A/N: Inspired by a Tumblr post by whitecrippledwings and Mio-san's "My Only Sunshine" one-shot~
You are my sunshine.
My only sunshine.
You make me happy,
When skies are gray.
You'll never know dear,
How much I love you.
So please don't take,
My Sunshine away.
C. F. G. A. A. A. G#. A. F. F.
Slim fingers glided over ivory keys glinting faintly under the candlelight. It was evening and the rays of the sun were sinking into the bay. The last beams of light winked over the waves, desperately clinging to earth while night cloaked the city.
She was the sun. At the center of dancers she twirled and her feet hardly seemed to touch the ground. Her brown hair was caught up in a whirl as she moved and the sunlight turned it to burnt gold. She laughed out of pure joy as the music sped faster and faster and she kept pace, never missing a beat. He stood watching, spellbound. Even among the decadent, vivid decorations and bombardment of colors and sound, he could focus on nothing but her. Another dancer obscured his view for a moment and he strained his neck to look around the person. The dancer moved on and the girl pirouetted closer.
Their eyes met and, for a split second, nothing else in the world existed. She smiled at him. A mischievous, knowing smile that sent his heart racing. He reminded himself what he was there for. He was to patrol the festivities and ensure there were no potential uprisings. There'd been incidents in the past, and the Imperial Japanese Army wasn't going to take any unnecessary risks.
She was directly in front of him now and his thoughts melted away. She held her hand out to him, asking with her large, luminous eyes for him to join her. He quickly shook his head and instantly regretted it. Her expression fell slightly before she smiled again so brightly, he had to refrain from joining her anyway. She stepped back, whirling away once more and her bare arms reached for the sky. The other dancers had found their partners and they each led their bewildered spectator through the steps of the dance. The audience laughed and clapped, calling out encouragement. Eventually, the music slowed and the dancers finally came to a halt. He reluctantly turned to leave, not wanting to have been caught watching. He hadn't gone far when someone grabbed the rough, cotton cloth of his uniform. He gripped his bayonet as he twisted around to face whoever it was.
It was her. She was no less beautiful now than she had been while dancing. She still had the round, smooth face of a child, but her eyes were intelligent and almost fierce. Her cheeks were flushed from dancing and her warm, tanned skin was covered in a sheen of glitter and sweat. She quickly let go of him and smiled, looking almost embarrassed. She bowed quickly as though remembering he was an officer.
"I'm Mei."
He blinked and bowed in return. "Kiku."
F. G. A. Bb. D. D. C. Bb. A.
The fingers paused as if they'd momentarily lost their way. Indigo ink bled into the dying colors of the sunset. The clouds were gathering.
They met in secret. Not so much because it was forbidden, but because everything is more precious, more beautiful when kept secret. Kiku had never thought it possible to love someone as much as he loved Mei then. Nothing else was as wonderful nor as frightening as being in love.
He loved everything about her. Her radiant smile and the way she laughed with abandon, never caring who glanced over at them. The plum blossom pin, so carefully made it almost looked real, perched in her wavy locks as if she'd been born with it. Her light caramel skin and bright, round eyes that shone amber under the sun. That odd strand of hair that refused to flow with the rest of her dark curls and bounced with a life of its own as she walked. The way she'd look at him as though he weren't her enemy, like he were the only thing she needed. Her free spirit and the way she faced the world boldly. Her optimism and faith in everything good. Her moments of pure ridiculousness and her uncanny ability to make him smile. He loved her entire being. It was terrifying.
"Kiku?" They were laying out in the grass on the outskirts of the city, concealed in the shadows of a long abandoned building. There was a small festival taking place in the town square and they were waiting for the fireworks.
"Mm?"
She rolled onto her side so she was looking at him directly. The playful glint in her eyes was gone and she looked almost pensive. "What will you do after you've served two years?"
He shifted slightly to face her, his dark eyes thoughtful. "I suppose that depends on you."
"Me?" She tilted her head and he couldn't resist a smile.
"There's no one else I'd rather with be, Mei."
"Why?" She was back to her usual, mischievous self and she feigned a look of cool indifference. He knew her well enough now to see the slight quirk of her lip hiding a smile. He propped himself onto his elbows.
"愛しているから," he whispered so quietly, the wind could've carried it away. Because I love you.
Mei stared at him with wide, luminous eyes reflecting starshine. Though they'd known each other for months and knew how the other felt, it was the first time he'd confessed out loud. It was not something he said lightly, but he knew, with every fiber in his being, that it was true. Mei looked down, almost shyly, and smiled at the ground before replying just as softly. "I love you too, Kiku."
He gently tilted her chin to face him and kissed her softly. It was a spring kiss, full of hope and promise. A kiss of starry night skies and blooming cherry blossoms. Beautiful and fleeting. He was not an expressive man. His words were often vague and formal, his actions polite, but rarely inviting. But in that moment, he told her everything he could never say, everything she wanted to know.
The first firework whistled into the sky and burst into a fiery flower of red and gold. She kissed him back.
The leaves turned deeps shades of the sun and blanketed the frozen ground. It was on a fall day when Kiku, who'd recently been promoted to a mid-rank officer, received a major assignment from his superiors. He was to lead his squad and open fire on an abandoned schoolhouse where the former instigators of the Wushe Incident were meeting. Many of the leaders of the former rebellion had been captured and executed, but apparently these men had slipped through their grasp. With the escalating outside tensions, Imperial Japan couldn't afford to have another rebellion brewing.
It'd become more and more difficult for Kiku to separate his duties as a Japanese citizen and soldier and his growing relationship with Mei. He was reassured by the fact that he only had four more months left before he completed his service and he could return to Japan. He'd offered to stay in Taiwan with Mei, but she'd insisted on returning with him to his homeland. Although there would undoubtedly be disapproval from both of their families, they were determined to remain together.
Brushing the issue away, Kiku focused on the task at hand. He felt guilt stir inside him at what he was about to do, but he shoved it back down. The only way to finish this job was to distance himself from the knowledge of what he was doing. He was a soldier. He followed orders. He allowed his training to overcome the conflicting emotions. These people were not Mei. They were rebels, a threat to Imperial Japan. He repeated the thoughts to himself until he almost believed them.
He led his squad to the front of a gray, wooden building. His heart thudded in his chest, but outside he maintained his cool exterior. Only a soldier. Follow orders. He motioned for two of his strongest men to move to the door entrance. They knew the drill. With a mighty shove, the door snapped off its hinges and fell inward. Several faces inside swung to face the intruders. Not allowing a moment's hesitation, Kiku gave the order with a flick of his hand. It wasn't until the sound of gunshots snapped through the air that he caught a glimpse of long, dark hair, caramel skin and a flash of pink. Everything happened in slow motion. Golden brown eyes met his, wide and innocent. Mei. His shout was drowned out by the roar of gunfire. She fell, disappearing from sight. He felt like he was moving underwater. He waved his arm, yelling for his men to stop. The last man collapsed and his soldiers ceased fire.
F. G. A. Bb. D. D. C. Bb. A. F.
A brilliant flash illuminated the fingers in their ritual dance and threw white shadows across the dusty piano. Thunder boomed somewhere in the distance. The fingers trembled, but went on dutifully, faithfully.
Kiku shoved his way past the squad, bumping into desks and chairs in his haste to reach Mei. He distantly heard the other soldiers murmur hesitantly before filing in to check for survivors. He ignored them.
He found her crumpled on the ground, a blossom of dark red blooming from her chest. Panic seized his heart and for a moment he could only stand there, frozen. Then he got on his knees, gently lifting her body so that her head rested on his lap. Her eyes fluttered open, distant and cloudy, and gradually focused on him. She smiled faintly.
"Kiku…"
"Sh, it's going to be alright Mei." It was a lie. She was already slipping away. He grabbed her hand, now growing cold, "Stay with me. Please."
"I'm...sorry. I wanted to warn you, but… my father…"
"It's okay. It wasn't your fault." None of that mattered now. How stupid he'd been. This was all of his fault. Why hadn't he ordered them to thoroughly check the suspects before opening fire? Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.
"Kiku," she sounded frightened now and he quickly returned his attention to her. She gripped his hand like it was a lifeline. "I don't want to die… I'm afraid, Kiku." Tears streaked down her cheeks and her body trembled in his arms.
Hopelessness gripped him and for a moment he could only stare down at her with growing desperation. He hugged her to his chest. There was nothing he could say that would console her. Everything he thought of sounded dry and empty in his mind. A winter chill spread through him. His sun was dying.
Her grip on his hand grew weaker and her eyes started to close. She focused her gaze on him though as if she were struggling to stay awake. She no longer seemed afraid, only calm and resigned. He felt his heart crack. "Kiku… could you sing something for me?"
At this point, he would do anything for her. After thinking for a moment, he tried to recall the lyrics to an American song he'd heard on the radio what seemed like years ago. He cleared his throat and sang quietly, his voice wavering, "You are my sunshine, My only sunshine."
A soft smile graced her lips and her head settled back in the crook of his arm. "You make me happy, When skies are gray."
Some of the soldiers were glancing over at him incredulously, but he was oblivious to them. "You'll never know dear, How much I love you."
His vision blurred. He brushed the hair from her face and kissed her gently on the forehead. Her eyes closed and her grip on his hand slackened as he dutifully sang the last line.
F. G. A. Bb. D. G. G. A. F.
"Please don't take, My sunshine away." The fingers paused as the last note hung in the still air, then slid off the ivory keys. Outside the clouds unleashed their torrent at last and the droplets pattered on the rooftop. Salty tears splashed onto the keys in rhythm to the rain. The candle, now reduced to a lump of white wax, fluttered. Then it flickered out, throwing the room into darkness.
A/N: Wow, two posts within a two week span, that's pretty good :D As I said before, I owe the idea for this fanfic to whitecrippledwings' Tumblr post and Mio-san's one-shot which was based off of the same post. Her one-shot is on as well, so go check it out!
This was more or less a drabble, so I don't think this is really my best work. I actually had several ideas in mind for this story, but I eventually cut it short and just made it a one-shot, because, let's be honest, there's no way I'd finish it anytime soon xD I might go back later though and turn this into a chapter fic.
Notes:
- The letters you see at intervals in the story (like: "C. F. G. A. A. A. G#. A. F. F.") is the sheet music for "You Are My Sunshine". Each set of letters would be two lines in the song. (I know next to nothing about music, so if I'm wrong, please correct me! ^^)
-In this story, Mei is half-Taiwanese (Chinese heritage) and half-aborigine (which are the 'true' native Taiwanese people). That's why I described her as having darker skin which isn't completely true to her original character design, but yeah.
- I was going to go into more detail about the festival in the beginning, but after I decided to cut it short, I left it as it is. It was going to be based off of the Shang Yuan Festival, or Lantern Festival which originated in China. It's really pretty :)
- When Mei asks Kiku about 'serving two years' she's referring to his military service. I tried to do some research to see how long Japanese soldiers served, but it was a little difficult. I talked to my classmate (who's Japanese) and she said that before the WWII, they served two years, but after the war started they were required to stay longer. This story takes place roughly in the early 1940's. I didn't write about it, but after Mei died, Kiku continued to serve in the military and fought in WWII. After the war, he returned to Tokyo.
- 愛しているから = Aishiteiru kara = Because I love you (In case you didn't get that part ;))
- The Wushe Incident mentioned towards the end is a rebellion that took place in 1930. It was lead by Taiwanese aborigines, the Seediq, in response to oppression by Japanese authorities. Mei's father was supposedly apart of this rebellion. The attack that Kiku led is completely fictional.
- "You Are My Sunshine" was first recorded in 1939 which originally caused some problems for me because I'd planned to set this in the early 1930's.
Sorry for my long author's note xD Let me know what you think!