Daddy's Smile



Author: FuuMegami

Email: FuuNeko@yahoo.com

Rated: PG



A pale green haired golden eyed teenage girl stood in the middle of a dusty attic with a single window and a light streaming in a line.

"I can't believe it, while my friends are out bowling I'm stuck leaning the attic." The young girl grumped.

"Kiwako I'm running to the store, I'll be back soon!" Her mother, Fuu called up.

"Why Can't *I* drive to the store?" She winded.

"Because *you* can't' drive," Fuu replied.

Kiwako sighed, her mother was right, she was only fourteen. She heard her mother close the door and then start up the car. She sighed again then knelt down and began going through stacks of papers. A whole bunch of them were letters from her mother's friends Umi and Hikaru. They didn't visit too often, their children were younger than Kiwako.

"Maybe there's something here from my father." Kiwako said as she continued looking through the papers.

She went through seven stacks of paper and found nothing about or from her father. It made her mad that she didn't know more about her father. She didn't know what he looked like, she had never said anything like 'you have your dad's nose', or anything of the sort. She kicked a hat box in total frustration. The contents of the box spilled out onto the floor. She grumbled and began picking the stuff up. She was surprised to see her birth certificate had been inside. As she remembered, it had only her name and her mothers name. Kiwako Eme Hououji. She had her mother's last name, which made it impossible to even start looking for her father.

She noticed a gold ring had also been in the box, and a green and gold journal. She picked up the ring and put it on her finger. "Maybe a wedding ring?" She wondered out loud.

She put the ring down on the floor on top of her birth certificate and she picked up the journal. She opened it wondering what was inside.

'My name is Fuu Hououji, I am 15 years old. I have never kept a journal before, but I feel after what has happened I need to let my feelings out, and there is no one I can talk to. And maybe if I do write this down, someday I will be able to let go of the man I love so dearly.

We were back in Cephiro, but why? But the most important question was how could I face Ferio? Prince, Ferio.... Though he says I had to do what I did, I could still see there was something different in his eyes from the last time I saw him.

That evening during a storm I went out into the hall, I just couldn't sleep. I watched the rain and the lightning, listened to the thunder. It was like watching what was going on inside my heart. Clashing and crashing, pouring and churning.

Suddenly I felt a hand on my shoulder and his warm breathe on my bare neck. "Fuu."

I didn't want to turn around, or look at him, I couldn't look him in the eye.



Kiwako heard the phone ring, but decided not to answer. Whoever this Ferio was her mother was in love with him, it was like a fairy tale! Kiwako had always loved them and imagined her father was a prince and would someday come for her and her mother. She went back to the journal.



"You've lost weight, are you ill?" Ferio asked me.

"Not ill, no... I don't know what exactly." I said softly.

He ran his fingers through my hair causing me shiver.

"Come to my room. We can talk." Ferio suggested.

"Going to our room wouldn't be proper." I replied.

Ferio nodded. "You're right."

I nodded, and then I finally looked him in the eyes. "But I need a friend right now. Let's go."

The thunder continued and the rain poured down. Ferio put his arm around me as we walked to his room. I loved the way his arm felt around me.

We sat down together in his room in really beautiful chairs with silk cushions.

"How about a drink?" He suggested.

I didn't at first know what he meant, but soon realized he meant water. I nodded, "sure."

He handed me a glass of water and sat down next to me.

"I've missed you, I haven't had a friend like you since my sister." Ferio trailed off and then smiled.

I bowed my head. "I must confess, I thought about you all the time, and mourned the loss of both your sister, and you." I replied.

Ferio ran a finger over the back of my hand.

"I want to know, can you see us together forever, as more than just friends?" He asked as he held out a gold ring.

I felt the light die in my eyes, and I knew he could see it. It wasn't that I didn't love him. But I knew we wouldn't be together forever. And I was scared. Yes, I was afraid if we got any closer to him that I would die inside as soon as I left Cephiro again.

He put the ring on my finger. I slowly slide it off again and put down in his palm. "I'm afraid if we go any farther we will both end up hurt. I think we shouldn't even start something we can't finish." I said softly with tears in my eyes.

I stood up just as the lights in the room went out due to the storm. We were left only with the orange glow of the candles. He reached for my arm and gently pulled me back.

"Please, don't leave me." Ferio pleaded.

It was so unlike me to be so taken by him, but I was never my usual self around him.

"Please, I know you don't like taking chances. But take a chance on me. Spend the night with me." Ferio said as he took my hand.

I turned away, again unable to look him in the eye.

"I love you Fuu Hououji. And if you stay with me then at least you'll never regret the things we never did."

I turned back to him, he had said he loved me, and he was so truthful and hopeful. But as he looked into my eyes they still ceased to shine.

"I don't think even if we declare our love and spend what time we have together that will be anything but hurt in the end." I admitted.

And that was when I saw the light die in his eyes, and it made me want to die right then and there. HE was scared, scared I'd walk away.

"I just told you I loved you. I have never been so hurt." He admitted as he wiped his eyes quickly.

"I don't want to hurt you. Please understand I am only protecting you. If we never move beyond friends it won't be so hard to say good bye."

"Fuu-chan, we're already in love. It's already going to hurt. But why be hurt and regret?"

It hit me then, he was so right. I had so many regrets when I returned the first time, how was I going to feel this time?

I took the ring from his hand. "I love you. And I want to be with you."

"I want to marry you, but we don't have time for a service. So take this ring as my vow to you, that I will always love you. The ring symbolizes our love, as a circle has no end." Ferio said.

I started crying, "I vow to always love you too."



Kiwako's jaw dropped. At Fourteen she got married to a prince?! Then it hit Kiwako, her mother was just fifteen when she gave birth to her. Again she returned to the journal.

Ferio kissed me then, my first kiss.

"I want you Fuu, but not just for one night, for always." Ferio whispered.

"Always," I echoed.

Ferio blew out the candles.

A month later I realized that his vow and heart were not all he had given me that night. I miss him so much, and I see him every time she smiles.



There was nothing more written after that. Kiwako put the journal down just as the door down stairs opened. She ran down stairs to talk to her mother about the journal.

"Is it all true?!" She said excitedly.

"Is what true?" Fuu asked as she blinked.

"About Cephiro and Prince Ferio!"

Fuu smiled, "yes, it is. I stopped wearing his ring after my mother made a big deal about me wearing it when I wouldn't even say his name."

"I wish I could meet him," Kiwako said with a sigh.

"I do too, but you know, you have your daddy's smile." Fuu said as she hugged her daughter. "And he would love you so much if he met you. I know he would."

"I'm glad I cleaned the attic," Kiwako said as she whipped her eyes.

Fuu raised an eye brow, "am I right to assume that the attic is no more cleaner than when I left?"

Kiwako flashed a Ferio smile and then headed back up to the attic.

"No regrets," Fuu said with a smile.