A/N: This was written at ten past one in the morning for no reason other than I was bored and fancied it. It's set mainly during the last episode of the anime series and is based around a one sided fic between Tsukumo and Shusei.
Disclaimer: Uragiri wa Boku no Namae o Shitteiru and all characters and plot belong to Odagiri Hotaru. I do not make any money from this piece.
He smiled
The feelings have been there since not long after I met him. The quiet one who's eyes analysed every situation and seemed to bore right through to my very centre. He'd been intimidating at first, his face never showing any emotion to anyone other than Hotsuma and both Toko and I had tried to stay out of his way.
I don't know when things started to change exactly but after a while I started to notice things about him. The way his hair moved in the wind, the graceful movements with which he did everything and his affectionate smile that was saved simply for his partner. I wish he'd look at me like that instead of with a cold hardness, as if I was the enemy and not the ally.
I've tried everything I could to make him lighten up around me. I offered to make him food, tried to convince him to go out with me to see a film or something but instead he stared at me silently for a few seconds before politely declining. Although each second that he stared at me, tossing up my words I felt my face heating up a little like a school girl with her crush. 'He must know' I thought with every rejection. Why would he want to be around me anyway? He has Hotsuma to think about.
Everything was coming to a close now, my chances at having him smile at me were slipping away. So I tried one last time.
I was not expecting the brush of his knuckles softly against my cheek and the soft words. I stood frozen for a second. This was it. This was my chance to show him that I cared.
I opened my mouth to spill my guts to him. Leave myself open and vulnerable for his attack or recognition. Yes, I didn't want love from him for I knew I would never get it. Hotsuma was the most important thing in his life, as was the way of the Zweilts so I could not fault him that. But as I opened my mouth in order to tell him everything, I changed my mind.
My heart pounded as he opened up to me a little. He cared enough to scold me and he felt safe enough to confide a little about his younger life. My smile was genuine and all for him, there was no one else that was really worthy of this smile. Only him.
As I left the room I felt like someone had started fireworks in my belly. He knew I was there. He wanted me there. He wanted me safe. My parting words were said jokingly but I meant them. 'Next time, try to pay me a little more attention'. Maybe next time, he'd be the one to bring me a lolly pop.
His answer made my heart soar. Maybe I did have a chance after all.
He smiled.
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