Shizuma beamed to herself as she walked out of the court room, months of a tedious court battle had finally been worth it. She'd won. She was free to do what she wanted; her tyrannical Uncle no longer held any power over her.
"I did it Dad" She whispered to herself, feeling her eyes begin to sting with the first signs of tears. "I won't let you down."
Taking a shuddering breath she made her way outside as a determined swell began forming in her chest at the upcoming months.
Everything was finally working out; there was just one piece of the puzzle left. One she whole heartedly expected to reject her.
"Nagisa…"
"S-Sophia, what are you doing?" Nagisa stuttered as she backed further against the kitchen counter, when she'd allowed the other girl the chance to speak, she didn't realise this proximity would entail.
She watched in horror as Sophia walked slowly closer, ignoring her question completely.
Turning her head quickly she hoped it would deter the other girl, but it only seemed to spur her on as the blonde stopped a breath away from the red head's ear.
Sophia's breath tickled the outer rim her ear as she felt a blush creep up her cheeks; aware that at any moment Shizuma could return to the room and catch them in this compromising position. She was also aware that at any moment she could shout for help and Shizuma would come to her rescue.
Her lips parted slightly as she contemplated this, momentarily stunned by the indecision now coursing through her being.
Ultimately she decided to play the encounter by ear; she needed – wanted- to know how Shizuma had apparently deceived her. The only way to discover that was to wait and listen.
Her mouth clamped shut as she felt a finger gently caressing her cheek, trying to supress the shiver now wavering through her body. Bile rose in the back of her throat as she held her ground. 'I don't want this. Stop it, stop it…'
"S-Stop it" She mumbled out, aware that Shizuma was only in the next room. The finger stopped its movement yet didn't leave her face, instead opting to rest against her lip.
Another hand cupped her chin, forcing her to look into the blue eyes watching her every movement.
"You might not be so quick to stop me when you find out who Shizuma really is" The smirk was prominent on the blondes face as Nagisa frowned.
"I would."
It was a simple reply, but the shock of it briefly flashed across Sophia's face before she returned to a neutral expression.
"We can but wait and see, Nagisa dear" the bitter sarcasm echoed throughout the room as Nagisa abruptly turned her face from the other, jaw locking in irritation.
"Just tell me what you wanted to say. Please."
"Do you love Shizuma?" Sophia answered the question with another, sensing the red heads irritation and attempting to fuel it further.
"What has that got to do with you?" She spat.
"Do you love Shizuma?" Sophia continued to probe the question, highly aware of its effect.
Nagisa paused, fuming. 'Do I love Shizuma?' her anger faltered slightly as she wondered this, a sharp pain resonating from her chest in its place.
Her face twitched ever so slightly as she drove back into memories she'd previously built walls around searching for the answer she couldn't immediately find.
The twitch didn't go unnoticed by Sophia who waited patiently for the answer, a blossom of hope beginning to spread through her. 'She's making this far too easy…'
Keeping her face neutral she watched the indecision play across the red heads face alerting the blonde to her inner conflict.
"I care about Shizuma…" she finally muttered.
"That wasn't what I asked you, do you love her?" Sophia reiterated slowly, quickly prompting a scowl from the other woman.
"Of course I love her!" She snapped, suddenly regretting her actions; but the words had already left her lips before she could restrain herself. 'Damn.'
Fear rapidly spread through the red heads body as her legs buckled and she slouched to the floor, wrapping her arms around her knees.
"I love her. I love her so much it hurts. When she l-left me before… I… I…" Nagisa began to choke on the sobs which were now breaking free, the past few years' insecurities finally overwhelming her.
She was suddenly aware of two arms wrapping themselves around her, pulling her into an embrace as a pair of sparkling blue eyes bore into her own.
"Why? Why are you doing this to me?" she all but wailed, her red rimmed eyes curiously searching for the answers she desired, as if the answers would be written across the blondes face.
"Nagisa… you don't understand. I have to do this. She doesn't deserve to get away with everything she's done and you deserve to know the truth."
"What truth? I've had enough of this; just tell me what she's meant to have done!" Nagisa snarled; she was fed up of the games now. She wanted answers, and she wanted them now regardless of the consequences of such actions.
"She's married…"
"What?"
"Shizuma… she's married."
"No. No, she can't be. She isn't, you're lying to me! Why are you doing this?" Nagisa cried out, struggling within the blonde's arms as she attempted to push her away.
"No… N-" Nagisa was cut off as she began to shout by a pair of lips roughly crashing into her own, silencing her. Her eyes widened as she tried to pull away, only to be pushed further against the counter, she couldn't move, couldn't scream so she bite down on her lip and prayed that Shizuma wouldn't come into the room. 'Wait, Shizuma? Shizuma? Married? Shizuma's Married? What?'
After what seemed like an eternity the blonde pulled away, her face un-readable as she contemplated the girl in front of her. Neither spoke nor made any indication they were about to move.
Finally as the silence became too uncomfortable for the blonde to bear she uttered quietly; "Will you be quite now then and let me finish?"
Nagisa didn't trust herself to speak coherently so simply nodded her head slowly, trying to take in everything that had just happened. Pushing herself back further into the counter she tried to create some form of distance between herself and Sophia yet failed quite miserably, nothing short of merging with the counter would grant her that wish.
Sophia noticed but decided to keep quiet on that particular matter; she'd only meant to silence the girl before she could attract attention from the others, she'd never thought the red head would react like this.
"As I was saying, Shizuma is married. My father saw to it that she married a respectable young man, they've been married for a year now."
"A – A year?" Nagisa could scarcely believe the information she was being given as her eyes widened at the revelation. She thought back to the previous couple of days, how Shizuma had all but begged forgiveness, how she'd comforted the red head whilst she cried. 'Lies, it was all lies.'
She felt her heart begin to shatter as tears continued to fall down her cheeks.
"Wh-Why are you telling me this? What do you stand to gain from telling me?"
Sophia sighed, she wanted to ruin things for Shizuma but she truly hadn't wanted to hurt the red head. It had been a necessity, or that's what she kept telling herself as the guilt plied down on her heart and head, making her stomach churn.
"You deserve to know, plus I have my own … issues… with Shizuma…"
Nagisa gave her an incredulous look as she stiffened. "You- You did it out of revenge? For something I'm not even involved in? You broke my heart for THAT?" Her voice began to rise as her body shook in anger and frustration.
Abruptly standing she slammed her hand against the counter whilst a sense of hysteria began to take a hold of her. 'How dare she? HOW DARE SHE?'
Sophia quickly followed suite in standing up, trying to calm the distraught woman down by reassuringly placing her hands either side of the red head's shoulders.
"GET OFF ME!"
The blonde began to back up quickly just as the door slammed open and Shizuma stalked into the room, her face etched with worry and concern for her younger companion.
"Nagisa? Nagisa what's wrong? What happened? Are you okay?" she rushed forwards trying to embrace the red head in her arms as a concerned bluenette watched on from the door frame.
"Don't come any closer!" She growled in defiance, slamming her hand against the counter once more, wincing as her knuckles collided into the side with a crack.
Ignoring the pain she glared at Shizuma unable to hide the emotional turmoil she was experiencing as tears continued to streak her face.
"I'm sorry Nagisa, I really am." Sophia muttered quietly the pure exertion of strength from the smaller woman taking her by surprise.
When the only reply she received was a steely glare, she bowed her head in submittal before quickly leaving the apartment.
Nagisa returned her gaze to Shizuma; the pure look of confusion on the woman's face only fuelled her pain and anger further.
"Is it true?"
The silver haired woman frowned, her brow furrowing as she answered; "Is what true? What did she say?"
"Oh come off it, you know full well what she's told me!" She hissed unable to conceal the seething anger squirming to be released.
"Nagisa… I really don't, please just explain to me what's wrong!"
"She said you were married!"
Nagisa stared into the elder woman's emerald eyes as she screamed the statement out, searching for any sign of shock or denial to prove the statement wrong. She searched and searched but as a look of utter panic shrouded the other woman she found her answer.
"Nagisa let me expla-"
"Get out" the red head interjected. She couldn't deal with this, she was just getting used to having the elder woman in her life again but she'd been using her all along.
"Nagisa I-"
"GET OUT! NOW!"
She could see the hesitation marring the silver haired woman's features, could tell she was about to argue her case and beg another chance, but Nagisa really could not bear the heart break anymore. It wasn't fair.
"No Shizuma, don't talk to me, I don't want to know. Get out. Go back to your husband. I've had enough; of you, of this. Just go. GO!"
Her heart shattered into tinier pieces as she saw the tears begin to spill from the emerald eyes she loved so much, as she watched her turn, as she watched her back get further and further away once again. 'No, No, not again, please. Please don't go.'
Her silent plea went unanswered as the woman disappeared from sight, closing the door behind her. Her own pride and dignity held her back from running after Shizuma and allowing her an opportunity to explain.
"Nagisa…"
The red head whirled around only to lock gazes with the apprehensive gaze of her bluenette friend hovering nearby.
They stared at each other for a brief moment as Nagisa felt like her heart was being ripped out of her chest, silent tears saturating her face.
Finally it was all too much as Nagisa collapsed to the floor gripping at her chest as heart wrenching sobs filled the room.
Tamao was at her side in seconds, pulling the red head into a gentle embrace as she rocked back and forth, whispering soothing words into her ear.
Shizuma stumbled down the street lost in thought as her body became numb, mindlessly knocking into other citizens without paying them any heed.
'Why did she have to find out before I could explain myself?'
She stumbled and tripped before collapsing onto a nearby wall and staring off into space, replaying her previous encounter with the love of her life on a loop.
She was just numb; it had yet to hit what had truly happened so until that inevitable event she remained stationary in the cool evening breeze, drinking in as much of the cool air as she could.
"What am I going to do?" She muttered aloud, trying to concoct a plan to win back the red head's affection. 'What if I've lost her now forever?'
She sighed in exasperation, glancing around at her surroundings and the people who sauntered past. Unaware of her pain, they obliviously walked on, only intent on their own problems or happiness.
'Why can't things ever be easy?'
Fed up of the peaceful, happy aura's swarming around her she closed her eyes whilst taking deep, laboured breaths. 'Why did Sophia have to ruin everything?'
'Sophia…'
As the name crept into her thoughts an intense spike of anger coursed through her body; her lip curling back into a snarl at the mere thought.
She opened her eyes to try and shake the thought, but as if on cue a familiar flash of blonde hair caught her attention in the distance.
Standing abruptly she went after the unaware figure, picking up her pace as the other woman got further and further away. Growling in anger she forced her legs to move quicker, turning into a sprint. Beginning to pant she could feel her lungs burn at the sudden exertion yet still pushed herself forward, desperate to get a hold of the girl who'd ruined everything.
The sound of shoes hitting the pavement at such a rapid rate echoed through her mind along with the sudden rush of blood. However it must have warned Sophia of the imminent presence as she turned around suddenly.
A flash of fear crossed her features briefly before her face hardened, eyes seething with anger and detest as she turned on her heel and ran.
The chase was now on, as Shizuma continued to urge her legs to run forwards, weaving in and out of unsuspecting people as she chased down the flittering blonde hair.
Her muscles now burnt and ached, threatening to buckle whilst she panted through her endeavours.
Sophia didn't relent in her movements as she twisted and turned through the streets trying to lose her follower. Her lithe body was snaking its way through the throngs of people, as she kept up her relentless pace.
Suddenly something grasped at her wrist dragging her to a stop as she tumbled forward head first, scraping her face on the pavement.
Wincing she was then forcefully dragged to her feet and spun round, face to face with Shizuma.
"We need to talk." The cold, icy voice that reached the blondes ears made her shiver involuntarily as she tried to break the elder woman's grasp to escape.
All around the pair people had begun to stop and watch the interaction with wary eyes, pondering whether or not to interfere.
Sensing this Shizuma began to drag Sophia along to a more secluded spot, away from prying eyes and interference.
She spotted an alley way from the corner of her eye and headed in that direction, not stopping until she was positive that no one could see them; glancing around just to be sure.
Finally she returned her gaze to Sophia whom by now was staring rather intently at her feet, refusing to look at Shizuma herself.
"Why did you tell Nagisa I was married?" Shizuma struggled to keep her anger under a thin veneer of calm. 'Can't lose my temper just yet, I need answers.'
"She deserved to know that you were leading her on" was the biting response.
"What?" Shizuma could feel her anger begin to burn and bubble away beneath her skin, "Since when did my love life become any of your business?"
"So I'm correct then – you were leading her on."
"What? No, I wasn't. I'm not."
"You didn't deny it though – you said it was none of my business; as of such I will make it my business, you can't always have your own way Shizuma" the sarcastic, biting tone was putting Shizuma's nerves further and further on edge as she struggled to reign in her temper and anger.
"You don't know the conditions of my marriage or the values behind it, so don't you dare assume to be knowledgeable over such things. I love her, and you've just ruined any chance I may have had." Clenching her fists she couldn't deny that the blonde was infuriating her no end.
"That may be true cousin, but the main issue here is that you are in fact married, you lied to her!" Sophia's voice took on a mocking tone, enticing the silver haired woman to retaliate and react whilst she feigned nonchalance.
"I was going to talk to her about it in my own time, and explain it properly!"
"Oh? When would that have been?"
Shizuma blinked at the question, slightly taken aback by it as she pondered the answer. 'I was going to tell her… eventually, but she'd just started relaxing around me; I didn't want that moment of peace and tranquillity, no matter how brief to end. Not just yet…'
"See… you weren't going to tell her." The biting comment pulled her back to reality as she snarled in reply.
"I was going to tell her."
"Sure… whatever you say cousin, can I go now?"
"What is this really about Sophia? Why do you hate me so much?" Shizuma growled her emotions a tangled web of pure unadulterated anger and fury with a slight dash of hurt.
She watched as the blonde sneered at her question but couldn't help noticing the slight quiver of her hands.
"You know exactly what you did you bitch."
Shizuma's eyes narrowed dangerously, daring the blonde to continue whilst her mind reeled at the pain and hate emitted from the other.
At the silence the blonde began her tirade once more.
"It's your fault. Everything is your fault. You left me, with him. HIM! I thought you cared for me, but you left and everything went wrong."
The last statement took Shizuma by surprise as she gave the girl an incredulous look, her mind spiralling in confusion. "Him? Who are you talking about?"
Now it was Sophia's turn to look incredulous as she scoffed in resentment. "My father – who else?"
"Iwao?"
"No, the secret father I have hidden in the shed. Of course Iwao!" the younger girl spat, sarcasm dripping from every syllable as her eye twitched in discontent.
To say Shizuma was shocked at the declaration was an understatement. 'What is she talking about? Why is she so upset? She idolised Iwao…'
"… What happened?" Shizuma asked cautiously – the hurt was emanating from the blonde in great waves of negative energy and a slight sliver of worry began to creep into her conscious.
The blonde in question didn't answer straight away, instead staring intently at the silver haired woman, contemplating whether or not to divulge her secrets to someone she deemed no less than a traitor. "… I… I don't want to talk about it…" the slight stutter and hesitance didn't go unnoticed by the elder woman.
"Sophia… what happened?" Her tone became more demanding as she probed the girl for answers, unable to shake the gentle caress of worry which was not invading her conscience.
Watching, she saw the younger girls head droop; concealed by a blonde curtain of hair which did little to hide the pained expression now marring her features.
"Wh-When you left, he changed… he was so ill, and so angry. I tried everything to be there for him, but he didn't want me. Everything he wanted was taken away from him by you. He loved that company, he l-l-loved it." The next thing she mumbled was barely audible, even with Shizuma straining her ears so dearly. "He loved it more than me…"
Shizuma stared into the striking blue eyes which were now shedding silent tears, feeling her cold demeanour crumble she apprehensively placed a hand upon the distressed girls shoulder. In an attempt to reassure her somehow she began to speak.
"I'm sure that's not true Sophia, you're his daughter. He loved you very much."
"No… he didn't. He accused me of using him; he said I wasn't even his daughter – that he took me in out of pity for a dying woman who claimed me to be his."
Shizuma couldn't find any words to comfort the other girl, so stood there awkwardly trying to convey reassurance through the gentle touch to her shoulder. She couldn't help but feel partly to blame for the girls' distress, she'd never meant for her to be hurt. She could only watch on as the blondes' icy, nonchalance demeanour shattered and she once again became the little girl Shizuma had comforted in the past.
"I'm sorry…" the blonde mumbled greeting the gaze of a pair of emerald eyes. "I shouldn't have told Nagisa. I just –just-"
"Shh" Shizuma interjected, trying to sooth the muttering blonde. "I understand – you were trying to prove yourself to your father, right?"
At the other girls nod her eyes softened and she continued.
"I won't say that I'm particularly happy you caused such an argument between myself and Nagisa, in fact I'm still rather annoyed – I was all up for throttling you earlier." The corner of her mouth twitched upwards into a slightly amused smirk as the younger girl averted her gaze.
"However… I do understand, Iwao is… well poisonous for lack of a better word. You wanted to redeem yourself, I know. However, I can tell you that he's not worth it. You're so much better than him Sophia; don't let him drag you down with him."
"But he's the only family I have…" was the muttered reply she received, and her resolve caved instantly as she pulled the other girl into a tentative embrace.
"Last time I checked, we were related, no?"
Upon feeling the other girl nod into their embrace, she sighed as an idea began to form in her head. Making sure to keep a light, playful tone to her voice she added;
"Just don't make a habit of ruining my relationships though, okay? Or else we're going to have some issues."
She felt the other girl chuckle slightly into her shoulder before nodding her confirmation, finally pulling back from the embrace.
"Shizuma… I'm sorry, I really am."
"It's fine. I'll just have to work that little bit harder to gain Nagisa's trust again, would you be willing to help me?"
"Of course, anything you need."
Shizuma's beam lit up the dark, dreary alley way as she felt a slight weight shift from her shoulders. "Now that's what I like to hear."
The bluenette was perched precariously on the edge of her friend's bed, watching over the sleeping form wrapped within the blankets.
Detaching her gaze from the sleeping red head she let it wander around the room scrunching her nose in distaste.
'There's hardly anything here… just how has Nagisa been living all these years on her own?'
A soft mumble brought her back to her senses as she returned to watching her friend, part of her was deathly afraid she'd disappear again.
'This feels like old times – back at the strawberry dorms…'
"Shizuma…"
Tamao's heart shattered as her friend whimpered in her sleep, calling out the name of the person she truly loved.
Feeling her eyes begin to well with the first wave of tears, she gently moved a strand of hair behind the red heads ear cooing softly, reassuringly until her friend stilled beneath the touch.
Yaya glanced across at her pinkette companion as the train began to pull away from the station; she was sat across from the younger girl who was seemly in deep contemplation.
Her eyes roved over the girls' features from the tip of her nose and gradually roaming lower…
"Yaya-Chan!"
The demanding tone dragged her eyes back up whilst she smirked at the huffy girl glaring at her. They remained that way for a moment longer before Yaya decided to pick up the conversation.
"Yes? Did you want something?" The smirk didn't leave her face once as she observed Tsubomi's eyes widen in disbelief momentarily.
"You were staring Yaya-Chan and you know you were!"
Leaning forward Yaya cupped the huffy tsundere's cheek, drawing her closer as she whispered in a husky voice. "I like to stare at what's mine."
A startling blush adorned the younger girls face as the man sat next to her mirrored the complexion quickly shuffling and staring at his feet. Tusbomi noticed this and if possible went an even darker shade of red.
"Yaya-Chan! Enough!"
The elder girl leaned back into the seat and stretched cat-like, all the while continuing to smirk across the table. She lifted her foot and began to caress the other girls' thigh who yelped upon contact, banging her knees against the table.
The dark haired girl began to guffaw as the other instantaneously looked the other way grumbling under her voice just loud enough for Yaya to hear. "I can't take you anywhere…"
"You love it really…"
Yaya continued to smirk whilst her companion tried and failed to act nonchalant about the situation, the telling signs of an impending blush still staining her cheeks.
"Did Shizuma say why we had to meet her?"
A change of subject. Yaya usually revelled in drawing out the pinkette's discomfort at a situation just to watch her indignant expressions, but for once she let it drop.
"No, she didn't. Just said we had to get there as soon as possible. She said the others are going to be there too."
"Others such as Hikari-Sempai?" the pinkette tried and failed to keep the venom from her voice as she voiced her concerns.
"Tsubomi…" The darker haired girls' gaze softened as she watched the jealous pinkette squirm in her seat. "There's no need to be like that…"
"There's every need to be like that, she'll just try to steal you away. She act's all angelic but really she's just a home wrecking little ta-"
"Tsubomi. Stop." Yaya cut off the younger girl abruptly before softening her tone once more and grasping for the hand shaking slightly upon the table.
"Tsubomi-Chan, I love you. Not Hikari, please will you just believe me?"
The pinkette sighed dramatically as she looked back towards her lover. "I'm sorry, I just-"
"Shh, it's okay. I know. Besides how could I love anyone who doesn't go bright red like you every time I mention se-"
"YAYA-CHAN!"
Note:
Okay so here's chapter 8. It's the longest chapter I've done so far for 'Looking Towards Tomorrow' and I spent a couple of weeks thinking over plots and stuff; basically trying to figure out where I want this story to go… :P
Sorry if this chapter's a bit boring, but the argument was upcoming, also… there are more secrets which have been left untold. Just to warn you. :P
As always I don't own Strawberry Panic.
Thank you once again for reading/reviewing, it makes my day. (:
Becky. Xx