Beta Memories One Shots: Book II (REOPEN)

Beta! Komanami: Bitter Cold

As winter drew near, people began to bundle up with thick coats and scarves. Nagito shivered, placing his hands in his pockets as he waited at the bus stop.

He cursed under his breath, shifting back and forth to keep his feet from going numb. While it did snow the night before, most of the roads had been cleaned for the morning traffic. The only downside was that the sidewalks got the  majority of the snow pushed onto it. The soft clumps hid black ice underneath people's feet. One step and you could be hitting the ground hard.

Nagito hissed at the thought of being a victim of black ice as he covered his face with his oversized scarf. The last thing he needed was head trauma. As a chill shivered down his spine, his phone went off in his pocket. He was hesitant due to his freezing fingers, but he wasn't a man to ignore a call.

"Hello?" He answered stern, but softly.

"Nagito? Where are you?" A young voice chirped through his ear. The voice of Chiaki Nanami, his classmate. His heart skipped a beat when she would say his name.

"I am still stuck at this bus stop." He explained, pushing his glasses with his free hand.

"Well, Ms. Yukizome is getting a little heated about you being late for class...more so than usual."

"It's not my fault I have such bad luck." He shrugged. "They did say that the roads were clear but what the hell do I know?"

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a child crossing the street. They slipped on some ice just as a car was heading towards them. Nagito immediately dropped his phone and rushed over. He pushed the child back onto the sidewalk as he heard brakes screeching.

The car began to lose traction as it tried to swerve to avoid him. Nagito tried to move, but he fell victim to the ice. he was flown by the force of the car smashing him in his chest. Just as he feared, he hit his head as he landed on the pavement. Screams and cries erupted as he could only look up at the sky. Chiaki had no doubt heard everything that happened, but he fell into unconsciousness before worrying about her.
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Chiaki could only hear the screeching of tires and the screams of panicked witnesses on the phone. She didn't understand why he suddenly left the call, but moments after, her heart dropped.

Mikan Tsumiki, who was listening in, became concerned. "Chiaki? You don't think that he would do something reckless?"

She knew that he wasn't the reckless type; however, his other half may have gotten in the way. Hope and despair was all that drove that Nagito. Of course, how do you explain that to someone?

She ended the call, remaining silent. Mikan saw this a sign to leave her be and took her seat. Whatever happened, it wasn't their place to interfere at the moment. They had to be patient.
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School ended, and both girls were heading home. Feeling the bitter cold of the wind made them feel worse than they did this morning. There was still no news on Nagito or his whereabouts. Chiaki continued to check her phone for any sign.

"Chiaki?" Mikan sighed, rubbing her friend's shoulder. "I know you are worried about him, but it will not help if you are constantly checking."

The pink haired girl glanced at her for a second before looking back at the phone. "I am sorry, Mikan."

"Don't be sorry. He is your best friend and I understand. If something were to happen to Ibuki, I would be in a panicked state too."

Chiaki felt her foot catch on some ice. She felt her heart catch in her throat and grabbed onto a road sign. Using both of her hands, she unintentionally let her phone fall onto the pavement.  All she could do was stare at it, now shattered and completely useless. Dread began to wash over her as she felt the tears fall from her eyes.

"Chiaki? Maybe you shouldn't be alone tonight." Mikan said, comforting her. The nurse picked up the remaining pieces of the phone and placed it into a ziplock bag. "You are going to stay at my house tonight."

All Chiaki could do was nod as the two girls moved on down the street. Snowflakes gently floated down from the sky as the sun began to set. Usually it would make Chiaki smile, but it didn't help.
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When Nagito woke up in the hospital, his head throbbed and it was difficult to breathe. He looked out the window and saw the falling snow glistening over the night skyline. Once again, he cursed under his breath: he officially hated winter.

After several check ups with the doctor, Nagito texted to Chiaki.

'Hey. I am at the hospital. Hope you are okay.'

A few minutes later, there was no reply, so he texted her again.
'Nanami? Are you there?'

Nothing.

'Call me or something!'

The silence became increasingly clear that something was wrong. Minutes later, he tried to call the Nanami residence. Chiaki's mom answered, saying that she was staying at Mikan's place and that her phone was destroyed.

Looking at the time, he figured that they would be asleep by now. Luckily, it was Sunday tomorrow, so he would try again then. He felt his heart dropping to his stomach, hating the anxiety. He wasn't a talkative person, but with Chiaki, he felt comfortable around her presence. Without her, he felt like an empty shell.

...
...
...

"-gito? Nagito?"

A soft voice woke up out of his slumber, which he hadn't realized he did. Opening his eyes, he saw pink ones looking at him.

"...Nanami?" He said, his voice sounding hoarse.

She smiled as she took a breath of relief. She took his hand and sat next to him. She wanted to say more, but the words wouldn't come out.

"Nanami? I am glad you found me." Nagito said. "I am sorry if I worried you." He gave her a rare smile, which her heart jump.

She just rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. He looked out the window and snowflakes falling down across the morning skyline. Rubbing her back, he rested his head on top of hers before drifting off once more.
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A/N: Well, this took longer than I wanted it to. I got sick and then I had work...I apologize for the lateness.

The next oneshot is going to be a special request: an alternative ending to Behind the Glass. Seems appropriate to do so because it has actually been a whole year since I finished the story. :O

Stay tuned! I'll be posting updates on my Instagram: @lunakirbee so feel free to join in.