"Your heart just breaks, that's all. But you can't judge or point fingers. You just have to be lucky enough to find someone who appreciates you." - Audrey Hepburn
A/N: Hello! I am back after a long hiatus. If you enjoyed Mirrored Vision and Lullaby, this new story is related to them. This is a musing on relationships based on the manga and in my imagined Autozam. I hope you'll enjoy it.
Disclaimer: I do not own Rayearth or the quote above.
Prologue
Eagle nodded and smiled in response to the well-wishes and congratulations offered by his guests. Politely excusing himself from their company as he strode across the ballroom, he mentally recited his plan. Geo and Zazu would entertain the party and he would return to his room to change into a new dress shirt. It will not take long. He will be back with plenty of time before the official announcement of his engagement.
He finally made it out into the corridor and climbed the steps at a rhythmic pace, reflecting that one of the grandest moments of his life would be taking place in less than an hour. His feet touched the landing. There, he paused and studied the corridor before him. He had seen it almost every day of his life for twelve years, yet it now seemed to grow and loom above him. The world was bigger and greater now that he saw himself with someone he could call his own.
Slipping into his bedroom, he quickly threw off the wine-stained shirt and pulled on a crisp one. He checked his appearance in the mirror before exiting. The melancholy, pale, and sickly figure of the previous year was replaced with the image of a jovial and healthy young man. This would be a new year in stark contrast to the last.
He walked back through the sliding door and reentered the corridor, making his mind to take the long way back. As he passed a window at the southern wing, he noticed something pale and silvery moving outside across the garden. That familiar stride… He knew exactly who it belonged to.
He raced down the stairs and onto the balcony leading to the garden, nearly running into an elderly couple—one of the senators and his wife. He bowed in apology. "Not at all," the senator responded genially, steering his wife in the other direction.
Eagle descended the steps and strode through the trees, emerging before the stone gazebo. Surely enough, she was there. Her curly, blonde hair danced with the wind against her back. "I thought I'd find you here," he said.
She jolted and turned around, not expecting him. He smiled. "I haven't seen you in a while," he said, walking toward her. "We didn't even get a chance to catch up earlier. You left so quickly." She grinned and looked down, brushing her left brow. "You looked occupied," she answered quietly. He knew that wasn't the case.
"Come," he said, extending his hand and gesturing to the steps where they used to sit. She accepted it cautiously and followed him to the edge of the gazebo. They sat on the highest level and stared ahead at the clearing beyond them. The moon was full and its light trailed across the garden, illuminating some areas and hiding in others. He stole a glance at her and gently bumped his head against hers, breaking the silence.
"Hey!" she laughed, giving him a skeptical look, before shortly composing herself and diverting her eyes. She did not want to look at him. He felt a little tinge of hurt. It's become like this now…
She uttered a nervous laugh and sighed heavily. He looked over and met her eyes. "Congratulations," she said, with some effort, "to you both. I wish you every happiness." He noticed that her eyes were brighter than they were a moment ago. She smiled and brushed the edge of her eye. "I'm sorry I didn't say so earlier."
"Thank you," he replied, smiling and watching her intently. "I'm happy to have your blessing." She bit her lip and clasped her hands, as if holding something back. "What is it?" he asked. Her lips parted and then closed again. He nodded encouragingly. She looked up and peered at him helplessly.
"'I love you'." Those were her words. Eagle breathed out slowly, aware that she was watching him very closely. "I know. Thank you," he said quietly, knowing that there was no avoiding it. "But—" Before he could say it, she nodded. His heart dropped as she wiped her eyes on the back of her hand and attempted an understanding smile. He took her hand and squeezed it. "I should head back," he whispered. "Yeah," she agreed.
They straightened up and walked to the other side of the gazebo. He did not want to leave things they way they were. Facing her, he asked playfully, "We're still good friends, right?" She let out a small laugh, "Yes, of course." He drew her against him and she wound her arms about his neck. It was a bittersweet goodbye.
As they slowly let go of one another, she wiped her eyes and smiled. "I'm so happy for you," she whispered, her voice shaking. He thanked her a last time and departed down the steps and away from the gazebo.
With each step, his legs felt heavier and weighed down. He stopped before the trees and turned back. She stood in the same place, unmoving and with her arms braced around her. Her sad, dark blue eyes watched him intensely, not faltering. Before he knew it, he was standing less than a foot from her.
He reached for her face and pulled her in. Her soft lips pressed against his. As they embraced each other, he lost awareness of time or space. What was happening before or what would happen later faded away into the background. His heart felt full of some fluttery feeling.
"Eagle!" That voice, he thought, regaining a sense of his surroundings. "Eagle, are you out here?"
He quickly pulled away. He was getting engaged…tonight…at this very instant. Eagle stared at the woman beside him. She watched him with a mixture of anxiety and hurt. It all came back to him instantly. He was just supposed to change and return to the ballroom. What had he done? "I'm sorry," he said, stepping backwards. "I'm sorry."
She remained speechless. He turned around and strode as quickly as his legs would take him toward the direction of the voice. He needed to get back as soon as possible. He shook his head, trying to erase the imprint of her eyes from his mind.
As he left the gazebo and the scene behind, the young woman watched his figure grow smaller until it disappeared into the trees. She stood motionless for another moment, before pulling the hem of her dress above her knees and running in the opposite direction, away from the manor.
A/N: Thanks for reading!