Title: Passing
Genre: Friendship/Angst
Rating: K+
Summary: Rinne still blames himself for her accident. Sakura eases the guilt.
Disclaimer: Rin-ne fever! And I only wish I was Rumiko Takahashi...
Notes: They're only friends here, but you can see them in a romantic light if you wish. (I do, that's for certain.)
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"It really could have been worse," she said.
Rinne looked at her blankly.
"Well, I guess it's hard for you to see," Sakura chuckled lightly. "But I really mean it. Everything ended a lot better than I thought it would. Mostly, anyway." She brushed back a braid and watched Rinne with gentle eyes.
He turned his head away from her gaze.
"Rokudo-kun..." she sighed deeply. "Are you still blaming yourself?"
The redhead made a noncommittal noise in his throat.
"You know, it's not nice to leave a dead girl talking to herself."
Scarlet eyes flickered, and Sakura shifted from her perch on the tombstone to stand in front of the shinigami. She was still wearing her uniform, and if Rinne just ignored how ever so transparent her face looked in the light, he could easily imagine that they were on another exorcism adventure as she tagged along—
Ah. But there would be no more of those. Not anymore.
She was sighing again, and she sat on the tombstone—her tombstone—even as his facial expression twisted just a little in sadness, grief, and self-deprecation.
"Why didn't you come to the funeral?" she asked quietly.
He was silent for a moment before answering, "Is that why you're still tied to this earth?"
Sakura decided not to mention how he had sidestepped her question. "Mhm."
His face smoothed again, and she wondered at the lack of emotion he always seemed to portray. Even in his most agitated moments, Rinne had never been truly passionate in either anger or excitement. Certainly, Sakura could recall how his crimson eyes would brighten whenever she offered him a bento or spare change, but never with great feeling.
"I didn't come because I was...busy."
Rinne was plucking at the sleeves of his haori, signifying the poor lie. But she went along with it (for now).
"Another exorcism?"
He nodded.
"Mm," she said wistfully. "Rokumon was there?"
Another nod, except more hesitant.
"Poor thing," she shrugged. "I think that he blames himself almost as much as you do."
Something twitched on Rinne's face, as if the calmness radiating from it was dying to peel away and reveal what was underneath. But Sakura knew better than to push the shinigami too much, or lest drive him away.
A white rose dropped on top of her grave.
She looked up at him.
"I'm sorry," Rinne said, and his warm eyes were so sad that she couldn't help but reach up to touch him. Her hand, only a breath away, cradled the air right next to his cheek so closely that Rinne unconsciously tried to lean into the warmth he thought he could feel.
Sakura drew back her hand. "Thank you."
"It's..." he struggled. "It's the least I can do after all that happened."
She smiled. "It didn't hurt, you know. It's not that bad."
"I'm sorry," he whispered.
"Good-bye," she said, still smiling. "Rokudo Rinne." She made a small wave as her form slowly began to fade until nothing was left and Rinne was standing alone in front of a tombstone with a single white rose on the ground.
"Good-bye," he said to the wind. "Mamiya Sakura."
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A/N: Uh. I killed off Sakura.
(hides)
If you didn't get the hints, Sakura went on an exorcism trip with Rinne and died. I'm a bit fuzzy on how, but basically Rinne blamed himself and didn't attend her funeral because he felt guilty, thus leading Sakura to remain as a ghost and blah blah blah...
Reviews will make me happy. Really happy. (And I might consider actually writing a happy Rinne/Sakura oneshot next time...)
Not sending subliminal messages at all.