In Dreams We'll Meet Again

Misery

Momo shuffled around the piles of boxes, her scars and old injuries creaking in protest; that she dutifully ignored. 

It bad been a year, a whole entire year, since Mineta had died. 

And he was the only death, she thought bitterly. Her slender fingers digging dents into the cardboard. 

She didn't blame anyone, not really, but it was still so unfair, so- so-

She couldn't even put words to the awful twisting amalgamation in her chest. 

Her dark eyes wandered around the room. Today they were cleaning out Mineta's apartment. 

Which she didn't want to do, if she had her way she'd keep this place up, keep her sweet Mineta's memory alive. 

But the landlord pushed, and her friends were getting worried with how much time she spent locked up in the apartment. Laying in Mineta's bed, surrounding herself with his clothes. 

What did they know anyway? None of them lost their love, she thought bitterly. 

Shaking that from her head, she plucked a photo album from the top of a random box. Flipping it open, she landing on a picture that she remembered fondly. 

Mineta's skin was sunburned, he had forgotten the sunscreen when they made a trip down to the beach, and he looked miserable. 

A hesitant, wobbly smile crossed her lips. Later that day she remembered rubbing some soothing mixture into his reddened skin, while he layed on a soft blanket. They spent the whole night there, eating ice cream and watching stupid movies. 

She blinked hard, suddenly her vision was blurred. 

She reached for her face, her fingers gently meeting her cheek. Hot tears smearing across her skin. 

Ah, she was crying. 

Now that the dam was broken, she couldn't stop it. 

Her body shook with sobs, and she curled in on herself. Deep, gasping breathes ripping past her lips. 

Every inch of her body thrummed with misery, the unwanted memory of that day shoving its way into her skull. 

Pushing her back to that awful day. 

____________________

Momo ran through the destroyed reckage of the city. Her body felt weak and frail, but she kept her pace. 

She had to find him. Mineta was the only one who didn't show up at the rendezvous point. 

Stopping at the point of the upturned earth, Momo tried to catch her breath. Her weeding lungs ached, along with her sloppily bandaged injuries. 

"Minoru! Minoru, please answer!" She called out to her silent surroundings. 

Her eyes caught sight of bright yellow amongst the cracked and disrupted ground.