Super Sentai & Kamen Rider Crossover Short Stories/One-shot Collection

To Have Your Heart Again (KR Drive: Chase/Ninninger: Kasumi)

As long as I still have your heart and your love, then I'll do what it takes to bring you back to me and it doesn't matter even if I have to deal with Death itself... — Florence Joyce

xxxxxx

Whether anyone would admit it or not, seeing someone from your past could be scary. In this case, two people were still trying to figure out where everything had gone wrong a long time ago for them to be separated like that.

For Kasumi to meet Chase again after four years since their separation, she didn't really know what to expect. And yet, here she was. Smiling at him like she was only meeting an old friend whom she hadn't seen in so long.

"I never thought I'd see you in a place like this," Chase said, initiating the conversation.

The place, as he mentioned, was an amphitheater. The one that they never got to visit since things between them didn't go so well after an argument broke out. The words they said to each other that day became a catalyst for her to realize that their relationship at the time turned irreparable.

"I've been heading here for a few times now since I returned from the States. How about you? What are you doing here?"

Chase's face lit up. "Ah. A friend of mine will be performing here later. He asked me if I could attend as a form of support for him and his band."

"They have a lot of those performances here lately. It's getting rave reviews, as well."

The conversation could've gone on, if it wasn't for the emcee's announcement about the performance that Chase had mentioned earlier. For some reason, Kasumi couldn't help smiling wistfully after the announcement.

"It looks like you're looking forward to it. But it also looks like... you remembered something," Chase commented, his voice getting softer in each word he uttered.

But Kasumi retained her wistful smile and proceeded to sit in one available area. Chase followed suit, sitting beside her, much to her surprise.

Even so, she actually didn't mind that. In fact... she missed it.

"How have you been... since that night?" she asked tentatively, not looking at him. She also couldn't stop clenching and unclenching her hands, as if such an act would actually calm her nerves.

She didn't know why she asked that question, though. It could be out of curiosity. It could be just for old times' sake. Or it could also be because... she missed him so much and she wanted to know how he was able to hold himself up after that painful separation.

But no words came out after that. Kasumi couldn't help thinking that she must have hit a landmine on that one. At least she tried her luck, right?

"I still miss you."

Four words... spoken in such a hurting and longing tone that she never thought she'd hear from Chase at all. Not to mention, her heart was pounding in her chest like crazy, she felt she was about to be breathless.

Kasumi slowly raised her head and faced Chase. He wasn't looking at her. In fact, he was looking down, his hands clasped together as if he was making a prayer to the heavens. But she stayed looking at him.

"I kept on saying to myself that the moment I see you again, I would apologize to you for being such a fool and a jerk. You have no idea how many times I scolded and tortured myself for allowing that mistake to separate us instead of us trying our best to fix it. Until now, I could still feel the pain that I felt that day and had continued to endure during those long years of regretting that I let you go," Chase continued without looking at her.

But each and every word he uttered made her feel as if needles prickled her heart over and over. To be honest, she didn't know what to expect when they saw each other again in the only place that they hadn't visited when they were still a couple.

And yet, to think she would be able to hear all this from him.

At that point, Chase finally looked up and faced Kasumi. She held her breath as soon as their eyes met. She waited for him to continue. Or... to leave? Would he be leaving after saying all of that to her?

"Chase..." she couldn't help uttering. It has been so long since her lips last mentioned that name.

And she really missed it.

He smiled, but it looked like it was forced. Moments later, he stood up and offered his hand to her.

Her eyes widened at the gesture and looked at him. He only retained that awkward smile as his hand stayed in front of her.

Before she knew it, Kasumi took his hand — his rather cold hand, to be precise — and stood up, as well. At that moment, Chase pulled her close to him. She couldn't contain her gasp.

And yet, even so, he held her close, his voice soft and sincere. "This time, I'm not letting go."

Kasumi would have cried instantly at those words. She knew that they were true. No pretenses. And she was happy to hear them from this man she once loved, to be honest.

Her heart soared upon realizing something.

'I still love him... How could I be so ignorant about that fact? Why did I let him go that day?'

But no matter how much she would scold herself, none of it would ever bring back the time they've wasted because of their childishness and foolishness. Both of them acknowledged that they made a mistake.

That mistake drove them apart a long time ago.

With that realization, Kasumi smiled through her tears and finally returned Chase's embrace. They were already given this second chance. Realizing that they still love each other, that they still had each other's hearts all this time, she knew one thing.

This time, she would never let him go, as well. She would hold on tight to him.

"Thank you for still holding on," Kasumi said, her voice becoming strained because of her tears.

Chase didn't say anything, but his embrace tightened soon after. For now, it was enough for an answer.

xxxxxx

One more one-shot done! You might find it weird for me to write short stories after another after a long hiatus in writing them. But I have my reasons why. Aside from the fact that I decided to join a #Milwordy challenge, I also wanted to make sure I got to write everyday. Especially since I have lots of pending stories that need to be finished. So I have to force myself to work on them. I also wanted to have a productive writing year, that's why I'm doing this.

Anyway, thank you for reading up to this point. I really appreciate all the reads and comments you give to the stories (not just this one-shot collection) that I post here. See you on the next one-shot, everyone! Take care! :)