I am back again ^_^ Hopefully, you guys found Diagonal to your liking? If yes, then thank you ^_^ If not, then that is rather unfortunate T^T And if you're just a new reader, then it's alright ^_^ Though I must advise you to read Diagonal if ever questions are raised. Thank you ^o^
Disclaimer: Still, the only thing I own here is Pink. Other than that, is all for the owners, namely, the authors of Pokemon and Ed Sheeran (for the prompt).
Note: Blue is still the boy, and Green is the girl :)
-v -
Red: …Done :D Now, to show this to the guys ^o^
Red excitedly runs to the phone to summon his friends. He doesn't realize that there have been consistent loud knocks coming from his closet.
-v-
Lego House—
One by one, he picked up the small pieces and collated them lovingly in his trembling hands.
He was going to make something out of it. Anything would do, as long as it would make sense.
Something they would understand…Recognize…Acknowledge…
Or, at least that was what he hoped.
Stick it here. Attach it there.
He had worked hard to bring out an image from the broken pieces. To make himself understand it…
…Recognize it…
…Acknowledge it…
Stick it here. Attach it there. He won't stop.
Nothing will ever stop him.
Moments later he was done. He was out of pieces to continue.
Stepping back, he tried to marvel at the image, taking in the shape of it all, and saw only one thing:
A house.
He had assembled a house.
Heart not satisfied, he walked around to try and see another image, but could not.
All he could see was a house…
.
.
.
.
He could not perceive a home…
-v-
And after all these things I've done, I will love you better now
-v-
The pain on his cheek was still stinging, especially now that it was exposed to the cold December air. But, he was never the one to complain. He knew he deserved it.
And, besides, it was not like he could even focus enough to actually feel it.
No. He had something else in his mind.
Red, it's Pink we're talking about, and you send her off like she was just going to a store for crying out loud!
Something… much more painful to think about…
You say you care about her, and you say you're doing this to protect her, but you can't even bother to say something that could stop her. At least try Red… Or are you too cowardly to prevent her to die?
The pain was still stinging, but he couldn't concentrate on it long enough to escape the repugnant idea that has been bothering him since a while ago.
She will die, Red…
Red sighed, almost to himself. I know that… No need to remind me…
Her movements after the discussion of the plan connoted normalcy, like she didn't give much care to whatever has been relayed, but he of all people knows that it was all for show. That there was still something more to her nonchalant nods and blank battings of eyelids.
She was going to stop the inevitable, despite the impossibility of it all.
He wanted to prevent her from doing anything, but he knew he can't. She was doing this, after all, for the sake of his home. Their home. The place which they have both vowed to protect 'til the day they died.
But, the mere fact that she…?
He never knew it could all end to this.
The sound of his knuckles against the wooden door resounded in the unnerving silence of the hallways. Usually, this place was still lively at this time of the day, seeing that this was one of the main corridors of the whole building. But after they depleted into a handful of few, this place have been nothing but some sort of ghost town.
"Pink?" he called out. No answer.
His hand slowly fell down and rested his hand on the knob. He twisted it a bit, and it complied.
The door was open.
A part of him wanted to go back to his own room and forget about all of it. Make it like nothing's really happening, like what she was doing, but he knew it wasn't like him to do so.
He needed to see her. He needed to talk to her. He needed to make sure everything will be said and done before she leaves.
Before she dies…
Gently, he pushed the door open, and fair enough, Pink was there, curled up like a ball on top of her bed, fast asleep. Beneath her were scattered papers, some even sticking to her nose as she breathed in.
She must've fallen asleep while working, he thought, carefully moving her small figure to pull the papers smoothly from her. She didn't stir.
Now, this was a first. Typically, Pink was the light and restless kind of sleeper. A soft thud such as footsteps would normally pull her off of slumber, even if she was suffering from severe exhaustion from work.
He could only think of one explanation for this:
She had been crying just a while ago.
Red had felt a huge lump in his throat as he thought of the idea, but forcefully tried to swallow it back. The last thing he wanted to do there was cry. He had no rights to do so.
Moreover, he needed to be strong. Strong for all of them. For her…
He leaned forward and tenderly brushed his lips against her forehead.
For the both of us…
A low hum came from the sleeping figure as her lips parted slightly. He drew back a bit, surprised, as she began moving a bit, her hand sliding across the duvet covers as if in search of something. When he realized what on earth she was looking for, he knelt down and picked up a small doll lying on the floor, and placed it next to her arms.
She seemed to have calmed at the feeling of its soft, synthetic fur against her pallid skin, for she unhesitatingly snuggled it near her, and went back to peaceful sleep.
Cute.
Red had missed this part of her. Back then, when she was just new to this place, she was like a child. They all thought she was a child, especially after seeing the "Doll House" she once called her own home—the one filled with so many soft toys and the like. He remembered how surprise everyone was when he told them all she was just a few weeks younger than Blue. She fooled around, laughed a lot, and began terrorizing others to earn a laugh from them as well. It was a first to all of them; living in this cold, dreaded place they had resided in for so long have made everything light and mellifluous seem so surreal to them.
This was one of the reasons why he became so attracted to her. She reminded him of that boy, once so full of dreams and hope, but now has also succumbed to the darkness of the real world. He always thought that boy died along with those distant memories, but she was here reviving him back to existence; pulling him back and holding him tighter.
But now, he could feel her hold on him loosening as the remaining hours of that day ticked by. The sun was already beginning to set, and as soon as it rises again, he'll have to let go. He was losing her, and, at the same time, losing himself as well. Everything was falling apart, piece by piece, splinter by splinter, and all he had to hold onto to keep everything together was this: a small fragment of the broken hopes and dreams that he used to share with her.
Wiping away the tears he tried so violently to prevent, Red started to finish collecting all the papers and was only left with one more , placed somewhat strategically behind Pink's sleeping figure. He wordlessly leaned forward, over her curled build to get it, but he suddenly coughed, and it was enough to pull Pink out of dreamland.
They only stared at each other for a few minutes, Pink rapidly blinking sleep off her eyes.
"Red…" she mumbled, pushing herself up, making him straighten up as well.
"Hey," he whispered, arranging the paper neatly at the top of the stack. "You slept on work again… This time, a little bit literally." He handed the stack of papers to her, but she just blinked at him, as if she was staring at something beyond him.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"Sun's in my eyes…" she uttered, shielding her sensitive eyes from the peering light from her curtains. He stared at it, then at her, and then back at it.
"Oh," he said, putting the papers down and approaching the curtains. "Well, no wonder you fell asleep so easily. It's only late afternoon, and you're already engulfing yourself in night-like darkness." He grabbed both its hems and pulled back, letting the reddish light coming from the sinking sun conquer her small, dark room. She whimpered in the sudden flash.
"Sorry," he said, trying to cover it for her with his build, letting her recover on her own. He stared back to the large view that seemed so far away from him, and silently awed at the magnificence of the brilliant red sun sinking down towards goodness knows where. He found himself almost laughing at the logic of it all:
The whole world may be altering to a very bad side, and yet here was that sun, still setting and rising every now and then. It was crazy, but at least there was something that'll remain for him to look forward to.
Except, if those times come, he'll have no one to stare at it with.
"It's pretty isn't it?" he mused as soon as Pink had joined him in front of her window. "Remember the time when you taught me how to make wishes on them? You said it was far better than wishing on stars since it was the biggest one that we could see…"
Pink looked down. He knew what she was thinking.
That memory felt almost like a lifetime ago. How could he possibly remember all that?
"Why did you stop doing that Pink?" he asked wearily, looking down as well. When he felt like he could look at her, he did, only to see her watch the ground blankly, as if her mind was as clear the December sky.
"You know it's no fun watching the sunsets alone, right?"
"I know…" she whispered, closing her eyes. Red watched her try to contain her own thoughts. Of course, she knew. Why else would she teach Red to appreciate it as well? It was something that anyone would want to share with the ones they love.
This was his most favorite fragment.
"Isn't it kinda funny, Pinkie?" he tried again. "The two of us are just standing here, enjoying a peaceful sunset together? We look like a happy ending, don't we?"
Still, no answer.
"Although, doesn't it make you wonder? Why do sunsets always symbolize happy endings? Isn't it that they are what beckon the long hours of darkness? They're like…" He bit his lip. "Like a warning sign of some sort…"
"I'm making this hard for you, aren't I?" she suddenly voiced, pulling her head back to watch the view for herself.
"What else do you think?" he replied. "Here I am, trying to start a lighthearted conversation with you and you act like I'm talking to the wind for crying out loud…"
"You know what I mean, Red," she huffed, looking up at him.
"But, of course," he finally sighed. "Seeing if I'm suffering internally with this proud decision you just made? But, it's only fair right? Even before, I've always reminded you that it wouldn't be easy, so at least try not to get attached to anything too emotionally. I'm only practicing what I've preached…
"Besides," he continued, placing a hand on her tender cheek. "I'm only feeling what I'm making you feel every single day of your life, no?"
Pink tried to open her mouth for a response, but immediately hesitated and closed it. Red can never be more right.
Ever since she first started working here, he was never fair to her. She may not show it a lot, seeing that she still wanted to be the supporting type of person, but Red knew she despised the fact that he was willing to sacrifice his life in the line of duty. He had brush encounters with Death countless times, and whenever he was at the brink of joining the Afterlife, she was there, holding his hand, wishing on the sunsets that life may be longer for him.
He always knew that the feeling wasn't pretty, but this was his first time to feel it, and, hell, he was underestimating it. The pain was constricting him, its cold hands pinning him down by the neck, making him choke on the bitterness every time he is reminded of what could happen to her. What might be of her…
And what's worse was that he could never stop nor fight it, much as he wants. She will never let him do so.
She was, after all, doing all this to protect her home. The small, almost unrecognizable house which was built off specks and other pieces collected from different worlds, all pinned together to create a "home". Their home.
He would do the same if he were on her grounds.
She touched his hand with hers, and pressed it gently to her cheeks. Her touch was cold; so very cold. He tried to stare into her eyes to catch a glimpse of her tender eyes, if ever they were there. He wanted to see if she was trembling at her Fate, even if just a little bit.
But, alas, neither tenderness nor fear illuminated itself from her round eyes. Only dullness. Blank.
He hated blank eyes.
"Come on, let's go. It's supper time." He pulled his hand a bit harshly from her grasp. "Put some meat on your bones and get a good night's sleep. It'll be a big day tomorrow…"
She didn't answer, and just fixed her gaze at his hand. He wondered if she could see it trembling from trying hard not to burst, whether in tears or in anger.
"I'm not hungry…" she answered, resting one hand at the windowpane. "You guys go ahead."
Without thinking, Red suddenly slammed the same pane out of sheer anger, inches away from where her hand was, making her jump in shock.
"Very well then," he smiled ruefully, shakily. "I'll come back here later to check up on you then…" With that, he turned around and tried his best not to look back as he headed for the door.
"You're mad at me," he heard her say. He stopped, and tried to calmly answer:
"I'm not mad at you Pink..." He reached for the door, heart beating faster from trying hard not to cry.
"I'm done with you…"
He was already out of the room when he made the mistake of turning around just to close the door, for he saw her empty eyes suddenly widen at his words, and deep inside, he knew he could still hear her quiet sobs echo along the hallways as he strode through them alone.
Don't get him wrong. He wasn't mad at Pink for anything; not for her refusal to talk and not even her ignorance to his speech about sunsets.
What right does he have anyway? He had given up on sunset wishes way before she did.
Never let yourself get too emotionally involved in the scheme of things once you get in—this was what they've told him when he first joined this group. They said as long as he just floats through it all instead of being connected, he'll be fine.
He hadn't known they'd be so damned right.
"Red…" Green raised her head from the slight folded form she was in, as if she was in some sort of deep prayer. Involuntarily, her neck extended to search for something behind him.
"Where's Pink?" she asked.
"She, uh…" he rubbed the back of his head in an awkward manner. "She's skipping…"
"Figures," Green muttered, hanging her head in a disappointed manner. "Blue as well."
He just gave a mere bob of his head as he took his place at the dinner table. Lately, it's gotten emptier as things began to intensify for the worse, but this was the only time they had all felt it strike them at full blast. None was talking much; everyone had so many worries in their hearts…
"So why isn't she coming down?" Green asked again, playing with her food. "Didn't you come up there to talk to her? Didn't go so well?"
"Not exactly," he replied. "Well, we didn't actually got into a fight, if that's what you're thinking. We're just… you know, trying to be professional about all of this. It's the only thing we could do to lessen the pain.
"So, even as early as now, you two are trying to get used not having each other around, is that it?" Green examined the red meat with her fork, an almost gave a sarcastic giggle. "Talk about 'professional'.."
"Well, it's only right," Red hummed, cradling his glass of water in his calloused hands. "I mean, we joined this place to protect the people. We should've known it was only foolish to start something that would inflict more harm on us in the course of time…"
"Protecting yourselves from the pain, I see." Green gave away a knowing smile as she put her fork down for the second time.
"Yeah, you could call it that…"
The blue-eyed girl lifted her glass to her lips, wearing an amused expression in her face that seemed magnified in Red's eyes. He watched her stay like that, patiently waiting for whatever she has to say.
He needed to be careful. Though, Green hasn't given any clue on whether she was still mad at what he did; on the crazy decisions he had given out to all of them when they relied on him, of all people, to say otherwise.
"But, of course," she finally said with a soft sigh, putting the glass back on the table. "If there's anything in this world that we should be protected from, that would be those people who are going to leave us in the end; those who will disappear from our lives forever…" She landed her cloudy blue orbs on Red's pain stricken scarlet ones. "Am I right?"
"Y-you're right, Green…"
Red's alarm began to subside at the gradual softening of Green's aura as her words lingered around him. It was quite comforting considering what he's been going through that day.
"But, you know what I think?"
Red looked up from his untouched food again.
"That you two are dimwits." She stood up, bringing her unfinished food with her as she made her way to the kitchen. "Do you actually think that avoiding each other will lessen the pain at the very least? Face it, Red, the only thing you're going to achieve from all this is making it worse." She disappeared at the doorframe that separated the two rooms, leaving Red sitting alone, listening to the sound of plates crashing onto tiled sinks, and running water.
After all that noise has caved in, her voice came again, softer this time:
"For once in your life, Red, do the right thing…"
The right thing… Red, do the right thing…
He stared blankly at his still untouched meal. The right thing? Isn't it that whatever it was he was doing the right thing? He's preventing damage even before it is inflicted; isn't that the right thing?
Is it…?
There are times when Red thinks that the right thing to do was follow those above him without any delay. As long as no one was going to get badly hurt (though, in retrospect, he did sometimes wonder what exactly "badly" was in his book) and as long as they are helping people, he was happy with it. Doubts will never plague his mind for anything.
He's willing to give anything.
But that's only because he had nothing to give up. He lost everything way before he had the mind to learn how to appreciate them. Now, he had nothing, and he had always believed that this was his best quality. He can live for so many years with doing nothing but give.
Give, give, give… that's all he did for the last nine years of his life, and he never stopped for anything.
His life… his heart… his mind… They all meant nothing to him. And his home?
He had no home.
This place—this dark, crazy, and chaotic world was his home.
-v-
Red positioned his knuckles to knock again, but immediately stopped.
He promised himself he wouldn't do this anymore, but looks like he'd be failing himself again…
Yet again.
Toc. Toc. Toc.
No answer. He wondered if she was asleep again, but immediately dismissed the idea. She was probably busy with remaining work, or maybe sitting up on her bed, biting off her knuckles as she stared into nothingness like how she always does when restless.
Tomorrow was the day after all.
Red took a deep breath. This could be his last chance to see her.
Stealthily, he twisted the doorknob and opened the door to Pink's room. As soon as he stepped inside, things began to unsettle. His heart began to beat so fast until he felt it begin to gradually break at the sight of oblivion that stood at his wake.
Pink was gone.
Everything else was intact, but she was gone. Red couldn't hear his own breathing as he panicked at the thought.
Has she left? But why too soon? Why didn't she tell me? Where could she be by now?
His heart rate rose even more as the constricting thoughts swirled within his head.
Where is she? Where is she? Where is she? Where is she?
As soon as he could feel his legs again, he immediately turned and hurried to the door. He needed to find her. Surely she hasn't gone that far yet, yes?
He was going to go after her. He was going to stop her. He was going to beg her to stay.
He cared no more for those above him. He needed Pink more.
"Blue! Green! Pink's left…!"
A pair of blue-shaded pink eyes stared at him widely.
"Red, what's wrong?"The boy stared at her, mouth dropped and face pale from fear and distress. Pink's eyebrow rose as she watched him gape at hers and then, with a minor shake of her head, slightly pushed him inside and closed the door behind her.
"What the hell?" she asked.
"I…" Red breathed, his voice being dominated by his heavy breaths. "I-I thought you…" He tried to catch his own breathing, holding onto his chest to try and calm it the least.
"You thought I…What?"
"God, Pink, I thought you left…"
"Not until tomorrow," she replied. "I only went down for a drink…" She looked up at him and pursed her lips. "Though, I didn't think you'd care of my whereabouts. I thought you said you were done with me?" There was a small yet evident hurt in her voice as she spoke. "What are you doing here?"
Without receiving any reply, she moved past him towards her bed where her stacks of paper was again scattered about. Red just watched her, internally hating himself.
So she really was affected.
"You still there?" she called out, arranging the stack again at a corner. Then her head bobbed back to his direction, and found him tearing up.
"Red…?"
To her surprise, he suddenly grabbed her and tenderly pressed her head to his chest. Both her hands were squeezed between them, pushed against his chess, letting her feel his abnormal heart rate.
She couldn't help but feel afraid of what he was to say.
"There," he whispered. "This way we won't be able to see each other cry…" He pressed more firmly but gently. "Go on ahead. I promise I won't judge you…"
"What in hell are you blabbing about, Red?" she cried, trying to pry herself off his grasp. "I'm not gonna cry. Now, let me go…" The choke on her voice became more and more evident as she protested. But the more she struggled, the tighter he held her. Soon, she just stopped moving, and he felt her muscles gradually relax as she surrendered to his affection, and buried her face into him instead.
Soon, he felt the upper part of his shirt begin to dampen as she completely halted from moving.
This made him sigh in relief.
"You can be such a liar sometimes, baby," he chuckled, lightly stroking her blonde head.
"You make me lie…" she retorted, circling her arms around his waist, pressing him closer to her. "God forsake me, Red, I don't want to fucking lie anymore… I hate it. I hate the feeling… Hate it to my gut… Please make it stop…"
"Hush now…" He snuggled his nose on top of her head and smiled. "We don't have to anymore, at least around each other, like how we used to, right? Here, I'll start…" He slid his arms off her body and rested both on her trembling shoulders. She looked up at him, and he took that moment to plant a small, gentle kiss on her forehead.
"I don't want you to go…" he whispered. "If anything, I'd prefer that this wretched system just be destroyed alongside us, as long as it means I could die with you."
She didn't answer.
"If truth be told, you don't really have to go. You don't have to protect this place any longer. It doesn't mean anything to me anymore—not as much as you do, anyway."
He couldn't believe what he was saying. For so many years, he had sworn immense loyalty to this system and yet…
And yet when he saw this room empty all of a sudden, Pink's essence disappearing, even in just a very short period of time, he never felt so desperate and lost. Like he'd lost a large part of him, and he could die without it there beside him like how he was used to.
All of sudden, his "home" became merely a house, and he wanted nothing more but to break it and be destroyed with it.
He had never felt so… robbed.
"I was thinking," he suddenly mused, unaware of what he was saying at all. "What if…" He took a deep breath.
"Pink, what do you think of leaving this place? With me?" He faced her, face still pressed against him. She was surprisingly still. Too still.
"Pink?"
He gently pried off her arms from his body and moved her to get a good look of her face. Her eyes were closed.
Red couldn't believe it.
She had cried herself to sleep. Again.
-v-
The clock had stroke midnight, but Red was still awake. He couldn't find himself sleeping amongst the many thoughts that ran through his head. Thoughts of longing… Thoughts of regret…
Thoughts of what might've been…
They all piled themselves up in his head, making it throb inhumanely.
He needed to focus his mind on something else. On something that he need not worry or regret about. Something he can claim to be truly his, even if just for this night.
He needed to focus on the "now"; not the "then"… not the "will"…
Just the "now".
Like Pink's sleeping figure, as a prominent example.
She looked peaceful there, curled up in his arms: lips parted slightly, breathing even and relaxed, and hands clutching loosely to his dark shirt. It all seemed too easy for her, when he couldn't even close his own eyes and dream. He couldn't miss this—her—for the world. She was too surreal for him to let go—but all the more did it make it harder for him to hold on.
Tenderly, he brushed a stray strand of hair off her face and neared his to hers. She didn't stir at all, except for a small, almost inaudible moan as she clutched harder on to his shirt. Red almost laughed as he wordlessly grabbed her waist, and pulled her in, burying his face to the curve of her neck.
She smelled of blossoms in a soft, winter morning. The scent he had grown fond of. The scent he'd be searching for time and time again.
The scent he'd miss forever if…
No, he wasn't going to think of that.
A few minutes have already passed, but they seemed like only seconds to him. He wanted everything to slow down. It would be morning before he knows it, and for the first time in his life, he had dreaded for the crack of dawn to come. He didn't want the sun to rise.
He was afraid of what might happen when the daylights come. Will he be able to convince her (again)? If she won't, what will he do? And if she will, how were they going to go on knowing that the home they have come to love was going to…
Red suddenly sighed mentally. There he was again.
He raised his head and stared into her face.
Still asleep.
Her serene countenance made him suddenly equipped with answers to his stupid questions.
No matter what happens, one thing was certain:
He wasn't going to leave her. Never again
What emanated from his lips just a while ago was true and meant, and not just some slurred piece of shit caused by his unstable state of emotion.
He doesn't want her to go, and he'd do anything just to stop her. Even if he had to go to drastic measures to do so.
After giving much thought to his rather selfish plan, he slipped away from her hold and climbed out of bed. He began searching around her room, opening cabinets and drawers until he came across her secret medicine compartment. Pink's old hometown was an herbalist capital, so she knows a thing or two about medicine-making, and this was where she keeps all her finished products. She once showed these to him, a long, long time ago, and even asked him to use the rather deadly ones in his battles. He refused, of course, out of disbelief and out of fear. Although, now, all those feelings have subsided and have been replaced by sheer desperation.
He had never known he'd find a chance to use all of these in his whole life.
He rummaged through the vials until he came across what he needed. Then he tiptoed towards her bedside table where her stacks of candy sticks were placed. (She keeps a lot of sweets in her room. Says it helps her when trying to plan strategies.)
He picked one up, opened the vial and started soaking the sweet with it. Then he took a piece of napkin and wrapped it and set it aside. He did the same with the others.
When he removed the napkins moments later, he found that they have retained their appearance from fifteen minutes ago. He actually found himself smiling.
As soon as Pink wakes up tomorrow, she'll be suck eating at least one of these while doing her last-minute preparations. That could be his chance—his only chance to stop her.
Pink had once mentioned that tomorrow was the only day they can dispatch a member. As a matter of fact, the timing was so crucial that a mere short delay will ruin everything and they'd have to re-plan everything. Then, it will all be too late.
And Red needed that delay.
Red placed everything back as how he'd found them, and settled himself back next to Pink. She didn't stir the whole time he was working, meaning she was oblivious of what he has done. He watched her curl herself back to him again, and he, in turn, wrapped his arms around her in a protective manner.
It won't be long now, he thought to himself. Soon, it will be morning, and his plans will all fall into action.
He was about to sleep peacefully, heart free from all anxieties when he suddenly caught a glimpse of her face in front of him. The tears stains were still evident. He reached forward and wiped them away using the back of his hand.
"I'm sorry I couldn't keep my promise to you, Pink," he whispered. "But, I hope that you always remember that I'm only doing this to protect you."
Before he had let sleep cast itself on him, he whispered, for the last time:
"I love you…"
I think I love you better now…
The next morning, Red woke up to the sound of soft but high humming. He raised his head from the pillow and found that he was all alone on that bed. A small rush of panic ran through his spine until he thought of bobbing his head to the source of the sound and found Pink, staring out the window, a piece of candy in her mouth.
"P-Pink…?"
She slightly jolted, turning her head slightly to meet his eyes, letting more of the morning sun's rays pass by. It made her pale skin seem glowing as she smiled. Red just watched in awe.
Pink looked so lovely in morning light.
"Good morning, you," she greeted, putting her sweet down. "Had a nice sleep?"
This was enough for Red to have a feel of the situation again as he pulled himself up from her bed recklessly.
"Uh, g-good morning," he stammered as he tried to smile sheepishly.
"Hey, look, I'm sorry for falling asleep here and…"
"It's fine," she smiled again, walking towards him. "As a matter of fact, I'm the one who's supposed to apologize for sleeping on you last night, especially after all those things you've said to me. I realized I never got to answer them, huh?"
"Er, well, that's…" To his surprise, Pink suddenly trapped him with her arms. She was nearing her face to his, making him recoil, and soon he found himself on his back, her on top of him. He tried to escape her radiating stare, feeling a bit awkward all of a sudden.
"Uh, h-hey now…" he muttered.
"Here's my answer, Red…" She leaned forward, to his surprise, and pressed her lips against his. Red drew back slightly, out of shock, but nevertheless pressed his lips back, his hand cupping the back of her head. Her lips were sweet from the candy she was nibbling on, but there was also this slight bitterness in it. But, he chose not to acknowledge it anymore.
He knew what all these meant.
She slowly pulled back and smiled.
"I love you, Red… I love you too well…"
"Pink, I love you too…"
She nodded. She knew that.
"Which is why I'm not leaving," she continued. Red almost jumped for joy if it weren't for her weight keeping him down. He resorted to just enclose her into a hug, but before he could raise both arms high enough, he felt a sudden constricting feeling in his throat, making him immobile. He was paralyzed.
"P-Pink…" he choked, tears filling his eyes. What was going on?
Pink just watched him, and soon she shook her head as if to say it was all in futile.
"…With you watching me…"
She leaned closer to his ear and whispered another apology to him. He couldn't focus, although, on her words and focused instead to her slow breaths.
And soon, he was out.
-v-
Enhanced Sleeping Powder. It was made from all-natural ingredients but acts as deadly as any of its kind. Pink had always used it against her enemies, and even asked him once to use it himself. He didn't, but that was only because he never actually believed in the power of sleeping powders, or their efficiency in battle, or anything in particular.
Red stared distastefully at the small bottle before scornfully throwing it against the wall, watching it shatter easily into pieces. He couldn't accept that his plan had backfired.
He thought he had her, but unfortunately, she had him. She always had him, and he cursed himself for making a mistake of underestimating her. He should've known a petty poison trick wasn't even counted as anything lethal to someone as smart as she was.
Now, she was gone, and there's nothing more he could do. She may as well be somewhere far and unreachable, considering that he had given her the idea that even he was out to stop her. It was somehow his fault as well.
He threw himself back towards Pink's bed, and buried his face underneath his hands.
I've lost her…he thought to himself helplessly. I've had her in my grasp and I lost her…
But what hurts him more was how Pink had countered his trick: with one of the tricks of her own. She had collected all the poison of one candy on her lips, and subtly transferred them all to him. It was an ingenious plan, he admits, and knowing Pink, he felt ashamed not expecting something as shrewd as that.
But it was a kiss… Did Pink just use that as some sort of method to escape him? Him of all people? He couldn't help but feel betrayed.
There was a knock on the door. Red hesitantly pushed himself up from bed and trudged himself towards it.
"Red?"
The look on Green's face was enough to remind Red that he fell asleep in another person's room. And that other person had to be Pink. He may be a bit on the desperate side of it all, but he can't deny the fact that it doesn't really look right. Especially to Green's eyes.
"I can explain…"
It only took a moment for Green to suppress a question and come up with her own answer.
"Let me guess," she raised an eyebrow at him as she placed both hands on her waist. "You tried to do something stupid and crazy to stop her and it backfired, correct?"
Red watched her carefully. "How did you know that?"
Green shrugged. "I just figured it's something you'd do…" She walked past him inside Pink's room, ignoring his offended look.
"That, and because I have at least three hidden cameras hooked to every room in this place…"
Red's face suddenly burned as he was reminded of what had just transpired this morning, and almost died at the thought of having Green watch it all.
"What are you being so worked up about?" Green suddenly asked, bobbing her head to his direction. "Isn't quite normal for a boy and a girl—in a relationship—to…"
"G-Green!" Red shrieked, glowing. "Those were private!"
"So? It's not like I give that much shit for things like 'privacy'…" She turned her head to the side again, and found a picture frame resting on top of her desk. She picked it up.
"So, she really did leave, huh?"
"Even I couldn't stop her," he whispered with regret. "I'm sorry, Green. I thought I could do it but…"
"At least you tried," she shrugged, putting the frame back down. "What you did back there. That was quite impressive, especially considering you were always the most faithful puppy among us all." She turned to meet his mourning eyes. "She must've been so important to you, huh?"
"What are you talking about? Pink had always been a great priority for me…" Red replied, watching her lower herself on Pink's bed, and then gesturing for him to do the same. He complied.
Green examined her nails, a look of nonchalance in her eyes.
"Letting her die of worry everytime you came home half-dead? Almost allowing her to go off and die on her own? Not even trying to talk her out of it until the last minute?" She threw off an imaginary speck off and smirked. "You show a strange way of loving, don't you?"
Red watched her watching him, and he couldn't but feel impressed with her. She'd only been in this system for only a short time, only second to Pink, and rarely does she even participate wholly with this place. And yet she's already discerned all their strange flaws, especially his.
"Green?" he asked. "How long have you been working here?"
"About two and a half years… Why?"
"I've been here for nine years," he said. "About half of my life, if truth be told. This is where I grew up, where I learned to get to know myself, created my new 'family', and even met the person whom I allowed myself to love dearly. I owe much from this place. This is my refuge. My sanctuary… My home..."
"And you're willing to escape this 'home' with Pink?" she suddenly cut in. "You confuse me…"
Red chuckled.
"So you heard that too?" He smiled bitterly; unaware he was wringing his own hands out of pain and frustration. "Hm, how shall I put this? See, lately, I've been feeling… restless. Quite unhappy, even. At first, I thought it was just fatigue and all that due to the crazy things that's been occurring lately. But the funny thing was I've been experiencing these kinds of situations before, and yet I was only feeling… this kind of feeling now. Like I don't want to stay here anymore or something like that…
"Thought it was just late reaction, so let it go. Then talks about this invisible enemy and all that shit began bringing up. No one's told me about much of it, seeing that I was bedridden the whole time. Pink never told me anything about them, neither, so when it all exploded towards me, I forgot about my crazy thoughts and went back to what I do best. Protecting this place in any way that's possible."
"But, then you realized that the only possible way was to give Pink away…?" Green suggested. He nodded.
"When she first discussed the plan to me, she seemed shaken and afraid. I was too focused on protecting this place however, so I never got to notice. That was my stupid mistake: I made her think that my priority was this place and not her, and so, even if she was scared, she had no choice but to pretend that she wasn't. I only realized what I have done to her when it was all too late. When she was already firm on her decision that not even I could have stopped her." He laughed again softly. "Last night, I went to this room and saw it empty. I thought she left. I thought she was gone forever. And, in that moment, those crazy feelings I've been containing were suddenly given reason. I then realized why I've always felt unhappy these past few days… I found out…"
"What?"
"That all this time, I kept myself believing that this place—this whole system—was the 'home' that I needed to protect, when in fact, this place is just a 'house'. 'Home' was the people that comprised it. The people that gave it that feel, and I just lost the most important part of it. And for what? To protect a stupid 'house'?" He sighed again. Heavily.
"Green, please don't eat that…"
Green halted with the piece of candy stick halfway to her mouth. She laid it down, and stared at her companion. Then she giggled.
"So this one's messed up too?"
"They've all been messed up. I wouldn't be able to predict which of those she'd pick." He stared at her scornfully. "Don't stare at me like I did something absolutely sick. Come on, Green, I was desperate. It's not like there was another way…"
"You could've begged for her to stay…" Green suggested.
Red chuckled bitterly, a little too loudly, to the girl's surprise.
"Come now, Green. Why would I beg for something that I know can never be mine?"
-v-
Pink made contact to them only through transmitter codes. She said it was far safer since she was undercover. Making a call would only jeopardize her life even more.
As if that could matter, Red thought acrimoniously to himself as he read the reports. You're going to die in the end anyway.
He knew it was wrong to think that way, but what choice does he have? He'd only be lying to himself if he thought otherwise.
"You're on duty tonight."
Blue's voice reverberated through his empty space as he blankly looked up.
"Huh?"
"I said you're on duty tonight. It's your turn to stay up to save the codes Pink will send. Just give it to me in the morning."
Red shrugged as he stood.
Whatever.
He took his place in a seat in front of the screen and stared idly at its rather pale blue glow. The clock was about to strike nine and the moon was already beating down on him with its teasing yellowish light.
Oh, god, how he hated ironies.
It was as still as he could carry, considering the thought that Pink was there in the realms of the enemies' territory, alone ad endangered. He stifled a yawn, trying to eliminate the ideas off his head.
Tic. Toc. Tic. Toc. Tic…
The unbearable serenity was already close to eating him alive when the screen's glow suddenly turned green. There were gurgling noises that followed it. Red looked around the contraption, wondering if he had pushed something by accident. The gurgling noises got louder as he moved.
"H-hello?" Red found himself whispering to it all of a sudden. It only continued to get louder and clearer, and soon, he could make out a voice.
A female voice.
"Er?" The voice suddenly cleared itself. "I-Is somebody there?"
Red recognized it easily.
"P-Pink?" Red asked. "Pink, is that really you?"
"Red?" the voice answered. "What are you…?"
"ARE YOU FREAKIN' OUT OF YOUR MIND, YOU BLONDE HIPPIE?!" he suddenly cried frantically. "You're seriously making a call from enemy territory?! Honestly, are you really that emotionally frustrated or what?!"
"Relax," Pink replied. "This place is secured. The coast is clear, and besides, it's not my fault. My phone suddenly gone bonkers. Wasn't it you who called?"
He was about to protest when he found that he had accidentally pressed on one button which, as he may have surmised, caused the rather unwanted call.
"S-sorry…" he mumbled. "Here. Just tell me how to turn this off and…"
"No, don't," Pink's soft voice cooed, as if in a wistful manner he always uses on her. "I quite enjoy listening to your voice."
"I feel the same way too, Pink, but…"
"I'll be fine, Red."
"Liar." Red slumped back on his chair in exasperation, covering his face with his hands. "Tell me, Pink, where do you get that urge to make a disheveled piece of shit out of me? Why do you enjoy tormenting me so?"
"I have nobody else to learn it from but you," was her answer. "Take it as my own way of revenge for those sleepless nights you caused me, trying to relieve myself of the pain from the thought of losing you…"
"Pink, this is no time for jokes…"
"I'm not joking, Red…" Red could feel her eyes narrow calmly into those savage-looking slits that never cease to shake him.
"This is really revenge…"
"W-wha…? A-against me, Pink?"
"For you, Red. For them. For me. For all of us…"
"Well, if that's the case then, why…"
"No, Red. It's not what you think… This may be for all of us, but this concerns only me…This very particular part…" Pink's voice began to soften until it was almost unclear.
"This is my fight."
Red was about to say something again when he suddenly heard banging noises from the background.
"Shit…"
"Pink?" Red's voice faltered. "W-what's going on there? What was that noise?"
She didn't answer, but instead responded with her own heavy footsteps hitting against the seemingly metal floor she was treading on. When the footsteps began to fade, they were then replaced by her breaths, tepid from obvious fatigue.
"Red," she gasped into her mouthpiece. "I want you to listen carefully." She paused, as if stifling a sob or a whimper from her throat.
"This may be the last time you're going to hear from me…"
"Pink, you…!"
"We've talked about this, Red," she reprimanded him. "Now, focus. Record everything I have to say if you have to."
Red slightly nodded, and did as he was told.
"Okay…" he whispered to the mouthpiece. "Go."
"Two days from now you guys are going to meet my replacement. She's my student, and currently she's residing in my old house. I'm trusting that you still remember where it is 'cause I'm going to need you t go and get her. I've left her all the explanations and the specific instructions that may or will answer all of you questions, and help all of you in the next step. But, she can't do it all alone… She'll need every one of you, alright?"
"But what about you, Pink?" Red asked again.
"I'm close to finishing my part. No worries."
"That's not what I meant, Pink," Red retorted. He could feel himself losing his breath in that moment from all these things coming out of her lips.
"Pink, what about you? When all of these are done, where are you going to be?"
He knew he wouldn't like her answer, but he listened anyway. He needed to hear her voice for as long as he can.
"I'll be anywhere, loving you too well…" He could finally hear it. That slight choke in her voice that she had so effortlessly hidden from him.
"Like I always do…"
There was an explosion from her background, but still, the tenderness in her voice never wavered.
"It seems as though I am nearing its completion," she whispered before he could her lower the mouthpiece. Again, another explosion came which was followed by screams of pain. They were vague, but to him, they can never be anymore clear. He knew they all came from her, but he didn't call for her even if that was so.
For it was obvious she will never come back.
Red clawed on the wooden table, feeling its first layer penetrate through his skin but not acknowledging any pain that came from it at all. There was a far more excruciating type of hurting that was happening within him. He could feel his face burn together with his eyes, but all the more could he not make a sound.
Stop… Stop… Stop… STOP!
The voices were almost like a cycle. She would scream, and then the screams would gradually grow into a whimper, and then grow back into screams.
And soon, when he felt like he couldn't take it anymore, the screams began to deplete as if for the last time. It never grew back again.
The call had ended.
-v-
…I'll surrender up my heart…
.
..
…
…And swap it for yours…
-v-
Red had knocked over something hard and he felt a flinch race up his spine as he watched it fall helplessly and scatter on the ground. All as if in slow motion.
He finds himself sighing in that depressed manner he always had for the past few days.
The more he explored this lonely place, the more he is reminded of who stayed for so many years all alone, with nobody to share the pain with her.
Pink was such a child—what with her house being filled with toys and all.
Carefully, he bent down, and started picking the pieces up, silently wondering to himself why in hell was this centerpiece made of Legos.
Then, he remembered.
Yeah, this could be the same structure that he and Pink had built together when he first came here. So, if he remembers correctly, then this was once…
He actually found himself shaking with mirth at the sudden memory strike. Shaking his head, he began putting the pieces together without a concrete plan on what form was he trying to assemble.
But, then again, isn't that what he was very much good at? Picking broken pieces—all considered useless and in futile—and then putting them together to create something. Anything. As long as it would make sense to everybody, especially to him, then he'd be more than happy to bleed from the shattered portions.
Yes, as long as they—he—would recognize it. Acknowledge it.
Stick it here. Attach it there.
No, he won't stop. He hadn't learned his lesson after all…
Even 'til the end, this was what he believed to be the purpose of his being. At least, in this while, when he have nothing else.
Nothing else, but broken pieces…
"You want me… to help assemble something made of all these Legos?"
She smiled cheerfully as she rolled up her sleeves and began working on the small pieces.
"Yup,"
"E-er, okay…" He, too, rolled up his sleeves, and knelt down in front of her. "But, what do you want to build exactly?"
She stared up at him and gave a rueful smile.
"…I want us to build a home…"
Red had done it, and now, the finished centerpiece was cradled in his trembling hands. He placed it carefully back to the table where it was enthroned and stared at it wistfully.
Like before, it only came out as a "house". Always a "house".
He couldn't help but feel like he had failed Pink, even from before. She wanted a "home"—one that she could her own, and he felt obliged to give her just that. But, he was a broken man, and all he could offer were broken pieces.
"But, Pink, what you want is kinda hard, don't you think? What if we make a mistake along the way?"
"Why do you think was it made out of Legos and nothing too permanent? It's because I know mistakes will be made along the way…"
And never can a bunch of broken pieces build up a home.
"… And if things go wrong, we can always knock it down…"
"Oh, Pink…" he whispered, letting out the tears he tried so hard to keep. He ran his hand against the toy's rough surface, and couldn't help but feel so much longing for her and her touch. "I'm sorry… I'm sorry that all I could give you is a Lego House when you asked me for a home… But, it's just that… I don't think I am that kind of person who can give you what you want. All I could provide are wrecked hopes and dreams and a weary heart… Tell me how those could help us make something that can never be knocked down…?"
"Perhaps, if we learn to melt the pieces and mold those into the form we desire it to be instead of foolishly putting them together, then we can have that "home" which we yearn…"
Red's eyes slightly widened as he raised his head from leaning against the table. He slowly turned around and found a small figure at the door, watching him with her calm, greenish-yellow eyes. He took a small step back in astonishment at the mere sight of her, but repressed himself before he could knock the structure out again.
"Y-you…?" Red breathed with familiarity. "You're Pink's replacement?"
She smiled.
"It's been a long time, hasn't it, Red?"
-FIN-
Green: Hey… Not bad :)
Red: See? I managed to make myself not look THAT bad ^_^ Come on, Blue say it~ Say my story's as good as yours~ Come on~ *pokes Blue again and again*
Blue: Yeah, yeah. Whatever, man.
Green: Say, Red? Who's Pink?
Red: Eh? Isn't she like the character there who's supposed to be my girlfriend? Or something…?
Green: Yeah, I know, but… I mean, do you know ANY person named Pink?
Red: Well… *thinks* No… But, whoever she is, she's uh… Interesting…
Green: … And she's dead…
Red: Well, that's the problem with the story. It wasn't stated clearly whether Pink is dead or…
Green: You elaborated already, Red. Pink is dead. Dismissed.
Red: E-er, okay… Although, it got me wondering… Uh… Have you guys ever wondered… Who's PC is this? I know he or she may be crazy and all, but…
Green: She's probably some crazed fangirl who had established lodging in your closet…
Red: But, I don't even have a closet… O.O
Green: Then, what's that? *points at closet behind them*
Red: I… Uh… In all honesty, I have not noticed that before…
Blue: Do you even live here, Red?!
Red: N-No! I-I mean … That closet isn't mine either… Oh, God, am I being haunted?! QAQ
(loud knocks comes from the closet)
Red: Ack! *tumbles back* S-something's in there! G-Green! Blue! What could… Blue? Green?
(Blue and Green are now gone)
Red: BLUE! QAQ GREEN! TTTTTTTT^TTTTTTTT
Hehe, thanks for reading ^_^ Just one last sequel after this. I promise :D
Please review :)
LoveLots~