Feeling-
A short one-shot by Sir Gigous.
…
It all started with a feeling. An unfamiliar and strange feeling. A feeling unlike anything he had ever experienced before. Yet he liked it. He liked it a lot.
It struck him so fast that he had hardly a moment to retaliate. It swept him off his feet with its limitless depths, and it swallowed his heart beneath its crashing waves. He had never felt such strong emotion towards one individual—especially one of the opposite gender—and he was left confused as to what to do with it. He was young and naïve, after all, and it seemed as if he were the only one experiencing the feelings he felt.
So the boy, quite young to be experiencing such mature emotion, tried to swallow his feeling. He was afraid that he had inherited a disease. After all, his friends were disgusted with girls. What was wrong with him that he'd look at them in such a different light?
But try as he might, he could not tame his feelings, and eventually his unusual interest in the opposite sex earned him mocking from both genders. Afraid to stand for himself and too embarrassed to turn to adults for help, he finally slid into recession, ashamed and full of fear. Yet he still liked his feeling.
He liked it a lot.
…
Time had yet to diminish his feeling. Years passed, friendships came and went, but his feeling withheld the test of time. Still, despite his perseverance, his feeling was never complimented by another.
That is, until that day.
He still remembers exiting the school house, the sneers of a certain elf and the giggles of the other children still ringing in his ears as he retrieved his books from the ground. Tears burned in his eyes as he rose and began to stumble away, his arms wrapped closely around his torso as he held the books over his broken heart. All he had wanted to do was ask her one question.
But then he heard her voice, calling him. She appeared from amidst the clouds of dust, her pale face sketched with anxiety. Then she stopped before him; the boy's heart skipped a beat. The girl, reaching out with her pale hand, asked the boy the question he hadn't the courage to ask her his entire life. And he accepted.
Then they began to walk. Together. The boy's heart felt as if it would burst with joy; he had never felt happier. And as they stepped together in time, their hands brushing against the other's ever-so-slightly, he wouldn't have traded the moment for anything. Yes, he liked his feeling.
He liked it a lot.
…
He loved those years. Ridiculed by their classmates, they made it through due only to their love, even if it seemed little more than a game to the girl. But soon maturity began to shine through in the other classmates as well. The boys and girls became less and less interested with their own kind and more and more interested in the other. Soon, the boy was left without that close feeling of companionship as everyone around him began to experience what he felt in a childish sort of way.
Eventually, despite his wanting to be with her forever, he and the girl grew apart. The childhood game, having lost its luster, eventually collapsed as the girl became aware of the other boys in a new, exciting way. This crushed the boy. He feared rejection. He feared he was not good enough. But most of all, he feared that all relationships would end in the same, heart-shattering train wreck of an end. Despite being so young, he was completely overcome with sorrow.
And so he began to withdraw. Withdraw from his few remaining friends. Withdraw from social activities. Withdraw from life. And though that fiery feeling remained throughout the whole ordeal, it no longer brought him comfort. It no longer brought him pleasure. It no longer brought him happiness. It only brought him emptiness. An emptiness that nothing seemed to fill.
That is, until she came along.
He had never paid much attention to her before. She had never interested him due to their age difference. But suddenly, she seemed to be the only thing left living for. She was beautiful, and moreover, her body was quite developed compared to the other girls. Thanks to her, his feeling suddenly overwhelmed him with comfort. It overwhelmed him with pleasure. And most importantly, it overwhelmed him with happiness. And that was all that mattered. It didn't matter if the feeling was mutual or not. All that mattered was that he now had someone to live for. And that's why he liked his feeling.
He liked it a lot.
…
Years passed within the blink of an eye, yet little changed for the boy, who was quickly becoming less of a boy and more of a man. She was still what kept him going on the days he wanted nothing more than to thrust a knife through his heart, and she was still the only apple of his eye, despite the development of the girls around him. But something was missing. The initial infatuation was fading, and that hole of emptiness was once again being uncovered within his heart.
So he decided to make his move. Against all odds, though his friends jeered and their ages differed, he confronted her. He still remembers it like it was yesterday….
She was underneath the cherry blossom tree, the blooming flower buds complimenting her hair and causing her beauty to increase tenfold when he approached. He stumbled over his words as nearby adolescences sneered at his cheesy proposal, and he felt his face burn with the intensity of the blooming flowers. But he stood his ground. And she accepted.
He would remember that moment forever. The moment in which he was finally able to clutch her in his arms. It was at that moment that he felt whole again. His feeling, stronger than ever, brought him that comfort, that security, that acceptance he had been craving for. And that was why he liked his feeling.
He liked it a lot.
…
He loved her. Never had there been a truer statement before. His entire life revolved around her, and even as the years passed his feeling never waned. He walked her to school every morning. He walked her home every evening. Whenever he wasn't working the fields or studying he was with her. Relaxing at the bathhouse. Shopping at the general store. Even cramming in the early morning before a big test. They were always together.
The only time he ever felt whole was when he was with her. She inspired him. Not only did she give him something to live for, but she gave him something to die for. She became his life, and though many of the other teenagers changed dates nearly weekly, he and his love remained steadfast. He never worried she'd break up with him. He knew she'd always be by his side.
But as the adolescent grew closer to adulthood, he found that his love began to grow discontent. She began to question what she wanted to do with her life. Instead of meeting up with him on weekends to explore the dungeons and relax at the beach, she began to investigate into various careers. But he never worried. He knew she'd always be by his side. She loved him, after all. And that was why he liked his feeling.
He liked it a lot.
…
He still loved her, but there was something wrong. She was no longer the same infatuated lover she had been when he first professed his love to her. Her visits became less and less frequent. She had stopped showing up at his house after school to say hello. She became busier. It seemed like all the time they had used to spend together she now spent working at the bathhouse with Julia, or socializing with the other adults. And when he did find a rare moment to visit her, all she had to answer for herself were excuses.
The young man told himself it was only a stage. He said she'd come back around as soon as she became more secure. After all, they loved each other.
Didn't they?
Soon, however, the visits stopped all together. They no longer stayed up late at night to talk. They no longer snuck kisses behind the school when they thought no one was looking. Instead, she seemed more interested in the other man her age. And she didn't even have the dignity to close her relationship before she began to date him.
Eventually, the boy was forced to give up. This was his last year of school, and he had more important matters to focus on. But something was missing. His life felt empty, and every night he cried himself to sleep at the thought of losing her. He knew she was gone; she had taken a part of him with her. All that remained of him now was a small, broken feeling, rattling around inside his empty heart like a pebble in an empty can.
All he had left to hold on to was his feeling. And that is why he liked his feeling.
He liked it a lot.
…
A.N. Hopefully this story left some sort of an impact on you. What started with a young boy looking for love soon turned into a heartbroken man with nothing but an empty shell of a person left. Unfortunately, this story may be more fact than fiction, for this is the life story of many modern American teenagers. Teens these days are so quick to just thrust their heart onto someone else who, more often than not, ends up breaking the person's heart. Just some food for thought.
Anyway, I know this wasn't really a Rune Factory story in the sense that the characters were only implied and not actually used, but I want to publish it here anyway. Also, if possible, please review. I can certainly use the encouragement, but only do what you feel comfortable with.
Thanks for reading.
Edit: Fixed the missing space. Thanks SoujaGurl.
-[Sir Gigous]-