Valentines' Day One-Shot: Letters
A/N: Hi, this is my first one-shot, and since today I could literally feel the romance in the air what with the heavy rain and all, I decided to do some writing and ended up doing up a one-shot. Hopefully you guys enjoy this? And yeah, have a great Valentines' Day! (:
Chihiro looked out the window that was being pelted with white flakes falling romantically from the sky. 'It's Friendship Day…' she hummed to herself. As she drove the car toward the snow-blanketed grassy plain, the thick snow made its existence known clearly. Being a nasty obstruction to the car, Chihiro slammed on the gas before it would let the car move grudgingly slowly. To make things even more aggravating, the same bumps which scared the wits out of her at 10 years old was attempting to juggle the vehicle yet again. And as always, she counted the naked trees passing by till the car could finally travel no further.
She sighed and opened the door, pulling her sweet lilac woolen scarf up to cover her red nose and bluish lips that were quivering as the bitter-sweet February winter cold nipped at her exposed bare skin. She wrapped her coat tighter around her petite frame and dug her slender hands that were cutely covered with cream mittens into the warm haven of her pocket after hearing the loud 'Beep!' from her car, announcing that it was locked and safe—sort of.
"All set!" she murmured excitedly while her eyes watched the white wisps of mist escape and dance about in front of her face. The heat from her mouth graciously warmed her nose. The girl hopped a little to shake off the cold and to expel some of the overwhelming energy that was bubbling up in all her anticipation. "Achoo!" she sneezed and sniffled before proceeding with the long walk.
Chihiro trudged in the snow alone, her mind slipping towards the card that was held securely within her coat. She smiled delicately, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. Watching the footsteps she left behind in the snow, it was as if she had stepped into the past, and felt like a child all over again. She took a step, dug her boot in deep and jumped up and down without a care in the world, admiring her messy footwork in the snow. She quietly thanked God that there was no one around to witness the immature act, and dusted herself off before continuing down the long narrow path.
The once lush greenery of the area had now transformed into a winter wonderland, except in a slightly scarier version. Naked branches of trees stuck out like witches' claws which towered like giants. The surrounding area was still reasonably bright, though signs of the sky getting darker were evident; it was close to late afternoon already. Chihiro grabbed the heat pad that was in her back pocket and pressed it to her pale cheeks. It really was terribly cold. But she didn't care. Her eyes were fixed determinedly ahead, scanning the area for that ancient, ugly statue that belonged in the ruins with other ancient civilizations as well as the faded and peeled reddish brown of the tunnel wall.
After a few agonizing minutes of eye squinting and light jogging, she spotted it. The place seemed to emit a faint glow, as if indicating to her that it was the place, the alluring world at the other end, the secret that belonged to her and her alone. With a squeal and a radiant smile on her face that lifted her captivating features beautifully, she sprinted over to the tunnel, patting the imposing statue standing in front of it. "Hey little guy, so we meet again. Happy Friendship Day," she grinned good-naturedly and pulled out a pink rose from her coat to lay it on the snow in front of it.
Then, she moved closer to the tunnel, standing right in front of the entrance, butterflies having fun making her stomach feel all woozy all of a sudden. Slowly stretching her hand outward, it met an invisible wall that was adamant in disallowing her entrance. Her eyes dropped and she took a seat on the snow, trying to ignore her now cold butt as water began to seep into her pants. "Haku…" she breathed. His name was distant to her, and she could only think of him as a figment of her imagination.
But, she knew he was real.
Ever since leaving the Spirit World, she had tried ways to re-enter the world, but the same invisible wall prevented her from doing so. Chihiro shifted her sitting position to let her back lean against the invisible wall and hoped it wasn't going to dirty her favorite coat.
She had tried many ways to communicate with the dragon that had saved and protected her, but still she was unable to do so. However, on one fateful day when she came back to try again, a stray envelope lying in the wilderness surprised her. Thinking it belonged to someone else, she almost left it alone, but her intuition had told her that it was more than that. And so after a mental debate and a lot of contemplation, she had carefully unsealed the envelope, feeling the smooth fibers of the paper and removed the letter. The beautiful handwriting caught her attention in a flash, and as she read its contents, her voice caught in her throat while the tears gently glazed over her rosy pink cheeks.
"Haku," she called this time, more confidently, "are you here? I haven't come for a while because college has been pretty tough, I guess. And you know what? It's Valentines' Day today, and seeing the couples everywhere, it ju-" Despite the cold, a light pink glow tinted her cheeks, adding some color into it. "But anyway, I made some chocolates for everyone, so don't think I missed you out. And you better eat them; I spent 5 hours in the kitchen!" she said gleefully and pulled out the carefully wrapped box of handmade milk chocolates. Carefully, she slipped the box into the tunnel, which like a vacuum, sucked in the box and it soon disappeared, hopefully into the Spirit World to Haku. She also slipped in the letter she'd written for him into the tunnel.
The wind blew slightly stronger, as if muttering its gentle thanks. "Achoo!" the girl sneezed again. "Ne, Haku, if you're there, can you hurry up with the letter instead of making the wind stronger? It's cold out here!"
The man sat on the other side of the wall, his back facing the woman's. He could see and hear her clearly, though she could very well not. Red appeared on his high cheek bones while he received the chocolates and letter with silent thanks. "And why wouldn't I eat your handmade chocolates, silly girl?" he chuckled tenderly, and stared at the appetizing snack, almost too reluctant to eat them. He took the letter and began reading its contents.
Dear Haku,
It's been a while… College's been busy, but I guess I can handle it well enough. I've really missed coming back here and talking to you, although I don't get to hear you or see you… I really want to know how you look like now, just so I have a mental picture. But then again, I doubt there're cameras over in the Spirit World, so tough luck for me. How has it been over there for you, running the bathhouse? From what you said, it seems like there're a lot of troublemaker spirits and business is getting really good, huh. Don't get too stressed though; if you are, then I'll come here more often to talk to you. I miss you too, you know.
Happy Friendship Day, Kohaku River. Thanks for being a great companion and my guardian angel as well. My best wishes to you and the others. I hope Lin, Kamaji, Boh, Zeniba and Yubaba are doing well too. Just don't forget to fill me in on any of Lin's gossip; I am her sister after all. Send my regards to them for me, won't you?
Best regards,
Chihiro
P.S. Tell me what you think about the chocolates? If you like, I can make more for you, and reply soon! I don't exactly want to be stuck out here in the winter cold the whole night waiting for your reply, haha.
The man chuckled deeply, his toothy grin radiating the happiness off of him. He looked back at the woman sitting in front of him. He stretched his long, slender fingers toward her, only to be met by the unforgiving walls of the closed portal. He trailed his fingers down, imagining how it would feel to be running his fingers down the hazel strands of hair that fell gracefully down her back. Oh, how he wanted to touch her, to hold her in his arms and just say that he loved her, especially on such a special day. But, the little sting in his heart was starting to get unbearable. After all, she only treated him as a friend. She'd said so every visit without fail. And he never wanted to scare her or make promises he could never keep by burdening her with a confession out of the blue. They belonged to two different worlds, and with her perfect qualities, naturally other men would want her.
The thought simply sent jolts down his back, dark anger clouding his possessive dragon. "Turn around, Chihiro…" he pleaded, wanting to have a look at her since the previous year during the festive season called 'Christmas'.
As if she had heard him, she shuffled awkwardly around on her butt, hissing as the cold continued to gnaw at her butt. Her fingers placed themselves on the wall, and instinctively, he placed his large palm over hers. She had such long fingers, but still lost to the man by a large measure, just like the last time she'd been in that place. He smiled as his eyes moved to admire her beauty. She looked almost the same, other than her longer hair and deeper eye bags. She was shivering from the cold, the puffy clothing on her clearly not very effective in carrying out their jobs. Her dark orbs were so enchanting, and the more he gazed into them, the more he yearned to just break through the impenetrable wall and hug her, to feel her and know that she was his.
Haku picked up the piece of paper and quill that he'd brought along and began to write down his reply to the earnestly waiting woman before him.
Chihiro sat there mindlessly, wondering in nervousness and anxiety how Haku found the chocolates. Did he like it? Was it not to his liking? Had he even tried them yet? The thoughts were definitely on their way to causing a panic-attack, and thank goodness for the sneeze that broke her train of thoughts. She blew her red nose on a piece of tissue paper, grumbling internally at the pain. "Haku, if you're there listening, can I ask you something?"
Haku paused from his writing and looked up at the girl whose face was down, hiding her expression from him. "What would you do, if you fall in love with someone who cannot be together with you? How would you feel, if that person doesn't return the same feelings? Would you still love her? Would you still care for her? Or would you give up on her?" Mixed feelings stirred in their guts, that of sadness, regret, disappointment and frustration. They stirred an unspeakable and unbearable feeling that neither could describe in words.
Haku clenched his stiff fists slowly, mustering all of his self-control to stop from thrashing at the wall foolishly like he'd done years ago. He'd only returned to the bathhouse with numerous injuries which burdened Kamaji and Lin who'd had to nurse him back to health.
"What if, you were that person, my love?" he whispered, his voice coming out as a raspy croak, a sound that even he could not recognize. He bit his lip tightly, and gingerly continued writing the letter. He smelt the sweet salty sting of tears from the woman, and tried his very best to ignore the empty void sitting in his heart. "Happy Valentines' Day, Chihiro. Or should I say, Happy Friendship Day?"
The letter emerged from the wall and was instantly spotted by the girl who had failed to realize the tears that were falling down her glistening cheeks. She smiled despite herself. "Haku… you're here… You're really here…" Now she was fully aware of the emotions building up within her. More tears fell freely from her sparkling eyes. "Haku, let me hear your voice. Just once, just once would be enough. Let me hear you," she begged, now on her knees and banging her fists against the invisible wall. Her pleading eyes nearly broke his heart. He was completely helpless; he couldn't do anything to respond to her. In his heart, he was urging her to read the letter. What he would give to just wipe those tears off of that pretty face of hers.
Chihiro sucked in deep breaths and started reading the letter, wiping the tears away which stained her dry mittens.
My dear Chihiro,
Yes, it's been too long since I've last seen you. You're just as beautiful as ever, and be sure to take good care of yourself, especially with the workload you have from college. The bathhouse is fine; it's relatively easy to handle those dirty troublemakers. And thank you, Chihiro. But don't worry about me; I can handle it just fine. On the contrary, you should come here more often if you face too much stress over there so that I can be there for you like I want to. I miss you dearly, Chihiro. I really do, but unfortunately, this portal does not allow you to see or hear me although I can.
Happy Friendship Day to you too, I wish you all the best and I am deeply flattered and honored. I should be the one thanking you for the time you gave me back my name. And if you're wondering about the rest, they're doing just fine. Zeniba and Yubaba are starting to get along better already, thanks to Bo. Kamaji is the same, doing well in the boiler room and Lin… well, let's just say her temper has not changed. Don't worry; I'll keep you posted about her, but for now, she's still not interested in settling down, or so she claims.
Do not be disheartened, little one. I'm here and always will be here for you. Wipe those tears away, won't you? Smile for me, alright? And your chocolates look so appetizing I couldn't bear to taste them just yet. I'll tell you how they taste the next time we meet, but I can already guarantee that I will love it very much. Thank you for the wonderful gift, Chihiro. My well wishes are with you.
Yours truly,
Haku
Chihiro hurriedly wiped all the tears away and smiled heartily at her beloved man whom she could not see. Her cheeks flamed at the thought of letting Haku see her cry, and she was extremely embarrassed, but she couldn't very well run away or hide. "Well then, maybe next time I shouldn't write letters to you; I'll just speak and then you can write in response," she grinned teasingly. Haku smiled, exhaling a short breath of laughter. "So… Friendship Day huh…" her voice trailed off in the wind, a sharp jab of pain hitting her heart. In her head, she'd long known she could never be with the man of her dreams, but that didn't mean her heart had managed to let go.
Haku, noticing her downcast expression, creased his brows in a frown. What was she thinking about for her face to contort in that manner? Unless… she really did return the same feelings for him.
But no, he couldn't confirm it. He wouldn't affirm it. He refused to lift his hopes up. It was literally impossible between them to even see each other two-way. "I love you, Chihiro…"
Chihiro's ears perked up at the whispers of the wind. "I love you, Chihiro…" it seemed to sing in a melodious tone. She smiled ruefully at that. 'Great, now you're hallucinating.' It was all wishful thinking on her part. It would never be possible between them. "I love you… Haku…" she mistakenly thought aloud, but in an incredibly soft volume, making it unclear even to the sensitive ears of the dragon.
Chihiro looked up at the sky. It was starting to get dark. She pulled out her phone. The time showed 5pm. "Oh… time's up…" she muttered.
Haku knew it too. And he stood as she scrambled to her feet and dusted the snow off her wet pants. "Goodbye Haku, I'll see you another time, I guess…" she muttered, her fingertips that were on his palm reluctantly letting go.
The man watched as his beloved trudged off into the bitter cold. Dissatisfaction washed over him. He didn't want to let her off like that. He couldn't bear it. All he wanted was to reach out to her and just hold her in his arms. Even a minute with her would be enough. But he would never allow himself to be so selfish. He had to let her go. She had her life to live, and the wise, logical part of him knew he had to let go, for the better of both parties.
Her shivering figure became smaller and smaller gradually, but the wind continually whispered his words in her cold ears. "I love you, Chihiro…"
'Happy Valentines' Day,' they both thought miserably as they went their separate ways, with the conflicting winds breezing in two completely different directions.
The cold winter night came, and the couple, each other's letters in hand, fell into a deep sleep, dreaming sweet, sweet dreams of each other. Dreams that would never come true.
A/N: And... that's it. Review if you've read this to give me some opinions? Heh thanks! And God bless! :3