Hello again. More morbid stuff. I seem to have a mental block that prevents me from writing fluff very often…

So…yeah. More Izumi x Meroko love. This one is more one-sided Izumi x Meroko love. But, it's still Izumi x Meroko love, no matter what. Yes, yes!

Theme: Punch

Pairing: Izumi x Meroko

Meroko stumbles through the door of her house, her body soaked with rain. Her breath comes in great gasps. The tears have finally stopped falling, but her eyes are still reddened.

She doesn't cry as she staggers over to her bed. Not anymore, for after sobbing for so long, she has cried herself dry.

She falls forward and buries her face in the pillow, swimming in a turmoil of emotions. Her stomach feels as though it has been punched in; her heart feels broken in half.

All she can think about is him.

How he left her. How he hated her. How he never wanted to see her face again.

She lifts her head from the pillow. A dead, empty look lingers in her violet eyes.

"…Izumi…why?" she asks softly, speaking to no one. "Why did you leave me?"

The only answer she receives is the hammering of the rain against the roof.

She wants an answer. She wants to know the reason why. Why her heart had to break so painfully and completely.

Again.

"I loved you more than anyone…" she says.

A loud clap of thunder rings out over the rain.

"I would have done anything for you…"

She begins to shake, and fresh tears well up in her eyes, hovering in place without falling.

"I will do anything for you…anything…"

Her eyes squeeze shut, and she speaks one more word in a soft, choked whisper.

"…always…"

At this point, the quivering tears begin to leak out from behind her eyelids, trailing down her rain-dampened face.

"…I love you…" she sobs, hugging the pillow tightly. "Izumi…"

She is shaking and crying harder than ever, and her words are barely understandable through her tears, but she continues to force them out.

"I love you so much…Why did you have to leave?"

One of her arms unwraps from the pillow, and she slams her fist against her bed, shouting at the top of her voice.

"I love you…"

Slam.

"I love you…"

Slam.

"I love you!"

Slam.

Her throat feels like it is being constricted, and she cannot speak anymore.

…Izumi…

All she can do is cry and cry, asking herself what she did wrong, what she didn't do, what she should have done.

…Why…?

Hours pass. It is late afternoon. The rain finally begins to let up, until only a few light sprinkles are left of the once powerful storm.

A few people have come looking for Meroko, but she hasn't answered her door.

The golden light of the sunset begins to filter in through the window. It shines on the body of a Shinigami with rabbit ears and long pink hair, who has fallen asleep on her bed, her arms clutched desperately around a tear-stained pillow.

The traces of tears are still on her face, and her face is painted with fear and terror, as if she is trapped in a nightmare. Her fingers flex continually, as if reaching for something.

Every few minutes, a name escapes her mouth in a whisper.

"Izumi…"

I'm not going to promise a happy one for next time, because I don't keep promises very well. At least not when it comes to this. Don't ask why.

RRE.