A/N: This is the product of a special request from SweetLiars and the song "Purple" by Pop Evil. The lyrics features in this story are from said song.
"Say, here's a question for you." The voice came velvet and sweet as it gained his attention, pulling him away from his work once again. "When the snow melts, what does it become?"
"The answer is water, of course." His own voice deadpanned without much further consideration of the question.
"Bzzz-Bzzz! Nope!" She grinned up at him, suddenly taking him off guard with her warmth and beauty. "It becomes spring! I think spring is my favorite time of year." Looking into her eyes, he found himself feeling that any time spent with her was precious beyond measure, no matter the season.
Hatori gazed off into the distance of the family garden in silence. The snow was beginning to fall again. And again...as always...it brought memories of her.
'Someday...no matter how cold it is now...the snow will always melt. Without fail.' This thought gently drifted through his mind.
Today was not that day...
Such a beautiful color
You wear upon your skin
And a perfect shade of purple
On a flower permanent
How was it that the snow still held such sway over this heart of ice. How was it that he still felt so much.
And yet...
Felt nothing at all.
And I'm constantly reminded
Of a past that never bloomed
As I sit behind these bars
Only silence fills the room
Staring silently into the garden, his eyes fell upon the slender form of the family head. Their patriarch. And a small sigh of discontent passed through his nose as his expression furrowed. The man shouldn't be out in the cold.
I've never been down this road before
As the days go by I only miss you more
I thought one day we would touch the sky
Never grow up and never going to die
I never realized what you meant to me
Until I tried drowning out your memory
But it burns red like it's not over
It only hurts when I'm sober
As he settled himself with the task of fetching the man from the elements, memories flooded his mind.
She...had been so very sad.
It had been his fault, he knew this.
The man before him had had no problem making this perfectly clear.
"At this very moment it's her memories of you...her feelings for you...that cause her to suffer. You're the only one who can save her. You can put an end to her suffering. It will be your final act of love...Hatori."
In words whispered. Words as cold as the beating heart in his chest. He knew it was his fault.
"The truth is she wants to forget..."
Such a beautiful color
I wear upon my skin
And a perfect shade of purple
On a flower permanent
And I'm constantly reminded
Of how I should have changed
And now I can't stop thinking about the love that slipped away
He felt her slip away. Falling further into grief over him. Because of him.
Until...one day...
It slipped away
He found the selfless courage to let her go.
I've never been down this road before
As the days go by I only miss you more
I thought one day we would touch the sky
Never grow up and never going to die
I never realized what you meant to me
Until I tried drowning out your memory
But it burns red like it's not over
It only hurts when I'm sober
Wrapping himself in a blanket of ice, he wished her happiness as she forgot him.
You're all that I ever wanted
Wished her happiness as she left the main house. Left his side.
You're all that I ever needed
Wished her happiness as she found another to love her.
And now I'm spending a lifetime
Drowning without you
I'm starting over and over again
He wished her a lifetime of happiness. Even if it was never with him. A concept the man before him never seemed to really grasp. Happiness...
That was not in the foreseeable future. For either of them.
But at least she would be happy.
And that was all that mattered to him now. The rest could be frozen over with the snow.
Such a beautiful color
You wear upon your skin
And a perfect shade of purple
On a flower permanent
Coming to stand silently behind the family head, he felt himself able to sink into a level of solace in his fate. There was peace in this acceptance. Not that the peace didn't come at a certain price...but it was there all the same. And he was grateful.
This would all be over soon. For both of them.
Akito would die.
He would be freed from the curse.
I've never been down this road before
As the days go by I only miss you more
I thought one day we would touch the sky
Never grow up and never going to die
I never realized what you meant to me
Until I tried drowning out your memory
But it burns red like it's not over
It only hurts when I'm sober
And she...
She would be happy.
Happy in her life with someone else.
I've never been down this road before
As the days go by I only miss you more
I thought one day we would touch the sky
Never grow up and never going to die
I never realized what you meant to me
Until I tried drowning out your memory
But it burns red like it's not over
It only hurts when I'm sober
'Please...even if I die surrounded by snow that never melts...please let her be happy.' This thought lingered in his mind like a prayer as he drifted in this solitary moment of cold peace.
It only hurts when it's over
The End