DISCLAIMER: I do not own Strawberry Panic!

Introduction: So, for the readers who deserve some attention....I have decided to write about Shizuma and Tamao as a pair. I know it is an odd pair but I wanted to see how much you guys would like it and I also wanted to fulfill the fantasies of those who WANTED to read about such a pair. Let me know how you guys like it.

Thin wisps of steam rose lazily out the top of a green mug that held hot green tea. Hanazono Shizuma reached over her large desktop computer and grabbed the handle of the mug. She brought the mug to her lips, blew cold air across the surface of the tea, and watched the tea ripple before she took a sip. Even though she was working constantly for 6 straight hours in the comfort of her home, her heart still ached horribly for the love she had no more. She took another sip of her tea but more questions filtered through her mind again and she tried to return back to her work but her mind was too overwhelmed. Sighing, she rubbed her forehead and held her head in her hands.

She said that I needed to mature and become the person I want to be but who would that be? I am everything that I can be for the moment and yet she wants so much more and my end result will only come with time. Stupid Nagisa for demanding things that won't come into fruition for quite some time. I can take care of her in any, and every, way and yet she wants something within me that I can't figure out. She was right; we were not compatible enough and we were doing each other only harm by staying together. Oh how I hate redheads now. Shizuma's inner voice trailed off into anger and she tried to calm herself by taking another sip of her tea but it did little to put out the fire inside.

As the darkness gave way to early morning, Shizuma felt her head getting heavy and her shoulders stiffening from the lack of rest and too much stress. She was due back at her law firm within a few hours but her body screamed at her to take the day off. Silently, she sat in front of her computer and stared mindlessly at the screen until her alarm gave a shrill scream. Taking a deep breath, Hanazono Shizuma rose from her seat and got ready to go to work.

"Miss Hanazono?" A muffled voice came from the outside of Shizuma's office door.

Shizuma quickly sprang her head up from resting on her desk.

"Yes, Miss Tao?" Shizuma asked as she sat up straight in her chair and smoothed out the front of her suit.

A fragile looking brunette slowly opened the door and smiled at her boss.

"Miss, your doctor called and he said that your prescriptions are ready to be picked up." The brunette said softly.

Shizuma nodded her heavy head and looked at her diamond-studded wrist watch. It was nearly lunch time and she felt she was due for a break.

"Did he say when I could pick up the prescriptions?" Shizuma asked as she rubbed her forehead with the back of her hand.

"He said you can come and pick it up during your lunch break. All you have to do is go to the pharmacy section of the hospital with the prescriptions he wrote down for you." Miss Tao said.

Shizuma sighed and got up from her seat and grabbed her black, knee-length coat from the coat racket.

"I will be going out for lunch then; if any of the partners ask for where I am tell them I will be back within two hours." Shizuma instructed as she briskly walked past her secretary and towards the elevator.

"Yes ma'am; please return soon." The brunette's words were cut off as Shizuma entered the elevator and its doors slid together shut.

Shizuma walked past the sliding glass doors of her usual hospital and looked at a small, neon-lighted erected map of the inside of the hospital itself. Her eyes scanned for the pharmaceutical section and she quickly made her way there. Luckily when she arrived at the pharmacist, there was no line so she walked up to the counter and waited to be helped. She rang a small bell that was next to the register, and waited for someone to give her attention.

Within a few seconds, a long blue-haired woman emerged out from behind endless aisles of drugs and smiled at Shizuma as she came up to the counter. Shizuma almost had to strain her eyes to remember who she was staring at but then it quickly came to her.

"Wow, hello there Suzumi Tamao." Shizuma said with a charming smile.

Tamao's flawless tanzanite colored eyes showed brightly when she heard Shizuma remember her name.

"I never thought to see you after all these years let alone have you remember me. How have you been all these years?" Tamao asked sweetly.

Shizuma gave the blue-haired lady a nervous smile and looked down at her feet.

"Well, I'm a lawyer now and I am one of the three partners for our own law firm. How about yourself?"

"Well, I always wanted to be a poet but there really isn't much financial stability in it unless I happen to hit it rich so I decided that I would become a pharmacist instead. Its great pay and I get to help people in more ways than one. How are you and Nagisa?"

Shizuma's eyes grew wide for a second as her head snapped up from the ground and she looked at Tamao. Tamao immediately picked up something was wrong and she opened her mouth to say something but Shizuma cut her off.

"We broke up a few months ago because she said that she saw no future for us right now." Shizuma said through a masked smile.

Tamao narrowed her eyes on the injured silver-goddess in front of her.

"I really am sorry that it did not work out." Tamao genuinely felt terrible for Shizuma even though she was the one who stole Nagisa away from Tamao at the last minute back in school.

"No need to be sorry; you had nothing to do with it. Now, could you please get me this?" Shizuma fished through her jacket pocket and brought out a paper with really bad handwriting scrawled all over it.

Tamao nodded her head and took the paper and strained her eyes to clearly decipher what was written. She quickly turned around to retrieve the medication but when she realized what it was; she turned back to face Shizuma.

"Shizuma, this is a prescription for acamprosate; when did you become an alcoholic?" Tamao's voice was full of worry as the hand that held the piece of paper slightly shook.

Shizuma felt embarrassed and she let out an exasperated sigh.

"It's not for me I am just here to pick it up for someone else." Shizuma's lie was terrible.

Tamao gave Shizuma a raised eyebrow.

"Your name is written on the top, Shizuma; have you been going to counseling as well for this?"

Shizuma felt like punching something.

"I don't go to counseling because I don't need it. Can I please have my medicine now?"

Tamao pursed her lips and went to go and retrieve the medication. She returned with a small bottle full of tiny pills and punched the item through the register. Shizuma pulled out her wallet to pay for the pills but Tamao stopped her.

"I will wave your fee if you promise me something." Tamao said sternly.

Shizuma gave Tamao a blank look.

"Okay and what would that be, Tamao?" Shizuma asked hesitantly.

"You go out to lunch with me right now and spill the contents of your pain so that I can help you or I lose this piece of paper that has your prescription on it and you will have to make an appointment with your doctor to get another prescription and that means you will be medicine-less for about a week. You need counseling and since you are too stubborn, and way too prideful, to get it here; I am willing to be your venting-punching bag." Tamao was so serious it was almost scary.

Shizuma threw up her hands in surrender.

"Why are you even doing this, Tamao?"

Tamao called over one of the other pharmacists to take her place while she went out to lunch. She grabbed her red coat from the coat rack and made her way to Shizuma. Tamao lead Shizuma towards the exit of the hospital.

"Even though we have our differences I always have to help those in need and this time; you happen to be one of them." Tamao said.

Shizuma could not believe what she was hearing but for the first time in a long time; she felt like she could finally share her burden with someone who cared.

Okay I know that it was short but I am just testing the waters before I dive in. So, let me know if you hate it or love it so much you want to make love to it. I know that I fulfilled the fantasies of at least one or two people (a.k.a STAVRI and ZIIX lol). So even if the majority of people hate me for writing this, I write it out of love for you two lol. Thank you for reading!