Gosick is probably one of my favorite shows and I simply could not resist the urges to write for it, so here you go! Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own Gosick :'(
The Wolf And The Squirrel
A pure azure sky seemed to glow behind the bright, cottony clouds, wispy yet thick, like brushstrokes on a canvas.
The green grass shown nicely under the Summer sun, making the scenery of the Academy look like a picturesque photo out of a picture book.
A boy with longish, chocolate-colored hair, dressed in a gray school uniform and hat dashed cheerfully toward the library building that towered above him like a massive, Gothic cathedral. He had just finished setting up a picnic blanket and basket beneath the largest tree in the courtyard and was now off to fetch his companion; he had promised her this day together, and though she did not show it, he knew that she was eagerly awaiting the outing as much as he was.
Entering the building, he was refreshed as the cool breeze from within washed over him and looked up toward the colossal glass ceiling, decorated with beautiful paintings. He then let his brown eyes wander to the grand staircase and, straightening his posture with renewed energy, he ran off toward the structure and skipped up the stairs two at a time, a feat that had taken him many weeks to master. With the smile spread across his face as he ascended, he felt more enthused as he reached the top, only taking a short time to catch his breath.
"Victorique!" He sang out, his voice echoing off of the distant walls in a familiar manner.
He glanced around briefly before he laid eyes upon his small, blonde friend.
"You don't need to shout, Baka Kujo," she snapped in her monotone voice that was supposed to sound annoyed but poorly hid excitement and delight. "I could hear you blundering up the stairs, as usual." She looked up at the sky. "About time, too. You were almost late." She remarked.
"Yes, yes." He said dismissively.
Then, he noticed the new dress she was wearing; it was a light blue, a color he had never seen on her before, embroidered with intricate lace that was colored in darker tones of azure, resembling the sky. White ruffles ran down her sleeves and chest as well as around the bottom of the dress, like clouds; little blue shoes completed her outfit at the floor, whereas a similarly colored bonnet topped her head. "I like your dress." He commented happily.
She froze in front of him as a tiny pink blush crept across her cheeks. She was about to muster up the pride to thank him, but before she could, he opened his mouth first. "Hm? Victorique, your face is getting red. Do you-"
"Gah, shut up, Baka Kujo!" She exclaimed, exasperated. The boy blinked but then chuckled in amusement.
"Right, right, sorry. Now, let's go! All the picnic supplies are ready." He reached out and took her hand, turning toward the staircase, but felt a tug of resistance and turned back to her. "Victorique?"
"K-Kujo..." She mumbled, trailing off as she looked down at her other hand. His eyes followed hers and he saw her clasping a little trinket between her fingers; it was the copper necklace he had given her several months ago. He tilted his head to one side before comprehension flooded over him.
"Alright." He muffled a small laugh. "Give it here."
"I-It's because it got caught in my hair when I was changing." She defended herself bashfully as he took the pendant from her. "I...I didn't want to take if off, but it hurt, so..." Her voice became quiet and she bowed her head a little.
Kujo blinked affectionately at her; he knew she always hated taking that pendant off, especially after how she had lost her mother's; losing his would be devastating to her.
Moving behind her, he draped the necklace around her collarbones and brushed her luscious, golden hair to the side. She was silent as he clipped the pendant securely; he could not help but notice that she was shaking slightly; he wanted to ask her about it, but decided better of it at the moment.
"There." He said, patting her shoulder once to signify that he was finished. Victorique fidgeted a bit to rearrange her hair comfortably before she seemed satisfied. Kujo offered her his hand again and she gave a tiny smile and was about to accept it when he suddenly pulled it away, her smile disappearing in a heartbeat. "Sorry." He scratched his head. "I'll meet you down there." Was all he said as he turned toward the staircase.
Victorique blinked in confusion at his back before she realized that he assumed she was taking the elevator. An annoyed pout came across her cheeks and she reached forward and grabbed his sleeve.
"Kujo!" She yelled, exasperated.
"Hm? What is it?" He asked, looking back. The girl reddened again but she pulled him back toward her nonetheless.
"You idiot." She glared up at him with her gorgeous emerald irises. "Of course I'll be coming down with you!" She barked.
His shocked expression soon melted into another wide smile, warmer than the sun.
"Victorique..." His voice was elated as he offered his hand once more. The Gray Wolf regarded his hand as though it would trick her again and leave her hanging, but after she cautiously extended her arm, his warm fingers gently closed around hers and she allowed her lips to form a small smile again.
Kujo was taken aback as his hand grasped hers; her fingers were cold and trembling slightly, and when he looked her over once more, her small shoulders were shaking again. It is kind of cool in here... He noted to himself, not wanting to say anything that may make her upset. But I guess...after being in here all day, even though the sun shines down through the glass, and even though the flowers grow...still, for someone like her, it must get cold pretty quickly.
"Mm?" Victorique growled impatiently from behind him. "What happened? Did your small brain finally melt from all that heat outside?" She wondered.
"S-Sorry!" He apologized, shaking his head and forcing his gaze away from her. "Let's go!" Pulling on her wrist, he led her to the top of the stairs. "But let's go slowly. I don't want you to-"
"What are you waiting for?" The girl shot forward next to him and began racing down the stairs, yanking his hand along. Kujo stumbled forward with a yell of surprise as he somehow managed to keep himself from falling.
"Oy, Victorique! That's dangerous!" He complained, straightening up and following her down the stairs, tugging on her hand a bit to make her slow down. However, from the side angle of her face, he saw a bright smile on her lips, her beautiful, sea-green eyes sparkling with childish excitement. She had not heard his outburst, or if she had, she had merely ignored it, but Kujo found himself unable to be upset with her and soon found himself following eagerly after her down the long, spiraling staircase. She was so small that he managed to fit in beside her and they descended the rest of the stairs side by side. The adrenaline raced through their veins as their shadows danced beneath the sunlight on the ground.
Kujo had gotten so used to this staircase, he was not fatigued at all when they had almost reached the end, however, Victorique's long dress and short stride hindered her pace and her breath came quickly, so he slowed down for her. However, when he reached the ground, Kujo's arm pulled hers forward by accident and she tripped on the final step with a short shriek.
"W-Whoa!" Kujo exclaimed as he dove in to catch her, steadying her in his arms. "Are you okay?"
"I-Idiot!" She huffed. "Don't just suddenly stop like...that..." her annoyed remark slowly trailed off into a mumble as she realized their proximity, their noses only inches apart. Her face flushed pink and she quickly regained her composure and pushed him away.
"I'm fine. Let's go." She fought her hardest to keep the embarrassed tremor out of her voice. Kujo shook his head with a helpless, yet mildly amused smile and followed her out of the tower.
The two sauntered in the warm sunlight until they reached the large tree where the boy had already set up their picnic under the shade of its leaves.
Victorique lifted her dress slightly and circled once like a cat before taking her seat, dropping down to her knees as the blue layers of lace and frill flew up around her; the action was anything but graceful, yet the resulting image of her sitting there on the little pink blanket in the grass was nothing short of the image of majestic royalty.
Kujo crossed his legs and sat down beside her, reaching for the basket and stifling a chuckle when he saw the blissful look on Victorique's face, like a puppy about to receive her favorite treat. As he began bringing out the assortments of different snacks and placing them on small plates, her curiosity could be forced down no longer.
"So what have you brought me to stave off my death of boredom today?" She wondered, titling her head curiously at some unfamiliar candies. He commenced in his usual routine of naming them off and she took up her role of testing them each out.
They ate for a few moments, chattering or bickering here and there before Kujo remembered the special treat he had brought for her.
"Oh! Here." He handed her a small, round snack, slightly cold and wrapped in plastic. Blinking as her lips pursed questioningly, she carefully unwrapped the little bundle to find a reddish biscuit inside.
"What's this?" she wondered, giving it an experimental poke. "Ah! It's cold!"
"It's called mochi. It's really good; probably one of my favorite treats. It's sort of like ice cream, I guess." He explained, keeping it as simple as possible. "I was so glad that I happened to find one last time I went into town! I didn't think they'd have them here." He grinned.
"Hm? You only found one?" She queried.
"Y-Yeah. Sorry." He scratched his head in embarrassment again.
"You moron." She snorted lightly with a tiny smile and he looked over to meet her eyes. "I didn't mean it like that." Carefully, she broke the treat into two pieces and held one out to him. "You really like it, don't you?"
Kujo's jaw fell a little before he smiled grandly, gratefully accepting her offering.
"Thanks, Victorique." He said, biting into the mochi.
After a hesitant moment, the girl did the same, her eyes widening at the strange taste before she let the soft, chewy sensation cool her down. She closed her eyes as though she were in heaven, savoring the odd flavor.
But as she popped the final piece into her mouth, Kujo, reaching for a napkin, got just a little too close unexpectedly; she became instantly flustered and began choking.
"V-Victorique?" He moved closer to her as she bent forward, her long hair spilling out over her shoulders as she continued to cough. "Hey, take it easy." His eyebrows furrowed with worry as he debated going for help, but quickly dismissed the thought of leaving her. He gently patted her back until she finally became quiet, then raised her head, wheezing. "Are you okay? You shouldn't eat so fast."
Her cheeks flushed red again with frustration. "I-Idiot!" She panted. "It wasn't because of that! It was because y-" she cut off, coughing again.
"Oy, oy!" He patted her back again soothingly. "Don't talk just yet."
"Y...You idiot..." was all she managed to gasp out, her annoyed glare sufficing for the rest of the chastisement. She finally straightened her posture again and Kujo helped smooth her hair out; she made a small 'humph!' sound, pouted and turned away from him briefly. He laughed half-heartedly before tapping her shoulder and offering her a glass of cold water. She turned and took the drink from him, her chin still up high and her chest puffed out as Kujo sighed helplessly again.
Once the food was gone, the two cleaned up all supplies, save the blanket, upon Victorique's request.
"I...I don't want to go back inside yet..." she mumbled, as though there were reason to be embarrassed about the request.
"Yeah! Me neither." He agreed. "It's so warm out today, and the breeze is nice." He moved over a foot or so to lean back against the trunk of the large tree that shielded them from the sun; after contemplating for a moment, Victorique joined him.
A pair of squirrels playing rustled the leaves overhead and the two of them looked up, past the many branches to look at the sky. "Those clouds look really cool!" He exclaimed; Victorique did not know if it was to her or to himself. "That one kind of looks like the Inspector's hairstyle." He noted, pointing upward. "And that one-" he cut off when he heard a familiar laughter coming from beside him and looked over at her. "W...What is it?"
Judging by the amount of passion in her laughter, he assumed he would be made fun of. However, the words that came out of her mouth were not quite what he expected.
"It seems Grevil was right in giving you that nickname." She mused.
"H-Hah?" He blurted out, slightly offended. She quelled her snickers before she leaned back against the tree again, looking up at the sky with bright eyes.
"You really are like a baby squirrel. Always chattering about stupid things." She paused and then sighed before lowering her gaze. "But I guess that's what let's you be happy. And free."
"Victorique..." he said quietly before she continued on. "You're always so lively and eager whenever I see you. You're noisy and foolish just like a baby squirrel. You're outcasted amongst your other classmates because of some stupid rumors... But..." she paused once more and inhaled deeply. "Being noisy and cheerful and eager...that's...what I like about you..." She whispered, closing her eyes.
A second later, they flew open again in shock as she realized she had just voiced her thoughts aloud. She shot a fearful glance at him, her eyes despaired as though her confession would have destroyed their friendship.
But his eyes were calm and warm, endearing as if he was elated at hearing her words.
"You know," he said, breaking their eye contact to look up at the sky again. "You fit you're nickname too; the Gray Wolf. You're clever and powerful, and even a little intimidating at time," she snorted and he chuckled before going on, "but I know you're also really lonely up there, and sad...But you accepted me." He finished, turning back to grin at her.
She felt a pang in her chest, but it did not hurt; rather, it felt fuzzy and somehow pleasant. Her emerald eyes sparkled as they locked with his.
"Kujo..." her voice was soft and gentle as she smiled back at him.
Without a word, the Kujo laid down on his back beneath the shade, and Victorique coyly curled up beside him, the blue of her dress reflecting the sky. However, she was a bit too far away for his liking, and so he reach out and pulled her in by her shoulders. She gasped at first and was about to protest before she let her true emotions take over and she instead pressed herself against him.
Never before had she been so close to another person, not even her beloved mother. It felt strange at first, as though her body had become accustomed to being cold for all the years she had been alone. But then, she felt the sensation she had only felt before within the arms of her mother, an affection she had been longing for ever since.
A small whimper escaped her lips as she nestled closer to him, and he gingerly ran his fingers through her soft, golden hair, gently rubbing her back, bringing her closer, and her little heartbeat fluttered. She allowed her eyes to close as she cuddled into his warmth, trying to share her own; his smile was warmer than the sun, and his embrace even more so.
She was just about to doze off, more elated than ever before, when she heard his familiar voice.
"I'm glad you could come with me today." He murmured.
"Yes." She breathed. "Thank you, Kujo." The sincerity in her voice was enough to make him hug her closer and she did not mind in the slightest.
"And," he went on. "No matter what we are, whether it's a Golden Fairy and a Grim Reaper, a monster and a rabbit, or a wolf and a squirrel, even though we'd be so different for nature to separate us by species..."
"We're not different enough to be separated by worlds." She laughed lightly. "That's right. We can be as different as any of those things, but we're still on the same Earth together."
"Exactly." He turned to the side and gently kissed her forehead. She jumped as she waited for her heart rate to return to normal, then closed her eyes.
"Thank you, Kujo..." her voice trailed off into the breeze.
After a few moments, her slow breathing told him that she was fast asleep, and he too allowed his eyes to close.
Though they were shielded off from the sunlight, they were warmer than ever as they drifted off into slumber, the two who were not supposed to be together, but overcame all obstacles to be so regardless; the wolf and the squirrel.
A/N: I hope you enjoyed it. I know it was kinda messy, but I tried to keep them as IC as possible while still trying to have it be sweet, so I hope I did okay in that department. Hopefully I'll be writing more for these two in the future!
Please review!