A month ago Kuroko's heart broke, as she watched her beloved Onee-sama announce her new intimate partnership to Shokouhou of all people. It was not something she had ever planned for, she was so sure they hated each other and yet…

Now she watched them everyday, glowing in each other's presence, and she just felt a bitter sense of jealousy and loss polluting and weighing down her whole system. And then there was of course the guilt. She should be happy, after all Onee-sama is and that should be all that matters.

But it didn't, every smile and lovestruck gaze aimed at Shokouhou just sent her deeper into this seemingly endless pit of depression, she can't escape the thoughts piercing at her chest that those smiles should be aimed at her.

All this was starting to effect her health too, she was finding it hard to stop missing meals and spending frequent days absent in bed. Mikoto was too busy with Shokouhou to notice but her other friends certainly did, most of all Uiharu…


Uiharu was a hard girl to say no to, so when she invited her out to a little hike out in the snow with her big brown adorable eyes she had to give in, plus she had been feeling guilty for often lashing out at her recently for things that weren't her fault.

"Cmon Shirai-san hurry up!" Uiharu yelled at her with a cheeky smile on her warm face as her candy colored boots crunched through the thick snow.

Kuroko gritted her teeth trying to ignore the cold as she pushed on after her. Her recent issues had left her a little worse for wear, In any other circumstance she should easily have been able to outrun not just barely keep up with Uiharu.

Admittedly getting away from Onee-sama and her new… girlfriend was a plus point in this venture, still she didn't get what Uiharu was thinking bringing her all way out to the park in this freezing cold weather.

She huffed and panted only her pride urging her onward. And then felt a mass of icy cold hitting her face and then sliding off, wiping off what was left on her face with her arm, glaring towards the slightly younger girl who was already gathering up another snowball.

"Really? We're not in elementary any m-" Kuroko's rant was cut off by her having to cough out more bits of snow as Uiharu hit her again, her face lighting up with a mischievous grin.

"Fine you asked for it" Kuroko finished threateningly as she dispersed. And began pelting Uiharu from all directions. The less agile girl having to take over behind a thick tree and rotate around it to avoid becoming the newest snowman addition to the park.

Having seen her in action so often both in person and through security cameras, she had an innate sense on where Kuroko would appear from next. Peering carefully beyond the safety of the tree bark, she spotted a mane of scarlet red hair peeking from a nearby fallen tree.

Target acquired Uiharu thought as she prepared her snowball and hurled it at the redhead, the pure white snow turning her hair white. She prepared herself for a hail of return fire but none came.

What's taking her so long? Uiharu peeked out again seeing that still hair. Trying to lure me into a false sense of security most likely. She thought rationally even as a twinge of unease unfurled in her gut.

The more she stared at that still mass the more concerned she became. "Okay that's it I gotta check on her." She rolled up another snowball Just in case. And crept forward keeping low expecting to be buried in snow at any moment, she came to the fallen tree trunk and peered over it at Shirai.

She was definitely in bad shape, she didn't need to look at her for even 5 seconds to realize that. Pale clammy cold skin, strained breathing like every breath hurt, an expression of pain and embarrassment as she stared at her through her snow stained face. A wave of guilt washed over her as she brushed the cold snow off of her. "Shirai-san! Are you okay? What happened?" Checking her body for any wounds as she had done so many times before in their short lives.

Shirai could barely meet her worried gaze, the sheer sense of shame burning away at her. "I-its fine I just… haven't eaten in a while." She admitted wincing as she tried moving her body, her limbs feeling like weights dragging her to the snow coated ground.

"Define awhile." Uiharu stared accusingly at her. She really should have noticed this before.

"Um like yesterday… morning." Kuroko confessed the ensuring worried look on Uiharu's face making her feel all the worse. She knew it sounded bad but she honestly couldn't muster the energy to eat more than breakfast.

Uiharu gave a distraught gasp, her mittens cupping her face. "S-shirai! gosh I wish you told me this sooner, we could have had the picnic first." Taking off her backpack and taking out some food. "Here have some energy bars." Handing them to the tired redhead.

Kuroko pouted and turned her head rejecting her offer. "Shirai Kuroko I can't force you to eat, but I can call Konori-Sempai and tell her all about this." Uiharu threatened a stern look on her face as she slowly withdrew her phone.

The small red haired girl admitted defeat, opening her mouth to eat, not wanting to get in trouble and get taken off of Judgement duty. Uiharu letting out a small sigh of relief, her small frame loosening the tension in her body. Scooching over to sit beside her as her friend kept munching away.

Kuroko was clearly telling the truth earlier, as she wolfed down the 5 bars within minutes. "Feel better?" Uiharu leaned closer expectantly. Kuroko glanced at her warily wiping her mouth. "A little." She half admitted. In truth it did her much better if just to have something filling her stomach and banishing the gnawing hunger pains.

"Well it takes a little time for the body to take in nutrition. I can't believe things got so bad." She'd known Kuroko was feeling down but…

Feeling her chest clench at the worried look on her dear friend's face Kuroko tried to downplay the problem. "Don't worry Uiharu its not that bad, I've just been so busy with schoolwork lately I've been forgetting to eat."

Not exactly a statement that decreased her worries. "Shirai that doesn't sound good at all." Her brow creasing with worry, gingerly putting a hand on Kuroko's. "Do you want to talk about it?" She hesitantly asked, she was by no means a therapist but this couldn't go on.

Kuroko scoffed. "What''s there to talk about? S-so Onee-sama doesn't love me, its… its not like t-that means …anything, l-like it doesn't prove that nobody really loves me." Kuroko's speech began breaking up as her composure was weakening, her eyes starting to water, "T-that she won't …f-forget me just like my parents!" Her composure finally shattering as she burst into tears.

Her partner reflexively shrunk back surprised by the sudden outburst. Uiharu struck by the sad sight of someone so strong in such a state almost felt like joining in feeling tears prick at her eye ducts but she wiped herself with her arm. Then brought her into a strong warm embrace, "Oh Shirai that's not true at all, Misaka-san's just preoccupied at the moment, relationships of that sort can take a lot of work." Certainly if she was with Shirai in that way, she could imagine it being hard to focus on anything else.

The distraught sobbing teleporter had her torn face in her hands ashamed to be appearing so weak to Uiharu, but nevertheless accepted the warm soft comforting hug without complaint, her tiny fragile looking frame shaking and heaving with her sobs. "Maybe but still nobody will ever l-love me like that. I'm so weak and p-pathetic going to pieces over something a-as infantile as this."

Held her close, radiating her warmth to the cringing crying young girl, wishing she could just banish those tears away. "No no suffering from heartbreak and depression is nothing childish, and as for nobody loving you, well that's nonsense, plenty of people would be terribly sad if you were gone, Me, Saten-san, Konori-Sempai, Misaka-san, Miyama-kun" She said softly as the snow around them began to slowly melt.

Kuroko sniffled, the flow of her tears starting to ebb, as he tried to regain control of herself, "I-I know, and I'm sorry for making you all worry." Looking up at her with her bloodshot eyes and distraught face. Simultaneously feeling guilt and warmth at how much Uiharu cared for her.

Still she couldn't help but want so much more. Someone to hold her, to kiss her. "Is it wrong to want more though? Feels like nobody will love me like I wanted Onee-sama too."

Uiharu stiffened, a good question really, was it wrong to want more? She wanted more from her friend, to touch to kiss. But did Shirai really need that right now? Wouldn't that just confuse and distress her even more?

Looking at those wet wine coloured eyes, she wanted nothing more than to kiss her right then and there, they were alone Kuroko was pretty much asking her to. But would she be taking advantage of her like this? Uiharu ground her teeth, why did this have to be so difficult?

Kuroko took note of the frustration on her friend's face. Her own expression falling as she mistook it to be directed at her. She sighed, "Never-mind, I'm clearly being way too much of a burden, sorry, lets just get back before I collapse again." A despondent and shaky Kuroko spoke, tearing at Uiharu's composure. As Kuroko got up to leave she found a little hand gripping hers tightly "Wait…"

At Kuroko's puzzled look she found the strength to speak. "There… is one person who loves you S-shirai, with all her heart." As the dawning realization slowly began to take over Kuroko's face she pointed to herself shyly for good measure.

"I uh wait, Uiharu really?" Uiharu liked her in that way, the thought the mere possibility never even occurred to her, was she so distracted by Onee-sama that she somehow didn't notice? Her eyes narrowed. "You aren't just saying that to make me feel better right?"

Uiharu shook her head wildly, "No no I really do …love you Shirai, I have for awhile actually." She had to believe her surely, her stomach was doing flips, it felt like she was standing on a tightrope about to "Prove it" …fall off. She stared at Kuroko blankly unsure of what she just heard.

The trembling redhead assumed a familiar pose of confidence, arms crossed, legs posed (despite them being a little shaky.) demanding. "If… if you love me then prove it."

But if words didn't prove it then how was she supposed to oh, a knowing smile adorned Uiharu's round chubby face, before she leaned in and kissed the blushing redhead, Feeling the soft warmth of her lips, the surprised look in her eyes. She quickly broke it off, feeling nervous that she went too far.

Kuroko gasped in surprise, her body feeling lightheaded, not expecting the normally meek girl to be so daring, She studied the nervous blushing girl and smiled, "That was um wow, pretty compelling evidence Uiharu." She took her hands in hers gently, feeling their warmth spread to hers, "Maybe I don't have Onee-sama's love but I think I have something much better now."

She let out a weary grunt as she collapsed into Uiharu's arms. The flower haired girl looking worriedly at her. "Guess I'm more exhausted than I thought, finding out the cutest girl in Academy loves me probably didn't help." Looking up at her with a tired grin.

Uiharu sighed but with a smile on her face carrying her along slowly but surely away from the park. "Okay lets get you back to Tokiwdai."

Kuroko pursed her lips, "Actually could I stay at your dorm for the day?, we have a lot to catch up on."

Uiharu blushed bright red but nodded. Kuroko feeling safe and loved in her arms.