Title: The Wolf Girl's Mate
Summary: A wolf found an unknown, bleeding, dying woman in the middle of the forest and rescued her…ShizNat pairing but where is Natsuki's part in this? AU…
Disclaimer: Sunrise owns them but not me….
Author's Note: Uhh…well…I hope you guys are still reading? Anyway, there a small surprise waiting for you guys …
Chapter 7: Stomach flu…
Shizuru kneeled before the white toilet bowl, her flushed forehead resting against the cool tiled wall. The honey-haired woman has been feeling rather sick and unwell since earlier this morning. Coupled with the despair of her father's passing, just made it worse and that much harder to deal with. She didn't know what made her that way but she had been throwing up constantly even when her stomach had nothing left.
The thoughts of her newly-deceased father plagued her mind and tears made fresh, salty tracks down her pale cheeks. Shizuru has never felt so broken before except when she was force to leave her beloved Natsuki but she had to be strong for the Fujino family and for her father. For now, however, the honey-haired woman shall just be a broken doll.
(flashback)
Arriving at the Fujino Mansion in the center of Fuuka, Shizuru rushed to the master bedroom where her father was lying on his death bed with haste. The honey-haired woman's usual grace and mask were flung out the window and forgotten for the moment. She burst through the wooden double doors into a vast, grand room and saw that all the staffs even the maids and servants were all present.
At the center of the room, a king-sized bed with red sheets and gold ornaments was placed. And in it was the honey-haired woman's father with her mother kneeling by the bedside. Shizuru's mother held her husband's right hand and was sobbing quietly. Seeing this, Shizuru's eyelids were brimming with shiny tears. She thought she was too late and she ran across the threshold with fast and slightly panicky steps.
"Father!"
Shizuru kneeled by the other side of the bed and held her father's bony hand in hers. Her father had his eyes close but she continue to call out to him, hoping that he would wake up one last time. Shizuru was suddenly overwhelmed by her childhood memory when she was sick. Her father would also stay by her bedside and hold her hand like so until she gets better. She felt nostalgic.
Shutting her crimson orbs, Shizuru let her tears of sadness flow freely down her cheeks. She had given up trying. She would never be able to see her father ever again. It had happen so abruptly and so suddenly. Takeshi Fujino was an honorable and healthy man. He shouldn't have caught the cancer but he did. It's just wasn't fair, not fair at all.
"Please don't cry, you two. I was just resting for a minute."
Two shocked gasps sounded in the room and tears stopped mid way. Shizuru was speechless. Her wish was somehow granted for once. A shaky hand broke free from the grip holding it and reached out to lovingly caress the younger honey-haired woman's tear-stained cheek. Shizuru relaxed and leaned into the touch, a gentle smile graced her lips.
"I'll miss you, Shizuru. I can't be there for you anymore so could you promise me just one last thing?"
Takeshi paused and Shizuru merely nodded, not trusting herself to speak. She was afraid that her dam would crack if she did. She cuddled deeper into the hand on her cheek, savoring the sense of warmth and security it gave. It would be the last time she could feel it and she would take full advantage of it until the very last moment.
"Promise me that you would listen to your heart okay, Shizuru? You may be the heiress to the company but don't hurt yourself in the process. It's okay to be a little selfish sometimes, Shizuru."
"Hai, otou-sama. Aishiteru." Shizuru said whole-heartedly, pouring everything she has in that sentence. Tears streamed down the sides of her face again. The honey-haired woman then bent over and kiss her father on the forehead.
"I got a kiss from Shizuru so where's mine, Shizuka?"
Takeshi gave a light chuckle that turned into a rather nasty coughing fit. Waves and waves of tremor washed through him and his frame shook with it. But when it subsided, he found paradise. Sweet, familiar lips were crushed against his- deep and passionate. It lasted for only a few short seconds but it felt as if an eternity had passed between them. Takeshi had a contented smile on his lips as he felt himself slowly slip away.
"Both of you are the best women a man could ever have. I love you too….Shizuru…Shizuka…"
As the current heir of the Fujino Corp. draw his last breath, everything seems to have stopped in time and come to a standstill with only the soft ticking of the clock was audible. Then slowly, everything was moving again and people began to grief but Shizuru could barely register them. She felt her own heart stop beating the moment the hand on her cheek fell away.
The body before her no longer lives. It no longer breathes nor moves. The heart has stopped pumping the blood that is the very essence of life. Takeshi Fujino has passed away. Fortunately, before Shizuru could lose her sanity, her defense mechanism kicked in. All the honey-haired woman felt was numbness though tears still fell from her eyelids as if they have a mind of its own.
"Shizuru-sama, you should rest. It's been a long day."
Chie who had also attended the passing of the former heir escorted the unresponsive young heiress back to her room despite her own desire to break down and grief. Takeshi Fujino was a great man. He had saved the charcoal-haired woman from the streets and gave her everything. In return, Chie trained herself and serve as a bodyguard for her savior's daughter so that no harm would come to her.
"Ookini, Chie-san. I'm fine. I just want to be alone for tonight."
"Yes, Shizuru-sama."
The charcoal-haired bodyguard then retreated through the door as commanded, leaving Shizuru by herself. The numbness was slowly wearing off and the honey-haired woman could feel raw pain stab her soul. She hugged herself and cried herself to a restless sleep in a fetal position. Outside the door, Chie could hear pained screams of a certain emerald-eyed wolf's name.
(end of flashback)
After throwing up nothing again, Shizuru wiped away the clear, colorless liquid at the edge of her mouth with the back of her hand and stand before the sink. She stared hard at her own reflection in the small, circular mirror and saw a pale, frail-looking woman with red, puffy eyes and deep purplish bags under her eyes instead of the usual graceful and beautiful Kyoto born woman.
The honey-haired woman sighed warily at her own demise. And, of course, she was also missing her wolf terribly. She knew it would be hard if she left but not like this. This is like the worst possible torture in the depths of the underworld. At the thought, an hesitant knock came from the door and pleasant, husky voice much like Natsuki's drifted in. Without a second thought, Shizuru tore open the offending barrier.
"Natsuki?!"
But the honey-haired woman was faced with disappointment. It was just one of her many maids coming to tend to her daily needs. Her posture sagged and her sudden enthusiasm gone. The false hope that her illusions have given her was like another blade stabbed into her heart. Shizuru wanted to cry but her tears wouldn't come. They had all been used up.
"Shit! She's gonna cry! Oh god, did I do something wrong? I knew I suck at this job." The cobalt blue-haired maid thought, panicking.
"Shi-Shizuru-sama? Please don't cry, okay?"
The same voice spoke but Shizuru merely dismissed it carelessly. It sounded too real to be a figment of her imagination but she couldn't believe that Natsuki is here. It's just impossible, not after what happened. Crimson met worried emeralds.
"The perfect shade, just like Natsuki's." Shizuru thought absentmindedly.
The honey-haired woman then broke eye contact to look at the other's features. Either she was going insane or there a Natsuki look-alike right in front of her, she didn't know. But she did know that the girl had Natsuki's long cobalt blue tresses with the only exception of a lightning-shaped hairclip. Not only that, she also has the same shade of emerald as Natsuki as well as the same build and features. Shizuru concluded that they probably even have the same traits and personality.
"Shizuru-sama? Uh, are you okay?"
However, the honey-haired woman found some differences between the two. This mysterious girl is definitely more polite than Natsuki but there's something missing in her eyes, something that Natsuki has in hers.
"Ara, ookini, I'm fine but I've never seen you here before. What's your name?"
"My name is Natsuki Kruger, Shizuru-sama. I just came in an hour ago."
"Natsuki?"
Shizuru was surprised that they even have the same name but she quickly masked it under her façade. But it seems this Natsuki also has the ability to see through her mask as she raised a finely-trimmed brow at the honey-haired woman sudden indifference. Fortunately, the girl shrugged it off as nothing and didn't probe further.
"If I may correct you, its not Natsuki but Kruger, Shizuru-sama. Natsuki is sorta like a last name."
Shizuru laughed, actually laughed and Kruger looked at her weirdly, wondering what the joke was. Despite it not actually being Natsuki, the honey-haired woman felt lighter, the burden on her shoulders seemed to have been lifted slightly. And even her nausea felt strangely better.
"Ara, ookini, Kruger-san."
The cobalt blue-haired girl continue to stare, dumbfounded at the honey-haired woman as she has no idea what had transpired. Shizuru didn't fill the girl in though and merely patted her head lightly and shove her out of the bedroom.
"Ara, Kruger-san, please ask the chef to prepare a quick brunch for me and ask the driver to prepare a limousine to drive me to work. And ask Midori-san to write a letter to the school that I won't be attending anymore."
"Uhh, okay, Shizuru-sama."
"Ookini."
Shizuru shut the door and Kruger stood there for a while before leaving for her assignments. Back in the bathroom, Shizuru refreshed herself and got into her work suit, a gray skirt and white blouse. After having her meal, the honey-haired woman was accompanied by Chie, her usual bodyguard to the limousine but the charcoal-haired woman did not follow. Instead she made her way into the forest again to keep an eye on a certain emerald-eyed wolf.
A/N: Well, what did you guys think about the surprise? Or is it too confusing? I'm thinking of giving Kruger a larger role but if you guys think it's confusing then I'll give her smaller role….Read and Review pls….As usual, any opinions or questions pls tell me…
Yuki~
