Stop (Kousei Arima x Tsubaki One Shot)

Stop

Two weeks. It had been only fourteen days since Kaori Miyazono passed during surgery. She couldn't live through it. She couldn't live to play with Kousei Arima one more time.

Watari was bummed out by it. He wasn't being himself anymore. He did have a crush on the blonde haired girl but never told her. Now he'd never have that chance. Anyone around him could tell that he was still grieving over the loss of his friend.

Tsubaki wasn't handling it well either. They promised to go out and shop for Spring clothes. There was going to be a huge sale at the mall for them. But Kaori would never make it. Hanging out with Kaori was probably the only time she was ever girly. And even then she would hate looking at clothes for too long.

Kaori's parents were still mourning the loss of their daughter. They had promised when she was better that she'd get to see Kousei play at the competitions before going to an amusement park nearby. If she had lived it would've been the best month of her life.

Her mom prayed to God that she would live through the surgery but that wasn't enough. Since Kaori was dead, they sold the tickets that they had for the park and didn't go to Kousei's competitions. Kaori's dad would've had to escort her mom out if they went, because she would have a mental breakdown there.

But Kousei seemed to be impacted by it the most. When she was dead for the first week, he was numb. As if she wasn't dead. She was resting in the hospital bed, waiting to recover and yell at him to get her canelés.

And that wouldn't happen ever again. He'd never get random calls to look at the sky, he'd never be yelled at to practice. And it felt quiet. Too quiet for him.

And he'd never have the voice to say he did great, or that he was just playing what the score told him to. He would never be able to reach her with his music again.

The one person who made his life interesting was gone. And not only that. But from the same disease his mother passed from.

Yes, the same illness his mother had. Because life was being too easy for him, wasn't it? He watched his mother go down into an abyss. A deep, dark abyss. And he could never reach in and pull her back up, no matter how hard he tried.

And he got to watch Kaori go down that same place. But at least she kept her optimistic attitude through it all. She'd never let it effect her no matter how hard it tried to. Kaori fought it much more than his mother had.

And yet Kaori still couldn't fight fate. No matter how hard she tried. And Kousei hated that. She tried and tried for years to fight it but it kept going back harder.

His mother fought it not as well. He thinks she practically deserves it. She didn't try at all to live. She just went with it. Unlike Kaori.

But now they were both gone. Two people that he had loved, gone. He couldn't stand it. Why bother if fate is just going to give him such great moments, to take them away in a short time?

Kousei wanted to see them again though. But how? Doing one thing he dreaded to do. Walk off the edge of a roof. Besides, Kaori even asked him before if he wanted to do it with her. "Want to kill yourself with me?"

Her voice echoed in his mind every time. Like his mother's used to before he met Kaori. It attracted him to say yes now. Before he would never want to.

Leaving Tsubaki and Watari wouldn't be that bad. Especially if it was to see his two loved ones. To see his mom happy again and see Kaori's cheerful face.

Tsubaki and Watari would be alright. It's not like they haven't experienced it before. Why would it matter if it happened again?

It was Wednesday night. The sky shining brightly, the moon casting a beautiful glow on everything. Kousei started singing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star as he went to the top of an old factory.

Kousei walked to the roof's ledge, and stood on it. Was he sure he'd want to do it? If he did, he'd never be able to change his mind. This is it. If he goes, there's no going back. But would he be able to make that commitment?

Before he could answer himself, he heard a girl scream from behind him. He almost slipped of the ledge, when the girl took his arms and pulled him off. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING YOU IDIOT?!" She yelled at him. It turned out to be Tsubaki.

"I...I...." He didn't know what to say.

"DON'T YOU EVER DO THAT AGAIN!" She yelled once more. She held her ground for only a few seconds before tears sprung from her brown eyes. She sobbed as she hugged him.

"I...I don't know what to say." Kousei spoke, his voice cracking. He's never had to deal with this before, and he realized how big of a deal it would've been to Tsubaki if he killed himself.

"Then don't say anything. But, why did you try it? I know Kao meant a lot to all of us but why?" Tsubaki said, sniffling and holding him closer.

"Because everyone I love just dies! And, what's the point of living if everyone I know and love just goes away?!" He cried. He sounded just like he did two years ago, after he wished his mom would die.

Tsubaki lifted her head off of Kousei's chest before slapping him right in the face. "Are you kidding me right now?! If you died, I would break down! Watari cares for you! Hiroko would care! Takeshi would even care, and so would Emi! You don't get it! We all care for you!"

Tsubaki continued on with her voice cracking more and more. "Yeah, Saki is gone and so is Kaori but we need to be there for each other! You need to stay with us. You can't die yet. What would Kaori say?! What would Saki, your own mother say?!"

Kousei was streaming warm salty tears as he hugged Tsubaki close. What was he thinking?

Tsubaki was shocked for a minute before hugging back. This is Kousei. This is the kid brother she has cared for for years. And she loved every second.

Kousei wasn't sure how to respond to that. But after what seemed like forever, which was actually only ten minutes, they split. Tsubaki leaned down Kousei's head and placed a small peck on his forehead. "Just don't do that again, okay?" She told him softly.

He only nodded shortly before she walked towards the roof access door. Tsubaki turned her head to him and yelled one sentence before leaving. "Just don't tell anyone I said any of that, alright?!"

Kousei half smiled at that. Typical Tsubaki. But he was glad she stopped him. What would he do without Tsubaki?