A/N: Mitsuba's POV all the way. Takes place right after Hijikata, Okita and Kondo left for Edo.
The leaves are rustling restlessly in the autumn wind. Autumn is a time of nostalgia for the days that have passed, a time of farewell. The sweet scent of late blooming flowers fade with each breeze as the fields are painted with a dash of gold and yellow. The treetops are painted with a fiery red and orange.
'Farewell'. It can be a happy one, where you wish the person who is parting to be well as they embark on a long journey. It can be a sad one, where it makes you feel like you will not see the person ever again.
When I use farewell, I am also saying 'may we meet again in happier times'.
I guess this is why I haven't tried to find Toshiro-san after all these months. I think our relationship is distant and different now. 'Meeting again in happier times' is simply a delusion. Simply a farfetched dream.
With each breath, my death draws closer. With each cough, more blood can be seen.
If my health is not deteriorating, I would have gone to Edo with everyone. But knowing how travelling can reduce the limited days I have left, I have no choice but to stay here in Bushu, waiting.
But waiting for what?
Perhaps I'm waiting for the old days to come back.
Perhaps I'm waiting for simpler times.
Perhaps I'm waiting for someone to hold me when I'm scared, for someone to embrace me when I feel lonely.
Perhaps I'm selfishly waiting for Toshiro-san.
He gave me the feeling that I can believe in him and rely on him.
How, you ask?
He never said much when he was around.
He never promised to stay by my side.
He never promised to not make me cry.
He never promised he would be back.
He never promised anything.
But his grey eyes reflected his innermost emotions and character; reliable, true, and unchanging.
His unwavering eyes are like a tranquil pond, reflecting the immaculate colours of the autumn landscape. The grey eyes that I love reflected his pure heart.
The breeze playfully sends a golden leaf through the air. It lands gently on the still waters, creating concentric circles. The symmetrical reflection has been distorted. It takes a few moments before the water is still again.
Little did I know that a few years from now, my final farewell will be like the fallen leaf, creating ripples in his heart as I fall into an eternal slumber.
Little did I know that the ripples will continue on long after my death, forever warping what is reflected in those grey eyes.
A/N: Umm, not my best work… just trying to write something with more description. Give me some feedback on how I did! Thanks for sticking to till the end!