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Heaven is a donut shop. Cozy and warm, the smell of coffee brewing, fresh pastries baking. Heaven is a wide open Olympic-size pool, the water clear and sparkling. Heaven is a track field, green grass and bright sun, blue sky, fluffy clouds. Heaven is sore muscles, cold showers after workouts, falling into the softest bed at night.
So Aoi has thought, all her life. If she were to die and go to heaven, she'd be happy with these things. That's all she needs.
And then, of course, there's Sakura-chan.
"Asahina," her familiar voice thunders, and suddenly she's there and Aoi's wrapped up in those big strong arms again. "Asahina, my girl."
"Sakura-chan," Aoi sobs. Sakura feels so real, down to her cherry blossom perfume and the faint smell of the protein shakes she always drank. "Sakura-chan, I miss you so much."
"I've missed you as well." Sakura lays a kiss to Aoi's forehead, then gently tilts Aoi's face upwards to kiss her mouth. Aoi clings to Sakura tight - she can never let go, never let Sakura leave again. If this is a dream she never wants to wake up.
(It must be a dream, right? There are no blue skies like this anymore, no green grass, no Sakura-chan.)
"I love you, Sakura-chan," Aoi whispers, like she does every time she dreams of Sakura. If she couldn't say it when Sakura was alive, then telling her like this has to be the next best thing.
"I have loved you always," Sakura replies. "Back then, and all this time I've waited for you." She strokes Aoi's hair softly. "But I must say I didn't expect to see you again so soon."
"Hehehe, you know me, I'd always come back to see you!"
"Mmm." For a second Aoi could swear Sakura looks... afraid? Disappointed? Upset? But the change in expression disappears as fast as it arrived, and Sakura continues. "Would you like to take a walk with me? It has been far too long since we have been able to enjoy the fresh air like this."
"Mmhm, of course!" Aoi bubbles. Just like she used to, she slips her small fingers into Sakura's huge hand. "I always wanted to go on a date with you, y'know. Like, a real date! Go to the park together, and, and eat some donuts and protein shakes and go for a run or something!"
Sakura squeezes Aoi's hand gently. "My love, we will have more than enough time to do whatever you desire."
So they walk together, hand in hand, Aoi chattering about nothing and everything, and Sakura smiling. Soon she will find that she's left her body behind, cold and dead and bleeding on a floor somewhere, her last moments somehow peaceful despite the harsh violence of the past year. Soon she'll see her brother, and it will set in that there is nothing good in the world anymore. Aoi will learn. Aoi will hurt. But she will heal, in time.
She's always been a strong one, after all.