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1 This took me an afternoon while waiting for everyone to set up my brother’s
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2 birthday. ^-^ It was either this or a Chuck E. Cheese romance story (my little
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3 brother’s turning 7, so that’s where we’re going ;_;) and I’m more morbid than
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4 that. ^-^;; I think the scariest thing is that I do have a plot centered around a
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5 Chuck E. Cheese. O_o Good thing I don’t have characters worked out yet. ^-^
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6 Oh well. This is my second Sasami & Misao story and it wasn’t as happy as I
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7 would have liked, but I’m glad I got the chance to. ^-^ They make such a cute
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8 couple. ^=^ Hopefully I can again soon. ^-^ If you like this or have any
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9 suggestions for a future story I could do about them, please e-mail me. ^-^
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10 Thanks so much for reading. *hugs* Oh, and I know that I’m reusing a the title
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11 from a CCS fic I wrote, but the friend I got the title from didn’t like it so I’m
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12 hoping this one will fit better. ^^;; Then again, third time’s a charm, so you
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13 never know.
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14
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15 Heather
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16
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17
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18 Love Lies Bleeding
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19
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20 By Amazoness Duo
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21 amazonessduo@hotmail.com
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22
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23 Emptiness. The cold, infinite emptiness in her heart was all that made
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24 up Misao’s world for the moments it took to listen to the answering machine.
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25 Her mother was going to be late again and she wasn’t supposed to wait up. Her
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26 cram school had called about her extended absences. And the doctors wanted to
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27 run more tests. Possibly even another operation.
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28 Whenever the world was at it’s darkest, something happened to make
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29 matters worse. She had had an awful day at school, that sea of people that hardly
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30 knew her and hardly cared rushing past, catching her in their wake. Her body
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31 ached horribly, a reminder of how sick she had been feeling all day. No one had
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32 seen her when she had collapsed from the pain in the hallway. When she had
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33 passed into unconsciousness, an awful dream about an evil blonde girl fighting
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34 Sasami in a cute magical girl outfit played out for her. It wouldn’t have been so
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35 horrible if she hadn’t been the blonde girl in the dream. She never wanted to
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36 fight Sasami, to ever cause any trouble to her best and only friend.
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37 The horrible pains had been scaring her more and more lately. She
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38 could barely see past the pain at times as it consumed her. It was becoming
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39 clearer and clearer to her that she was going to die. She was getting sicker.
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40 Which meant more operations. And her mother would have to work even harder
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41 and later to pay for it all. She barely saw her mother as it was and the poor
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42 woman was already overworked. She didn’t want to make things worse. Holding
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43 herself, the pale girl shivered at the thought of another operation. The hospital
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44 frightened her. If anything, it just made things hurt even worse than they already
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45 did and made her mom worry about whether or not she’d pull through. The look
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46 on her mother’s face when she was talking to the doctor the last time chilled her
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47 soul. Her mother never did tell her what he had said, but she feared the worst.
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48 Everything was cold. Everything was lonely. Everything hurt her.
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49 Misao brushed away pained tears from her aquamarine eyes. It hadn’t occurred
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50 to her at first that she had been crying. She contemplated the crystalline droplet
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51 as more streamed down her cheeks. Her lips quivered as a sob escaped her. She
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52 hugged herself tightly against the harshness of the world. If only she were with
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53 Sasami, then maybe... No, she couldn’t depend on Sasami all of the time. She
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54 was already a burden on her mother. Was she a burden to Sasami as well? The
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55 other girl offered her unconditional friendship when she needed it the most,
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56 helping her and spending time with her when everyone else was usually content
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57 to ignore her and let her die in a corner somewhere. There was no doubt in her
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58 mind that she would have died a long time ago had it not been for Sasami. But
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59 now the thought that she was just burdening the blue haired girl with her own
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60 insecurities and loneliness hurt her deeply. Why did Sasami waste her time with
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61 her? Did she feel sorry for her? No one else thought she was worth the time of
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62 day.
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63 Biting pain shot through Misao, her breathing becoming ragged as she
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64 clutched at her chest. Staggering forward, more tears fell from her. The entire
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65 house held a lonely silence, the only sound her own labored breaths. “Please,
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66 make it go away...” she begged. The pain in her body was almost as strong as
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67 the pain in her heart. Why did it always have to be this way? Why was she so
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68 weak? “Mama... Don’t take me back.. to the hospital... I’ll be just fine, I
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69 promise...” Whimpering at the pain that burned through her senses along with
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70 the hopelessness surrounding her, Misao struggled to get to her room. The world
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71 tilted on it’s side halfway up the stairs, making it ever more difficult to think.
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72 She needed to lie down. She needed to make it all go away. Her next step missed
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73 the stairs by a few inches, her disoriented body failing to compensate as the
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74 world dropped out under her. The pain became more intense as she fell back
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75 down the stairs. She barely got out a short yelp before she hit the floor near the
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76 foot of the stairs.
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77 Time stood still. It had no meaning to Misao. Her world was ablaze in
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78 pain and fear. “Mama...” she choked out, her chest aching as her breathing
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79 labored on. Weakly raising her hand shakily, she was shocked to see it covered
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80 in her own blood. Another silent sob escaped her bruised lips. She could see the
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81 door from where she was lying, her shoes all alone. Her mother wouldn’t be
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82 back for hours. Her heart shattered as she came to the painful realization that she
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83 was going to die all by herself. There was no one to comfort her, no one to ease
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84 her pain.
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85 ‘Sasami!!’ her feverish mind shot out in desperation. ‘I need to tell her.
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86 I need her to know or she’ll be mad. She’s the only one who cares. She’ll be
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87 mad at me if I don’t tell her why I’m gone.’ She grasped onto that one thought
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88 as her body began to go numb in a number of places, not dulling the sharp pain
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89 inside in the least. She barely managed to get a hold of the phone, pulling it
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90 close as she pushed the speed dial for her only friend. The seconds ticked on like
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91 hours, defeat threatening her as death’s door drew ever nearer. As she was about
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92 to give up, to quit like she always did, a cheerful voice answered.
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93 “Moshi moshi.”
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94 “Sa.. sa..mi...” Misao got out painfully. Her heart caught in her chest
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95 for a moment. The fear that she wouldn’t be able to tell Sasami before she was
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96 taken away gripped her. “..sami...” she whispered again into the receiver, her
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97 hand shaking.
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98 Sasami froze. Something was dreadfully wrong. “Misao-chan? Misao,
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99 is that you? What’s wrong? You sound strange.”
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100 Misao released a muffled sob, pulling the phone closer. “..it hurts...
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101 sami.. hurts so much… I’m sorry.. so sorry... I just… I want.. it to stop...” she
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102 barely managed to get out.
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103 “Misao? Misao, you’re not making sense. What’s going on? Misao-
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104 chan, you have to tell me what’s going on,” Sasami urged. She was growing
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105 frantic. Misao sounded awful and she could barely make out what she was
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106 saying. What could have happened to her?
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107 “..won’t go away... Always hurts... gomen nasai... Sasami.. I.. I.. love
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108 you..” Misao’s sob was more prominent this time. Her grip on the phone
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109 weakened. She didn’t want to go. Sasami meant so much to her. But she was her
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110 only reason to stay anymore and it didn’t look like it was her choice.
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111 “Misao-chan? What? I... Are you at home?” Sasami clutched the phone
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112 to her ear painfully, not wanting to miss anything. There was no response after a
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113 long silence, only ragged breathing. “Misao! Misao-chan!!” she screamed into
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114 the phone.
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115 Was someone calling her name? “Mama..? Gomen, mama.. You won’t
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116 have... to work so hard.. anymore, mama..” Tears welled up as her eyes closed,
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117 falling off of long lashes. Misao could barely hear Sasami anymore, the phone
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118 slipping from weak fingers. The tears streamed down her cheeks, mixing with
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119 the blood dripping down her chin. She shivered in the cold, empty house. Alone.
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120 Always alone.
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121
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122 Sasami thanked all that was Holy when she found the door to Misao’s
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123 house open. Her initial reaction started to dissipate when she realized what that
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124 could mean. Anyone could have gotten in. Someone might have hurt Misao. She
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125 sounded in pain on the phone. What if... Sasami pushed off the thought as she
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126 walked inside. There was no time for speculation. She need to find out what
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127 happened.
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128 What she saw froze her in her tracks. Misao was lying not far from the
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129 door at the foot of the stairs, the phone next to her with a bloody handprint.
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130 Misao herself wasn’t moving, blood seeping through her ripped white school
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131 blouse. “Misao-chan!!” Sasami gasped. Rushing to the raven haired girl’s side,
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132 her heart pounded in her chest. Her worst fear made her legs go numb
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133 underneath her as she sat down hard next to her best friend. She couldn’t be
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134 dead. That wasn’t fair. She needed Misao. Her hands searched desperately for a
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135 heartbeat, for any sign that there was still life in that weak, battered body. Misao
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136 made a weak noise as she moved under Sasami’s questing fingers. Stopping the
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137 search for a heartbeat, Sasami sat in silence for a brief moment. “Misao? Can
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138 you hear me?! Misao-chan, I’m here. I’m right here. Don’t close your eyes. You
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139 have to stay with me. I won’t let you go,” she said urgently.
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140 Misao’s eyes blinked open slowly. She could vaguely make out a shape
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141 next to her, blue blurs next to what she thought was the face. She wasn’t dead
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142 yet? When would her suffering be over? “Sa..sami?” she asked weakly. “You..
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143 came?”
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144 Sasami wiped at her eyes with the backs of her hands as she nodded
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145 hurriedly. “I had to. Of course I came. You’re my best friend, Misao-chan. I
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146 can’t leave you alone.” Misao was about to close her arms, but Sasami protested
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147 adamantly . “No, you can’t! Stay with me, Misao-chan. Stay here with me. I’ll
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148 get help for you. You’ll be just fine.” Sasami grabbed the blood stained phone
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149 off the floor and quickly dialed up the paramedics.
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150 “No, please don’t, Sasami..” Misao whimpered as she tried to roll over.
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151 “No more doctors.. I don’t.. I don’t want anymore doctors...”
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152 Sasami’s insides were turned inside out at the pain in Misao’s voice.
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153 She knew that Misao had been a very sick girl for very long, but Misao had
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154 never told her about any doctor’s visits or anything about being so afraid of
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155 them. She gathered Misao in her arms when she was finally done with the call.
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156 “Oh, Misao-chan. Everything will be just fine. I promise. We’ll go get ice cream
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157 after all this. Or we’ll go to the park. No, you don’t like the park. We’ll do...
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158 We’ll do whatever you want to do. I promise.” Sasami’s voice break as tears
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159 began welling up in her eyes. She held her broken friend tighter.
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160 By now Misao was far to numb, the pain already having been plunged
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161 through indescribable in comparison to the pain that shot up from Sasami’s
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162 arms. Besides, it felt so warm, so safe, so soothing. She wouldn’t give up her
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163 spot in them even if the pain was unbearable. “Thank you... Sasami-chan..” Her
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164 body shook as she coughed painfully, small flecks of blood getting on Sasami.
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165 “I just... I want it to go away... I want it to stop hurting... I want it.. all to stop
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166 hurting..” Shaking her head weakly, more tears fell down her deathly pale
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167 cheeks. “I can’t make you.. promise that, Sasami.. because... I don’t want to be
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168 here..” Her voice was full of pain and sorrow, her small body shaking from the
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169 raw emotion inside.
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170 Sasami shook her head violently. “No, don’t say that, Misao-chan.
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171 Don’t leave me alone. Please, stay here with me. Please stay, Misao-chan.
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172 There’s still plenty of reasons to stay. I promise we’ll see them all together.”
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173 “You’re.. you’re the only reason to stay, Sasami..” Misao whispered
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174 softly, trying to look up at the blue haired girl through her hazy vision.
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175 “Everything else... hurts too much.. I don’t want.. to hurt anymore..”
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176 Aquamarine eyes met pink ones, displaying all of the loneliness and unshed
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177 tears in the dimming orbs.
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178 “But.. me?” Sasami shook her head. How could she be the only thing
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179 worth sticking around for? She didn’t care. As long as Misao did, what did it
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180 matter? How she was, was trivial. “Misao-chan, I don’t want you to hurt either.
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181 If I’m you’re only reason, then please stay for me. I don’t want to be alone. I
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182 need you.” She brushed some of Misao’s matted hair away from her eyes,
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183 meeting them with her own teary eyes. “I love you, Misao-chan. Don’t make me
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184 go on without you. You still have to sing for me. You have to help me when I’m
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185 lonely. You have to... It doesn’t matter what you have to do as long as you stay
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186 with me, Misao.” She pulled Misao closer, on the verge of tears at the battle
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187 between life and death her friend was facing.
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188 Misao blinked weakly, still trying to make out Sasami. “You... love
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189 me?” she asked tentatively. Her hand reached up slowly, brushing Sasami’s
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190 warm cheek. Her own hand was so cold. “Sasa.. mi-chan... I.. love you, too..”
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191 The coldness inside seemed to melt away, the pain becoming more bearable as
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192 Sasami held her close. “I.. love you..” she repeated with as much strength as she
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193 could muster.
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194 Smiling softly, tears starting to trickle down her face, Sasami nodded.
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195 “Thanks, Misao-chan. Those are the nicest words I could ever hear.” Placing a
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196 hand on Misao’s cheek, she leaned forward, kissing the raven haired girl as
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197 gently as she could despite the pounding in her heart that ached for more. The
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198 soft lips were still bloody, giving the kiss a coppery taste. “Misao-chan...”
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199 Sasami wiped at her eyes, trying to control her emotions but finding it
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200 impossible. “Now you have to stay. You have to stay with me. Because I love
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201 you. And I won’t leave you alone.”
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202 “Sasami...” Misao whispered weakly, managing a faint smile. “Thanks,
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203 Sasami... I don’t want to be alone..” She closed her eyes tiredly, feeling so warm
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204 and peaceful in Sasami’s arms. The pain didn’t even seem to be there, in her
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205 body or in her heart. The blue haired girl’s voice sounded so distant as she lay
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206 against her. Was it becoming more insistent? She couldn’t tell as everything
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207 started to slow down. She was so tired. It would be nice to get some rest. Some
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208 rest in the arms of the girl she loved. Everything started to get brighter as her
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209 spirits rose. She was finally happy. “I.. love you... sami..”
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210
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211 “Owww...” Misao tried to roll over in bed as pain stabbed her...
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212 everywhere. Her whole body hurt. She felt like she’d just gotten back from
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213 being beat up by her entire class. Except Sasami. Sasami would never do that.
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214 She tried to sit up in bed but found it nearly impossible. She weakly slumped
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215 back down onto her pillow. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw the IV in her
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216 arm. Not the doctor. Anywhere but there. They always wound up hurting her.
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217 The chill of fear building inside of her was immediately quelled by a sweet
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218 voice near her bedside.
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219 “Misao-chan! You’re awake,” Sasami exclaimed joyously, rubbing the
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220 sleep from her eyes as she slipped out of the chair she’d been sitting in and
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221 reached the raven haired girl. All of the worry that had been turning her stomach
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222 in knots for the past few hours finally loosened its grip on her. Seeing Misao
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223 awake reassured her that everything would be alright.
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224 “Sasami-chan?” Confusion swirled around in Misao’s still drugged
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225 mind. She wanted to pull out the IV, but somehow she doubted Sasami would let
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226 her go through with it. But just seeing the blue haired girl there was enough to
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227 soothe her frayed soul.
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228 “Shh... Try not to move too much. You’re supposed to get some rest.
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229 Your mother was really worried about you. The doctors spent a long time
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230 making you better. But she’ll be glad to know you’re all right now.” Reaching
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231 down, Sasami took Misao’s hand in her own. It was cold to the touch. A smile
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232 graced her face when Misao’s hand weakly held on. “It’s going to be alright
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233 now, Misao-chan.”
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234 Misao’s eyes slid closed as everything slowly started coming back to
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235 her. All of the fear and pain from her memories seemed almost as potent even
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236 then through her sleepy mind. Tears welled up in her aquamarine eyes. Sasami’s
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237 warm fingers reached out, brushing them away from her soft, pale skin.
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238 “Sasami-chan...”
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239 “I promise. I promise it will all be better. I’ll make sure it is because I
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240 won’t leave your side.” Sasami smiled brightly, even through the tears that
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241 started to build up in her own eyes. It had been quite a scare earlier, but now she
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242 was just glad she had the chance to fix things. She bent down over the other girl,
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243 giving her a soft, lingering kiss. “I love you, Misao-chan.”
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244 Misao blushed fiercely but couldn’t do much else, her mind nearly
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245 freezing. The whole thing seemed worth it, if only for that. She would go
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246 through that pain over and over again if it meant she could be with Sasami. Her
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247 mind clouded over, but now with a much warm and fuzzier feeling than the pain.
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248 She couldn’t help but believe Sasami that things would be better. How could
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249 they not be with her? “I love you, too, Sasami-chan.”
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250
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251
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