Just a little something, guess you can call it a drabble. I didn't have to write anything for Angel Beats!, but I felt like I wanted to contribute to it a little. I'm pretty sure this has been done before, but I chose not to address any of the characters by name. I thought it was for the best.
Déjà Vu
It was only for a moment—something that struck from out of the blue. If any of them were questioned on the experience before they let it pass, neither of them could have given an estimated time of how long they stared at one another. The feeling, perhaps, but that was all it was—a feeling.
It was apparent they were going out judging from their close proximity of each other. The couple had exited from a small shop, talking about nothing in particular as the bag hung from the girl's arm. The sunlight was hazy from the thin clouds, but she had on a sunhat, locks of silver hair curling over her cheeks. Her redhead companion was a head taller, a dark eye peering adoringly down at her through his bangs.
By chance or a premonition (it was hard to tell), the boy lifted his head, and cast his eyes to the sidewalk across the street. Unintentionally, he came to a halt, his mouth slowly dropping open. His date noticed he wasn't beside her, and looked back in puzzlement, wondering what caught his eye. Stepping back up to him, she followed his gaze, and time seemed to slow around them.
Walking in the opposite direction was another girl dressed in a tomboyish manner: tan shorts, boots that looked to be made for hiking, and a tank-top. Her magenta hair was flowing over the small knapsack, a large green bow laid just above her ear as her only feminine accessory they could see. She had an air of arrogance to her, but she seemed confident from the way she held her phone up before her eyes instead of downward.
Under normal circumstance, the girl would've glared or even snapped at the boy for staring at another, but she could tell it wasn't normal. Her heart suddenly aching from a nostalgia she didn't remember having was what tipped her off. Unaware of people slipping around them, they watched as the person quickly stepped off to the side to lean against the nearest wall to finish whatever she was doing on her phone. She glanced up from it for a brief moment before looking back down.
Then she lifted her eyes with raised brows, and the couple made eye-contact with her.
It took a moment before the world faded out, and from the blackness dissolved a large, nearly-empty room. While they were unable to look around fully, they knew it best as a gymnasium, a few decorations on the stage signifying a graduation. A single, tiny row of chairs was just at their sides, chairs they had sat in themselves. The lingering feel on their lips was from singing the traditional graduation song—a song they knew they had of yet to actually sing along to. Hovering just out of reach were two more presences, but their identities were unknown.
Their chests tightened from sadness, as though that moment would be the last time they would see each other. They didn't know what the future held for them, but they weren't afraid. Peaceful, yes, but not fearful.
They felt a bond of friendship.
They felt forgiven.
Time ran out for the three of them as evident by the background and atmosphere returning to the real world. It took a few seconds longer before the sense of exhilaration left, leaving them in the dark as to what exactly happened.
The purple-haired girl's face fell as her brows furrowed in sight from beneath her bangs. In an almost hesitant movement, she turned herself away and resumed her walk, though she stole one last glance at the couple before the crowd swallowed her up.
The boy waited for another moment before he felt the pressure lift from him, and he sighed. Somehow, he couldn't shake off that tingling feeling in the back of his head, and he had a feeling it was going to bother him for a while. Tilting his gaze down at his small companion, he gently laid a hand on her shoulder to bring her attention back to him. "Let's get going," he said, pointing his thumb down in the direction they were half-facing.
Slowly, once she began to acknowledge him, the silver-haired girl leaned into his side, her hat knocked askew. "I... feel so sad," she whispered in a soft tone, golden eyes drooped in emphasis. She lifted a delicate hand to her heart, fingers flexing slightly. "I don't know why."
As much as he knew how she felt, he didn't know how to answer her. Gently, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders, and they went off on their way.
As quick as it came, the moment was forgotten.