Fire Emblem: High School Years (High School AU) Freshman Year

I Love You Too Much to Let Go

Chrom

What the hell is this all about?

As I opened the door to Dad's office, I saw Ms. Komodori in a crying hysteria as Dad tried comforting her. Huh? Wait, if Anna's Mom is here, then where is she? My mind thought of a million different conclusions to this scenario; each one worse than the last.

"W-what's going on?" I asked, shutting the door timidly.

Ms. Komodori looked up at me. "You have to talk to her! Now!"

I chewed my bottom lip. "I... There's nothing to talk about. She was the one to break off our friendship," I said. "I don't know if I can fix this."

Dad sighed, keeping a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Chrom, please, you have to try." He rubbed his temple. "I don't know what happened between you two, but it was clearly bad enough to make her miss a week of school."

I balled my fists as my blood boiled. "She was never my friend! She said so herself!"

"You really believe that!?" Ms. Komodori shouted, eyes furious.

"I don't know what to believe anymore! All I know is that she went behind my back and ended our friendship!"

"Then explain to me why she hasn't left her room in a week, refuses to eat, and then keeps writing you letters but can't get through them! She's not herself! She'll die at this rate!!!"

My heart stopped.

Why would she do that? What is going on? God, Anna...what happened...

I did not know what to say. "Is...is she ok...? Is she still breathing...?"

Ms. Komodori wiped away her tears. "She's alright, thank every god there is," she cried. "Chrom, it's going to get worse. I'm scared that she has one foot in the grave and I don't know how much longer she can be this way."

Tears of relief fell from my eyes. "W-where is she?! I need to see her!"

Dad pointed to the private office. "She's in there." He gave me a desperate look. "Please...make this better. Or at least find a way for us to make it better."

Nodding, I went to the door of the private office. Here goes nothing...

Anna, please, be alive.

The sight in front of me made my stomach do summersaults. 

She was sitting in a far corner of the room. Her face was in her hands, long, brown hair shielding her away from the world. She looked like she was still wearing pajamas. Her breathing was ragged and body trembling.

I stood there, saying nothing. My throat was dry. I couldn't form words. The only thing that filled the room were her labored breaths.

"A-Anna...?" I managed to say her name.

She didn't look up. She only cried harder. 

My heart shattered into a million pieces. "Anna, hey, look at me." I walked over to her and knelt down. "I'm right here. Look."

She shook her head and tucked herself further into the corner, shaking.

"Shhh... Calm down. It's ok..." Gently, I placed my hands on her wrists and tried to pull her hands away from her eyes. "Breathe. I'm real and I'm here. I need you to look at me, can you do that?"

She made a noise of disagreement but reluctantly started to relax. "That's it...just like that..." Her hands left her face but she still didn't look at me; eyes swollen shut from crying, hair acting like a curtain. I turned her palms away from her face, pressing mine against them. "Focus on breathing. I need you to take deep breaths, ok?"