika moved her hand from Kazama's cheek to behind her head. Burying itself within Kazama's blonde tresses. Her other arm encircled itself around Kazama's petite waist and she closed the distance between them with her lips.

Their lips made contact in their first ever kiss.

Sparks shot through Sumika. But it was the complete opposite to the pain that charged through her earlier. She felt herself moan into the kiss as Kazama pressed her body up against Sumika's, adding more pressure to their sweet, loving kiss.

Kazama couldn't formulate any coherent thought the moment Sumika's lips touched hers. She never expected the taller girls lips to have been so soft and warm, yet it seemed like something she should've anticipated. She looped her arms around Sumika's neck, relishing the silky feel of the long dark tresses and the firm muscles beneath the smooth skin of Sumika's bare neck.

When they parted, both girls were blushing and out of breath.

"Kazama... You... I'm so sorry... I..."

"Sshh. It's okay. I understand. I put you through so much with my constant fixation over cute girls. I love you, Sumi-chan."

Before Sumika could express the joy she felt, Kazama moved forward and kissed her with more confidence than their first kiss. Pushing Sumika back against the pile of pillows behind her, Kazama tilted her head and applied more pressure against Sumika's timid lips.

They stayed like that for a while before Kazama pulled back to gaze adoringly at her new lover.

"I'm glad, Kazama. I don't even know what to say right now. I just- I never thought this day would ever come! I've been in love with you for so long and I've been dreaming of this day since... since ever! Heck, even this feels like a hallucination or a dream!" Sumika babbled, tears of joy threatening to fall down her face.

"Sumi-chan. Believe me, this isn't a dream..." Kazama purred deeply before kissing Sumika again. Sensuous and slow.

Curious to see Sumika's reaction, Kazama gave her lips an experimental lick. Sumika groaned uncontrollably at the sensation of Kazama's warm and rough tongue on her sensitive lips.

The sound sent shivers down Kazama's spine and she was eager to hear more of it.

Out of breath, the two were forced to pull apart. Kazama recovered quickly and began to trail kisses down Sumika's firm jaw. She was paying close attention to Sumika's responses as she continued to lick and kiss her lover's neck and jaw.

She memorized every moan and shudder that Sumika allowed escape. She could feel every muscle in Sumika's neck tense and relax when she placed light pecks on the calloused skin; pausing when she reached the beginning of the bandages on Sumika's shoulders.

Moving to stare into Sumika's half-lidded and glazed over eyes, she giggled quietly and said as she licked her lips, "Sumi-chan, you taste nice."

Blood rushed up to Sumika's face as she tried to calm her aroused body down. No words could describe the sense of euphoria that washed over her, leaving her thoroughly exhausted, and it showed on her tired face.

"Sumi-chan." Sumika groggily looked up at Kazama's grinning face, "Time for you to go back to sleep!"

"B-but, I dun wanna." Sumika complained even as her previous adrenaline rush began to recede. Leaving her running on pure willpower.

"You can't fool anyone. The sleeping pills are finally taking effect. You look half-asleep already!" Kazama giggled. 'She looks so cute when she's like this.'

"No wonder my body feels dead." Sumika mumbled, a small frown on her brows.

Kazama crawled off Sumika and jumped off the bed. Turning back, she helped Sumika shift in her bed so that she could lay down properly. She was about to leave when Sumika grabbed onto Kazama's wrist.

Glancing back at Sumika's sleepy and begging eyes, she asked, "What's wrong?"

"Stay with me?" Sumika pleaded. Her eyes were full of innocence and served as a passageway for Kazama to look straight past Sumika's tough exterior and see the little girl who has so many insecurities.

'AAAHHHHH! Sumi-chan looks so adorable right now! I wish I could just eat her up!' Kazama screamed in her mind, "Of course. I was planning on sitting here all night. Don't worry, Sumi-chan. I'm not leaving your side tonight."

Frowning to try clear the haze that was beginning to settle in her mind, Sumika released Kazama's wrist and scooted to the side.

"You can't sleep comfortably in that chair... Besides... I ...I miss sleeping... with... with you in my arms..."

Beaming at Sumika's honesty, Kazama removed her boots and jacket then without second thought, crawled under the blankets. Once she was settled, Sumika wrapped her arms around Kazama straightaway, pulling her close.

"I missed sleeping in your embrace too." Kazama confessed, snuggling up against her lover. "Goodnight, Sumi-chan."

Receiving no reply, Kazama worriedly looked up at Sumika's sleeping face. Her lips curved upwards in a warm smile. Giving her lover a peck on the cheek, she warily draped an arm above Sumika's bandaged stomach before snuggling closer.

Closing her eyes, she breathed in Sumika's unique scent, allowing herself to drift into a peaceful sleep, after being plagued by nightmares for the past few nights.

'Sumi-chan loves me back. All this time, I've been searching so diligently for my soul mate when all I needed to do was look around. Sumi-chan has always been there for me. Ever since the beginning. She has always protected me and cared for me. If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't have made so many new friends. I wouldn't be able to openly express my thoughts. I wouldn't be able to trust anyone. I would've been alone. All my life.'

Affectionately gazing at her best friend and now lover's tranquil face, Kazama thought back to all her childish infatuations with 'cute' girls.

'I was so foolish back then. Thinking girls with big, round sparkly eyes, feminine features, ladylike manners and a tendency to be a klutz was cute. I was such a fool. Sumi-chan. You may think you're not cute, but all the selfless acts you do for your friends, your family, for me. Those are the most adorable things in the world.'

'No. I have found something. Something that's even more breath-taking than cute. I found you. Big, strong, caring, brave, talented, smart, understanding, honest, determined, and chivalrous Sumi-chan. Just the thought of knowing that someone so close loves me so much for so long just as I am... It's as if the whole world has changed at the blink of an eye. Sumi-chan... You really are my hero. My saviour...'


A/N: review?