Okay…this will be the first holiday fanfic I've written throughout my life here on this site. If you like it, express it with a review once you are done reading! This is inspired by the Vocaloid song Soundless Voice Proof of Life, mostly a PV and a cover. The two used was Dell Honne and Rei Kagene, and I have to give credit to Larissa Mitrovic from YouTube for letting me use her PV as this story's foundation! This song is beautiful…yet sad song. I put a link to the video on my profile, so you can see what I mean. Plus, there's not much Dell/Rei pairing stories on the site. So, I plan to do a story with this pairing. This story is one month after Taylor Celeste and Dell Honne were married. I hope you like it!

Note: I do not own Vocaloid, or its characters or songs. I do not own the PV; Larissa Mitrovic does.

One month after my marriage to Taylor was amazing. But today, was New Year's Eve. I got an unexpected visit from an old friend, no…my first love one. His name was Rei Kagene, and he was also the first friend I ever made. But today was the last day I've ever spoken to him…

I was outside, reading a book about the history of Gallerian Marlon; Taylor was working on jewelry again, which she sells to most students. It was the end of December, and I was getting ready to end the year with a new life. Besides, January will be the month where I will begin new beginnings…

"Dell, is that you?" I hear a very familiar voice call out to me. The person was wearing black and some notes of orange. My guess he still sees the Christmas lights…but the person was the one thing I noticed…

"Rei, is that really you?" I shouted, putting my book on the bench, and run over to the teenager. I wasn't kidding…it was really my first friend and love one: Rei Kagene! I hug him tightly, since it was a long time since I haven't seen him.

"Dell, who is that? Is he a friend of yours?" Taylor steps outside with my grey coat on and runs to me. She taps my shoulder, and I let go of Rei in response.

"Yes. Taylor, this is my friend, Rei Kagene. He's the first friend I had, as well as being my first love. Yeah, I know that sounds strange…" I rub the back of my neck, which was starting to feel a bit cold.

"But Dell, why are you here in the woods? No one is allowed in this part of the town." Rei clings onto my arm like if he was a parasite, and I was its host. "We should…get…" Then, I notice his grip on me loosen as he collapses onto the ground. Taylor was shocked, but didn't know the reason why. Perhaps it was exhaustion; maybe he was running. But I knew the reason: he was ill…but not that average sickness from bacteria or a virus. No, he had a serious heart condition.

The first time I've ever seen him was on my tenth birthday, and I've invited him to it. But the next day after, my father didn't allow him to see me anymore. Occasionally, he would climb up to my window and we would make love inside. The last time I did that with him was on my fourteenth birthday, and my father caught us. He took Rei by the hand and dragged him out of the house. For two years…I was alone with no one but my father. One day eventually, he was taken to the hospital because he collapsed during our school play. That's when I learned that he had a deformed heart. I wanted to give up my own heart so Rei can live, but the doctors said that I wasn't a good candidate for the surgery. He never received one, however, since he was still healthy.

I guess I've forgotten to tell Taylor about Rei. Now I'm just sitting in a chair with Rei on my lap. Underneath his black and orange jacket was a plain, light sea-green, button shirt. Figuring he would be cold, I quickly fetched a white sweater out of the closet and threw it over his fragile body.

"Sounds like a storm is coming, Dell. I just make dinner for three." Taylor was busily working, and she knew that I was very worried about Rei. My guess she isn't mad at me for not telling her about my boyfriend. "…I suppose you've known him for that long. And he was really your only friend back then when you were younger?" She asked me. I sighed and nodded.

"I wanted to have a friend, so I asked him one day during lunch, 'Do you want to be friends?', and he said yes. I was really happy because my father wouldn't let me have any. He wanted me for himself…to calm down his lust."

"…And Rei was your only escape from all that pain you kept." I turned to face the window, seeing lightning mark the cloudy sky with its flashing streaks of energy. The thunder continues to roll in the sky like a marching band, only having drummers in it. I turn back to Rei, who was still sleeping. The smell of Taylor's cooking started to replace all the negative energy around the house, and it started to calm me as well. But thinking of my lover was all I can think about. Eventually, I closed my eyes to think back on the past memories I made with Rei. All of those memories, locked away…never to be shared, are starting to undo the lock and free my mind with such great imagery…

"…Dell, are you awake…?" I felt his warm body stir, and looks out of the window…and flakes of snow starts to fall down to the ground without any sound disturbing. He just gazes out there, wanting to go outside and play…with me.

Taylor hands Rei a mug of hot cocoa, and he accepts it. "Guys, thank you for taking me here. The doctors said that I'm getting better, so don't worry about me Dell." I was glad, watching him drink the beverage in his hands. I place my hand on top of his free one…it feels warm still…

That's when I hear the mug shatter on the wooden floor… I glance down at the broken mug with the cocoa going through the cracks of the wood. Then, I glance at Rei, who was keeping his quivering hand close to his chest. "…Don't worry about it. It's just a cup." He said, but I was getting worried every moment now. Now and forever, I have to fight strongly not to lose Rei… I hug him tightly, his eyes widened in surprise. "Dell, are you okay? I told you it will be all right."

"It won't be okay if you are getting worse…" He knew that he was not going to get better. I wanted to protect him…see him happy…to watch him smile all the while. I don't want to lose the bitter side I was opposite of in my past. "I don't want to lose you…not now, not ever… We'll keep fighting to keep you here in this world, Rei. I'll keep that as a promise." And with that said, I crossed my heart. The snow was already plentiful, so Rei asks me if we can play outside.

I wanted to say yes, but it was already eleven forty-five in the evening. But…I want to make him happy. I ask Taylor for my white coat; she says that it was hanging on the coat rack. I fetch Rei's black and orange jacket and I slip into my brown sweater. "We're going to go outside!?" Rei was really excited to have fun with me. I pull out a purple scarf from the closet and wrap it around my neck.

"Of course, we are going outside. It's snowing out there, so why miss out on it?" Rei laughs as he wraps his arms around me. After all, Taylor was busy, working really hard. As I step outside, I recall the last night with Rei before I stopped seeing him for two distant years…

"My god…Rei, you are getting better every…single day I see you…"

"Well, don't take it from me. You are the one cooped up in the house, being used…wanting true love…" Remembering those lips were perfect, and it left a distant memory for me and for him. "And now…your wish is granted, Dell."

"So you are saying that I really want to…be out of the house, but I just can't…?" Knowing those hands that touched every single part of me…they were like smudges that will never go away. "…I know that, of course! But do remember that my window is always open." That's when we heard the door fly open.

"DELL HONNE, WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH HIM!?" My father was extremely angry of me for finding the perfect mate; he storms inside and throws my t-shirt into my face. He takes my tie and wraps it around my eyes, keeping my vision pitch black. That's when I hear Rei shout out my name.

"Dell, don't let him take me out of here! Please, help!" Using nothing but my bare feet to find my way out of the room, I have to get on my knees to find the way out of my bedroom. It was really time consuming, and I ran out of time. Dad threw Rei and his clothes out of the house.

"I DO NOT WANT YOU IN THIS HOUSE EVER AGAIN! I ESPECIALLY DON'T WANT YOU NEAR MY SON, EVER!" And just like that, he slams the door shut. I took a pair of scissors and cut my tie off, as well as my usual ponytail. My dad glares at me with venomous eyes as he drags me by my ankles…to his room. "…Must I tell one more time: no one will have you but me." I was ashamed; but I didn't care. Rei was my entire world…my only escape from all the suffering I lived through. "I don't want you to ever fall in love; either it's a boy or a girl. I want to have you, and I'm the only person that will ever do this to you…"

He was the exact opposite of Rei; Rei's motions were calmer, slower, and he took his time. My father goes too fast, hastily wants to get this done, and he only wanted it to quench his need of lust. All this time, I was nothing but a playboy… But Rei and Taylor changed everything…

"…Dell, are you okay? You were gazing out into space. Were you thinking of something?" I slap myself mentally out of my trance and turn my gaze to Rei, who was about to throw a snowball at me. I quickly bundle a handful of snow into a quick, sloppy ball and attempt to throw it at him. I missed, and get myself hit with Rei's own ammo of snowballs. I start to ignore offense and work on defense, building a fort to shield off the balls. I got hit a few times on the head, and most got my back. The cold was biting me like fire ants, but it has been a long time since I've ever played in the snow.

Finally, I get it done and start working on my ammo. But as soon I made four or five snowballs, Rei's attacks stop as I hear a faint sound that seemed to say, "Good-bye" in a very quiet voice. I peer over my fort; Rei was probably hiding behind the trees or behind the cottage. I look around my surroundings to find at least a sight of black…other than Taylor, who was still inside.

"Okay, Rei…I know you're hiding. You can come out now; I yield." I rise up my arms, signaling my defeat in the snow war. No response or movement happened to my words. I put my arms down and see if Rei went inside. He wasn't there, but only Taylor was inside. Perhaps…the garden! He's not there either… Where can he be, I thought, rubbing my scarf-covered neck. I go past the cottage's garden went towards the inner parts of the forest. "Rei, come on…it's not funny! Come on out, you little…" I trip onto something odd. When I fell, the object I tripped on moved as well, like it rolled. I look back at the thing I fell over: Rei…

My guess he passed out again, I thought, carrying him. "Don't worry. I'll take you inside, okay?" He didn't respond to me. "Rei, quit playing with me. I have to take you inside." He didn't respond… My body starts to feel tense, holding onto this body like if he was a bride. "…Rei…are you…asleep…?" I shake his body; …nothing. I don't see any breath coming from his nostrils, and I found no pulse…

"No…NO! Rei, come back! Please, I don't want to lose you just yet! Wake up, Rei! Please, I'm begging you!" I cling onto his cold body, holding him close to mine. These tears…I've never had these for some time already…but they keep falling from my red eyes. The stream of the salty fluid kept flowing freely, melting the snow as it drops. "…I…love you, Rei…" So, I lie the body down onto the snow and plant a kiss onto his lips one last time before burying it in snow.

The bells ring out the New Year…and a new life… I make my way back to the cottage, taking the scarf that was around Rei's neck. I wear it over my purple one and walk back to the cottage. Taylor sees me with redder, swollen eyes.

"Dell, what's wrong, darling?" She takes by the hand and sits me down onto the bed.

"Rei's…dead… But there's one thing I haven't gotten a chance to do…" I told her.

"And what was that?"

"…I didn't get a chance to say 'Merry Christmas' to him…" And in my hands was a wrapped-up present. "Taylor Honne, can you open it for Rei Kagene?" Taylor smiles and opens the gifts. It was three pictures of me and Rei together when we were both thirteen. "I've kept those pictures for a long time, so…I guess he'll be on our fireplace." Taylor takes the pictures, puts them in frames and places them above the fireplace. "…He'll always be in my memories…" And for that, I murmur to myself, "…Happy New Year, Rei…"

Did this story make you cry? It's sad, yes…I know. Once again, I want to thank Larissa Mitrovic for letting me use her video of the song for the story. The link to the video is up on my profile, so feel free to take a look. Also, don't forget to leave a review, and I wish a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.