I'm Missing You

Everything seems to be falling apart for the guy formerly known as Desarm, when his love decides to focus on running her father's company and leaves Japan for America. But is that all that's keeping Hitomiko Kira there? Hitomiko and Saginuma centric.

Disclaimer: I don't own Inazuma Eleven or any of the characters. They are solely the property of Level 5.

Italics- for thoughts, memories, emphasis or letters/emails.

Symptoms

The sun dawned over the city, bringing brief respite from the torrential rain.

Saginuma was up early, sitting out on the balcony in an ancient bamboo chair, his thoughts overflowing with (surprise, surprise) everything that is Hitomiko Kira. Such as how her rare small, mysterious smile is more beautiful than the big mouthed grins of the girls his age. Or how she would sometimes reluctantly ask for his advice during soccer training, although in the end she rarely heeded it. He recalled the many evenings he would sneak into her mansion and they would stay up "talking" (not), sometimes even till dawn, and she would look so radiant, her expression as she gazed at him one of sheer pleasure.

So absorbed was he in his naughty daydream that he almost shot out of his seat when Hiroto's face popped into view.

"So, have you got any plans this morning, Saginuma?" he asked. Saginuma reluctantly came back to the present to give the question some thought.

He had planned on visiting Hitomiko at her apartment today… no, she would be at work at this time… but maybe he'll visit the Company instead, get a scope of the place he'd only heard of in whispers. No good either, I'll just look like some crazy stalker! Come to think of it, lately he has been behaving like a stalker. Either one's a bad idea…

"Saginuma-saaaaan?" Hiroto waved a hand in front of his face. Saginuma flinched. Even though Aliea Academy is gone now and Hiroto is no longer his superior, it still felt uncomfortable appearing weak and distracted in front of him. Although weak and distracted is probably how he'd describe himself now… loving a woman so much it drives him insane…

The unoccupied bamboo chair beside him creaked like a branch breaking as Hiroto sat down heavily. Saginuma's eyes widened. Shit, I thought that chair was going to break under him?

"Well," Hiroto said, ignoring Saginuma's dumbfounded stare and his groaning seat. "Whatever your plans are, forget them. We have an appointment with Dr. Sakura Haruno." This statement broke the older boy out of his dazed state. Hiroto added, "Yeah, she will be flying to Amsterdam soon, but I called her at her office, explained the situation and she agreed to see us. We've only got today though."

"At least that's some good news!" But as Saginuma rose from his chair, dark spots swamped his vision and he pitched forward, his head heavy, legs strangely weak and his breathing abruptly thin. Hiroto's surprised "Hey!" was heard when he fell forward. Then a buzzing noise in his ears drowned out the other sounds.

A pair of slender arms snaked around his waist and half-pulled-half-dragged his body into the room. It was with great effort for Saginuma to manage to look up but his vision was blurred; he could barely make out Hiroto, who was struggling to support his tall frame on his much smaller one. Hiroto was saying something that he could not make out because the buzzing noise kept changing in volume: getting louder, then go fainter and then growing louder again, drowning out the words. He tried to stand, but his feet did not exactly cooperate the way he wanted them to. The result was that he launched himself like a badly aimed missile, tripped and took Hiroto down with him.

"Oh Shit! Are you alright? Saginuma!"

Saginuma's hearing was returning, much to his relief. The dizziness seemed to quickly fade away as well. Gingerly he opened one eye and then the other, and blinked; the world was clear again. His breathing became easier once again and he heaved a sigh of relief. Right away Hiroto's face hovered over his, anxiety practically written all over it.

"Stay still," Hiroto commanded before getting to his feet. "I'll get an ice-pack or something."

Wisely, Saginuma obeyed and lay very still, breathing calmly, or at least trying to; what just happened really shook him up. But what the hell was that? It seemed like the side-effects he usually experienced when he got angry or depressed but why did it happen now, when he was actually in a good mood? Unless…

Soon Hiroto returned. "Sorry, I just put some ice-cubes in a towel." Kneeling down, he pressed the makeshift ice-pack to Saginuma's forehead.

"You okay?" he asked. Saginuma nodded and slowly sat up, Hiroto watching him and nervously holding the ice-pack to his head. "Are you sure?"

Saginma didn't say anything for a while, but when he replied he allowed his voice, for the first time in so long, to truly convey how distressed he felt. "I… I don't know what just happened, Hiroto. I think it- it's getting worse," Saginuma looked at Hiroto. Hiroto gazed solemnly back.

"We need to see Dr. Haruno," he said. "Fast."

The hospital where Dr. Haruno was based was so huge Saginuma had thought the taxi brought them to a cathedral by mistake. Inside the mammoth building, however, was definitely that of a hospital.

Standing in the threshold, under the gaze of the few patients that were there and the glare of the florescent lights, Saginuma felt even more nervous. Soon they would meet with the leading doctor in genetics, find a cure and then everything will be alright… won't it?

Once Hiroto told the young receptionist about their appointment with Dr. Haruno she pointed them to the corridor on the right of her desk, adding that the genetics offices were at the end. Although their circumstances was serious and his mood had been quite gloomy since his intense dizzy spell that morning, Saginuma couldn't help but smile at how deferential the receptionist had behaved with Hiroto; she even continued to beam after him as they headed down the corridor. Hiroto always did have a way with the ladies, with everyone in fact. A sudden pang of envy hit Saginuma square in the chest; why did Hiroto have to be so damn charming, likable; lovable even! Saginuma had had a hard enough time growing up with the presence of strong females at Sun Garden yet Hiroto was always the one with the listening skills, the shoulder to lean on and good advice to spare.

He stopped walking and glowered at Hiroto's orange jacketed back, his jealousy welling up within him, and along with it a familiar ache in a spot behind his eyes. He felt like a soft drink bottle that needed to let the fizz out, or else explode.

"Hm?" Hiroto had noticed he had stopped and turned back with a concerned look. "What's up? Is it happening again?" That look, a look that conveyed kindness and concern immediately dispelled Saginuma's jealousy but left him feeling awful. How could he think so badly of Hiroto after all he'd done? He'd helped him when his savings ran out; most importantly he didn't denounce him for loving Hitomiko.

"Saginuma?"

"Nah, it was nothing. Let's go. Which way is it again?"

Hiroto pointed at a pair of those transparent sliding doors often found in hospitals, and said, "We're already here."

Sorry it took so long for just a short chapter… I'm suffering some major writer's block for this fic. I apologize for any inaccuracy about the hospital; it's no excuse but I really only have the foggiest memories of what a hospital is actually supposed to be like. As usual, all reviews are welcome!