Two hours! Did you hear me two freaing hours!
Leia! This is for you.
Inspired by an artwork that I'm too lazy to look up right now.
Enjoy~!
Roads of life, paths to love
From the very first time it happened, it was a passing glance.
I was walking down the street on an autumn's day. I was wearing my top hat and my best suit. Brother was going on about something about a dark-haired young woman with a temper that bested even the most brutal of men.
It was mid-day that I decided to go into the shopping square. I was just strolling along; sampling the small bits of food and having small talk with other shoppers. It wasn't long before I came across an apple stand.
That's when I saw you.
Tall stature, long dark brown hair tied back into a ponytail and very light skin.
You were picking some apples and putting them in a bag. Maybe it was for you or for someone else. But I didn't care at the time.
All I saw was you.
Then you turned and saw me.
Our eyes linked.
Something clicked between us.
It was all too fast for my liking.
But I liked it.
Soon there was a smile on your face.
I smiled back.
A second of recognition.
And it was all I needed.
Then you turned away just as I did the same.
We were nothing but strangers.
But the feeling inside me was anything but strange.
I couldn't describe it nor had I felt that way with anyone else.
And that made me happy.
But time went on for us.
I spent the rest of my life never knowing what that feeling really was.
Nor did that image of your smile left my mind.
The second time that it happened, it was at a bar.
You were a bartender wiping some cups; working a late night shift. You were quite popular for a small-time drink mixer but it was well deserved.
I came in crying and whimpering. I just left my brother's funeral and took a taxi cab into the city. He died along with his best friend in a car-crash. It was shortly after my brother wanted to ask out his friend and hoped he say yes.
Too bad he never got that moment.
You saw me coming in and had a worried look on your face.
I saw it and it made me angry. I never knew why but I was stupid as I was prideful.
I ordered a drink.
You complied.
After my fourth glass, you started a conversation. I wasn't feeling up for it and I told you to go away and let me drink myself to death.
It was then that your hand touched mine.
Yes both of our hands were on the empty glass that was filled with scotch but the gesture made me blush all the same.
Why?
You took the cup away and started cleaning it. You started telling me a story of how you were just an only child; your twin a stillborn and both parents murdered in their sleep. You knew what was in my eyes and just hated it.
Funny, I hated it too.
You saw me tearing up and shyly you helped me wipe my tears away; telling me that it's alright.
But it wasn't, was it?
You barely knew me.
And yet you always knew what to say.
Like we have met before.
It was rather ridiculous but I was glad.
I stopped crying.
You stopped worrying.
We both looked at each other and smiled.
It wasn't alright but it was started to feel that way.
Those hours of the night went into the morning as we just talked.
Talked until our own throats hurt.
But in a relaxing way.
Before I left you asked.
"Will you be back?"
I turned to you and nodded. Knowing that I will see you again and knowing that it wouldn't be the last time I see you either.
"Of course I will. What are friends for?"
It was slow but to me, it was a start.
The third time that it happened, I knew what the word Like entailed.
I was an upperclassman in a local highschool. My hair was short and I had no brother. But I was friends with a tall dark-haired young man who was longing for something that he can never find. I never knew what it was but I can tell.
What a poor soul.
It was around valentine's day when guys and girls were giving or receiving chocolate. It was a very rare delicacy in that part of the country since the law stated that we were never to more than a hand full of sweets every week.
Well, life in a totalitarian country was no picnic for anyone.
I got my usual batch of sweets and gifts from various girls and a few guys. I was quite popular despite my somewhat rusted personality. I didn't care though. It just meant more hearts to break the day after.
However I saw a certain item in that batch. One that was unlike the rest. It was simple but meant more, oh so much more.
A single blue ribbon.
It was long but silky and humble. It was hand woven and a bit thick. My heart skipped a beat; having that feeling inside of me and taking over. I pushed my other gifts aside; only settling on this particular one.
I wore it around my neck.
And have so for weeks.
But one day I was in a fight and the precious item was ripped from me for good.
I was under a tree crying for it. I didn't care for my bruises and cuts. Just on that item.
Then I saw it.
Dangling in front of me.
I looked up.
And there you were.
You were worried about me.
But all I saw was the ribbon.
I smiled.
You saw that smile and smiled back. You then sat next to me; tending to my injuries.
I wondered who you were and why would you have such a lovely thing in your hands.
For a while you didn't say a word; just bandaging what you could and cleaning out the rest with bottled water and a piece of cloth.
It was the same blue color as the ribbon.
I was surprised and it must have showed on my face.
Because you looked at me and nodded with a bright smile.
I thought my own heart stopped beating from that point on.
The fourth time that it happened, the word like changed into Love.
We were living in a very chaotic world; nothing but being busy and having stuff to do even on our days off. Weeks ago, you asked me to move in with you; having dated for quite some time.
I said yes and there we were; living together under the same roof.
You had work to do at a local bookstore and I was doing work with a brush and board. We've made some good money and saved most of it on a rainy day. We would have night outs and vacation in the weirdest places.
But as long as I was with you, I didn't mind one bit.
It was late that one night; almost midnight. I was up and painting. I couldn't sleep. Something kept me up. I heard your bedroom door open and those light footsteps coming closer to me.
I felt your arms wrap around me and I smiled.
You were worried again.
And I would tell you that you shouldn't.
You asked what I was painting.
It was two angels holding hands in the sky. The cool colors mixed and swirl around them but a bright glow of yellow-white surrounded their hands and bodies. I called it Life after death.
You asked why I would give it such a silly name.
I shrugged; thinking that any title would do. I thought it summed it up pretty nicely.
But then you shook your head. You argued that nothing came after death, that it's the life part that he was most concerned about.
I never knew what possessed me to ask but I did.
"Why would you think that?"
A kiss on my neck that sent shivers down my spine. He whispered something in my ear but your words rang loud and clear to me.
"I have you. And that's something worth having in life. And I'm glad we're both alive to experience that with each other."
I dropped my paintbrush and gave you a gentle kiss.
You kissed back with warmth that I found myself craving more for.
We stayed like that for a while.
You then carried me in your arms and I let you.
That's how two beds came into one.
The fifth time that it happened, the word love became a stable ground for me.
We were living in a farm. We planted fruits and veggies for a Piffle company that canned and ships them. We have been doing business with them for years. Born in the same place, grew up in the same place.
You were plucking some corn while I was picking berries.
We would glance at each other with teasing smiles and joking gestures. We were married and my little brother was out with his friend. A school field trip, I would think.
The summer sun was hot and I was quitting for the time being. I walked over you with a whine.
You laughed; taking off that huge hat of yours to fan yourself with.
I started taking off my shirt; my skin already glistening with sweat. I didn't notice that look you had for me. I was wiping the sweat off my eyes before I found myself on the ground. I looked up and saw you staring down at me with those hungry eyes.
I no longer cared what color they are.
Just that they were on you.
Soon enough all clothing as discarded on the dirt. I was clawing your back.
You moved inside of me.
Oh so hot and wet pushing into me.
Pleasuring me.
Loving me.
I was moaning your name; feeling so high in the clouds.
You grunted with a smile; loving the noises I made.
We went together.
White was on and in me.
As we were lying on the paved dirt in the corn field, we looked at each other and laughed; wondering what was going through our heads when we did that.
But I didn't care.
And you didn't either.
It was the best summer of our lives.
The sixth time that it happened, I found out that love came with a price.
We had made a lot of mistakes, more than one would even dare to make. Some were little, slipping away with a notice and some that hit us so hard that it came back to haunt us.
But you took the blame for all of them.
Every single one.
I wished that you didn't.
Then I wouldn't be here kneeling before you, having you in my arms as you were bleeding to death. It was too dark out to see anything. Even the street lights gave out only a dim view of the room we were in.
No room light.
No sirens.
Not even stars in the pitch black sky.
I held you close as you drew in your last breath; proclaiming your love to me one more time before you were still. Your skin grew cold and your body slumped in my arms.
I cried.
The pain of losing you was just too much for me.
You had no regrets and died with a smile on your face.
But of course it wasn't a too way street.
For the same couldn't be said for me.
The seventh time that it happened, you weren't there.
At all.
In fact, you never existed.
No death of you or the birth of you.
Not a trace.
Not even a feeling.
Just…hallow and bare.
I went my whole life doing what I must and handling what I can do without much of a care.
But every night I would stay up, looking at the soaring planets above with a look on my face. I had everything going in my life but found that there was a hole in my heart; one that I have trying to fill but never could.
I wondered why.
And had been for the rest of my days.
The eighth time that it happened, I was the one who wasn't there.
Not as a person, at least.
I was a painting in a grand museum, part of an exhibit that featured only portraits; fictional or otherwise.
Hanging on a wall, I was painted rather well. Plenty of details and right use of colors. Though I could never speak or move, I had a smile on my face.
Then it was found out that you painted me.
You spoke with reporters about how I came to be his work.
"I just came to me." You would say. "I was sleeping one night and boom, there it is. I just couldn't stop until I was done."
It had taken you three years to paint me and paint me the way you felt was right. Never once did you quit on me or thrown me away. You just kept going until I was done.
Smiles and all.
You refused to sell me; you refused to give me away.
I was yours and yours alone.
Nothing would change that.
And even as a painting I was fine with that.
But not everyone was.
It was early morning when you can to check up on me.
I was still there, smiling carefree at you.
You grinned back.
Soon you started talking to me; how he was wondering how I came to be your one and only great artwork. I was simple and a bit plain. I didn't differ from the rest and besides that smile I had, nothing interested him about me.
But then you spoke of a feeling.
A feeling deep inside that you couldn't explain but accepted it all the same.
Because accepting it would be good for you.
Or so you thought.
Next thing you knew, you had a whole in your chest.
And there was blood splatter on me.
Your body was soon in a pool of blood; your eyes clouded and dark. You never saw that coming. Whoever did that to you wanted me as a possession and refused to take no for an answer.
So you paid the price.
As did I.
We were both burned in a pit of fire; never to be seen again.
But always next to each other.
The ninth time that it happened, we exist and then we didn't.
I was a child I think. But even a child wouldn't have so many burdens on them. At least not a normal one. I wasn't at all normal. I had long dirty hair, tattered soiled clothes and my eyes, big and rustic. I stood in nothing but black. I wondered what had happened to me to come into such a place.
I looked down and saw a huge hole in my chest.
Then it hit me.
I was a twin. One half of an accused misfortune. I was locked high up in a tower; screaming for brother. I didn't want him to suffer. I wanted to him to be happy. A man came through a rift and made us choose who would leave.
Me or him.
I chose him.
And I died.
Sitting in the black vast of nothingness, I waited. And waited. And waited.
I never knew what I was waiting for; just that I was waiting.
Soon enough, a woman came to me out from the black. She was tall and beautiful with weird clothes that I have never seen before. She almost looked like a butterfly, a very rare butterfly that landed near me, gracing me with its presence.
She soon told me what had happened to me; even though I knew.
I asked her if I can leave yet. I wanted out. To where, I never knew. But I wanted out.
She shook her head and pointed to her right.
I followed and before my eyes, you came.
But why did I know it was you?
I've never seen you before in my short life; magic or not.
And yet, I was relieved.
Happy to see you.
Whoever you were.
You were just a huge entity suspended in midair; next to the woman and in front of me. Your eyes opened and you were crying.
Why?
Why were you crying?
Did you die?
Did someone kill you?
Please talk to me.
I want to help!
It's okay to cry.
Really it is.
Because I felt the same way.
But I never got to say those words to you as the woman started speaking.
We did exist but then we didn't.
We were mere pawns in a sick man's game.
Only our souls remained.
Our bodies had withered and our worlds were no longer there.
He was a failed clone.
And I was dead.
Different but the same.
We were giving a choice by the woman.
To live again in a world free of magic, free of pre-destined torture….
Free of that man.
You seemed to hesitate; wondering what the price was.
I started to wonder that too.
What would we pay for that?
The woman didn't say a word but reached out to both of us.
We felt her.
And then we didn't.
You looked at me and gave out such a sad smile. As if you were guilty of something.
I blinked before I shook my head.
Even though I have never met you before.
Never spoken with you,
Never befriended you,
It doesn't matter what you did.
As long as you did what you could with a goal and reason in mind,
As long as you died protecting someone and believing in them,
Then it's enough.
I smiled back at you.
Your smiled lightened.
Something clicked between us as we stared at each other.
The woman smiled at us.
I was engulfed by darkness once again.
Only that time, I didn't open my eyes.
The tenth time that it happened…..
"Hey, name's Syaoron Li. I'm Syaoran's older brother."
"Hi, I'm Yuui Fluorite. I'm Fai's younger but more mature brother."
I came to this place that was an academy. I was offering an opening to be a cooking teacher by a chairman named Yuuko Ichihara. After much hesitation, I finally took it and before I knew it, I was living with brother and being friends with a gym teacher, Kurogane Suwa.
Those two were so in love, it was kind of hard to miss.
It was a few months in that I came to meet you. You were a student and I was a teacher. You had classes with me and we soon became friends.
But one day when we were under the Sakura tree in the middle of spring, you looked at me and smiled.
I didn't know how and I didn't know why. But I felt like I have seen that smile somewhere before.
But where?
Then something clicked in me.
I blushed.
You found yourself blushing back but with that smile.
It was the same. So warm and gentle.
Like I have seen it before.
But then I didn't care.
I placed my lips gently on yours. After a few seconds, you kissed back. We soon found ourselves holding hands and laying on the bark. Just the two of us and our moment as one.
One and the same.
It was shortly after that I realized something.
It doesn't matter to me how we first met, when we met, what we looked like, how we lived or how we died.
We will always find a way to be together.
And nothing, not even fate can keep us apart.
Because we are connected.
And we have no intention of letting go.
Or at least, I won't.
Isn't that right….Syaoron?
END
Yep, it's a mess.
But a good one in my opinion.
Though that means nothing.
XD
