Disclaimer: I don't own AirGear.
Title: Ikki, my hero.
A/N: I had to get this out after reading the latest chapter of Air Gear. There's a few spoilers if you haven't gotten to chapter 114. But you can read it because it's all just minor spoilers if you don't mind.
Ringo watched on as Ikki threw back his head and laughed at one of Kazu's jokes. They were all at the school, now dubbed their 'turf' and their 'secret base'. It was night and the stars shone brightly from above.
Ringo watched as the contours of her childhood friend's face light up as a chorus of laughter sounded around him.
He looked...free.
She remembered that time, when they weren't even a decade old. Ikki had climbed so high until she couldn't see him and jumped down without fear. As he fell, she realized he looked just like a bird.
She laughed silently to herself.
He said that even if there wasn't anything under him, it was as if the air was supporting him. He wasn't falling. He was flying. It was then in her heart, that acknowledged him as her hero.
Now look at him. Forming his own team. Making his own nakama. He was flying away from the nest. He was climbing. She was afraid he would climb so high until she couldn't see him again.
Her fingers dug into the wooden desk she was leaning on.
He would fall. She knew. She didn't want to see it happen. She didn't want to see him climbing either. Because if he climbed any higher, her heart would hurt more and she could never call out for her hero anymore.
She felt like crying.
"Hey, Ringo. What's up?" A warm voice, thick from laughing too much cut through her thoughts. She raised her head and caught her reflection in her hero's eyes.
Oh, Ikki...If only if you knew.
She smiled.
"Nothing. Just thinking."
"Well, don't worry about anything. Because, the god of wind is here!" He grinned impishly and struck a silly pose, causing laugher to fill the room again.
Ringo laughed so hard tears came to her eyes.
Her chest hurt. As if something was clenching her heart and squeezing mercilessly. He was climbing again. He was going to climb so high.
Her fist gripped the desk harder.
He was going to fly and she couldn't bring him back down. Their roads were going to split eventually. She knew. She knew all these.
She opened her eyes and tried to memorize every detail of Ikki's face and body.
She would never see him this way again.
'Ikki...don't leave me...' Her heart pleaded as tears slid down her face, under the disguise of happiness.
But what ever happened, Minami Itsuki will always be Noyamano Ringo's hero.
A/N: My contribution to Ikki/Ringo. It's a sad relationship. :) But a good one.