"So, your surgery will happen in just a couple more days. How are you feeling about it right now, Shizuru?" Natsuki asked gently as she walked into her family's piano room and sat down on the mahogany bench, before the baby grand piano Shizuru sat was also sitting before.
It had been a couple of very busy, very hectic weeks since the dinner when Hiro had offered to let Shizuru have her eye surgery right away. During that time the Fujinos and the Kugas had met and had been out to the hospital, where payment for the surgery had been made and a date for the operation set.
Since then Shizuru had become an almost permanent fixture in Natsuki's home. Both her parents adored the chestnut-brunette, and Shizuru's parents found Natsuki equally charming and delightful. The two young girls had grown more and more comfortable in each other's presence, and usually where you found one you could find the other. Which is why Natsuki now found herself in her mansion's piano room, a room that she herself rarely, if ever, used. But Shizuru had found it on her second visit to Natsuki's home, and had been instantly drawn to the beautiful ebony piano.
Shizuru had had to cancel the rest of her piano concerts, as she had to mentally prepared for her surgery, and her parents dealt with any and all loose ends for their daughter's operation. She had been feeling a bit apprehensive about her operation, and had sought solace in the piano room. Natsuki, like a bee drawn to honey, had found her new friend lightly pressing down on the piano keys, causing melancholy-sounding tones to waft gently into the air.
"Are you okay, Shizuru? You seem kind of...down. Aren't you excited or happy for this surgery?" Natsuki asked gently, and a bit nervously. Although they had been friends for a couple of weeks now, Shizuru still managed to make Natsuki feel tongue-tied and a bit starstruck, whenever they talked or were around each other. These feelings were however slowly beginning to wear off, especially in the light of Shizuru's constant teasing which had the added effect of slowly immunizing Natsuki to Shizuru's 'star quality'. But it would still take a bit more time for Natsuki to not feel like she was sharing the same space as a goddess.
Shizuru turned slightly-teary eyes towards Natsuki, and the ebony-haired girl almost felt her heart stop. Without stopping to think about her actions, Natsuki immediately reached forward and tenderly cupped Shizuru's face in her hands. Warm tears slipped from beneath Shizuru's closed eyes, and slid passed her full lashes to slide down silently across her lightly-flushed cheeks.
"Shizuru, what's wrong? Please...tell me what's happened?" Natsuki begged softly in a voice tight with worry.
Shizuru breathed in and out a shaky breath, before she leaned forward and rested her forehead against Natsuki's shoulder.
"I'm...I'm scared, Natsuki," Shizuru breathed softly against the warm skin of Natsuki's neck, causing the dark-haired girl to lightly shiver.
Natsuki slowly raised one of her hands, and gently stroked her fingers through Shizuru's lush chestnut locks.
"Shh shh, it's going to be okay. I promise. I swear to you Shizuru, you'll be alright. And when your surgery is done, you'll be able to see again. I know it won't be right away. I remember what the doctor said, that you'll be able to see objects and light again slowly, little by little until you eventually have most of your sight again. You'll have to wear glasses to correct the rest of your vision, but we'll get you some really cute 'librarian' glasses. Those always look cute and neat," Natsuki said with a light grin against Shizuru's cheek. Natsuki felt an answering grin against her neck, and she slipped her arms around Shizuru to give her a comforting hug.
"Now come on, focus on the positive and don't allow yourself to get worried and scared, when you're so close to realizing your greatest dream. Just remember you have a whole group of people behind you cheering you on like my father, your parents...and me," Natsuki said softly, as a light blush spread across her cheeks.
Shizuru sniffled once softly before she pressed herself back, sitting up properly on the bench again, and gave Natsuki a soft smile.
"Thank you Natsuki for...everything. You make everything seem so much...easier...lighter...I'm not scared anymore. And I have you to thank for that," Shizuru said softly with a hint of shyness as she leaned forward slowly, and lightly placed a soft kiss against Natsuki's still flushed cheek. Which only caused the younger girl's face to grow hotter and more flushed, causing her to stammer and stutter which of course made Shizuru giggle happily.
Shizuru could feel her melancholic mood rising and she wanted to do something more to thank Natsuki, for being here for her so much throughout these last two weeks. A sudden thought came the honey-brunette, and she slowly opened her eyes to look in the direction Natsuki sat. She heard Natsuki release a small breathy gasp of air, which the raven-haired girl always seemed to do when Shizuru opened her eyes, and looked at her. Shizuru knew that it wasn't out of any weird 'shock' that Natsuki always made the sound, like most people who were uncomfortable with seeing her unseeing eyes usually made. She knew Natsuki did it for reasons that made the ruby-eyed girl feel warm, even as she tried not to examine just why those reasons of Natsuki's always made her feel so warm.
"Natsuki, would you like me...to show you how to play the piano?" Shizuru asked with a small, shy smile playing across her lips.
Natsuki blinked in surprise for a second or two, before she nodded her head 'yes'. She then mentally slapped herself, and replied with a verbal "yes".
A brilliant smile lit up Shizuru's face and Natsuki felt her breath utterly stop at the sight. Shizuru didn't give her much time to recover as she asked Natsuki to lift her hands, which Natsuki immediately did. Natsuki felt a pleasant shiver flow through her body, as Shizuru gently entwined her delicate piano-player fingers with her own slender fingers.
Shizuru then patiently and with great care showed her how to play a simple song, pressing down each note Natsuki needed to play with her own fingers. Shizuru's eyes were once again closed and her head was canted slightly to the side, as she seemed to physically breath in the music, and let it flow out freely and easily through her fingers. She never needed to look down at the piano keys to know just exactly where to place Natsuki's fingers next, and the two girls spent the next two hours playing beautiful music together.
~o~o~o~
"So, this is the 'unfamous' Natsuki Kuga that I've been hearing about for the last couple of weeks," a loud female voice exclaimed, as Natsuki and Shizuru rounded the corner to the mall they were visiting the day before Shizuru's surgery.
"Haruka, I'm pretty sure you meant 'infamous'," a second, softer female voice spoke up.
"No no, I'm pretty sure I got it right the first time," a good-looking blond, with flashing violet-coloured eyes replied to a mousy brown-haired girl.
Natsuki, who had been walking beside Shizuru as the tawny-haired girl walked alongside her using her white walking cane, stopped and put her hands on her hips while she glared back at the blond-haired girl.
"This is your friend, Shizuru? Really? She seems kinda rude to me," Natsuki remarked with a slight scowl back at the girl named Haruka.
Shizuru just smiled softly, and carefully made her way forward to where she'd last heard Haruka's voice. Once she was sure she was standing before her loud friend, Shizuru reached forward and gave Haruka a warm hug.
Haruka harumphed quietly as she glared back at Natsuki over Shizuru's shoulder, before she gently wrapped Shizuru back up in the warm hug. She then whispered softly in the honey-brunette's ear, "it's good to see you again, Shizuru. Sorry Yukino and I have been out of town these last important two weeks, on a trip with our families. I wanted to be here for you to make sure you were okay with your upcoming surgery."
Shizuru smiled softly and gently patted Haruka on her back, before she pulled back from the hug and turned to where she'd heard Yukino's voice. Yukino immediately stepped forward and enveloped Shizuru in a tender hug, which Shizuru happily returned before she pulled back and addressed her two best friends.
"It's really okay. You have nothing to be sorry about. I've been well taken care of these past two weeks," here Shizuru paused, and smiled over her shoulder in Natsuki's direction.
Natsuki blushed at the smile being directed towards her, and fidgeted slightly from foot to foot.
Shizuru turned her head back towards her two childhood friends and continued, "and you both made it back in time for the most important part anyways. After my surgery tomorrow I'm going to need my friend's support...all of my friend's support." Here Shizuru gave Haruka a pointed look which the blond could instantly read as such, even though Shizuru had her eyes closed.
Haruka let out a soft theatrically-exaggerated sigh, which caused Yukino to giggle softly.
"Okay okay, come on over here squirt," Haruka said in a long-suffering tone, even as a slight-teasing smile played at the corners of her lips, as she looked over at Natsuki.
"It's really because of you and the generosity of your father that Shizuru will be able to see again someday soon, instead of possibly a couple more years from now when she would have hopefully accumulated enough money. So really, I'm very grateful to you for being here for Shizuru while Yukino and I couldn't. Thank you," Haruka said sincerely to Natsuki, which just caused the raven-haired girl to blush even more.
"Y-You don't need to thank me...I just...I really just wanted to help Shizuru," Natsuki murmured softly, as she tried to look everywhere but at the honey-haired brunette.
Shizuru for her part found herself blushing lightly at Natsuki's words.
Yukino giggled again at how cute her old best friend and the young new girl were being with each other. She decided to save them both from any further embarrassment, as she feared for their continued health if they got any redder.
"Well, let's go do what we came here to do. Buy Shizuru some cute glasses, so that when she's done with her surgery and has started to heal, she'll have a whole slew great glasses to choose from," Yukino said as she hooked her arm through Haruka's, and began leading her best friend into the mall.
Natsuki quickly hurried forward and continuing to look everywhere but at Shizuru, lightly coughed and held up her arm for Shizuru to take.
"W-Would you like to hold my arm?" Natsuki stammered out, blushing what Shizuru was sure was a very pretty pink.
Oh, how she looked forward to the day when she could look at Natsuki's stunningly beautiful face with her own eyes, instead of having to only rely on the sensory feel she received from her hands, Shizuru thought longingly to herself.
"Why yes, thank you Natsuki. I would love to hold your arm," Shizuru replied in a affectionately-teasing voice as she slipped her arm through Natsuki's, and allowed the sable-haired girl to lead her into the mall.
A sudden thought then popped into Natsuki's head, as she followed along behind Haruka and Yukino.
"Oi! Haruka! I'm not a squirt!"
~o~o~o~
"The doctor says I have a few more minutes to spend with you before he has to begin prepping you for the surgery," Natsuki said in a soft voice, as she lightly traced her fingers over the back of Shizuru's hand.
It was finally the day of Shizuru's eye surgery, and the chestnut-haired girl was laying atop the crisp white sheet of her hospital bed, mere minutes away from the medical procedure that would hopefully change her life forever. Both of their parents had already come in, wished their precious daughter the very best, and left to go wait in the hospital waiting room. Shizuru's parents had lovingly kissed her forehead, tenderly squeezed her hands, and told her that they loved her with all their hearts. Saki and Hideki Fujino were parents who would always stand by their daughter's side through thick and thin, and they would be with her throughout whatever happened after this surgery. They just hoped with all of their hearts that this operation would finally allow their sweet little girl, the chance to live out all of her dreams and wishes to the fullest of her abilities.
Natsuki continued to tenderly stroke her fingers along the back of Shizuru's hand, as she looked at the sandy-haired girl looking back at her with her burgundy-eyes wide open.
"Natsuki will be here for me when I...when I wake up after the surgery, correct?" Shizuru asked with a nervous lick of her lips.
It was finally the moment. Her surgery would begin soon, and try as she might Shizuru found herself absolutely terrified about what would happen next. How would her life change? Would the surgery be a success? Would there be any unforeseen complications? Would she eventually...finally...be able to truly see again...like she had been able to when she was a little girl. Would she be able to see the sky, the trees, the birds, the people around her...her parent's faces...she didn't even really remember what her parent's faces truly looked like. What would it be like to look into her mother's face again? To not only feel but see her father's smiling face. These two people had sheltered, cared for her, loved her, done anything and everything they could to make her life as easy and good as possible. Shizuru wanted nothing more in the world than to be able to look into their faces and truly see them. It was one of her life dreams. To see her parent's faces, and then to throw her arms around them and hug them until her arms hurt, and then keep hugging them even after that.
And she now had a new dream to add to that one...to see the face of the girl sitting by her side right now, gently exuding care and comfort.
I want to see Natsuki's face. I want to be able to touch it and watch that hot blush I always feel warm up her face. I want to be able to see that smile that I always hear in her voice...I want...to see Natsuki, Shizuru thought to herself before she started slightly, as she felt a warm and gentle pressure lightly press against her forehead.
"Don't worry Shizuru, I'll be there for you. I promise," Shizuru heard Natsuki say fiercely, as the younger girl gave Shizuru's hand a reassuring squeeze.
Shizuru nodded her head lightly, as she swallowed a small lump that had formed in her throat.
"Thank you," Shizuru was able to whisper out softly, before the sound of the hospital door opening came to her ears. Her operating doctor's soft caring voice spoke up then, and Shizuru listened as he told Natsuki that it was time for her to go wait in the waiting room, with the rest of both girl's families.
Natsuki gave Shizuru's hand one last squeeze before she slowly let go. Shizuru's hand clenched convulsively as she instantly missed Natsuki's hand's warmth, and she pulled her hand back to rest lightly against her now rapidly-beating heart.
Shizuru then felt the light, gentle press of lips against her cheek and Natsuki's low, velvety-soft voice spoke warmly into her ear.
"Remember Shizuru...I'll be right here for you." Shizuru then felt Natsuki gently press her hand against her chest, right over her heart, and Shizuru felt her frantically-beating heart slowly calm. She smiled softly up at Natsuki, and nodded her head that she was now okay and ready. She felt a light brush of fingers against her cheek, before she heard Natsuki's soft footsteps stepping away from her bed, and walking towards the door.
Shizuru took in and slowly released a steadying breath of air, before she heard her doctor ask if she was ready to begin the procedure. Shizuru nodded her head 'yes', and closed her eyes. She only crinkled her nose once as she felt the light prick of a needle in her arm. Everything began to grow increasingly fuzzy after that. Shizuru was aware of her hospital bed being moved, and she knew she was being slowly wheeled out of the room she was currently in, and down the hall to the official operating room.
After that the world began to fade in and out. Shizuru could hear voices talking around her, most likely the nurses who would assist the doctor with the surgery. She felt a light sheet placed over her arms and chest, and gentle fingers carefully pulling her head up so that her hair could be tied up and placed away from her face.
Then the world around her truly began fading into darkness, as Shizuru felt herself sinking deeper and deeper into an anesthesia-induced sleep.
She could only hope that when she finally woke up again...it would be to the light.
AN - I love you guys. Really. Please continue to read, hopefully continue to enjoy, and review. It makes me happy to know that I can entertain you guys, even a little ^^
Reviews are candy-coated luff~ =3