Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, places, etc. in Guilty Crown. It all belongs to their respectful owners.
Paper Flowers
Hare had left, with Ayase staring down at the paper flower that was on her lap, the same memory playing over in her head. There was only one reason she was so good at making these flowers and only two people knew the reason why.
It's because of him…
Even though she hadn't even thought his name, his picture came unbidden into her head and tears began to form in her eyes.
How is it that things change so quickly?
She tried to wipe away the tears but more quickly replaced the ones she wiped away, making her give up after a few times. She was just lucky that no one was else was here at the time as the memory played out in her head.
*Flashback*
The light that was streaming through the open window seemed so bright compared to the way she felt. The doctors had said that she would never walk again, always being confined to a wheelchair.
I'll always be dependent on someone… always slowing them down…
She looked down at her legs, now rendered useless from the accident. She was so used to feeling something, anything from them, but everything was just blank. It was like they were there but then they weren't.
Just a part of me that doesn't exist…
She glanced over at the untouched tray of food on the bed table beside her, its utensils also unused. She looked towards the knife and then back at her legs, wondering if she could feel pain.
I couldn't originally but maybe now that it's been a few days…
She reached towards the knife, intent on testing her theory before she heard some footsteps and a voice.
"I don't think that'll help you heal." She looked over in surprise to see a boy with blonde hair staring at her. She suddenly became wary at the sight of him.
I don't know him, so why's he here…?
She was about to ask but the boy answered for her.
"I'm visiting someone else and just happened to see what you were doing."
She nodded, noticing that she was still clutching the knife. She quickly set it down before looking back towards the boy, seeing him nod in satisfaction. There were a few minutes of silence, with her wondering why he was still here if he had someone else to visit, before he spoke again.
"What's your name?" He asked and she instantly was put on guard again.
"What's yours?" She asked back and he let out a low chuckle, somehow making her stomach flutter.
"Gai." He stated, and she nodded before gesturing towards the plague that she knew was outside her room when saying her name.
"I'm Ayase." He nodded before looking back out the hallway before over towards her again.
"It was nice to meet you Ayase. Now if you'll excuse me." He left at that, and she lay back against the pillows, not quite understanding why her heart was beating so fast.
It must just be nerves…
-A few weeks later-
She huffed in exhaustion and anger. These exercises didn't seem to be getting her anywhere and only seemed to be getting harder.
As well as exhausting…
She glanced down at the wheelchair she was in in distain. She missed being able to walk, to run on her own two feet.
But science doesn't have that kind of technology right now and who knows how long it might take…
"How are you doing?" She looked up in surprise to see the boy that she had met a few weeks ago, Gai. She could feel her cheeks heat up a bit, but passed it off as the summer heat.
"Fine." She stated curtly before trying to move towards him, but only making a few turns of the wheels before having to stop, exhausted again. She huffed in anger again.
I'm so weak!
Gai saw her predicament but didn't make a move to help her.
He must believe I can do this on my own…
Her cheeks heated up again and she shook her head before trying again, getting the same result.
"Do they have you on any arm exercises?" He asked suddenly and she looked up at him before nodding.
"Yeah but that doesn't really help since it's only once a day…" She often found herself bored out of her mind after the lessons, even though she was tired. TV had never appealed to her and there wasn't much else to do. With no one to bring her anything she liked to do, she was left to her own devices.
Gai glanced at her curiously before holding up a bag. She looked at him in confusion before he walked over and pulled a few things out and laid them on the table beside her. There were different colors of thin paper as well as thumbtacks and scissors. She glanced at him in confusion, not quite sure what he wanted her to do with the supplies.
"You can use the supplies to make paper flowers." He stated before grabbing some of the supplies and showing her how to make one. It looked rather simple and she wondered what the purpose of the exercise was.
"How's this supposed to help?" She asked before nodding down at the flower he was making, using the scissors to cut different petal shapes.
"It gives you something to do." He stated before looking back towards the door, as if expecting someone to come in or call for him. He turned his attention back towards her and he almost looked a bit sad. "I saw that most of the time you just sit in here and don't do anything, not even watch TV. I asked the attendants up front if anyone had brought you anything to do and they told me 'no' so I thought I might as well bring you something." Her face heated up again and she had to look away from his face.
What's wrong with me today?
"Thanks." She muttered as he walked a bit away and out the door, leaving her alone with the project. She glanced over at the supplies, figuring that she might as well get started. She set his to the side, and began her own, figuring that she could show it to him next time he came to visit her.
*End Flashback*
She often wondered where those flowers were now. There hadn't been anytime to grab any when Lost Christmas happened. She sighed, glancing out the open window and out at the moon.
Things were a lot simpler then… even if I wasn't always happy, he was able to make me that way…
Her heart squeezed painfully and she shook her head before beginning to roll herself out, hoping that the painful memory was left behind as well, with the paper flowers that had been made tonight.
So I realize that I might have gotten a lot of things here wrong, like the fact that Gai was actually called 'Triton' by Mana before Lost Christmas and that they never actually met before that happening. This is just how it turned out and I hope despite the faults, you still enjoyed it! First time writing for this archive but I loved the show, although it being slightly confusing, and figured that I had to write something for it. Until next time, have a nice day!
-AnimeWolfGirl16
