Disclaimer: I don't own FnF.
He'd always ignore her,
His eyes solely for the other.
Yet falling for her
is the easiest thing
he ever did.
The eyes tell everything.
"Bright, I... just want to tell you... that I like you."
There was too much hope and sincerity in Rein's eyes that for a moment, he didn't want to say no.
"I'm really sorry, Rein, but I already like somebody else."
"I-It's alright."
The dejection that she tried but failed to hide made him feel bad.
"It's Fine, isn't she?"
"...Yes."
He saw pure happiness in Shade's usually impassive eyes after Fine reciprocated his feelings.
He wanted to one day have those eyes. Badly.
However, it will take a while for him to have them.
Bright had come across many girls before, but only Fine could give him that fluttering feeling in his chest. It drove him crazy and made him feel like he would do everything for her. She is not only kind; she is also brave enough to risk danger to help other people in need. She is the only girl to make his heart pound rapidly. It could only be love, right?
It had been days already yet he still couldn't get over her.
His brooding would have continued if it weren't for someone ramming straight into him. It took him by surprise; he had to place his hands on the person's shoulder to regain his balance.
"I'm so sor-" The person paused as she looked up at him, revealing sea-green eyes that were previously covered by her azure hair.
"R-Rein!" Bright stammered, hoping in vain for a hole to appear so that he could hide there for a long time. He couldn't afford to see her, especially now when he still couldn't get her hurt look out of his head.
He hastily removed his hands which he just realized were still on her shoulders. Doing so gave him a good look on her face.
Bright winced.
Her eyes are puffy. And her repeated panting from running like mad could actually be sobbing.
"I'm so sorry, Bright." With these softly uttered, Rein was about to excuse herself when his hand, acting without a command from his brain, suddenly reached out to stop her. He was only aiming for her wrist, but she was suddenly quickening her pace that he ended up grabbing her hand.
He felt something like electricity running from his hand and up to his arm that he almost released her hand but due to his fear that Rein would immediately run away, he only tightened his hold.
He took her to a vacant table in the lounge and made her sit beside him.
She turned to him, her cheeks even redder than before. "Bright, please," she whispered, her voice almost cracking.
His brain no longer coordinating with his body, his only response is to give his handkerchief to her.
"Bright, I-"
"Just take it," he cut her off. Her hesitation made him add, "Please."
"Thank you," she muttered as she took the cloth from him.
There was an awkward silence as she wiped her eyes with his handkerchief while he stared at their still intertwined hands. Only her sniffs were heard, and it made him even more uncomfortable than before.
"Bright." The pleading look she gave him told him everything.
Honestly, what was he doing? He couldn't face this girl. He knew that the right thing to do when someone you don't have feelings for confessed to you was to reject them but he can't help but feel bad for her. The entire time, he must have guilt etched all over his face and she would probably feel offended. Letting Rein go was most likely the right thing to do. But she is his friend...
Unconsciously, he squeezed her hand, eliciting a flinch from Rein. He felt his cheeks warm as he realized what he just did, and the urge to let go of Rein's hand returned. But in doing so, she would leave him... And he didn't want her to go with tears in her eyes.
"Rein, I'm not going to let you go. Not when you look so sad." He said as he looked straight into her eyes. They were still so red. Just how much was she hurting?
"Y-You shouldn't trouble yourself with me." she stuttered, her shoulders shaking as she sniffled.
"Rein, you're my friend so I can't just leave you alone," he declared. "Can you tell me why you're crying?"
"Fine and I had a fight," she answered softly.
He wasn't expecting that. He couldn't imagine Fine and Rein not getting along. No wonder she is crying so hard.
"I was so childish then. She was just so happy, and I got...," she trailed off, but he had an idea what she was about to say next. With the new information, guilt came crashing down on him. Why does he always cause so much pain to them?
"I said things I shouldn't have. Now, I don't even know why I said them." At this, a round of sobs was unleashed.
He released her hand to pat her shoulder but suddenly his arms, disobeying his mind again, enveloped her into a hug. They remained that way for a while as he patted her back in a circular motion until her sobs eased.
"It'll all be alright. I'm certain Fine will forgive you once you apologize," he said in a tone he often used when Altessa was unhappy.
She sniffed. "Are you sure?"
"Yes. Things will go back to normal between the two of you once you say sorry." This was not a throw away statement to be nice; he really meant it.
He pulled back and was glad to see that she has brightened up a bit.
"Just don't be too hard on yourself," he told her warmly.
He felt his mouth curve up at the small smile she gave him.
"You too, Bright," was her only response and the sincerity in her eyes took him aback.
Why was she still thinking about him?
"You should listen to your own advice sometimes," she said in a gentle voice that gave him a warm feeling in his chest. "You always blame yourself for everything that went wrong. Please don't keep it all to yourself. You've got friends who are always here for you now."
Absentmindedly, he stared at his his hand, remembering the comforting warmth he felt as he held hers. No one had told him this before. Not even Fine, who seemed to understand him the most. There could be others who noticed how he felt about himself but if they did, they didn't point them out to him.
He looked up and his heart skipped a beat when he found that she is still smiling at him.
"Rein...," he murmured, speechless.
"I love you, Bright. I really do."
His eyes widened. Love... Could this be what he's feeling right now?
He shook his head. "Rein, this isn't the time to talk about things like that," he said as he tried to ignore his pounding heart.
"I know," she started, "but I just want you to know that."
Bright took a deep breath. He realized two things this day. One, as he comforted this girl, he had already gotten over Fine without knowing it and two, with him being so smitten with the redheaded twin before, he never thought about his feelings for the other twin whom he always had a soft spot for.
But this isn't the time to tell her that.
"Thank you for worrying about me, Rein. I really appreciate it."
He'd been so dense. She had always thought of his well-being, yet he never noticed how much she cared about him until now when he discovered a different side of her. She is no longer a simple girl with a blatant crush on him. She'd become someone he can love someday.
But right now, she is only his friend. He is not going to bother her with his newfound feelings yet. There is a more important person that she should think about.
"Do you need some time alone?" He asked though he already knew the answer. He's only asking for permission to leave her to give her the silence she needs.
"Yes. But thank you for everything, Bright," Rein said, sending warmth into his heart with her sea-green eyes.
He stood up, feeling surer of himself than he could ever remember. "If you have a problem, just remember that I'm always here for you."
She grinned at him, and his heart suddenly started to dance.
He left with her smile memorized in his mind.
Not being able to resist the urge, he looked over his shoulder to smile at her and her grin only widened.
It wouldn't be long before he'd have Shade's eyes.
I hope you guys like it. Please do tell me what you really think of this fic. I just hope that it is good enough. But I also hope that I was able to portray Bright and Rein well... The hopes of a novice writer.
Very grateful that you would take the time to read my fic!