The Paper Angel's Prayer
Fold. Tuck. Bend. Crease.
She opens her eyes, finding the plain sheet of paper between her fingers had completed its transformation. In its place sat an exquisite flower, her favorite object to create.
It falls to the ground, joining its brothers and sisters of all different colors. From a distance, one could almost mistake them for real, living flowers. Not just her imitations of blooming life.
She already has another sheet in her hands, bending and creasing the practiced motions. Her aquamarine eyes are closed once again, her fingers know the motions well enough to perform without sight.
She hears him breathe in slowly, her fingers pausing for a moment. She resumes when he finally exhales.
He never moves, excepting getting up and sitting down. She never feels him shift as they sit in silence. The only thing reminding her of his presence is the weight of sitting back to back, and the slow, almost hollow sound of his lungs. The only noises are their breaths, and her paper.
She knows he should be alone, plotting his scheme of world domination. He should be working, planning, conspiring. But instead, he sits with her. Never once do they look at each other. But he chooses her quiet company over furthering his dream.
Today he wears his most common body. The young-looking one with the three studs on each side of his nose and spiky hair. She is contented, though her lips never move to form a smile. This one is possibly her favorite. It reminds her of the old him…
Another flower drops to the floor. A cerulean rose, she noticed, as her eyes opened to see where this one had fallen. She blinked, though her face showed no surprise.
It sat, almost comfortably, next to a bright orange carnation.
She never believed in omens. Superstition was for common folk, not for shinobi. Shinobi had science and reasoning to dispel common beliefs about the world around them. Signs could easily be explained away as some phenomena. Her flower had just happened to land next to his…
She closed her eyes again, internally shaking her head without actually moving a single muscle, not wanting to disturb their peace. No, the flower wasn't him. It was just an orange piece of paper in the shape of a plant. It didn't remind her of him in the least. Not one little bit.
To dispel the thought, her fingers grasped another square sheet. Enough with the flowers, something different should distract her.
She relaxed a little, and listened to another slow inhale. He was always like that, calm and collected. Never panicking or rushing things. His breathing was as measured as his battle plans, almost like he studied both with equal determination.
Realizing her hands had stopped moving, she opened one eye in genuine curiosity as to what she had created.
A tiny, green paper crane sat in her palm, its triangular wings frozen in the act of propelling it up into the air. It would never fly unless she bade it to. In a way, she was the god ruling over her creations. Their fates, whether they would crumple into shapeless nothings or remain in their pristine state, it was all up to her. She was their god, just as he was hers.
She feels the pressure on her back lift. He is leaving once again. He makes no sound at all as he stands up, but his footsteps echo emptily as they trail away.
Someday, she promises herself. He will someday attain his dream. She will help him, obey him, kill for him. She will go where he orders her to. And someday the world will belong to him. And maybe then…
She closes her eyes again. Maybe then they will be able to sit like this again. Perhaps in a palace made entirely of her paper, constructed down to the last detail with almost loving care. Maybe he will look at her then, maybe even reach out and touch her, bringing life to her empty being.
She knows she wishes for the more than unlikely. Once he is ruler of every known land and sea, he'll probably want his solitude just as much as he does now. But she has hope, and she can wish as long and hard as she desires.
And sometimes she wishes her heart was never so easy to break.
My first PeinxKonan, so be nice! Written for a RL fwend who likes this pairing (you know who you are). Hope it didn't suck too bad...