neverland
marlene x denzel x moogle girl

neverland (n); a fictional place often used as a metaphor for eternal childhood, immortality, and escapism.

"I love you, Denzel."

"Love you too, Marlene." It was automatic, a custom, a routine–something to be said before they went to bed. It meant, "I'm here, I'm with you, I'm not leaving," but nothing else. Never really I love you–not that way. They were siblings. Sure, they weren't biological, but they lived together, slept in the same room, ate together, played together... They weren't really siblings, but they might as well have been.

I love you. Denzel didn't know and he never would–that in Marlene's heart, it meant so much more.

.

The years passed. "I love you," Marlene murmured, as she had always done before bed. But it became harder and harder to tell him, because he would always think of it as if they were still children. As if it didn't mean anything.

Denzel nodded, smiling. "I know."

But you don't know. You don't know how I feel. "Do you love me?"

"Yeah."

"Really?"

"Of course, Marlene. You're my sister."

And that was how it always ended–with Marlene chasing after a love that didn't exist.

.

They were older, more responsible, more mature… But Marlene's feelings hadn't changed. She heard giggling from Denzel's room and she knew. The moogle girl. Of course she had a name, but for Marlene to think it made everything ten times worse. Because she hated the girl with the pigtails. Hated that Denzel liked her, hated that she was almost his sister, hated that she wasn't his sister, and hated that she herself, Marlene Wallace, was. And then she hated herself for hating it all, because it was impossible not to like the girl with the pigtails and it was stupid to selfishly put herself in front of Denzel's happiness. And she wouldn't anymore, even if it broke her heart.

"Do you think we'll always be together?" It was raining outside. Marlene had her hand pressed across the cool windowpane but she didn't want to face Denzel–not yet.

"I don't know. I hope so."

"Why?"

"Because… It's hard to imagine not having you around. You've always been there, ever since I came here–even through geostigma and all our ups and downs." Denzel chuckled softly.

She still didn't turn to look at him because she couldn't and it was impossible to tell what he was feeling anyway. But she smiled at his sincere words, and replied, "I'm glad." Her happiness was short-lived as she saw the pigtailed moogle girl approaching 7th Heaven and knocking lightly on the door.

"Oh, she's early…" Denzel thought aloud. He stood and walked over to where Marlene was at the window. "I'll be back soon. Love you." He kissed her quickly on the cheek and headed outside to join the girl with the pigtails. Marlene watched them leave and a single tear trickled sluggishly down her cheek.

Love you. Although the words were honest, they didn't mean it that way. They never would. Because she was his sister and it was weird and that would always be the wall between them.

.

She never wanted to grow older. She wanted to stay a child, where she could tell Denzel "I love you" as many times as she wanted and there would be nothing wrong with that. She wanted to hold his hand without it being weird and spend time with him because they were siblings and that's what brothers and sisters did. But Marlene knew it was a lost cause. Dreams could be fulfilled–she knew that just by looking at the lives of the people she knew–but, with lost faith and helpless tears, she realised hers never would.

a / n : Wow, this a lot more angsty than what I usually write... Normally I don't like Denzel/Marlene as a romantic pairing, but this plotbunny jumped out and attacked me and I just had to write it! :D Enjoy; please review if you want to because reviews are love.