Shiori's Cry! No More Running Away.

Shiori runs around looking for Hikigaya. She goes to the school and searches for him but finds nothing. She continues running into town and decides to head to the remnants of Fawn Tower. She runs to the tower and looks around, up and down but can't find a trace of him anywhere. She pauses for a moment while panting with a frustrated look. Her eyes then widen as she sharply turns around to look at the mountain in the distance. She stares for a moment before taking off running. She jumps up high and dashes into the woods, dodging trees swiftly and going up fast.

Shiori 'Please Hikigaya, please be there. I know it hurts, I know you're in pain but this won't help so please just hang on for me!'

She jumps one last time before coming to a small clearing in the woods. There is an abandoned stage with long benches around it. The stage overlooks the rest of the forest with a clear view of the city, hills and sky. As she flies through the air above it, her eyes widen when she sees Hikigaya standing on the wooden guard rails along the back of the stage. She sees him lift his leg over the edge. She freaks out and attempts to call his name.

Shiori "HI-"

Before she can, however, she crashes over the benches and onto the floor. She winces in pain for half a moment before looking at Hikigaya and dashing towards him.

Shiori "HIKIGAYA!!"

She screams. He slowly looks back, surprised by her scream but cannot react in time as he steps over the edge. He falls for a brief moment before he stops. He looks up to see Shiori holding onto his wrist with one hand and onto the guard rail with another. She struggles to hold him as he stares at her.

Hikigaya "Shiori..?"

Shiori "It's okay Hikigaya…"

She opens her eyes slowly and looks down at him but what she sees is not Hikigaya. She sees Amber in her grasp on the night everything happened. It fades back to Hikigaya as tears form in her eyes a bit.

Shiori "I got you… I'm not letting you fall..!"

Hikigaya's eyes begin to shine as tears form a bit in them as a soft smile comes across his face until the figure from before appears out of a dark mist and grabs onto his legs. This causes Shiori to struggle a bit more as it speaks.

Voice "Come on Hikigaya. Don't make this harder on anyone else."

He looks down at it as his smile fades. He then looks back up at Shiori.

Hikigaya "Shiori, why are you here? This isn't your responsibility. Just let me-"

Shiori "I'm sorry…"

Tears fall from her eyes and land on his cheeks. His eyes widen as she speaks.

Shiori "I'm sorry I didn't say anything sooner… I'm sorry I didn't help you… Like you helped me all this time… I kept letting it go because I thought… I thought if we ignored it, if we just pushed it away then maybe… maybe things would get better… maybe… you wouldn't realize… this is all my fault..!"

She cries as she looks at him. Tears begin to fall down Hikigaya's face as he stares with wide eyes.

Shiori "I don't want you to hate me… I don't want you to stop being my friend… but even if you do… I don't want you to die!.."

The figure gets an irritated look and tugs on Hikigaya's legs.

Voice "Look what you're doing to her. Let's go and you'll make everyone's lives better!"

Shiori grits her teeth a bit.

Shiori "You… You leave my Hikigaya alone! He's mine! You can't have him!"

She says angrily making direct eye contact with the figure. It looks shocked and irritated for a moment but just laughs a bit while shaking its head.

Voice "If you insist."

It smiles at her before letting go and falling into the darkness of the forest below. Hikigaya ignores the figure as he reaches up with his other hand, tears still coming from his eyes. He grabs onto the stage and helps Shiori pull him up. They both go falling backwards on the stage and onto each other. Hikigaya sits back for a moment rubbing his head as Shiori latches onto him crying out. As she hugs him, Hikigaya starts to cry more and hugs her back. They eventually stop crying and pull back a little but only enough to be facing each other. They press their foreheads together for a moment with their eyes closed.

Shiori "Hikigaya..?"

She opens her eyes and looks at him. He opens his eyes too.

Shiori "Let's go home."

He smiles a bit.

Hikigaya "Yeah."

As they sit there in silence for a moment, focus is shifted to one of the wooden posts in the guard rail in the back. It is the post that the group all carved their names into the first time they had a sleepover, over one year ago, with Shiori and Hikigaya's names at the top. Eventually they make their way back home by Shiori flying them there like they used to do as Fullsky and Watchdog. She lands on her balcony then steps towards her door. She looks back and smiles at Hikigaya.

Shiori "Goodnight Hikigaya."

She opens her door and steps inside but before taking another step, Hikigaya speaks.

Hikigaya "Wait, Shiori… I… don't want to be alone tonight…"

He says, a little embarrassed. She looks at him confused a little but then smiles as she sits down on her bed. She looks at him then opens her arms.

Shiori "Then come here."

She blushes a little as he slowly walks into her room. He shuts the door behind him as she climbs into bed. He stands next to the bed hesitating.

Hikigaya "I could sleep on the ground next to you if you want?.."

He says blushing too. She sighs and looks at him.

Shiori "That would make me wildly uncomfortable. Besides, I… want you close to me too…"

She looks away when saying that. He blushes as he slowly lays on her bed. He quickly rolls over so his back is facing her as she does the same. They lay under the blankets in silence for a moment.

Hikigaya "Thank you."

He says quietly. Shiori softly nods with a slight smile on her face.

Shiori 'I'm just glad you're safe…'

She thinks to herself before closing her eyes.

In the morning, Shiori wakes up first to see that they had rolled over in their sleep and were cuddling sort of. Their faces are close together as they lay on their sides and their hands are holding each other. She slowly opens her eyes and stares for a moment before they open wide and she quickly sits up embarrassed. Hikigaya groggily wakes up and sits up rubbing his eyes.

Hikigaya "What's wrong Shiori?.."

She blushes intensely as she turns around away from him covering her mouth.

Shiori 'I can't believe we actually did that! We slept in the same bed last night! I mean, under the circumstances, it's not like it was a romantic thing but still.'

Hikigaya "Shiori?"

He says with a confused look. Shiori is surprised then calms down and smiles at him.

Shiori "It's nothing. How are you feeling?"

Hikigaya "I'm… okay. Thanks again Shiori. I… don't know what would've happened if I…"

Shiori "It's okay Hikigaya. We're here now, together. That's all that matters. And I'm here to talk if you want to, remember that."

She smiles warmly at him and he smiles back for a moment before getting up off the bed. He stretches his arms up as Shiori stands up too. He walks next to her and bumps her arm with his elbow.

Hikigaya "I don't know about you but I'm starving. What's for breakfast?"

Shiori "If you expect me to make you breakfast, you're dead wrong."

Hikigaya "Oh come on, you have to be nice to me!"

Shiori "I don't have to do anything."

As they talk, they go to her room door and open it to leave but stop when they see Riku coming from the bathroom. He stops too and looks at them before his eyes grow wide. They sweat a bit realizing what it looks like.

Riku "Oooh! Moms, moms! Shiori and Hikigaya slept together!"

Shiori "N-no we didn't! Shut up Riku!"

She shouts angrily. He runs down the hall calling his parents as Asami and Hamasaki rush out of their room, obviously half asleep.

Asami "What? What is it??"

She asks, concerned. Riku comes up to them.

Riku "Shiori and Hikigaya slept together! I saw them coming out of her room together!"

Hamasaki looks at Shiori and Hikigaya in her doorway then smiles softly.

Hamasaki "I see."

Asami "Jeez kid, you gave me quite the scare running around calling us like that."

She crouches down and pats him on the head.

Asami "Why don't we head downstairs and play a game?"

Riku smiles widely.

Riku "Really?"

She nods and smiles as Riku jumps with joy and rushes down the hall and down the stairs.

Hamasaki "I'll make us some breakfast."

Takanou "Great cause I'm starving."

He says while coming out of the room behind them and down the hall. Asami follows and smiles at Hikigaya.

Asami "Glad to see you smiling sweetie."

She heads down the stairs as Shiori and Hikigaya smile and follow.

Later that evening, is at his desk drawing as Shiori sits behind him on his bed.

Hikigaya "Man, I really don't want to go to school tomorrow."

Shiori "Well you're in luck, it's Winter vacation right now, remember?"

Hikigaya "What? That's awesome! I totally forgot!"

He says with a smile at her. She smiles back and shakes her head.

Shiori "How could you forget? It's only one of two major breaks we get a year."

Hikigaya "Well, I've had a lot on my mind."

He says with his back turned to her as he goes back to drawing. Shiori's smile kind of fades and she gets a conflicted look.

Shiori "Yeah…"

Hikigaya picks up on her tone and turns around to look at her with a concerned look.

Hikigaya "Everything okay?"

Shiori pauses and lowers her head while bringing her knees up to her chest.

Shiori "Hikigaya… Do you… hate me..?"