A/N: Hello, hello, hello. 'Tis my introductory fic to the huge FFnet community. (: Well, it's SenRu, and I'm afraid that I'm not very good at this. I've written countless of fics, but they all ended up in the recycle bin for some reason.

Perfectionist? Yes, I am. This is the one which I'm actually alright with, alright enough to post it here. So please, review and criticism/praise is muchly appreciated.


Disclaimers: They are not mine, they belong to Inoue Takehiko, that lucky man. D:

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It's taking off now…

It's starting to move on its wheels…

It's picking up speed, and the roar was muffled by the thick glass…

It's lifting off the ground, slowly and tenderly, like a bird on its virgin flight.

It's gone.

It took away his only love.

Took him to somewhere better, somewhere more suitable for him other than small, stifling Kanagawa. Took him over the sea, over the skies, inching closer to infinity. Took him to America.

Rukawa let him go.

He received the basketball scholarship in the mailbox one day, and from the look of determination in his steely eyes, Rukawa knew there was nothing to stop Sendoh.

Nothing, except him. But could he?

He couldn't, in the end. Rukawa had to let him go. How could he cripple Sendoh's wings, how could he even think of dashing his dreams?

Dreams that have accompanied him for a lifetime. Dreams that helped mould him into what he was.

How could he take them away?

And so, Rukawa let go of his own dreams.

Rukawa let go of Sendoh.

It was alright, wasn't it? Love was supposed to be noble, and all that bullshit. If you love him, let him go.

The fool who said that has certainly never loved before, because he didn't mention it would be like this. This agonizing, hollow feeling that grappled at his heart and constricted his chest as he walked away from the airport.

It was a sunny day, it was a beautiful day outside. The sun danced with his cloudy companions on the bright blue canvas, the wind coaxed the blades of grass into an exhilarating dance.

It was a beautiful day, it was a sunny day outside. The sun reminded him of how total-fucking-ly alone he was, the wind mocked him with harshly spoken words.

He decided to let Sendoh go eventually, yet he had an odd feeling from the start that this was what he would do in the end.

Because his contribution was not enough, never enough. All the "I love yous", requited with a monosyllabic word, all the dinners where Sendoh was the only one talking, all the times when Sendoh dared to hope that he would show any sign of affection, only to be disappointed time and again when he saw feigned disinterest in Rukawa's eyes.

Sendoh never doubted his love.

But he took Sendoh's love for granted.

It was only right to end it this way, it was his punishment to himself for never bothering, for relying on Sendoh for too long.

But he was free of his guilt now, and when Sendoh returns, they would meet again, but this time, they could love as equals.

"I love you, Akira."

And the wind carried his whisper up to the skies.