A/N: Standard disclaimer for the entire story: I, Bom, do not own anything aside this plot. If it sounds familiar, it's coincidental, purely. It was a thrashed Cotton Candy One-Shot from a long time ago and the author will now regret her deed of having done so… but she did beta-read it ;). It's the biggest plot bunny that has been bothering me. Kite Runner, Hana Yori no Dango and White Lily Principle had a huge impact on it as well.
Summary: Hiromi loved happy-endings and Kai. Reality checks come, tearing down Hiromi's world one piece at a time. Time just seems to past them by, while one aims for a happy ending at all costs.
timeless
"Has Hiwatari Kai ever lied to you?"
1. prince rides off with princess to the sunset…
Sitting cross-legged and the shadows of cherry blossoms dancing on her face, her fingers toiled endlessly—plucking blades of grass from the ground. An abandoned tea-cup sat cold next to her toes. Her head was a chocolate cupcake with pink sprinkles and the sunlight flitted through overhanging branches on peach skin.
"…happily ever after," he read nonchalantly.
Her chin tilted upward and she beamed despite the lack of enthusiasm in his voice, "Ah that was a great story like always." Her hands dusted her bottle green dress of imaginative dust. She eased on a wide grin.
"Not really. I didn't like it," he said in his quiet voice; but not out of nervousness or shyness. "How do you know if the ending really happened?" Hiwatari Kai disliked speaking loudly out of his grandfather's notion; Kai believed that people who had more important things to say never needed to speak loudly. Only an impolite idiot would call attract unwanted attention to him by yelling. His grandfather, whom he respected dearly, barely spoke above a murmur these days.
Stationary, he leaned against the cherry tree; a gloved hand caught within his white wisps of hair and the other holding the leather bound book. Kai read Hiromi stories she couldn't for herself; what use did a little girl have for the written word when he offered the time reading to her?
"How do I know?" she echoed; a little bleated. "Isn't the prince supposed to save the princess and ride off toward the sunset? It happens in fairy tales, don't they? Like you had once said, Kai, a formulaic plot," the last word rolled off her tongue in careful precision. Scarlet orbs searched him for approval.
Expression pensive, Kai did not meet her eyes. "Hn. It's boring. I hate these stories. I don't believe in fairy tales."
"I liked it Kai," she defended but her voice quivered a little. She had faith in these things and Kai had noticed.
"How stupid." A smirk began to form in his lips though his voice was light and boyish, "But, girls are strange and are imbeciles so it's okay for you, Hiromi."
"Imbecile?"
His smirk intact, he spoke, "You don't know what it means? It's a common word."
She probed tentatively into his wine colored eyes, "No." If she felt the sting of his tease, her eyes did not show it. They flashed more in wonderment at the image of a magnificent unicorn decorating the front cover.
"It means intelligent. I'll use it in a sentence for you. 'When it comes to words, Hiromi is an imbecile.'"
She giggled, happy, as if it was a familiar and harmless taunt Kai had set out for her. A typical sweet, young boy teasing his female girl in the playground. How could she have known…was beyond him. She was unpredictable. These little occurrences he always felt guilty about later but somehow, he believed her heart could find itself to forgive him later on.
She pulled a folded slip of pink stationary free from some page of their book and held it in front of his sight. Examining the childish slosh and smudges of calligraphy ink, Kai found it difficult to overlook the flash of contempt in her eyes. "Can you pronounce this kanji phrase?"
A wrinkle formed over his young, aristocratic nose, "No."
"Ichi-go Ichi-e."
The boy looked at her curiously from the corner of his eyes. "Really?"
"Really, Kai-kun," Hiromi echoed, blinking. Naturally Hiromi would know; she's the 18th generation of the Tachibana lineage— Kai had wanted to point out. Oh, she couldn't contain her pleased grin. Kai was determined to yank her hair, "It means 'once in a lifetime opportunity'. Mama said it had a lot to do with our family."
"Hn," he said, disinterested, glancing up the sun speculatively.
She continued explaining anyway: "It can either mean, 'this time only,' 'never again,' or 'one encounter, one chance.' Each moment is unique and time is irreversible."
"Hn," he repeated, leaning over to rummage through his book-bag. "We'll see."
Few moments lagged between them in silence. "I wish we can stay like this," she managed with a small smile. "Mama will get better, Papa will be home more often, and you and I like this."
Kai had settled back against the rough bark. "Do you want this?"
"Forever."
"Hm."
It was mostly quiet and empty in the park, but a figure was approaching them not too far away. The face was indistinguishable but something about the unhurried stride and straightened back made it familiar and upright. Not to mention his lavender hair basked in the sun and the two men, in usual black suits, trailed close behind.
"It's time to leave," a man with sculpted purple hair gestured to the awaiting car— not visible within Kai's eye level.
Shrugging off the petals, Kai shot up on his feet and continued to dust his pants. He glanced at her from the corner of eyes. Shouldering his book bag, he whispered, "Boris is taking me to Grandfather today! He said he had a surprise for the whole family. Thanks for the tea!"
"Okay!" she nodded with excitement. "You're welcome! Next time, you can try Mama's odango!"
"Shh," Kai took hold of her hand and slipped a small pouch into her palm in a flourish. Hiromi covered her mouth with her hand, blushing madly at her sudden outburst. Flashing another boyish grin, he waved and trotted off.
"Wait!" Hiromi called to his retreating back now escorted by Boris into the sunset, "You forgot your book!" But he did not turn around to acknowledge her.
i.
"…loving, compassionate woman that Death did not take lightly."
"You're lying! She's sleeping!" Hiromi spat, pacing towards the podium where one of her family's closest friends spoke. They were in the reception hall of some funeral home, conversing and laughing as if the earlier events of the morning had meant nothing.
In one fluid motion a man shot up from a seat next to her. The entire room stiffened as he sauntered in suit and grabbed Hiromi by the shoulders, staring down at her.
"Let me go!"
"Hiromi," he hissed, pushing her backward and crouching down on his knees to let their eyes level.
"G'away!"
He abruptly latched his hands on the sides of her face, dragging her up to him so she could stare him in the eyes. "She's dead."
Every heart was hovering on one frantic beat, a record player that had gotten stuck and was repeating the same notes; over and over and over…
"I hate you!"
He froze.
"It's a lie! You've forgotten her!" Her saliva flecked her father's face as she shoved with two hands away from her; he finally let go of her shoulders. Her black sleeves were rolled up to her elbows, dress rumpled from disgrace, and rebellious strands of brown from her bun framed her small face, now red with twisted fury. That morning, the brown, shiny coffin, those palm bearers, the grieving chorus, fresh-cut flowers that were her mother's favorite…
She fought so hard all those years…
Kai had said Mama would heal, if Hiromi had believed.
"Hiromi…" his face attempted to form a stern look but failed; the congregation looked on in silence, Hiromi didn't turn to acknowledge anyone else but her father. She didn't need their pity.
Tears stained her cheeks, "You're lying!"
"I'm sorry."
"No, you're not! She's not dead, she'll wake up! She always does!"
With that she turned on her heel, lunged for the doorknob of the mahogany double doors, and ran out of the room.
ii.
Run. I want to. Run.
Hiromi wanted, more than anything, to open her mouth and scream to the heavens: It's not fair! It's just not fair! But her mouth betrayed her in its unwillingness to work.
Run.
Mama doesn't exist anymore.
Just run away.
Hiromi felt extremely fatigued as her feet pounded through the viscous brown liquid formed by the raging storm. She ripped the ribbon that held her hair up and let her tresses form clumps behind her shoulders. Black swallowed her petite body; her feet calloused by her shoes on the uneven concrete path and dress dirtied from the trek across the grass.
Ran before you walked, Hiromi-chan.
Run.
Far, far away.
She wrapped her arms around her body in an attempt to feel some warmth, but her blood only has turned to the consistent soft lead.
Run.
Trip.
Splatter.
Let someone catch you; tell you you're not too late.
"Hiromi."
A voice barely a whisper as the tree limbs trashed, the torrential downpour and the winds screeched down to both of them. A tall boy stood above her and stared down with heavy-lidded eyes, frozen from the nature. He let the rain penetrate past the heavy fabric of his black suit; the rain was just a defense after all. Like his words. His blue hair stuck to the back of his head, smoky white wisps of hair blocked his vision but he didn't mind. Sprawled on the ground, Hiromi was meant to seem ungraceful and beyond caring. In his eyes, she was still a princess.
He, beyond conscious, was sorry.
Tilting her chin upward, she beamed. "Which fairy tale did you like?"
He, for one, couldn't discern her tears from the cold raindrops. The whites of her eyes had gone considerably bloodshot. "Snow White."
It suited him; red eyes, snow-white skin and dark ebony hair in the darkness. In her seven year-old eyes, Kai looked older and attractive beyond his years. "Wow! You and my mother loved the same fairy tale." Her smile widened. "What a coincidence." Her voice lowered delicately.
A bead of tear dropped from her cheek to the collar of her dress. He watched on with deadpanned expression. His pale skin spoke of solitude; cold and barren.
"Mama loved it but… you said: the ending, that everybody knows, is a lie."
It hurt.
As punishment for her wicked ways, a pair of heated iron shoes are brought forth with tongs and placed before the Queen Mother. She is then forced to step into the iron shoes and dance until she falls down dead.
But Kai had been scrupulous at omitting that little section, every time.
One step. Two steps.
"Why talk about fairytales?" he inquired in an even tone.
Hiromi lowered her lashes, veiling her eyes. "Fairytales are pretty but if you look closely, they're full of deceit." Her smile was a lie. His eyes were a fantasy. "I don't like fairytales."
Kai glanced at the cemetery, the quiet tombstones neatly arranged in fine rows, soaked from the pouring rain. His gaze swept over the wilted blossoms from bouquets of flowers, candles knocked over, muddied gravestones and—
"They lie."
--Hiromi's fingers puncturing the cold, wet earth, digging. Fingernails broke, blood ran from her fingers. Closing his eyes, he crouched over her frail little body. He did not want to look at her anymore. Her eyes held new, powerful emotions. He didn't want to witness change.
"She's going to suffocate! I have to save her! If only time can wait longer, if it can go back I — I…"
Abruptly, he lifted her from the muddy ground. She struggled a little in response, but—
--Lightening streaked across the sky and swelling clouds for a moment, effectively frightening her.
Hiromi was only a little girl.
She latched her frozen arms around his neck and pressed her delicate face against his collarbone. Arms gently wrapped her little waist while wind whipped at her black dress. He hunched over to shield from the wind; being a head shorter, she struggled to close the gap.
"Time waits for no one."
He could not find a way to keep her closer; she turned her feet in slightly, rubbing one foot over the other like a shameful child that both of them were.
"Once."
Fairy tales are more than true – not because they tell us dragons exist, but because they tell us dragons can be beaten.
~ G. K. Chesterton
A/N: A child's biggest fear is being alone. Thank you so much for reading and please review your love/hate! Hehe!