꧁ LIFE and DEATH ꧂

SNOW

Warning: Angst. Heavy angst.

(Art not mine! That's just saved on my computer XD)

His heart pounded in his chest.

He was certain the nurse next to him could hear it, but he didn't care.

If she didn't survive this, neither would he.

It was all a stupid accident, a silly mistake in the cosmos. It should have been him.

It should have been him.

He laughed aloud. Of course it should have been him. The car racing towards him had nothing to do with the girl currently in the Emergency Room.

"Yashiro," Amane murmured, pressing his forehead against one of the hospital windows. The freezing cold helped shock some sanity into his system.

It was all so silly; it was something out of a cheesy romance novel or horror movie; Amane wasn't really sure.

"Amane-kun?"

Amane looked up.

Aoi and Akane stood in the doorway of the waiting room. Aoi, seeing Amane's despondent face, raced across the room to give the boy a hug.

It would have been nice if Akane hadn't shot him a death look. He pulled back quickly.

"Amane-kun, what happened?" Aoi asked, eyes wide.

Amane inhaled shakily, trying to keep his voice under control. "It... I..."

A simple walk to get something for dinner.

Nene smiles, her voice clear and bright. "Oh, wow, look at the ice! It's gotten so cold!"

Amane grins back. "Are you cold?"

"No, but I heard it might snow tomorrow." Nene laughs. "Snow! Can you believe it? I want to sled, have a snowball fight, and build a snowman–"

"You'll need a lot of snow for that," Amane advises, trying not to laugh. "You might just want to enjoy it from inside–"

"Only if you're there too!" Nene smiles, turning to face him on the icy sidewalk. "We can make cocoa and cookies!"

"I can't really bake."

"That's okay," she says, eyes shining in anticipation. "I'll show you how!"

Amane laughs. "Perfect."

Nene gasps, freezing. "Did you see that?!"

"What–"

"I saw snow!" Nene laughs and takes a step. Into the road. "Amane, look, it's snowing–"

A flash of headlights. A clangor of car horns.

Nene lies, limbs spread at odd angles, in the street.

"YASHIRO!"

Tears cloud his vision, his feet tangling as he races towards her.

The snow begins to fall, thicker now, as he pulls out his phone. Amane's fingers stumble over themselves as he tries to make a call.

"T-there's been an accident... I–my friend, she's h-hurt. Please–"

The arsenal of trucks and ambulances arrives within minutes.

Amane clenches his fingers, preparing to make one final call. The best surgeon he knows is also the craziest surgeon he knows.

It only rings once before he picks up.

"Tsukasa?"

"Is she going to make it?" Akane asked, his face softening. Amane tried to keep his breathing slow.

"If anyone can save her, it's my brother."

"Tsukasa-kun?" Aoi asked, gently tilting her head. "I thought he wasn't working tonight–"

"Amaneeeee!"

Amane, out of habit, braced himself for a bear hug. Luckily, Tsukasa had learned a little restraint since middle school.

"Tsu, how's she doing?" Amane asked once he had been gently hugged. Tsukasa's grin faltered.

"Nene-chan? She's awake."

"I need to see her."

Tsukasa's head bobbed up and down. "Okie. Just..."

"Just what?" Amane asked, his voice dangerous.

"She..." Tsukasa looked away, almost in embarrassment. "She might not be awake much longer–"

Amane flew past him and into the room Nene was currently occupying.

He paused when he spotted her.

Never had she looked so fragile. Her skin was paler than it should have been, and her eyes were glassy. Her shoulders fluttered slightly with the weight of each breath. Her hair had been finger-combed, probably by Tsukasa in a failed attempt to make her look more alive.

But she was still beautiful to Amane. Even in death, she would be the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

(Not that he wanted to test that)

"Yashiro..."

She didn't move. Amane stepped forward and knelt at the edge of the cot. He took her hand and laced their fingers together. His eyes grew wet.

"Nene?"

She finally looked at him.

"I love you," he said quietly. "I love you so much."

"I love you too," she murmured.

"You're gonna be okay," Amane said, his voice breaking. "You're gonna get all healed, Tsu's gonna help you, then–"

"Amane..." Nene whispered.

He paused, head spinning, heart pounding. "Yeah?"

"Amane, it's snowing."

He took her hand.

He brushed her hair back.

He gave her one last smile as the light left her eyes.

"It is."

A/N:

I'm currently doing 3 shows, and we striked another one last week. I think I'm doing too much. :)

But! The other day, I had a shipping revolution. Have any of you read Percy Jackson & the Olympians? Or The Heroes of Olympus? Or The Trials of Apollo? (I'm on book two of that last one)
But I found this little thing called Solangelo. 

Will is tall. He has blue eyes. He is a morning person. He can be overly upbeat. He has a short, somewhat death-obsessed boyfriend.
I am tall. I have blue eyes. I am (sometimes) a morning person. I am always overly upbeat. I have a short, definitely death-obsessed boyfriend. 

I HAVE BLOWN MY OWN MIND. 

Ahem. I'm going to try to post the answers to the Q&A that I did forever ago soon. :D

Stay safe and healthy! 

~~ Author-chan ~~