By the Almighty SporkGoddess
I swear by the moon and the stars in the sky
And I swear like the shadow that's by your side…
Quiet.
Everything was quiet, now. The past few days – no, the past year – had been anything but quiet, but now the pandemonium had subsided and there was peace. To those whom had gotten used to the chaos that had occurred everyday, this newfound tranquility was rather strange. How could they piece their lives back together when so much had gone wrong? How could they return to so-called normalcy when they'd forgotten what it was?
I see the questions in your eyes
It takes little steps to get over such horrific events, but often these steps are the most significant.
Such was the case of a woman named Rain. In only the course of a few days, her life had been turned upside down… at least, the broken remains of it. Even though her story had a happy ending, she couldn't shake off the bittersweet emotions she was experiencing. After all, the middle was sad… and isn't it the middle that counts?
I know what's weighing on your mind
The aforementioned woman was sitting on a bed inside a bedroom at the Neo Japanese Embassy, her knees drawn up against her chest. The light was dimmed, but even if it was on it would have done nothing to help her mood. She stared down at the blanket she was on and sighed.
Alone. She was sick of being alone. She had never been alone until this past year. She'd never quite gotten used to it, and now that she didn't have to be alone anymore, the prospect of being by herself for even just a short amount of time seemed unbearable.
Through the veil of her hair she saw someone enter the room; his form a silhouette in the darkness.
"I can hear you, Rain." He said quietly, sitting down next to her as she glanced up. He laid a hand on her cheek, and she felt her tears dampen his skin.
You can be sure I know my heart
Obviously not knowing what else to do, he turned on the light.
"Domon…I…"
Coz I stand beside you through the years
You'll only cry those happy tears
And though I make mistakes
I'll never break your heart
He looked at her curiously, as she tried to plead her case.
"… I… I don't want to be alone. Please, don't leave me…" She suddenly collapsed into his arms as if she was unable to hold herself up.
"Rain…"
And I swear by the moon and the stars in the sky
I'll be there
I swear like the shadow that's by your side
I'll be there
She knew what he must be thinking. She had always been the strong one, and he the emotional wreck. It shouldn't be the other way around. And yet, they'd always been a balance. He'd always been able to depend on her… She should be able to depend upon him.
For better or worse, till death do us part
I'll love you with every beat of my heart
And I swear
She felt his arms wrap around her as she buried her head against his chest, the material of his shirt brushing against her face, reminding herself that he was indeed real. The past few days had been like a dream – more like a nightmare, really… a nightmare she'd hoped to wake up from.
She still hadn't come to terms with reality quite yet, but she knew one thing for sure... Domon Kasshu was real, and there with her right now. She could almost hear the beating of his heart; she could feel every muscle in his body that was holding her, and every crevice of his skin that was touching her own. He brought one of his hands up to her hair, and she could detect his fingers brushing the chestnut strands.
I'll give you every thing I can
I'll build your dreams with these two hands
We'll hang some memories on the walls
"Closer… please, hold me closer…." She muttered. She wanted to sink into his embrace, away from her sorrow and pain, and into the only place she wanted to be – in his arms. She wanted to be with him at all times… to never leave his side, as she'd promised. She just wanted to stay in his arms like this forever.
And when just the two of us are there
You won't have to ask if I still care
`Coz as the time turns the page, my love won't age at all
He wasn't saying anything, but she knew why. Anger and sorrow were the easiest emotions to express, and Domon had no trouble with those… it was the other ones that gave him difficulty. He hadn't even told her how he felt about her until recently, and it wasn't exactly under normal circumstances.
Had she known that he loved her all along? There had been attraction all along, but she hadn't realized she actually loved him until that day with the brainwaves transmitter. He'd started to warm up to her around then… until Allenby Biazury came along, and she had been alone for a while, just like before.
"You're not alone anymore." He whispered, as if reading her mind, and she slowly let the words register in her brain.
"I'm not alone anymore… " She repeated, then smiled. "You're not alone anymore."
And I swear by the moon and the stars in the sky
I swear (and I swear) like the shadow that's by your side
I'll be there
"I never was… I had you all along." He said, as he cupped her chin with one of his hands and tilted her face towards his. They stared at each other for a while, simply taking in the familiar sight of each other's face, before their lips met in a kiss.
The kiss became deeper, each discovering and enjoying the taste of each other's kiss. Rain brought her hands up and entangled them in his hair, while he wrapped one of his arms around her waist, and the other her upper back. She could feel the material of his glove almost at the base of her neck, and she shifted her body so that she was almost sitting on his lap.
His hands moved to the neckline of her dress, his fingers grazing the creamy skin that peeked out from under the hem. She wasn't wearing her usual jacket so her shoulders were bare, and he bent his head and kissed the base of her neck.
"I love you," He murmured, and she felt her heartbeat grow faster and her smile wider.
"I love you, too." It was the first time she'd said it, and she was amazed at how easily the words she'd hoarded in her mind for the longest time could simply be uttered; how all of the things she felt for him could be conveyed in just three words. He smiled back at her, and she was aware of his hands still resting on her bare shoulders.
For better or worse, till death do us part
I'll love you with every beat of my heart
And I swear
"Are you feeling better?" He asked softly, and she almost laughed at how boyish he sounded.
"Yes… but only because you're here." She admitted. "Please, don't leave me…"
"I wasn't planning on it," He replied, taking one of her hands in his. She was reminded of the first time that they'd held hands, although that was more for practical reasons than romantic ones. She stared down at their joined hands for a minute before leaning forward and kissing him.
I swear by the moon and stars in the sky
I'll be there
I swear like the shadow that's by your side
I'll be there
He kissed her back, and soon their hands were on each other, exploring the curves of their bodies and the depth of their souls.
For better or worse, till death do us part
I'll love you with every single beat of my heart
Kisses aren't the only things that can be shared between lovers… they share their entire being, the feelings that were already shared becoming one as well as their bodies. And the Rain knew that they'd never be the same again after this, just like their lives would not be either.
Things had changed. Some for better, and for worse. And they would still continue to change, in the future. After all, nothing was eternal.
I swear, I swear
Nothing, Rain thought, except for this…
I swear…
Author's Note: This is one of my favorite "sappy" songs, ever. I'm going to be honest and say that I wrote this fic a loooooooong time ago, without lyrics, and I reread it today while listening to that song and was so touched that I decided to meld the two together. I hope that you feel it fits as well as I think it does.
This dedicated to the wonderful authoress JessAngel, whose works have sort of revived the D/R-lover in me. ^_^
Disclaimer: I own neither the show/characters nor the song.