A/N: Hello! I replaced the old one with this. Some grammars were edited by Nicha. :] Now it's better. x]

Anyway, I was listening to the song Promise of a lifetime by Kutless then this tragic idea popped out in my head... I hope it turned out alright, I originally wrote this at dawn around 1:00 until 5:00 T_T Anyone is welcome to leave a review! ^^ This is my first Maid-sama! fic. :]

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Maid-sama! anime/manga. All rights belong to Fujiwara Hiro-sensei.

Warning: I guess u all know already why this is in tragedy genre..

If some of you would want to listen to music while reading, I suggest u listen to the song: Promise of a lifetime - Kutless

This isn't a song fic, I was just inspired by that music :] It's so beautiful and heartbreaking, I love it.

Promise Of A Lifetime

I have always hated men. The moment my father left us with nothing but debts, my world, our world, broke down like an anchor being dragged by the heavy gravity beneath the water. I trusted him. I believed in him. But all those years of having faith in him was destroyed in just a blink of an eye. Everything went dark around me. Everything became fake to me. I felt different kinds of emotions swarming through me. Sorrow, disappointment, anger, confusion... broken...

I was shattered when my mother fell ill because of the heavy stress she had to burden on her own. I was sad that my younger sister had to experience the same faith as me: without a father; with only a mother; and without money to fill up our desires and wishes. I was disappointed that we've been betrayed by the very person I've put my whole trust into. I was angry that he had to leave us, without care, without thought. Us, his own family, were left in the mud by him. But I was confused. Confused as to how he could be so selfish. Confused as to why all of these had to happen to us. I was confused, I didn't know who and what to believe anymore.

I loved my father. But the feeling was long gone already. He was just a painful memory that I would never, ever want to remember anymore. He was just a distasteful fragment of my memory that I would want to bury deep within the deepest pit of my heart. I only loved my mother and my younger sister. Both of them were the only ones who completed me. And I did not need anyone else. I did not need anything else. Just them and their smiles were enough to keep me going for every day.

After my mother's state became better, enough for her to come back home to us, I've decided to give my best in studies and part-time job even more. I didn't want to see her so fragile anymore, so weak, so down. As for my younger sister, Suzuna, I would give her better education, better life, a better experience and happiness. So that she wouldn't feel the same way as I was feeling: Devastation. Despair. Hatred. All of those were such bitter tastes that my caring mother and ever so innocent Suzuna didn't deserve one bit.

I have really always disliked men. They never deserve my trust and loyalty. I swore to myself that I would never trust any of them anymore. They'd only bring pain; that was what I have always believed ever since he abandoned us in the empty darkness. I have detached myself from men, away from their malicious eyes, away from their cruel intentions...

Then suddenly, everything that was around me had changed. After every blocks of the wall I have laboriously built around me, he selfishly entered and unknowingly destroyed them. He greedily stepped into my already rather-damaged life. He annoyingly teased me. He irritatingly made me open my heart to men once again. And although I haven't had the intention of letting him enter fully, he, once again, selfishly made me change my mind. It was as if after all those years of running from a terrible nightmare, I finally found a way to escape. I finally found my escape, my light. And it was him.

Before I knew it, not only those around me but I, myself, have already changed too. He made me grow through those changes. I have learned to love him. I have learned to trust him. I have learned to accept the things I couldn't have accepted if he didn't make me open my eyes. Then as though I was just a newly born baby, I opened my eyes and for the first time after the horrible experience with my father, I realized that not all men were ignorant and cruel like him. That there were still those who could be true to what they'd say, who could keep their promises whether or not it would take a long time to fulfill it.

Usui Takumi. Why was his name clinging on my heart I didn't know. Why was he holding a huge meaning to my everyday life I didn't know. The first time we have talked wasn't actually a conversation. Just him, rejecting a girl who happened to have liked him. And just me, who happened to have warned him not to make girls cry anymore. It was such an irony for me that I have fallen in love with a man like him who could easily break a woman's heart without even giving a second thought when men like him were the ones I loathe the most. But, I loved him. Despite of that, I was drawn to him. He became a part of my life where I could no longer imagine going on everyday without seeing his face and his attractive eyes, without hearing his alluring voice, without being played by his teasing smirks, without being embraced by his securing arms, without feeling his warm lips on mine...

Then before I could blink, I have fallen into the vast emptiness once again. Now... I was kneeling on the ground, and the knee-length black dress I was wearing created a pool around my knees. I saw my hands gripping the surface of the green grass leaving a mark of my grasp there once I loosened my hold on them. Then I saw drops of water falling onto the ground. I thought it was raining. But it was too little for rain. They were only dropping down from me. From my eyes. And that was when I realized. I was crying. Tears were streaming down my face like a river, unstopped from its flow.

"Usui..." I heard myself muttering the name of the man I was grieving for. The name of the man I have loved, cared, held onto...

I quickly stood up and wiped my tears with my right forearm and held it there to cover my face from embarrassment. I was so sure my face was a mess. I thought I'd stop from crying. I thought I'd just have to laugh it all off and then maybe I would wake up from this horrible nightmare that was haunting me again. I thought if I stand up, I'd be able to overcome the pain I was feeling inside my chest. Because that was what I've always done before. I'd instantly stand up whenever I fail and everything would be back to normal.

But I figured out it was different. Before, my spirit would stand up along with me but now, it was only my body. My soul was left crushed into pieces on the ground. I couldn't stop my tears as the pain in my chest grew stronger. And then I saw his photograph standing above the white huge box that had his body inside. From the corner of my eye when I lowered my arm, I saw him smiling at me. His photograph was there, wearing a mocking smile that was likely to be directed to me.

"Usui... Usui," I heard myself chanting his name repeatedly before breaking down into sobs again. Not wanting to see him depart from my sight, and not wanting any attention from anyone who was there, I began running away silently as fast as my feet could carry me. I didn't know where I was heading, for all I knew was I would be alright as long as I was far from his presence. From his ceased existence.

I continued to run, not caring about my tears flowing unstoppably anymore. Not caring about where I'd end up. That was before I tripped and fell forwards. I was still good at defending myself though. I let myself fall but stopped my upper body from crashing by palming the ground. I was kneeling down once again. But it hurt. My palm hurt from the impact. I was quite sure it was bleeding now. But then who cared about that? It was only mere bleeding. Nothing bad was going to happen to me. It was nothing compared to the stinging pain that kept on piercing into my heart! Damn it. Was I always this weak? My eyebrows knitted together before gritting my teeth. Beads of tears still flowed down from my exhausted, swollen eyes. Then I suddenly remembered a distant memory...

"Usui!" Misaki called to him as he walked ahead of her.

"What is it Ayuzawa?"

Misaki caught up to him, catching her breathe. Her shift in the Maid Latte just ended and as usual, Usui always waited for her so they could walk home together. She never really understood him. One time he was teasing her then next day, he'd act like it was all nothing. Misaki raised an eyebrow as vein of anger popped out in her temple. She wanted to strangle Usui until he choked.

"Misa-chan," Usui called her by her name. Which surprised her for it was a sudden change. A blush crept up her face as she concentrated on looking straight ahead and not on him, forgetting the irritation she felt just a while ago. When Usui looked at her, he chuckled lightly.

"What? You perverted outer-space ali-" Misaki's words were cut off when Usui grabbed her wrist and dragged her into a dark corner between the cake store and the family restaurant they were passing by. Misaki's eyes widened and her face turned redder if that was even possible. Good thing it was dark... But although she couldn't think clearly and her mind was in a sudden haze, she still felt strangely comfortable. Misaki was speechless for a while. Then she registered in her mind what was happening.

Usui was hugging her tightly. His arms were around her securely and face buried into the crook of her neck. Misaki gasped when Usui pressed his soft, warm lips against the skin on her neck.

"U-usui?" she managed to call his name despite of the nervousness she was strongly feeling.

"Misa-chan... I love you," he whispered with a sad tone in his voice. Misaki would have noticed it if her heartbeat wasn't banging too loudly that it was the only sound she could hear and nothing else. Her face heated up; it looked like she was going to faint anytime soon but she got hold of herself quickly and placed her hands on his back.

Usui seemed taken aback as he had widened his eyes. Misaki returned his hug. A small blush spread across his cheeks as he pulled her closer to him. "I... hate you, you know..." Misaki whispered to him, both knowing that it meant the opposite. She couldn't see it but if she was facing him, she'd have seen that Usui's smile was a painful one.

"I... promise you that I'll always be here for you Misa-chan. I can't be the closest person to you for now, but I won't ever leave your side. Only the stopping of my breathe would make my body leave you but that doesn't mean that I won't be by your side anymore too, remember this, Misaki..." Usui had called her name in full and she was now getting worried. Why was he acting as if something was going to happen? Was it just her imagination?

"Misaki-chan, can you call me by my name? Just this time..." he pleaded. Now this shocked her. There was really something strange and she was sure of that now but for some reason, instead of asking him what was wrong as she usually did when he acted weird, Misaki clenched the shirt on his back until it crumpled.

"Usui...usui... T-takumi. I get it... so..." Misaki then moved her hands from his back onto his arm and tugged on his sleeves indicating for him to let her go. She was going to be insane if their heated embrace last even longer. When Usui let go of her, she sighed in relief only to be put into a more embarrassing state. He cupped her cheeks with his right hand and inclined his head to the right before closing his distance to her face. Soon his warm lips were pressed against her cold ones. Misaki's eyes were widening. She blushed even more as Usui didn't break the kiss. Ugh... Maybe this time, she'd just let her eyelids close and treasure the moment she was so sure she'd never forget, along with his promise.

Tears ran down from my eyes more than before as I re-lived the vivid memory. I shook my head almost violently. I was sitting on the ground now, nothing else but trees around me. I was in a forest? How far have I really ran? Oh yes... this was just a forest near the garden where his body was departing from. I found myself chuckling at the thought as I cried at the same time. My numb body shook in agony.

"...Usui Takumi! Come back... Please!" I was surprised at myself when I suddenly yelled. But I decided to let out my suppressed emotion of sadness as I lifted my head to look up at the blue gray sky. Yet again, tears were dropping from my eyes.

"Please... I'd do anything, I'd call you by your name, I'd say I love you many times! I'd hug you and won't let go, I'd kiss you by my own will, I... I'd... I'd love you more than you love me! Just please, Usu-Usui..." I shut my eyes tight as I said all those words between my sobs. I was gritting my teeth and I could feel the collar of my dress already damp wet from the river of tears that slid from my eyes, cheeks until jaw. But I also felt like there were no more left to shed, my eyes were no doubt, red, and they hurt. My eyes hurt, it was as if they were hit by something so sharp that I couldn't open them anymore. I was still crying, over and over as I continued to scream in despair, and as I continued to yell in pain...

…

…

Years had passed and I graduated from high school and college at last. Now I am aiming to become a Physical Education teacher in a co-ed school. Today is a holiday though and I am sitting beside my window as I look outside when drops of rain unexpectedly began pouring down. It is the same day as when I had cried back then. It was as if the sky knew my pain that it was crying with me as it is this same day that tears will well from my eyes once again while savoring the tranquility of the surrounding. While remembering his face. While remembering him.

...

Usui Takumi. You promised me right? Where are you now then? Are you still here by my side? Can you see me crying now? Can you hear me whispering I love you? Can you feel my pain too?

...

Did you know? I always try to smile. But it would only come out as a forced expression. I always try to think of something else. But your face would be the only one to appear inside my head. I always try to bury you as a memory. But you would still remain as a living presence to me even though your existence was nowhere here anymore.

...

...

You know what? ...You're the same as my father and at the same time, completely different. Both of you left me... But... my father left me nothing, only an unwanted memory. While you... you left me our warm, gentle and sweet memories... And a promise of a lifetime to cling onto. What my life is now is all thanks to you... Takumi. And if ever you can hear my prayers and thoughts, just to let you know, I never stopped loving you. I don't think... I ever will.

How was it? I'd be happy to receive some feedback, I really wish to know ur opinions. Anything is fine, even if u didn't like it T^T Please tell me how I can improve. :] Thank u so much!

Have good days and good nights everyone!

~Terru

EDITED: I thought some people would ask how he died or if he knew already that he was going to die, but I decided not to put it here and let it to everyone's imagination. BUT if u are really curious and want to know what actually happened, u can ask me^^ I just don't want to put it here cause... idk why, maybe because I'd cry too if I include it T_T And it would become a very long showing here than me briefly explaining to those who'd ask :] I'm sorry if this couldn't reach ur expectations, I still hope u enjoyed reading it(if not made u sad)^^