It's getting cold now that autumn finally over. It's not even December yet, but the air already pretty frigid.
It's a sunny clear day, only little cloud hang above. Birds singing in the morning, and an aroma of a cup of tea accompany me as I lean toward the windows.
It's a beautiful day, a nice weekend for a date. A day that I await for five days ever since he gave me the offer.
"Wanna go for a date this weekend?"
Lighthearted and easygoing as ever, he said that like it's nothing, with that cherry smile that taste just like the sun.
Hehe, I'm getting excited. My heart bump in steady rhythm as my foot sway up and down. Without I realize it, a blush and smile streak on my face. This is not our first date for sure, and we've been together for long, but each days seemingly like a new experience for me. There's never once boredom, only silly banter as we nag each other. From the elementary to the high school, our journey have always been sprinkled with colorful spark of youth. Cry and laughter, there was never regret that we're bound to each other.
Perhaps it's fate? Ahh that sounds cheesy, this is not a television drama. Although everyone do commented that our relationship seems like what comes straight of a novel, a bittersweet teen fic with lots of rough patches, but all the quarrel and arguments are spice to our life. We accept each other the way we are, no pretending and lies. The ugly and the pretty, there's nothing to hide. We jest over ridiculous shenanigan, a playful and casual friendship... until we ended up somehow... well, figure out that we liked each other... and well, we're fine with it, so it just happen.
Seriously though, he tried proposing with rose and poems, but he failed so bad, we ended up giggled the whole thing before we do what we do best: screw it, no formalities needed. We ended up just chasing each other because I makes fun of his half-assed suck-ass poem, and like a salty nugget that he always been, he flail his arm. That was autumn last year, which ended as we roll down the dirty dried stash of reddish brown leaves, then of course, we laugh at each other.
Our life has always so casual, too casual for classy date. We always been boys, and boys just being boys, hanging out and having fun just like boys, that is until we realize that we liked each other. We become easily flustered, like when we touched hands unintentionally. I often glance aside and take a peek on his blushed face. Oh god, he always SO adorable when he do that! Seriously, he ended up stuttering and pouting sometimes. Coming from an outgoing, sporty and extroverted boy like him, seeing him suddenly getting all flushed is a delight.
Weird... I didn't expect that he'll like me this way. I do always been liking him, all the way back since the elementary age, for more than seven years, I had crush on him. Yet I never gave a hint or to open myself because I don't want him to be uncomfortable. We're both boys, after all. I mean, as feminine as I am, and even if people consider me to be a "femboy" based on the look, I don't think he need to treat me like a girl. If my love was meant to be one-sided, then it shall be. All that I want is to stay with him.
...But fate said the otherwise...
I exhaled, a soft smile adorned my face as I rub the golden ring that rest on my ring finger. It may be only a simple, cheap accessory, but for me, I treasure it more than anything else that I ever had. The promise ring that he given at that Christmas night last year, the sweet amber of that cold snowy night that still warms my heart even today. For every moments, every scene, that date is still vivid in my memory, forever engraved as my most precious day in my whole life.
It's December 25th on the central park, the snow is thick, but the weather is calm, with cold wind, but still quite gentle and not as bad as we thought. We're wearing sweaters, fluffy coat, mittens and alike, until we took down our gloves and told me to close my eyes.
A tingling metallic cold encase my ring finger, and a glint of gold comes after the brilliant red gem as its crown.
When I opens my eyes, the first image that I seen is the red ruby and green emerald dazzling by the street light, surrounded by the gold body in form of an ornate ring. My eyes blinked twice, speechless, before looking at him that smiled as cheerfully as he ever would.
"It really fits you. The red is as beautiful as your eyes."
He said as he stroke my cheek, and I'm absolutely sure that I'm blushing like blooming pink rose all over at that time.
"It's the best that I can give you for now, but someday, I'll give you the real one."
That word still echoing, it rang just like church bells in my head, although I'm not sure what he actually meant by that. But I'm too dumbstruck to even respond other than giving him the same confused, flustered stare, until he pulls me into a hug. Two seconds later, his warmth fills me through the wool fabrics, and I closed my eyes, smiling, holding him back as tight as I could with my frail arms.
That moment... There's nothing else in my mind other than bliss, other than a gratefulness that I ever could be like him this way.
...My eyes still closed, and the silly smile of me broken as my phone ringing. As I checked it, I see a message from him. Oops, I'm going to be late to the date!
With a hurried footstep, I grab my red sweaters, wrap myself in the white-violet and black coat, then done! Inside my coat, my plain black long-sleeved shirt and long pants of the same color, followed by white stripped socks and brown furred boots because it's snowy outside.
I look at the mirror too before I go out, making sure that my lavender hair isn't tangled or sticking out, because it's naturally wavy doesn't matter how much I brush it down. With that, I finish it with my white hair clips and golden headband. As usual, no makeup needed for my soft, pale cherry blossom skin.
Now, time to rush! With a lighthearted step, I opened the front door and felt a chilling winter air assaulting my open skin. It felt too cold for November. Soft, feathery snowflakes descend down from the sky and the road already thinly covered by the white sheet. It's still afternoon but it's midnight cold in comparison to the last year. Nevertheless, I took my first step into the crunchy snowy roads and start to run.
As my footsteps left behind, I race further into the city, along with the busy traffic and the pedestrian coming between the alleys. Despite the cold wind, my heart flutter with warmth, to finally be able to see him again! A smile streak across my face before I knew it, and my breath puffing warm clouds.
At the end of the road, when the red light glows, I can see his emerald eyes against the dull, pale crowd. My smile blooms wide as I sprint at maximum speed and leap high into the air with my arms threw open!
"Hey, Ashe- OOF!"
With a thud, he caught me and the momentum makes us spin a bit.
"Ouch! You're one energetic kitty!" He laughed and lift me higher. I'm not even that much younger than him, but it almost looks like I'm his little sister based on our height difference alone.
"Caught you off guard!" I snap my finger to his forehead, which made him flinched, and the people around us also giggles.
He drop me back to the ground and dust his coat. I can feel its fluffy fabric when he lift me. He usually use a leather jacket, but this time, he's using a thick black coat with synthetic white fur as the cape. Below is a simple cardigan pants, but I bet that he use another pants down there, since it's quite cold already. And he's looking at me with his usual brooding stare, sighing.
"I'm not bringing cake this time, stop with the sparkly cute eyes." He brushed his unkempt black hair, slightly blushing.
"Please?" I put my arms behind my back, giving him my ace-in-the-hole adorable appeal.
"...We'll see, but first, just hurry up and hold my hand. We're not going to chat in the zebra cross." He lend his arms, to which I respond happily.
It was a moment of warmth to be able to hold him again, with the same arm where the ring that he gave me rest.
...But that happiness didn't last long...
Just as we about to move our feet, suddenly, a loud honk heard from the left, like a thunder, comes along with the lightning bright flash of lamp...
A truck is heading onto us, and my vision suddenly blurred.
Everything froze, time seems to move so slowly as I collapsed down...
Until I feel his arm tighten, and with a great strength, he pulls me and send me flying toward the crowd.
My eyes are opens wide as I thrown away, and as time unfreeze again, all I can see is his smile before the inevitable crash.
...
...
Author's Note:
Thanks for reading my story, and please stay tuned because the story will keep going.
The story is actually inspired by a webcomic idea of mine, that I couldn't draw yet as for now, so I instead turn it into fanfiction writing, until I can makes the comic one day.
Anyway this is a really heartwrenching story for me to write, even imagining some of the scene brings me tears. I hope that my writing can convey that emotion.
We'll continue with the next chapter soon, and I plan to finish everything before Christmas.