Ice cold wind lashed its fury on the poor young girl limping across the lot. My eyes immediately go to her bright green hair: this was definitely not a girl afraid of appearances. Smiling, I walk over to her, my coat pulled up in front of my face to block out the lashing wind. My violet eyes twinkle as I sidle up behind her. Silently, I tap her on the shoulder.
Smack!
That was unexpected: the girl hadn't seemed so strong from a distance. Although, I do give myself credit to the fact that this blizzard blocks my sight so that I can hardly see two feet ahead of myself. The girl's brown eyes darken in fury.
"Go away, you pervert" she yells above the roaring winds. However, I just smile.
"I'm sorry to surprise you" I say, putting on my best voice. She seems familiar, for some reason, and I think she recognizes me too, for her eyes lighten, and she smiles. I notice that her eyes appear kind, when she's not angry. Her voice too, when she speaks, sounds all too familiar. I close my eyes and try to figure it out.
"That's fine, sir: I was just bringing home some food for my family. Kyo-kun must be so worried by now: I said I'd be back hours ago…"
Suddenly, my heart stops and my eyes grow wider by the second.
"Honda-san?" I whisper, and she looks at me, laughing.
"Yes, Yuki-kun: I was surprised you didn't recognize me at first."
"Well, the hair does throw people off a little bit. And you aren't as…yourself, as you used to be."
She laughs even more.
"Oh, that was my idea. I wanted us to look more alike: you know, the whole crazy hair thing…"
I nod, but my heart sinks. I've always had to continue to lie to myself, that deep down inside I don't love her. But it's hard: whenever I think about those two together, and me, alone… I just can't take it sometimes: but I know that now it's too late to go back, too late to change what's already done. Instead, I smile hopefully and invite her home.
"Sure: maybe I can finally meet your wife!"
I blush and turn away. Machi and I have been together for five years, but I still think that, deep down, my heart has forever longed for her. But I push aside these feelings and live life normally. Although the curse was broken by Honda-san, we of the juunishi still don't feel normal. We are still outcasts by our appearances, and our personalities. Although we have all now grown up, some of us are still the same. Honda and I begin talking about that as we get in my silver automobile and drive away.
"Have you talked to anyone lately?" she asks and I shake my head.
"Not since last year. I suppose now that we've all gone our separate ways, we don't need each other as much as we used to. I mean, I haven't even seen you since you and Kyo…."
It's her turn to blush. Although she and Kyo love each other dearly, I think she still remembers when she used to think that way about me… It will most likely be a sore subject for her so I do not pursue it further. Instead, I change to a much softer topic.
"So, how're your children?"
Her face brightens as she begins to talk about her little treasures.
"They're so wonderful! Yuna and Nezu are such adorable little kids: you must come over and see them!"
I smile to cover the upset feeling in my heart. I haven't been over since the wedding a month after graduation when she broke the curse. My life has changed, but it doesn't feel that way sometimes. I notice that it's only when you have what you dreamed that you see the bad things in it. I sigh and turn into the driveway. Tohru smiles and looks at me
"You really haven't changed much; have you, Yuki-kun?"
I smile regretfully and shake my head "I guess not."
She looks at me with her large brown eyes full of concern as my eyes begin to water uncontrollably.
"What's wrong, Yuki-kun?"
I can't speak as I sink my head into my hands. Little scenes flicker in my mind: us at my old secret base; when she first talked to me; when i first fell in love with her after seeing her in that dress….these uncontrollable images make me want to cry harder but instead I force myself to stop. Honda-san has put her hand on my shoulder in her mother-like manner.
"It's okay, Yuki-kun: you can't always be strong…"
I don't tell her that it's her fault I'm like this. Instead, I just sit there with head in hands and sigh. She bites her lip and hugs me around my shoulders which have been growing slimmer over the past year. Machi says everything in me has been, despite her trying to feed me. But I can't. My heart has been seemingly dropping lower in my stomach each day I look at the wedding picture Honda-san sent me with only two words scrawled on a piece of paper:
I'm Sorry
These two words seem to be the new heartbeat of my life:
I'msorryI'msorryI'msorry…
Honda-san stares down at me and then I notice that she's crying now. She's leans in onto my shoulder and I let her. She whisper's when she knows I can hear.
"I'm so sorry Yuki-kun. I know you loved me…and I know I loved you too. But Kyo-kun…it just seemed so right at the time…"
"I know" I whisper: it was the same for me too. Machi and I got married right out of high school just like they did. I thought it was the right thing at the time. But then again, everything used to seem right before it was done. But it's too late now. Far too late……
"Honda-san…we should be getting inside…Machi expected me home fifteen minutes ago…" I say with a slight smile. She nods and pulls herself away from me, her beautiful complexion turning beet red. I laugh slightly and pull myself out of the car, nearly sliding on the ice. Honda-san laughs as I steady myself by holding onto the car door.
After I lock the car we head into the house. Machi has all the lights on and is in the kitchen. She's cooking, by the delicious smells wafting from that direction.
"Yuki! You're home!"
"Yes! And I've brought a guest, if you don't mind!"
She peeks her head around the corner and her brown eyes, that have just recently grown friendly, brighten.
"Honda-san! How nice of you to visit! Yuki-chan talks about you all the time: I've been waiting to meet this old friend…."
I blush and turn away as Tohru stares at me curiously
"Eh? You…talked about me?"
I shrug off-hand
"Just a little, you know: it's sometimes drifts into the conversation, you know…"
She smiles "Thank you for remembering" she whispers, which causes me to blush even more. However, this awkward moment is broken thankfully by a little grey haired boy running in the room.
"Daddy!" he squeals and jumps on me, forcing me backwards onto the couch behind me. Tohru stares in wonder as he wrestles me into the cushions for a few minutes until I can throw him off. He giggles, his brown eyes full of glee as I set him onto the floor.
"Honda-san, meet my little son Ranpu. Ranpu, this is Tohru Honda-san, your, uh, second aunt or something like that."
She laughes and pats him on the head.
"Oh, you're a cute little thing: just like your father!"
Machi laughs as I blush even darker.
"Oh yes, he is! He just turned two yesterday: you can come to his party tomorrow if you wish!"
"Oh that would be great! Thank you Kuragi-san!"
I nod and steer them towards the kitchen so we can begin our meal.
------ --
After a light dinner of rice balls and vegetables, I decide to take Honda-san back home so she can feed her own family. It's been an entire extra hour since I picked her up. I'm sure Kyo and the others are hungry by now. As we ride down the road that leads to Kazuma's dojo, where Kyo now teaches, she chatters on happily.
"I can't wait to see everyone tomorrow-you did invite everyone didn't you? Oh, of course you did. You guys usually do. It'll be good seeing them again, especially Isuzu-san! I hope she's doing better: do you know?"
I laugh lightly
"Yes, to everything…"
She smiles "AH, yes, sorry, for carrying on like that. It's just…well" she swallows "I don't get to see you that often, and I…I guess I just want to talk so much…to you…"
I smile as we pull up in front. I can see a silhouette of someone, probably Kyo, pacing in front of an upstairs window. I sigh and get out, walking Honda-san up to her door. When we get near the door, she turns around, her green hair swirling, and smiles.
"Thank you, Yuki-kun…for everything…"
I smile, but my heart cries for me to stop her: to take her back. But instead I just sigh.
"It was nothing Honda-san…it was actually kind of fun, in a way…"
She laughs sadly "Yeah, me too…Yuki-kun…"
She suddenly bursts into tears and I do the only thing I can think to do: I pull her in close. She snuggles to my chest and cries, and I let her... and as the snow begins to twinkle down around us, I whisper what I've wanted to tell her since I first met her three years ago…
I love you…
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A/N: Hello! This is my first one-shot, so tell me how it is! Give me advice! Thanks!
Kira-chan