Pretensions
By:chi-chan
What happens when someone you love suddenly decided to part ways with you because of some family issues and the one left to stay by your side is the boy who you thought was your best friend? Then one day you felt something really awkward towards your best friend, per se loving him not in a friendly way but the other way around? What if your pretensions cannot be hidden anymore?
These are some questions that plagued Belldandy day and night. He received a call from her previous boyfriend. He told her that he is in Japan right now. Knowing this Belldandy's ears perked up. She knew herself and she knew she can't deny it. She wanted to go to where he is right now and talk things between them. She wants to ask a lot of questions about their relationship.
She found herself outside his apartment door. "He went to France to follow his parent's will." These are the words she keeps on telling herself. Their relationship would not be broken by that right? Unless-
Her thoughts were interrupted when he opened the door. Belldandy was glad that he really is here. She unconsciously hugged him tight, don't want to let go. Belldandy was in a daze when she felt that he broke away.
"Why?" She asked him disappointedly.
"We need to talk." He replied as he turned his back and invited her to sit with him.
Belldandy followed him. "I missed you so much. You even didn't bother to call me for the past two years. What happened?"
"I am engaged." He said plainly as he stood up facing his back to hers.
Belldandy's eyes widen at his sudden statement. "Don't kid around."
"I'm not joking around, Belldandy. I am engaged." He repeated.
Tears started to fall from her eyes. "Why?" she asked sobbing.
"That's the reason why I went to France in the first place: to follow my parent's will, that is to marry Lady Éclair Laverne." He explained without faltering.
Belldandy stood up and hugged him from behind. Tears flowing like endless river. "I thought you loved me. We promised each other. Why does it have to end like this? You went to France to be engaged. Do you know this in the first place?"
"Listen, it's true that I love you. In fact I shouldn't have met you. But you are really spe-" He wasn't able to finish his explanation as she broke away.
"I know now. You used me!" She exclaimed as she slapped him hard.
"I-" He faltered.
She ran away from him as she found herself soaked with rainwater. It's just then that she realized that it was raining hard. She closed her eyes as she lifted her head to the dark sky. The sun already set and enveloping the whole place with darkness and the sounds of rain falling from the sky.
"I know I don't love you anymore!!! I know I don't love you anymore!!!" She repeated to herself.
She sighed.
She unknowingly grabbed her cell phone from her pocket. On the screen, she saw the picture of her and beside her was a red headed boy with a playful smile on his lips. She smiled a little there. That was her best friend Kikumaru Eiji. Seeing his face made her tears stopped for a while. They have been the best of friends ever since she entered at Seishun Gakuen. She had opened her heart to him a lot of times before. She shed her tears in front him a lot of times as well. This situation is not an exception for their friendship.
She dialed his number. It rang and she waited for a response. A few seconds later she heard his childish voice.
"Hoi, Hoi!"
She smiled at that again. "He always makes me smile on what ever situation I'm in." She thought.
"Hey Belly-chan, what's up?" She heard him again.
She closed her eyes repeating his words in her mind. She liked the way how he always inquired about her. How he ask how she was. How he worries for her. She loved him.
Belldandy's eyes widen at the thought. Does she really love him the way best friends love each other? She shook her head. "I can't love him as more than a friend. It will destroy everything."
"Eiji," She stammered.
"Nya,"
Suddenly the events of earlier started to flash in her mind causing her to sob. "Eiji, I don't love him anymore, right?" She asked between sobs.
"What are you talking about, nya?" He asked confusedly.
"I don't love him anymore, right? I have another, right?"" She repeated between tears.
"Belldandy?" Eiji inquired with all worries.
Belldandy dropped her phone on the ground. "Belly-chan, what happened?! Belly-chan!?" Eiji exclaimed not knowing that she already hang up.
Eiji stood up nervously from where he is sitting and dropped the magazines he was reading. He dashed out their house without bringing any umbrella and thus he was also soaked with rainwater.
"Belldandy, where are you?!" He shouted while running.
He continuously searched for her in the places he knew where she could be. He stopped and panted ready to give up when suddenly he heard familiar sobs. He turned his head and he was glad that he finally found her.
She was sitting on the swing her arms around her body providing warmth for herself. His eyes widen seeing her like that. He immediately ran towards her and embraced her as tight as he could.
Bell dandy's eyes widen at the sudden sensation. She was glad he finally found her. She as well stood up from the swing and hugged him tight as she could. Eiji pulled her closer to him.
"What are you doing, Belly-chan?" He whispered in her ears.
"Eiji, I'll never fall again for a person like him."
He nodded. He pulled away and gave her a big smile. "Yeah, you don't need a man like that! I'm here." He said cheerfully. "By the way," Eiji lifted his fingers to her cheeks as he brushed away the tears left. "You look most beautiful without the tears" he chuckled.
Belldandy stared at him. "Why am I feeling this way? Why do I feel my cheeks heating up? I couldn't be falling for him, right?"
The rain suddenly stopped pouring down like the tears stopped falling from Belldandy's eyes. Both of them looked at the clear dark sky. Eiji looked at her. "Look Belly-chan, how ironic it is! You stopped crying and the rain stopped pouring." Eiji exclaimed.
"Yeah, and look how coincidentally we're both soaked in rainwater." She sighed as she looked at him as well. "We should be heading home now." She added.
"You wanna play?" Eiji asked excitedly changing the subject matter.
Belldandy just looked at him inquisitively. "Don't you think we're a little bit old doing that?"
"C'mon, we're already out and we're not that old. Do you call junior high people old?" He pouted.
"Well, I guess we cou-" She was cut mid sentence when Eiji grabbed her hand and she was in a halt when she felt that he intertwine his hand with hers. She can't help but to blush hard at the sudden feeling. She felt that Eiji tightened his grip as he led her to the merry go around.
"Let's play here." He said his hand still entwine.
"Y-Yeah," She replied stuttering. "A-ano, Eiji" She looked at their intertwine hands. Eiji's eyes widen as he abruptly pulled away and blush. Belldandy smiled at him.
"Hop in and I'll spin it." He said. "Hold on tight, okay?" He added with concern in his voice.
Belldandy looked at him as she hopped in. She grasped the bars tightly as he said.
He started running around as he spin the merry go around.
"Not so fast Eiji!" Belldandy exclaimed.
Kikumaru seemed not to hear her plead as he continued to run as he chuckled while doing so. "This is fun, Belly-chan!"
"Eiji! Stop!!!" Beldandy's grip on the bars was already loose. On the other hand Eiji's mind is still on the spinning and he doesn't seem to mind her current situation. A few moments later her grip was totally lost.
She was toppled on the ground and her ankle bumped on the bars of the merry go around. Seeing this, Eiji stopped spinning and his eyes widen as he rushed to where she was. His eyes were showing great concern as if he was about to cry.
"Belldandy!!! Are you alright?!"
"Yeah, I just bumped my ankle."
"I'm so sorry, Belldandy." Eiji hugged her again.
"E-Eiji," She blushed again. Now, this was different. She's been blushing to Eiji's caresses. This is not the first time he have hugged her anyways. There are a lot of times in her life she felt his warm arms encircling her small frame. But, it was just now that she felt awkward being in his arms like this.
"C'mon," Eiji pulled away as he faced his back to her.
"Wh-"
"I'll carry you." Eiji said.
Belldandy seem not to find the words to say right now. Eiji carried her towards the nearest bench. He let her seat as he kneeled in front of her checking her ankle.
"Belly-chan, I'll massage your ankle alright. But, don't forget to tell me if I'm doing it hard okay." He looked at her with a small smile on his lips. When Belldandy met his eyes, there's something that keeps her wondering. "Why does he care this way?"
Belldandy was startled when he grabbed her legs and started rubbing her ankles. Again, she can't help to have her cheeks heating up. "I can't possibly be falling for him, right?"
"Eiji," Belldandy begun.
"Hmmm…" He replied concentrating on his massaging.
"Ummm…ahh… You know he was here."
"Yeah, I have guessed that." He looked at her again with a smile. "Forget about him. No man is worthy if he have someone as beautiful as you cry in front of him."
Belldandy's eyes widen at his statement. She never thought Eiji is capable of saying these statements sincerely.
Eiji stopped massaging her ankle as he stood up, his back facing her again. "You know, you should stop pretending you really love that guy."
"E-Eiji," She whispered.
"Like what you have said earlier, you have another. Then discard that façade and show how much you love that another person. Pretensions are not going to help you right now." Eiji stated.
"Eiji," Whispering this he faced her again.
"Nya, I'm getting all too serious." He chuckled after saying this and bent down again as he continued to massage her ankle.
"Does your ankle still hurt?" He asked worriedly. "I'm so sorry. I got too worked up again. I should have listened to you and slowed down. It's all my fault. Maybe you are too mad at me" Eiji was cut off before he could further blame himself.
"Eiji, I'm okay." Belldandy stated laughing lightly. "I'm okay." She repeated.
Eiji sighed. "If you were not okay, I'll totally blame myself for everything, Belly-chan."
Belldandy looked at him. "You know I always wonder why you cared so much for me. I mean, it's true that best friends take care of one another but the way I-" She gasped when Eiji kissed her swollen ankle.
He smiled at her brightly. "It will heal faster!" He exclaimed and sat beside her. On the other hand it seems that she is still stunned at the sudden contact. Her eyes just widened as she watched him.
"Belldandy," Now, Eiji's tone is dead serious.
She just looked at him. Sure, she knows Eiji is one of the bubbliest and most high spirited people she ever knew, but with his tone like this she feels kind of nervous.
"Belldandy," He repeated in a mere whisper. "I don't know how this will sound to you but I've been keeping this for a long time now. I bet that this is the right time that I have to let it out."
Belldandy searched his eyes. She can't even guess nor take a hint of what is he going to say. "Eiji," She thought.
"I love you." He said so low but still audible to be heard.
He sighed.
Then it was followed by laughter. A nervous laughter to be exact.
"Never mind, I was talking to myself." He chuckled again.
"Eiji!" Belldandy exclaimed. On the other hand Eiji looked at her rubbing his cheeks as if trying to remove the blush creeping to his cheeks.
"I heard what you have said, and I heard it clearly." She said looking away blushing. "I heard it clearly and I love how it sounded. I love how you said it to me. I love to hear it over and over again, Eiji." Tears are now flowing from her eyes as these words came out from her mouth without even thinking. It just gave away how she loved him as well in return.
Eiji stood up and draw his face closer to her. "Nya, I told you not to cry." He said teasingly as he wiped some tears away. He placed his forehead on hers as she blushed hard. He wrapped his arms around her tightly. "From now on, you'll be hearing those words endlessly, Belly-chan." He whispered to her ears. Belldandy felt tingles down her spine when she felt his warm breath on his ears. "I found you when you don't want to be found. I seek you when you hid. I saw you when you're invisible."
"I lo-" Before he could even finish his sentence. He felt warm lips brushed across his own. His eyes were wide as saucers feeling her lips on top of his. Feeling the urge to return the kiss, he closed his eyes and savored the eternity they were in. It was as passionate as it can get yet it was still chaste; full of innocence and sincerity.
They broke the kiss. Eiji looked at Belldandy playfully and chuckled kindly. Belldandy, although still red from embarrassment looked at her best friend-slash-a boy taken a new relationship into another level confusedly.
"Belly-chan! You caught me off guard there." Again playful chuckles escaped his lips. "By the way, I never knew you were a good kisser back then. I guess that's one thing I never knew before?!" He said flirtingly.
Belldandy just blushed hard from his comments. After a few minutes of getting her composure back, she cleared her throat and decided to make a comeback. She as well laughed whole heartedly before her statement. "I'll take that as a compliment. You still need more practice in that field, mister acrobatic player. And your drama: "I saw you when your invisible." Where did you get that?" She mocked. "You still act like a child!"
Eiji glared at her his playful smiles still not fading away from his lips. "But who did the initiative of kissing me after all? It was you right, Belly-chan!?" Eiji pointed his index finger at her.
Belldandy's blood rushed to her face tainting it dark red. She seemed to be lost at words to make a comeback to what Eiji have said. She looked at his boy friend/boyfriend and gave him one last glance as she started walking away. Her typical walk out drama when she felt that her best friend is enjoying the time of his life is already making it's effect.
"Belly-chan, will you not wait for me?!" Eiji shouted while running after her. "Hey, when did you walked so fast before?" He asked still catching up.
"Belldandy!" Eiji shouted already panting.
Belldandy looked at him and rippled her forehead, thinking that she might fall for Eiji's pretend to be weak attack the same strategy he is using during hard tennis matches. But she still stopped. She have fallen for him long time ago before she can even realized it.
"Hey, Belly-chan, where more than friends now right?" He asked teasingly.
Belldandy smiled at shook her head. "Some things might never really change!"
Finally, Eiji was able to catch up. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder as he smiled while walking. Belldandy looked at him as well. She saw his smiling face towards her. Playfully, he kissed her cheeks while walking. He laughed silently as he felt that Belldandy's body stiffened. She blushed from the sudden contact. But inwardly she laughs as well.
She ponders on everything that happened and it all summarized to the kiss Eiji and she shared a moment ago. It was in the kiss that Belldandy realized her biggest mistake and yet the most loved mistake she ever made. She knew now that she was only pretending when she said she loved the guy who left her and exchanged her for France. Her biggest mistake is for believing and giving her heart to him but because of that mistake she found the person she truly loved: where in facades are forbidden, denials are dumped and where pretensions are not welcomed.
-the end-
A/N: This fic has a lot inspiration from songs like:
Only Reminds Me of YouIn My Bed
By: MYMP and Jed Madela By: Bi Rain
Heaven Knowsand finally the fic's theme song….
By: Jed Madela YOU GOT IT ALL by MYMP
My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own
By: Christian Bautista
Waiting
By: BoA
Close to You
By: Utada Hikaru