Anyway, back to the fic. It's set sometime when Jimmy and Cindy are in high school. I haven't really specified an age otherwise, because it doesn't really matter. So without further ado, the fic!
Disclaimer: I don't own Jimmy Neutron or the song "Tomodachi." They belong to Nickelodeon and Sakamoto Maaya, respectivly.
*****
[doushiteru kana anata no koto
tsumetai kaze ni sukoshi omotta
*I wonder how it's been with you?
In the cold wind,
I pondered a little bit.*
*****
Cindy sat on a park bench, shivering a little as a cold winter wind blew past her. She hadn't heard from Jimmy in a while now… how long had it been? Two weeks? Too long. She was almost worried about him. All right, so she was worried about him, not that she'd admit it to anyone. Of course, having to admit it wasn't a problem, since anyone who knew her at all knew that she was worried. She was constantly wondering. How was he doing, in a new state, a new school, away from the friends he'd had since kindergarten? It was much harder to adjust to a move in the middle of high school than it was in the middle of elementary. By high school, everyone knew each other, so it was much harder to fit in. And Jimmy had always had a bit of a problem fitting in from the start. He was a great guy, but he tended to hide himself behind his work at times.
"I swear, Jimmy, if you're not even trying to make friends…" she muttered under her breath. She didn't know what she'd do to him if she did find out, but she knew she'd do something to him. Because if he wasn't trying to make friends, not only was he pretty much screwing the rest of his high school life, he was depriving everyone in that school of an amazing person. How did she know? Because she'd seen that amazing person before. Her mind floated back to the last time she'd really talked to him, the day before he left….
*****
[eda ni mo tarete hanashita yo ne
karada ga hiete hi ga ochite mo
nakidashite shimatta
watashi o mamoru you ni
damatte soba ni ite
kureta ne]
*We leaned against a branch and talked, didn't we?
My body started to chill,
and as the sun was setting,
I ended up crying.
And as if to protect me,
you came and stood silently by my side,
didn't you?*
*****
"Cindy? Is that you?"
Startled, Cindy jumped and almost toppled back off the branch she was sitting on. Quickly, she wiped her eyes on her sleeve, making sure no trace of wetness was on her face before turning around.
"Neutron? What are you doing here?" she said, trying to sound angry, but she knew there was a waver in her voice.
Jimmy looked at her, puzzled. "Hey, your eyes are red. Were you crying or something?"
"No," she snapped. "Besides, what do you care?"
Jimmy ignored the comment, choosing instead to climb the tree and seat himself next to Cindy. She turned away from him, looking off toward the setting sun.
"Cindy? What's wrong?"
"What makes you think something's wrong?" she asked icily, not turning around.
"Because you only act hostile like this when something's wrong," he stated matter-of-factly.
"I am not acting hostile!" she shouted, before lowering her voice significantly and adding, "Besides, even if I were, it'd be your fault."
"My fault? How so?" he asked.
Cindy muttered something incoherent under her breath.
Jimmy frowned and scooted closer to her. "Huh? I didn't quite catch what you said the first time."
Cindy whirled on him, surprising him. It was his turn to almost fall off the branch.
"Because you're leaving!" she yelled. "You're leaving and I don't want you to, all right? So excuse ME for being more than a little upset!"
With that, she jumped down out of the tree, stalking off. She didn't get far, though. The tears building up in her eyes made it hard to see where she was going, and eventually she just stopped walking and stood still, allowing the tears to fall.
Jimmy slid off the branch as well, walking silently over to where Cindy stood. He didn't say a word. He just put his arms around her, praying she wouldn't pull away. And she didn't. She just cried.
*****
[fushigi na sekai sono hitomi ni
utsushiteru you na sonna kigashita
akogare dato ka yumemiru koto
anata ni kitto oshierareta]
*I felt like
your eyes reflect
a wondrous world.
You taught me
how to dream
and long and such.*
*****
Cindy sniffled, wiping her puffy eyes for the second time that night. She didn't want to ever leave. She just wanted to stay where she was for the rest of the life. Jimmy wouldn't have to move and everything would be perfect. But Cindy was plenty practical. She knew that wouldn't happen. And she knew it was probably best if she got away from him now, before the practical side of her mind began to dissolve. Slowly, she detangled herself from his arms.
"Cindy?"
"I should go," she said softly.
"But… why?"
"Because I don't want to get attached to you… any more than I already am."
"Cindy, it's not like I'm being sacrificed or something," Jimmy said, letting out a small laugh but looking as if he were about to start crying as Cindy had just been. "I'm moving to a couple states away. It's not as if I'll never see you again." Even he realized how ridiculous that sounded. Oh, it's only to another state. No big deal.
"That's like cliché number one, you know. Everyone says that before they leave. 'It's not as if I'll never see you again.' And then what happens? They lose contact until they're old and gray, and any chance of a future with each other is completely thrown out the window, no matter how much they dreamed about it when they were younger!" Realizing she'd given away more than she'd originally intended, she blushed and looked at the ground, pretending to be absolutely fascinated by a small pebble sitting a couple feet away.
"Cindy."
Cindy looked up, into Jimmy's eyes. She could see the now-fading sunset reflected in them, and she couldn't believe how amazing it looked. It was the most wonderful sight she'd ever seen in her life. Silently, she reached out and hugged him, and he wrapped his arms around her in response.
*****
[hanareba nare ni naru
sukoshi mae ni tsugeta
negai
wasurenai de iru kara
tooku temo anata ni
maketaku ha nainda
itsu made mo futari ha
raibaru]
*I told you only a little while ago,
even if we get torn apart,
I won't forget
our dreams, so...
...even though I'm far away from you,
I don't want to give up.
Even though we've always been
rivals.*
*****
It was long past dark, but Jimmy and Cindy didn't care. They sat on the bench outside the Candy Bar, talking.
"Jimmy?"
"Yeah?"
"I wish you weren't leaving," Cindy sighed, laying her head on his shoulder.
"So do I," he said. "But my dad's work…. They offered him a position he couldn't refuse, you know?"
"I know." She sniffled a little, but didn't cry.
They sat in silence for a little while, Cindy with her head on Jimmy's shoulder and Jimmy with his arm around her waist.
"Jimmy?"
"Yeah?"
"What happens if we never see each other again?"
"That won't happen," he said simply. "It won't happen because I won't let it. I…." He began to elaborate, but instead decided against it and fell silent once again. Another period of quiet followed, before Cindy broke it once more.
"Jimmy?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm sorry… for not always being the nicest person in the world. I didn't really mean anything I said. I…" she started, but faltered.
"Yeah?" Jimmy repeated.
Cindy brought her head up off Jimmy's shoulder and sat up, looking straight at him. She took a deep breath and steeled herself, before leaning in and giving him a soft kiss.
"I love you," she told him, finishing the phrase she had begun earlier.
He stared at her in shock for a moment before smiling at her. "I love you too. And I'll come back, I promise. I don't know how, but I know I'll do it."
"I believe you," she said.
"You'd better," he grinned. Cindy smiled as well, before lying her head back on his shoulder and staying like that until she fell asleep.
*****
[tayori ha iranai
daisuki na tomodachi
dare ni mo iwanai
ichiban no omoide
mou ichido aerusa
daisuki na tomodachi
wasureru koto nai
daisuki na tomodachi]
*I don't need to hear any news,
beloved friend.
I don't tell anyone else
my foremost thoughts.
We'll meet once more, right,
beloved friend.
I won't forget you,
beloved friend.*
*****
Jimmy loved her. And she loved him. That was all that mattered. She knew he'd keep his promise and come back as soon as he could, and she knew he'd contact her as soon as he could. Until then, she'd wait. She didn't need any news to continue to wait. She'd wait, and she'd wait, and if he, for whatever reason, didn't come back, she'd go find him.
And probably give him a good butt-kicking once she did.
Cindy giggled at that thought before looking up at the sky. It was beginning to get dark. She rose from the bench.
"See ya when I see ya, Jimmy," she whispered, then began the walk home.
END
*****
A/N: Mushy fluff is fun to write ^_^ And I actually finished this fic fairly fast. I started it... Monday, I think, and now it's Wendsday and I'm already done! Though I feel like it's rushed a bit in places... but that could be just me. I tried to fix what I didn't like, but I'm still not totally satisfied. Then again, I am a perfectionist. Oh well. R & R, pleasies!