Let Me Be Your Wings

Happy five year anniversary, Eternal White Rose (ME!)

A long time ago, there was a young man, long alone wince his wife had died of disease. Most of the townsfolk hadn't really really liked him, making fun of his girly name, Makoto. The man had always wanted children, but now he couldn't, not without a woman by his side. So he went to an old witch, money in his hand. He explained to her his plight, and she handed him a small seed. "Plant this in a flower pot and watch it carefully. Water it every day and it should give you your new friend."

Makoto thought for a moment that this old witch had lost her mind, more so when she refused his money. Nonetheless, he planted the seed as soon as he returned home, and watered it. He continued this for days, wondering what kind of friend this plant would give him.

On the night of the full moon, right after Makoto watered his plant, a stem began to grow. It blossomed into a beautiful red tulip. "Such a beautiful flower," he whispered, watching as the petals opened, revealing a small man curled up in its middle. His dark hair fell over his eyes. His blue eyes blinked open, and he sat himself up, rubbing his eyes. "Hello," he said, voice soft. "What's your name?"

"Makoto," the brunet replied, extending his hand so the young boy can climb onto it. He was so light, he barely moved a petal! "Who are you?"

The boy looked down at himself, latching onto Makoto's thumb. "I'm your new friend, I think."

"Do you have a name?"

The boy shook his head. "I think you have to name me, Makoto."

The bigger man thought for a brief moment, eyes squinting. "Haruka," he said slowly, looking back down at the boy–at Haruka. "Haru, for short."

The boy tested the name on his own lips, smiling softly. "I like it." He hugged Makoto's thumb, kissing it lightly.

And the pair began their life together. Haruka would watch as Makoto took care of the livestock and made him clothes. At night, the larger man would read a story; a fairy tale which would invigorate Haruka. He refused to go to sleep without listening to one.

One night, as Haruka was perched on Makoto's nose, holding onto the bridge of his glasses, he began to question the stories. "Makoto, have you ever been in love?"

Makoto took in a deep breath, releasing it as he lowered his head, casing the boy to slide down, landing in Makoto's open palm. "Yes," the brunet replied sadly. "She was my wife, but she died because of a horrible disease."

Haruka mumbled something under his breath. "What was that?"

"I said you're lucky." Haruka hopped onto the page of the book, walking around. "I don't think I'll ever find anyone my size to love."

"No, no, no, Haru, don't say that. I'm sure that you'll find someone perfect for you," Makoto assured, taking his glasses off of his nose and setting them on the book.

The small boy looked up, kneeling down by a picture of two fairies. "So are there people my size? Have you ever met one?"

The brunet chuckled, extening his hand when Haruka yawned, and the boy climbed on, holding onto Makoto's thumb tightly. "I've never seen one, but I'm sure they exist, Haru. So don't say that, okay?" Stop worrying now, or else you won't sleep." He placed the boy on his little bed.

"Makoto, can you leave the book open for me? I want to look at the pictures," Haruka said as he snuggled into the blankets.

The brunet nodded, opening up to the page from which he had read. He smiled at Haruka, and turned out the lights, heading to bed himself. The moonlight flowed through the window, illuminating the open pages. Haruka climbed out of his little bed, walking up to the book and looking at a page with a handsome prince depicted on it. He sighed, running a finger down the photo's face. How he wished he could fall in love with someone his own size.

"There has to be someone out there like me," he murmured, finger brushing over the picture's lips. He leaned in and lightly kissed it.

"You think there isn't?" a voice asked from behind Haruka, startling the boy. Behind him, a man as tall as he was–what an incredible surprise!–was standing over Haruka's bed, a pair of sparkling wings emerging from his back. His red hair was illuminated by the appendages, and his pink eyes glowed in the darkness. He thrust his arms out. "I'm sorry," he cried as Haruka ran over to a teapot which had been left by the windowsill by Makoto. "I didn't mean to frighten you."

Lifting the top off, Haruka climbed in, curling into a ball to hide from the fairy. He only popped his head into the pot, and the small boy crawled his way through the neck of the pot. The redhead leaned in further but then lifted himself up, floating to where Haruka was almost falling out of its' mouth. He grabbed the dark haired boy, setting him upright. "Are you okay?" he asked, and the small boy began struggling in his arms. "Calm down!" He let Haruka's arms go, looking into his blue eyes. "I'm not going to hurt you, okay?"

The small boy nodded. "You're my size. This is incredible."

The fairy chuckled, his eyes twinkling. "What's your name?"

"Haruka," the dark haired boy replied. "But you can call me Haru."

"Haruka," the fairy smiled. "That's such a girly name."

Haruka frowned. He never knew that his name was feminine, and hearing that from someone that was just his size broke his heart. "Oh, no, please don't look so sad. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. My name is Rin, so I have a relatively feminine name as well."

Haruka smiled and repeated the name. He liked the way it settled on his tongue. The fairy smiled back, reaching out and placing a hand against the boy's cheek. "Your eyes are so beautiful," Rin whispered, leaning in close. A loud buzzing sounded from outside the window, and Rin cursed under his breath.

"What was that?" Haruka asked, trying to peek out the window.

"That's Ai, my bumble," the fairy replied, rolling his eyes. "He gets really angsty when he's left alone for so long."

"Ai?" The dark haired boy couldn't see the bumblebee, but the buzzing just got louder and more frantic. "Well, are you going to go reassure him?"

"But I don't really want to leave your side, Haruka," Rin whined.

"I guess I can go with you. But I have to return before Makoto wakes up."

"Of course," the redhead smiled brightly, and flew to the window. Haruka followed him, slipping through the small crack of the open window, gasping at the sight of a pale yellow and black bumblebee buzzing at Rin, who was trying to calm him down. "Shh, Ai, calm down. I'm here. I want you to meet someone very important to me." Haruka took a few hesitant steps forward and took the fairy's hand. "Ai, this is Haruka. Haruka, this is Ai."

The insect buzzed happily, and the boy crouched down, allowing the bee to rub its face against his. Haruka giggled, petting the fuzzy head affectionately. "You're so cute, Ai."

"You wanna take a ride?" Rin asked, and Aiichirou hummed happily.

"What? But–Makoto…"

"Who is Makoto anyway? You keep mentioning him."

Haruka blinked, hand stilling on Aiichirou's head. "He's my best friend. If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be here. I'm the only thing he's got."

Rin's lips turned up into a small smile. "You're a wonderful friend, Haruka. Now, as long as we get back before Makoto wakes up in the morning, we'll be fine."

Haruka brooded over it a second before nodding. Rin helped him sit carefully and comfortably on Aiichirou's back. He then slipped on in front of Haruka, reaching for the boy's hands to wrap around Rin's waist. "Hold on tight." Aiichirou flew off the edge, flapping his wings and beginning to fly. "Let me be your wings, I won't ever let you fall."

The dark haired boy laughed as the bee flew faster, ducking under a nearby stone bridge. He flew by a large pumpkin, ripening in preparation for the autumn season. It lit up with the help of Rin's amber wings. Haruka yelped when Aiichirou dove toward the water, flying just over it.

The dark haired boy reached down and dipped his fingers into the creek. Rin reached out and linked their fingers together, pulling it close to his chest. Haruka rested his head against Rin's back, careful to mind the wings. Aiichirou flew down to the swamp, landing on a lilypad. Rin got off first, picking Haruka up and spinning him around.

They returned later that night, and they stood at the windowsill silently for a few minutes. "I had a lot of fun, Rin," Haruka began, smiling shyly.

"I did too, Haruka." Rin suddenly pulled out a crown made of small white flowers. He placed it lightly on his head, caressing the boy's cheek. "I think I love you, Haruka. And that must be weird because we've just met, but I'm serious."

"I've never really been in love before, Rin. But I think I'm in love with you, too," the boy smiled, fiddling with his fingers.

"Oh, Haruka…" Rin sighed, picking up the dark haired boy by the waist, allowing Haruka to wrap his legs around Rin. "Your eyes are so beautiful."

"I wish I had wings."

The fairy chuckled, amber wings twitching behind him. A loud voice loomed in the distance, and Rin flinched, muttered under his breath. "Oh, I don't need this right now. Come on, get inside."

The pair scrambled back inside, Aiichirou following but not being able to quite fit through the small crack. "I'm sorry, buddy. I know you don't like to be alone for too long. But you can't fit in here," Rin apologized, pushing the bumblebee back outside. He turned to Haruka, pushing him into a crouched position. "I'm sorry," he apologized to Haruka now. "I just don't want my mother or father to find me."

"Why? I'm sure they're very nice people," the boy said, poking his head up to try to see the parents of his beloved.

Rin pulled Haruka down again. "Yeah, they're nice when it's not time to turn the seasons. Royalty's great when they're not busy."

"Royalty?" Haruka gasped, looking at the Rin. "Don't tell me...you're a prince?"

The fairy grimaced, refusing to look at his new friend. He instead continued to stare out the window. "Oh, she won't stop trying to find me. I have to go, Haruka. If I don't go to her, she's going to throw a fit."

The boy looked down sadly, and Rin picked his head up by the chin. "Hey, don't stress over it. Here, take my ring." He removed the small metal from his finger and slipped it on Haruka's ring finger. "Never forget me."

"Never, ever," Haruka agreed, linking their fingers together. "I love you, Rin."

Rin smiled, pressing a soft kiss onto the boy's forehead. "I love you, too." And he ran out the the window, Haruka hot on his tail. "I'll come visit you as soon as I can!" He hopped on Aiichirou, who started flapping his wings and flew off. Haruka stayed on the windowsill, waving goodbye.

He couldn't wait to see Rin again.

Haruka expected to sleep through the entire night. But when a multitude of voices reached his ears, his mind woke up and paid very close attention. Very abruptly, however, Haruka was picked up and shoved into a bag. He screamed, but was soon silenced by a rough kick (or maybe a punch, he couldn't quite tell). He stayed silent, feeling the rough ride as he bounced in the bag.

He didn't know how much time he had spent, but he smelled the pungent fumes of the swamp when the nasty rocking settled. A bright light shined in his eyes as he was rudely dropped on the ground. Haruka crawled out, looking into red eyes that reminded him so much of Rin. He gasped, and they smiled. "Hello!"

Haruka just frowned. He didn't know who this person or these people were. "Don't freak out, okay?" This one had a more feminine voice. If Haruka thought hard enough about it, he could recall the sound of Rin's mother's—the queen—voice. This one was similar, if not a little higher in pitch. He moved back. "My name is Gou."

"Gou…" Haruka repeated the name, a habit he had created for himself. The girl nodded, and she moved back. Haruka could finally get a good look at her. Her hair was long, going far past her shoulders in long, red waves. He'd never really seen anyone with such long hair before and it surprised him. And her eyes—they reminded the boy so much of Rin! An almost crimson color, the pink orbs shined in the dark like reflectors. "Hey, Kou!" a voice called from inside the boat Haruka just noticed he was on. It was the same one that he stopped on the night before with Rin.

Another male, this one with bright orange hair and lighter yellow eyes, stepped out with a broad smile on his face. He had a very energetic air around him, as if his expression couldn't show it enough. Right behind him was another small man, a seemingly older version of the first boy. "I'm Momotarou!" the younger one said, his lips never curving down. "This is my older brother, Seijuuro!"

The bigger male smiled softly, his eyes never leaving Haruka's. The dark haired boy smiled back, before turning to Gou. "Where am I?"

"You're on our boat," Momotarou said. "We're traveling performers. We heard your voice last night when you were with the fairy prince last night. And we just had to have you be a part of our group."

"Oh, I appreciate the offer, but I really need to get back home," Haruka said, standing up. Seijuuro—was that his name?—pushed him back down. "I'm serious, I need to get home. My friend will get worried."

"That fairy prince you were flying around with yesterday?" Gou winked. "Don't worry about him. I'm sure he'll visit once you get famous."

"I'm not talking about him!" the boy cried, thinking only about poor Makoto.

"So you've got other people you hang out with so intimately?" Momotarou asked, whispering the end of the sentence in Haruka's ear, who jumped up with a fierce blush. The orange haired boy laughed. "He's such a jumpy little thing. Like a frog!"

"I'm not a frog!" Haruka countered. "Makoto used to call me his little dolphin!"

"So your side man is called Makoto?" the older male asked.

"No! He's the only person that truly understands me! He's my best friend. If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be here!"

Gou giggled. "Alright, boys, stop teasing him." Her smiled faded. "Listen, we're not going to let you go. You're stuck with us. Do you understand how much trouble we went through just to obtain you?"

Haruka gasped, standing up. "Excuse me? 'Obtain'? Am I nothing more than just an object?"

"Haru, once you become famous, no one's going to care what you are, who you're with, or really, who you truly are. All that matters here is your voice. It's the way we live. Life on the road," the redhead explained, stomping down harshly on the dark-haired boy's foot, who let out a forced yelp, holding it as the pair of brothers came up beside him and rested their elbow on either of his shoulders. "See, you've got such an amazing voice!" the girl cried, clapping. "I don't know why you're so against this!"

Haruka bit the inside of his cheek. He was so upset that these three performers refused to listen to him. He normally wasn't one to get mad at people and explode, but he was pretty close to yelling at them. He turned his back on them, walking off the boat and onto a nearby lilypad. Momotarou grabbed his arm, whining when the dark haired boy wretched his hand and continued walking. "Where do you think you're going?"

"I'm going home!" he replied stubbornly, pushing his new little ride away from the boat. "Makoto's probably so worried about me, and I'm just wasting time sitting around with a bunch of toads doing nothing!"

"Toads?!" Gou shrieked. "You're so lucky I can't swim!"

Haruka ignored her, steering his lily pad away. Gou turned to her fellow friends and whispered, "Our little froggy friend just ran away, Sei. What are we gonna do?"

"Don't worry, we'll find someone else," he replied, smiling softly.

Haruka never realized how tall the wild grass outside the fenced perimeter of his home really was. He felt so much smaller than normal, and it scared him not knowing what was lurking around here. Makoto had always told him that dangerous predators lived in the world outside his home.

But the dark haired boy felt a sense of calm when he recognized the farmhouse from far away. He sighed. "I'm home, but it's still so far."

Another presence, one of a figure his size (what was it with him and suddenly finding little people?) landed next to him, and before he could wonder where the newcomer came from, a large blue bird landed next to him. "Hey there, Sharkbait," he said, flipping his pink hair out of his face. "You look lost. How about I help you?"

"Oh, no," Haruka began, but the stranger picked him up and threw him on the bird. "Hey! Put me down!" But the bird just took off, into a cave naturally created into a cliff some miles away.

Makoto wasn't joking, Haruka realized. He was kidnapped twice in such a short span of time. The world was such a scary place when he was alone and away from his home.

The bird landed, and the kidnapper stepped off. "Isn't it so much safer up here?" he asked, flashing Haruka a toothy grin. "You're far away from whatever fox was lurking around."

"A fox?" the boy asked, fear lacing itself into his eyes.

"Yeah, that canine creature that eats small, moving things?" the stranger chuckled, and his guest realized that it sounded really strange when it wasn't a girl like Gou doing it. "What's your name, Sharkbait?"

"Haruka." The boy forced on a smile. "You can call me Haru."

"Kisumi," the pink haired boy said.

"Excuse me?" Haruka felt his face flush. Did his kidnapper just ask him to kiss?

"Kisumi!" Another voice bellowed from another room. Both men turned to face a new dark haired man, his piercing teal eyes glaring at Kisumi. "Don't make our guest so nervous."

"I'm sorry, Sousuke!" Kisumi smiled, wrapping his arms around Haruka's shoulders. The boy blinked owlishly. "He's so fun to tease. I wasn't asking you to kiss me, Haru. My name is Kisumi."

"Oh." Now the boy felt even more embarrassed.

The new man, Sousuke, walked up to Haruka. "And why did you bring in another stray?"

"I found him wandering around all alone. And look at his face! He's so good looking."

Sousuke nodded, crossing his arms. "You're not lying. Haru, was it? I'm Sousuke. I run this little club here."

"A club?" Haruka had never heard of a club before.

"Somewhere where you can party to your heart's desire," Kisumi explained, wrapping his arms around Sousuke. "A lot of people come here every night."

The dark haired boy nodded. Maybe Rin would come visit him if he stayed. He looked up at Sousuke, a worried look etched onto his features. "Do you mind if I stay here the night?" Sousuke's eyebrows raised in question. "Maybe a friend of mine will come visit tonight."

"What's the name of this friend? I'll call out an announcement to my workers so if they meet him, they'll send him to you."

"Rin," Haruka replied, the name tingling on his lips. He missed saying it. He missed the name's owner.

Kisumi snorted. "Well, well, the prince of the fairies, that Rin?" He unwrapped his arms from Sousuke's waist and walked away. "I'll send the word, but I doubt he'll come! There was news that he fell into a freezing lake up north. Couldn't get out in time."

Haruka's face fell, and Kisumi left the room, humming to himself. Rin fell into a lake? Couldn't get out in time? Surely the pink haired man was joking. There was no way that the prince had died. Sousuke came up next to him. "I'm so sorry, Haru. I'm sure the prince was important to you." There was a snicker lost in his voice, Haruka realized, so he knew that there wasn't any sincerity. A hand rested on his shoulder, and Haruka looked up into teal eyes. "You must be exhausted. Come this way. I'll show you to a nearby room. It's best we don't tell Kisumi about where you're staying. He seems to have taken a serious likeness to you. I don't want to see anything bad happen to you."

Haruka's room was located down the hall from Sousuke's, a small space with two twin sized beds. "You can move the beds closer to each other if you desire more space. This is the only free room we have for tonight," Sousuke explained, leaning against the door frame. "Kisumi doesn't know you're staying here, so if you meet up with him, don't tell him you're in here." He turned to leave. "Oh, and Haruka, don't let the noise distract you."

"Haru," the boy replied, clenching his fists. "My name to you is Haru. Rin used to call me by my full name."

"Well, Rin's not here right now, Haruka, and he won't be," the bigger man growled, "for a long time."

He left the room, closing the door behind him, leaving Haruka in the dark. The dark haired boy dropped himself onto the bed and buried his head in his hands, letting out quiet sobs. Was Rin really dead? There was no possible way for him to have just fallen into a lake. Perhaps winter was getting closer? That would mean that Haruka would have to get home as quickly as he could. It would be terrible if he never returned to Makoto. The poor man would probably die of heartbreak. And Haruka wouldn't be able to live with himself if something like that happened.

His crying subsided for a moment. He'd leave tonight, instead of staying, while everyone was still sleeping. If they even slept, that was.

A low buzzing caught his attention, and he turned his head to face the small window near his bed. His face lit up as he went to open it. "Ai!" he laughed, reaching out and running a hand over the bumblebee's head. "It's so good to see you, buddy. So is what happened with Rin true?"

Aiichirou buzzed sadly, looking at Haruka with guilty eyes. "Oh, Ai, it's not your fault. The seasons are changing, right? It's my fault for getting myself taken away." Haruka looked back at the door once he heard noises outside it. "Go hide somewhere. I'll be out later tonight, okay? Make sure no one spots you." Haruka kissed the top of Aiichirou's head and the bumblebee flew off to who knows where, leaving Haruka alone in the room again. He burrowed under the covers of the bed, staying still for emergencies in case someone came in.

The night felt like it went on forever, but once the noises died down, Haruka slipped out of bed, stealthily opening the door and running out of the room into the hall. He tried to remember the way out, but the corridors seemed to wind around without an end. "Are you lost, Haruka?" The boy turned around to be face to face with Sousuke, who stood a short distance away with his arms crossed over his chest.

"No," Haruka replied. "I don't want your help."

"If you're leaving, you're going in the right direction."

The boy blinked. "How did you—?"

"I'm not stupid. Obviously Kisumi brought you here against your will. And I'm not one to keep ugly pests around."

Haruka growled. "Ugly pest? How dare you."

Sousuke shrugged. "If you leave, you won't have anywhere to go. You're a long way from home anyway."

The dark haired boy huffed and turned on his heel, leaving the older male leaning against the wall, a melancholy look laced over his face. He didn't exactly want to tell Kisumi that his new playtoy had just left, probably for good.

Aiichirou buzzed happily once Haruka stepped out of the cave. He flew up to his new friend and rubbed his head against the boy. "Hey, Ai," Haruka whispered. "Ready to go?"

The bumblebee buzzed again as the dark haired boy sat on Aiichirou's back, grasping the fuzz in his hands and holding onto the bee closely. "I can't believe Rin's really gone," he murmured. Tears welled in his oceanic eyes and he attempted to wipe them away, but to no avail, seeing as they continued to fall rapidly. Aiichirou hummed, trying to make his rider feel better. But Haruka instead buried his face into the bee's back, sobbing freely as the pair lifted off of the ground and the wind blew through his hair.

They flew for hours, taking a short rest only when the cold became too much for Aiichirou's wings and forcing him to land. The took refuge in an abandoned shoe, where they watched with fascination as the snow began to fall from the heavens in light fluffs. Haruka sniffled, looking up into the sky. "I wish I knew where I was. If only that Sousuke had left me. I was so close to home. And he said I was ugly. Wouldn't matter if Rin came back, I guess."

Aiichirou cuddled close to the boy, buzzing sadly. He surely missed his master, but he saw the bond between Rin and Haruka the night they had first met. They had truly fallen in love.

Haruka sighed, willing himself to sleep, hugging his friend close.

When he awoke, it was dark and warm, the sound of crackling fire filling the air. There was a blanket wrapped around him, but Aiichirou was no where to be found. He sat up, rubbing his eyes of the sleep residue that found home in them. "Ah, you've woken up! Finally!" A peppy voice called from the other room, before its' owner jumped in, the blond hair on his head bouncing with him. "I was worried that you'd never wake up! Do you have any idea how dangerous it is to sleep outside in that kind of weather?!"

Haruka blinked. Who was this? Where was he? Where was Aiichirou? "Where am I?" he asked, voice raspy.

"Oh, you're in my home. I'm Nagisa. What's your name?"

Talk about rapid fire. "I'm Haru." There was no point in giving out his full name if he didn't want anyone to call him by it.

"Well, Haru, I hope you don't mind me taking you in. That bee friend of yours was a tremendous help as well."

"Where is he? Where is Ai?" Haruka stood, the world spinning as he tried to calm his head.

Nagisa ran up and steadied the boy, letting him sit back down. "I don't know, Haru. He left after I brought you here."

Haruka shook his head, face burying into his hands as he sobbed. He'd already lost Rin, and now the only thing that reminded him of the prince was gone. "Oh, Haru," Nagisa whispered, gathering Haruka into his arms. "I'm so sorry."

"Everyone's always sorry," Haruka murmured.

The blond frowned, placing his hands on his hips. "How about we go visit my friend, Rei. I made him some sweets."

"I-I don't think…"

"Please," Nagisa begged. "He loves company."

The dark haired boy hesitated, but stood slowly anyway, sighing. The energetic boy smiled and handed the older boy a basket of warm muffins. They left the small house, rushing into a nearby tunnel to escape the wrath of the cold. "He has terrible eyesight, just so you know. If he touches you, just understand that's the way he sees whatever is around him."

Haruka nodded absentmindedly, looking around at the decorations that littered the tunnel. "Is that why there's a lot of...garbage sitting around?"

"Oh, it's not garbage to Rei," Nagisa laughed. "Since he's very valued around these parts because of his knowledge, people like to bring him things that are made of gold or silver. He doesn't know what they're made of at first glance, but once he got his fingers on them, he knew."

"A knowledgeable man, huh." Momentarily, Haruka wondered if Rin was smart as well. But then he shook the thought away, not wanting to burst into tears yet again. He straightened his back, and the pair stepped into a large room where a young man was rummaging through a mess of loose objects.

"Rei!" Nagisa called, and the man jolted to his feet, turning to face the newcomers. "I brought a friend."

Rei raised an eyebrow as the blond pushed Haruka closer. "Are those Nagisa's muffins?" He walked toward the dark haired boy, reaching for the basket. "I adore those muffins."

Haruka handed him the food, and the blue haired man smiled to himself. His violet eyes glittered in the dim light. It was hard to believe that a man with eyes that beautiful could have a problem with his sight. But the boy wasn't about to mention it. He'd learned to mind his place.

"I found a dead insect in my caves today," he told Nagisa, catching Haruka's attention. "The thing was buzzing so incessantly. I didn't think it would ever stop."

"Show me?" Nagisa asked, hooking his arm with Rei, leading him into the caves. Haruka followed closely behind. "What do you think happened to it?"

"It probably froze from being out in the cold weather. Didn't know bees were active during this time anyway," Rei explained, waving his hand around for emphasis. Nagisa hummed next to him, and the final member of the trio stiffened as he walked. He prayed that the insect wasn't who he thought it was. He wasn't sure if he would be able to live with himself if he was right.

They arrived at an open cavern, where Aiichirou lay, wings no longer flapping and creating that wondrous buzzing sound against what looked like a fine china plate. Haruka felt tears pile in his eyes as Rei clicked his tongue. "What a shame that the creature suffered such a fate."

Nagisa's pink eyes saddened when Haruka ran over to the creature's side, smoothing his hands over the bumblebee's fuzz gently. "Oh, Ai," he murmured softly, almost ready to cry. "Baby, please wake up, Ai. I can't lose you, too." He placed a soft kiss atop Aiichirou's head, wishing with all his might for this to be one big dream, on where he'd wake up and be back home with Makoto, and Rin would visit him during the night once more. But Haruka knew better as he pet Aiichirou one last time and then swiftly walked back in the direction they came, not acknowledging the pair whatsoever. He made it all the way back to Nagisa's little home, where he buried himself in the covers and cried until he couldn't cry any longer.

"You should marry Rei," Nagisa happily said that next morning after Haruka aroused from his restless dark haired boy mumbled a few incoherent words and the blond laughed at his new friend's blank expression. "Good morning, sleepyhead."

"Morning," Haruka slurred, rubbing his eyes. "What did you say?"

"I want you to marry Rei," Nagisa said, completely serious. "He took a great liking to you, Haru, and really wants to marry you."

The dark haired boy gulped, feeling the nerves rise to his throat. He did not want to marry someone if he didn't love them. But what did it matter now that Rin was frozen dead under a lake's sheath of ice? Despite that, he really didn't want to marry a stranger. "I-I don't know, Nagisa."

"Oh, come on, what's the harm in it?"

Haruka didn't respond.

"Don't tell me you don't want to marry him because there's someone else."

"Yes," the boy whispered, feeling the tears return. "I loved someone once. But he's not around anymore."

"Oh? What do you mean loved? Was it like a Romeo and Juliet story? Except, you're not dead, Juliet. You forgot your part."

"He fell into a lake and it froze."

"You were in love with Prince Rin?!" Nagisa laughed. Haruka frowned at how quickly word had apparently spread about his lover's death. "Juliet, I don't think there's a single little person that doesn't love Rin."

"Oh, no, it was much different than that." Haruka sighed happily, relaxing in his seat. "We were both so incredibly in love. But then I got kidnapped. And everything went downhill from there."

"And that bumble friend of yours?" Nagisa asked, placing his hands on his hips.

"Rin's bee. We had a close bond, I guess you could say. Both lost someone important to us."

Nagisa hummed and turned around. "You know, Haru, I get that you love that prince and whatnot, but as I've said, it's like a Romeo and Juliet story. The two were very happy when they were wed. Where are they now?" Haruka shrugged. "They're dead; Romeo drank poison and Juliet stabbed herself."

Haruka shuddered. That had to be a tragic love story if he'd ever heard one. Maybe Makoto could read it to him. If he ever returned home, that was. "Marry Rei," Nagisa urged. "He's got the money, and he's got class. What's there not to adore about the man?"

Haruka stood up. "I'll think about it, if that makes you happy. I'm going to the caves."

He left in a hurry, wanting to get as far away from the blond as he could. He'd visit Aiichirou and see if the bumblebee had woken up overnight or if he really had died. He avoided Rei (which turned out to be easier than he'd thought) and found his way into the open cavern where Aiichirou still lay motionless against the plate. He crouched down next to him. "Oh, Ai. Nagisa wants me to marry Rei. Isn't that a silly thought? I'm in love with Rin, after all."

He paused, as if expecting an answer. "What does it matter, he's gone anyway. I guess I should marry Rei. He might make me as happy as Rin did."

Suddenly, there was a light vibration coming from Aiichirou's body, causing Haruka to lift himself up. "Ai?"

The bee opened its beady black eyes, blinking at the boy and squealing as Haruka wrapped his arms around him in a tight embrace. "Thank goodness you're okay! I was so worried that you'd died too. I didn't know what to do with myself."

Aiichirou buzzed, picking himself up off the ground.

"What's going on?" Aiichirou rubbed himself against Haruka, trying to convey his sounds into words. "Affection..? No, love!" Aiichirou nodded frantically. He gestured to the sky above them, where the snow had stopped falling but the sun shone brightly. "Out there? Are you trying to tell me that you found Rin?" The bumblebee made a noise of joy, jumping up into the air and somersaulting. "That's impossible. He's under a lake and it's the middle of winter."

The bee huffed and flew up through the cavern's roof, and off into the distance. "Wait, Ai!" Haruka called, waving his hands. "It doesn't matter anymore. I'm going to be someone else's."

"I thought I heard your voice," Rei's voice floated down to where Haruka was standing, and the boy turned around quickly. The blue haired man smiled at Haruka, and the boy walked over to him. "Did that insect leave? I didn't think it was still alive."

"I didn't either," Haruka confessed. "I heard from Nagisa that you wanted to marry me, Rei."

"Yes, yes!" The man clapped. "I'm so happy that he told you. I was nervous to ask you myself, you see. So will you?"

The dark haired boy hesitated. He really didn't want to. But it would make Nagisa happy and if their marriage lasted long enough, he'd probably forget about Rin. "Yes," he replied. He stared into Rei's violet eyes, and the man smiled again.

"Thank you, Haru. It truly means a lot to me." The little man turned and left the cavern, a little more hop in his step than when he first came in. Haruka looked back at the opening in the roof of the cave, frowning at the sight of snow. "Haru?" Rei called, and Haruka jolted back into reality.

"Coming."

The wedding was scheduled for a few days (or weeks? Haruka lost track of the days) after that, an extravagant ceremony held in a makeshift chapel located deep under the ground. Nagisa had begged Haruka to wear a dress even though he was as male as Rei was, and Haruka found it very difficult to argue with the logic of 'Rei asked you, so you're the bride!', and in all honesty he sort of agreed with the blond. Rei had asked him to marry him, so he was, in fact, the bride.

Everyone around the underground was gathered at the chapel, talking excitedly about the wedding of their great Rei and the man he'd fallen in love with. They silenced when the church organs began to play and the doors opened to reveal Haruka in the white dress Nagisa had tailored for him. The veil was held by a simple golden headband that contrasted greatly with the black of his hair. He felt a little odd, wearing a dress that obscured his feet, but he'd practiced walking in it with Nagisa so that he wouldn't trip and fall.

He met Rei's eyes at the altar, who, even with his impaired vision, seemed to see Haruka's beauty and shined with joy, his smile that of a thousand watts. Nagisa sat in the first pew, tears falling from his eyes. Haruka slowly made his way toward his new groom, glancing down at the ring on his finger, smiling sadly at it. He truly missed Rin, but there was no turning back now.

He stepped up to the altar and the minister began the ceremony, but Haruka was off in another world. He was remembering the finals words he said to Rin before the fairy had left. "Never forget me."

"Never, ever."

"Haru?"

"Never," Haruka whispered, unaware of what the priest had just told him.

"Hm? Speak up."

"Never," Haruka repeated firmly, throwing the bouquet on the ground, and looking up at Rei. "I could never marry him. I don't love him."

The crowd gasped as Haruka ran from the front, the veil trailing behind him. He heard the stomping footsteps that were obviously his furious to-be groom's, his loud voice echoing against the walls. "Haru!"

But the dark haired boy wouldn't stop for anything. He would continue running until his legs gave out, even if that meant that he'd fall face first into the snow due to exhaustion. He began crawling up a tunnel of coins and jewels, trying to knock some over in order to prevent Rei from getting to him. One coin landed right on top of the blind man, knocking him back down, and with a huff, Haruka continued on his quest up to the surface.

Once the sun began to shine, his smile widened. He hadn't seen the world above ground in days, and the warmth of the sun was so refreshing to his tired and aching body. The dress flared out, reflecting with the snow, and Haruka tore the veil off his head and ruffling his hair with his free hand. "I'm amazed women even go through with marriage if it means all this annoying stuff," he mumbled to himself.

A shadow coated him, and when he looked up, the owner buzzed with immense happiness. "Ai!" The bumblebee floated down so that his tiny friend could wrap his arms around him. "Where did you go? You left me all alone, and I almost got married to some mole!" Haruka complained, throwing his hands in the air.

The bee only circled around him, basically begging Haruka to climb on his back, which the boy did, and without any warning Aiichirou flew off. Haruka almost fell, but he'd managed to get a hold of the fuzz, so the movement only jerked him a bit. Aiichirou flew far from the hole in the ground from which Haruka had emerged. They breezed through the clouds, the cool wind blowing through Haruka's black hair, messing it up from the neat up-do it had suffered because of Nagisa and his magic hands. "Where are you going?!" he ducked when his head came very close to hitting a tree branch. "Where are you taking me?!"

They landed on a few frozen branches overlooking a snow covered field. The bee looked incredibly excited as Haruka dismounted off of his back. "What is this place? It's beautiful." Aiichirou poked his nose at the ring on Haruka's finger. He'd almost forgotten that he still had it, and he twisted it around his fingers. "I told you, Ai. Rin isn't coming back. He's dead. That's the end of that. Stop trying to break my heart even more."

Aiichirou buzzed sadly as Haruka threw his hands down in anger. "Just take me home! Makoto's probably so worried and I'm doing nothing but wasting time in this deserted tree, talking to a bee about someone who promised to be my wings!"

The boy was so enraged that he lost his balance, waving his arms to try to catch himself but ended up falling off the branch, preparing for his doom. He landed in the cradle of something warm, and opened his eyes to meet pink orbs. "I also promised to never let you fall, Haruka."

Tears welled in Haruka's blue eyes and he threw his arms around the fairy, who laughed and brought them back up to safety. "Rin, they told me you were dead."

"Very close. Some nice fireflies helped me out," Rin smiled, nuzzling the boy's nose affectionately. "I see you've kept Ai around." He looked over at the bee, who spun around in a happy circle. "Thank goodness for that, because he was my only way to get back to you."

"You wouldn't believe the things I've been through."

"Almost marrying Rei? I've heard."

Haruka blushed, looking down and realizing he was still wearing the wedding gown. "His friend put me in this."

Rin chuckled. "It looks good, but I'd rather you look nice in some pants during our wedding."

Haruka looked up.

"Haruka, will you marry me?"

Aiichirou buzzed and flew around them as Rin lifted Haruka into the air, bringing their faces closer and closer. "Yes, of course," Haruka whispered, and their lips met.

There was a pressure on the dark haired boy's back, and when he broke the kiss to look, he noticed a pair of periwinkle wings giving off a faint glow on his back. They began flapping as his feet lifted off the ground on their own, and he looked at Rin with bright eyes. "I have wings. My very own wings!"

The wedding ceremony was held near the bridge by Makoto's home, with all of the royal family invited. Makoto, being the one who had brought Haruka into the world, was present as well, offering his home as a place for Rin and Haruka and any other magical beings to stay. Haruka wasn't in a dress for this wedding, instead he was in a comfortable pair of white pants and shirt. His wings contrasted with Rin's beautifully, and the pair lived happily ever after.

It has been an incredible five years on this website. I've made so many friends (one of which has even upped the ranks and become my bestest friend in the entire universe) and I've joined so many incredible fandoms. I'm not leaving, though. Fanfiction is my home away from my home. It's where I can vent through writing. If you've stuck with me from the beginning, first of all, HOW? and secondly, thank you. If you're new, please welcome me as a friend!

Little backstory on how much you all mean to me. I started writing fanfiction when I was twelve (the year no one ever wants to relive). I was in seventh grade. I thought faking my age was a great idea, so I had everyone believe that I was fifteen for two years. Not my brightest idea. Now, I'm seventeen and about to graduate high school. I never thought that I'd get this far. And it's all thanks to the wonderful people on this site that kept me motivated and going. There was a time that I debated killing myself and you all stopped me with your kind words. When my stories didn't go too well but you all gave me feedback and helped it progress. There is so much that I have to thank you for, but not enough words to express.

With this Thumbelina inspired one-shot, I am retiring from the Free! Iwatobi Swim Club fandom. I've written mainly RinTori smut, so this was a big change for me. You can still request one-shots for it, but I will no longer write it in my free time. I will instead be expanding to other fandoms. Feel free to follow me on tumblr (shionercal) for updates on all my other fanfictions as well as on facebook (Eternal White Rose).

Thank you once again, my beautiful flowers.

-Eternal White Rose, also known as, Shion Ercal.