Oh my gosh I love this couple! I think I'm in to couples that just...won't ever happen because that's all I write. HA~! This is JUST a oneshot centered around Numbuhs 1 and 3. What can Juri say about this . . .? Hm . . . I hope you . . .
Enjoy!
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There was a time when Nigel Uno thought becoming a teenager was the worst thing in the world. You were old enough to be considered an enemy, but too young to be considered a valued ally to the real enemies.
It was also a time where literally one day the Kids Next Door and all its glory welcomed and protected you with every fiber of its being, and the next, those same fibers fought against you. Of course, there was no way a teenager would have the required memories to feel such dread (not all of them, anyway), but it was still a thought that filled Nigel Uno with so much anguish as a child.
Now, he realized there could be worse things.
When you are among the very seldom few who are spared decommissioning, memories become the worst things in the world. When the KND offered a position as an undercover operative (and low-key leader) on the morning of Numbah 1's thirteenth birthday, no other present, no other joy, no other scenario had been better than remaining a member of an organization that had become the center of his life.
Naturally, things changed when his fellow teammates began to be decommissioned; thus, losing the main components as to why their friendship was so strong. Sure, they all had an irrefutable feeling that they were close and had been for a long time, but no one could recall why. There were certain memories from school they remembered, and many other unrelated KND moments, but the real bond, the dangerous situations that they each staked their lives for, were all forgotten. It's not like he needed them to remember to feel like it all happened, but he couldn't forget. He probably would never forget, seeing how there was no reason to ever decommission him, but he never realized how . . . torturous memories could be.
Especially when feelings were attached.
Numbuh 3 was the youngest; therefore, she was the last to be decommissioned. During those last few months, the two were paired on many missions together; it was probably due to the fact that the (superficial) loss of his friends was taking a toll on Mr. Uno, so having Numbuh 3 around was surely a way to cheer him up.
But it was the complete opposite.
Yes, he was glad to hold on to the last coherent member of his team, but it was her. Having her around constantly reminded him of what was to come—what was to be expected—what he knew he would always regret. Every smile she passed his way, every elated greeting she breathed, every soft-spoken words of departure she uttered tore mercilessly at his heart, but no one knew.
No one ever knew what affect she had on him.
Numbuh 5 had known in general terms: Numbuh 1 had a secret crush on Numbuh 3, meaning it was something that would naturally happen within a sector and would pass eventually. However, that wasn't the case because Nigel Uno liked Kuki Sanban. He didn't just like who she was when she was on missions or what he saw when they were in each other's company; he was taken in by who she was when the missions were over and who she was in those "when nobody is looking" moments.
He liked the way she lost control when something was really funny.
He liked the way her voice rose a few octaves when she repeatedly asked for something she wanted.
He liked the way she sat on her (way too long) hair, and briefly scowled before going back to her upbeat nature.
He didn't particularly like how her hyperactive nature was unbiased to any given situation (and more often than not found himself irritated with her), but he became troubled when she was actually quiet.
The week of her decommissioning, her quiet moments happened more often even though she clearly tried to smile all the time for his sake. His heart ached with every pound it took because there was so much that he wanted to say but couldn't. He didn't know how to comfort her or reassure her or even confront the issue.
How could he tell her it would be alright when he didn't even believe so?
How could he tell her to not think too deeply about it when that's all he's been doing?
How could he possibly look her in the eyes and tell her goodbye when he didn't even want to hear it from her?
There were times he tried to fool himself into thinking he wasn't bothered by what was happening. On a whim, he bought her a red limited edition Rainbow Monkey key chain and planned to give it to her on her birthday, but when the day arrived, he didn't show up.
It's not like she'd remember.
He was told that she asked for him—that she begged and pleaded for them to wait a little longer because "Numbuh 1 always stands by his friends!"—but he refused to believe it. He didn't need another thing to remember. He knew he'd regret not telling her how he felt, but she wouldn't have remembered.
She had someone else, anyway...
Three Years Later
"Nigel," the girl pouted, clutching her handbag in front of her. "You're going to be late if you keep following me."
"I don't see how that concerns you," the now sixteen year old Nigel Uno said, hands thrust in his pockets. As in his childhood, he sported red, but his sweater was now a T-shirt and he wore a black, hooded jacket with the sleeves rolled to his elbows that revealed firm, toned forearms. His brown shorts were now dark jeans, and his shoes of choice were a pair of worn out black sneakers. The only things that remained the same were his black sunglasses and his bald head; however, now that he had gotten older, his childish face was becoming more handsome and chiseled.
"Aren't you always complaining how the people at these . . . Um . . . these . . . Where do you go again?"
"Just something from my childhood." He eyed the girl in front of him. Long, shiny black hair topped with a knitted pink beanie swayed slightly as she walked down the street. She wore a long-sleeved green sweater and a light pink vest that she didn't keep zipped. Despite the chilling weather, she wore a mini skirt, but (thought she) balanced it out by sporting light pink leg warmers that covered black boots.
Really, this was not something a girl should wear when winter gave warning of its arrival, and it was definitely not something a girl should wear when the destination was crawling with testosterone.
She looked back at him, trimmed bangs barely covering thin eyebrows that were now curiously raised over large, brown eyes. Her childish face had also left and in its place was the feminine features of a young woman. She smiled.
"What?" Nigel questioned.
"You're not clever, you know."
"Meaning?"
"Ever since I pointed out how you skulk around like you're my bodyguard, you decided walking behind me was better so I'd stop worrying about how you look."
"Really."
"Really!" She turned, resting her hands on her hips and leaning towards him. "I don't care how people view you, Nigel. I care how you view me. I'm your friend, not your burden."
He rolled his eyes. He didn't care how people viewed him either, but he was sure she grew tired of the frightened stares that came their way as he made sure no one tried to make a move on her. Much to his revulsion, she became quite the piece of eye candy, and many males noticed this as well.
He didn't like it.
She was his friend, and no friend of his was going to be harassed by those who couldn't keep their hands or their advances to themselves.
"Anyway," he droned as he caught up with her and the two began to walk together, "maybe you wouldn't be such a burden if you'd just call him like a regular person."
She giggled. "I call him all the time, but I can only see him on breaks and if I visit him at school."
"I just don't get why you'd still try to go if you knew Abby wouldn't be with you."
She pouted, looking away, and he tried not to feel bad about anything he had said.
Life became complicated when school started. She and Numbu . . . Abby attended a regular high school while he and Nu- Hoagie attended a high school that centered more around their technical and strategic natures.
Their Australian friend was an entirely different story.
Regular school proved to be nothing but a distraction to the low-tempered boy who found too many reasons to make his fists acquainted with anyone who aggravated him enough. Many detentions and suspensions later, he was finally expelled, and his parents had finally had it. He was sent to an all-boys private school that was an hour away from his home by foot, and the girl insisted on walking there every day just to see him. Usually, Abby escorted her since boys went crazy at the sight of girls, and she had enough strength and persuasive reasoning to ward off any unwanted company.
However, today Abby could not make it, and that is why Nigel was here to take her place. He's filled in a few times before, but he avoided seeing his Japanese friend, if he could. Especially if it meant being alone with her for any period of time.
"It's really nice to see you, you know," the girl next to him chimed, poking his cheek.
"Hm." He grabbed her wrist, earning a large grin from her. "Don't do that, Kuki."
"Aw, don't be like that!" She swatted at him playfully. "It's been a whole month since I last saw you! You don't call or message or anything! I hear you don't have an account on any of the major social media!"
"I don't need it."
"I'm saying that even a glimpse of you from time to time is better than nothing." She paused, fighting a smile. "Do you have a girlfriend or something?"
He smiled dryly. "Even you know the answer to that."
Lizzie was his first and only girlfriend. He really liked her, but as he got older, he wondered if he was just fooling himself. She had many qualities that reminded him of a certain other hyperactive and loud person in his life, but it wasn't until the break-up that he realized where the attraction had come from. After Lizzie told him he focused too much on the KND, he realized just how right she was. He liked to work and be busy, yes, but who was he eager to see every day? Was Lizzie not just a stand-in for the times he couldn't justify being around his team and for being around Kuki? It was pathetic, he now realized, but Lizzie was his best bet at coping with his one-sided feelings, even if he was just fooling himself.
"Well," Kuki said, feigning a pompous attitude, "I don't see why you don't hang out with us more, Mr. Workaholic. If you're not meeting with this childhood group or whatever it is you do, then you're job hopping to the more strenuous outlet."
"Hm."
Fifteen minutes later, the two arrived at the gated private school of Wallabee Beatles. The gates were open, signaling that school had already let out, so that would mean he would be coming any second now.
Nigel stood to the side and leaned against the wall. He hated when his friend wasn't already outside because that meant he had to stay until he actually showed up.
"Nigel?" Kuki said from beside him.
"What is it?"
"You will visit more, won't you?"
"We'll see what happens."
"You always say that. I'm asking if you will make time to see us."
"I'm very busy, Kuki. I can't promise anything."
"Then . . . we'll visit you."
He shook his head. "I'm never home, and I'm rarely in the same location for long."
"Oh . . ." She couldn't come out and say what was on her mind. She couldn't say that she knew he spent time with everyone but her. Hoagie was a given because they went to the same school, but she knew he spent time with Abby often. Wally even told her about days he spent with their friend, which would then prompt him to ask why she never saw him.
What could she say to that?
Could she say she tried, but he always shot her down? Could she say that she had no way to contact him? Everyone had his number but her. How could she tell them that he never bothered to give it to her? How could she admit that she's been waiting years for her friend to exchange numbers with her? She even tried giving her number to him. He claimed it was broken at the time, but promised to get her number once he got a new one. That was last year.
She couldn't admit any of this.
She couldn't make sense of any of this.
She thought Nigel wanted their friendship to come to an end, but then he'd pop up like this and insist on filling a spot that didn't need filling. She wouldn't see him for weeks on end, months even, and then he'd pop up out of nowhere without an explanation, which only made her have hope that he still valued what was left of their friendly relation, but then he'd disappear again. He'd disappear from her life.
"Um," she looked at him, forcing a smile, "if you have time, you could join me and Wally for some ice cream."
"In this weather?"
"We'll get something else, then. Or we could go to my house for hot cocoa. I have this new-"
"Can't," he said abruptly. "I have to leave right after this, remember?"
"Oh . . . Right," she laughed. "I forgot. But . . .I mean, I'm free any day."
"When I have time, I'll contact you. Promise."
But how could he promise something like that when he didn't even have her number? He never asks.
He noticed that she leaned against the wall next to him. He glanced down at her from the corner of his eye but quickly sighed away any emotion that wanted to flood him. The feelings he has for her shouldn't last this long. She was officially going out with his close friend—had been for two years—so why did he still want her? Why did he always want to see her? Why did he jump at opportunities like these? He distanced himself as best he could, but when he had a chance to be of use to her (an unnecessary last resort), why did he lunge at it so shamelessly?
This wasn't good.
He couldn't have her.
". . . number one."
His head snapped in her direction, eyes wide. "What?"
Her head was bowed, eyes obscured by her bangs. "I said . . .you're our number one. You're always there for us . . . and you've always helped us out no matter what. That's why . . . I want to see you more." She looked up at him, smiling though tears were in her eyes. "I know you're busy, but you're my friend, too, Nigel. You're my number one, too."
His chest tightened.
Her number one . . .
She doesn't know how true he wanted that to be. She missed him, he suspected that. She wanted to see him, he could see that. But she didn't miss him like he missed her. She didn't want to see him like he wanted to see her. She didn't know how painful it was for him to keep doing this when he just kept falling deeper and deeper for her. He wanted so much more from her. He wanted to see her—to spend time with her—to call her—to smile with her—to truly be her number one, but he wanted all of that as much more than just a friend. And that's what hurt the most.
"Kuki-"
"Kuki!"
The girl jumped, wiping her eyes, and peered around the gates. She saw Wally rushing out of the building, his shaggy blond hair (that was becoming more and more wavy) pushed away from his eyes. His white collared shirt was unbuttoned and his short sleeves were rolled to his shoulders, showing his lean muscles. He often gloated about how his teachers constantly scolded him for not wearing his uniform right and also for not choosing a more suitable hairstyle.
"Wally!" She waved. "Guess who else is here!" She turned to Nigel, grinning, but he was gone. She looked around, bewildered.
"Who's here?" Wally asked, breathing heavily. He looked around when he caught up to her. "I don't see anyone."
She grinned, shaking her head, and hugged him tight. "I'm glad to see you!"
"Hey, hey!" He blushed, looking around though his arms instinctively wrapped around her. He still wasn't quite used to expressing his emotions.
"I always want to see you," she said softly.
He looked down at her. "Kuki . . ." He gently took her face in his hands and kissed her briefly. "You don't need to cry like that."
Two Days Later
"You know, Mr. Uno," Abigal Lincoln said as she walked aimlessly around the aforementioned's room, "I've come to accept all the little weird things you do, but I never thought you'd run off on her."
"I didn't run off," he mumbled, sprawled on his bed. "My task was completed when Numbuh 4 showed up, so I left."
Abby looked at him, arms crossed. She wore her signature red hat and her hair continued to cascade down her back in a single braid. During the warmer seasons, her attire didn't drastically change from when she was a child, but now that it was colder, she wore a dark T-shirt with a slightly puffy, blue jacket that covered her upper torso. On the bottom, she wore dark skinny jeans and combat boots that rarely varied in color. Her jewelry consisted of gold hoop earrings and she adorned gold bangles around her left wrists.
Like most of the girls he knew, she, too, became more womanly in figure and face (maybe more than anyone else), but her overall attitude remained the same, which was something he was grateful for.
She was used to these code names that he sometimes used because she was a little informed about this kids organization that he was affiliated with. He explained it to her a bit when she accidentally stumbled upon the 2x4 technology located behind the wall his bed was in front of. She couldn't explain why the information didn't shock her, but it just seemed like something he would be involved in.
"She's not a mission," she sighed. "You might be able to deal with this faster if you stopped treating her like one."
"What do you want me to do, Abby?" he asked, slightly bitter.
"Talking to her would be a good start."
He grumbled. "Have you been listening? She's not just a friend-"
"And she's not just someone you can ignore. I get that seeing her is a task these days, but she asks about you—constantly."
He groaned, rolling over on his stomach. "And if I let that get to me, I'll end up doing something stupid."
She snorted, "Like telling her how you feel?"
He mimicked her, "Like deluding myself into thinking I could tell her."
She rolled her eyes and took to looking at everything in his room again. If there was one thing she didn't like about the older Nigel Uno, it was the fact that he was too hung up on Kuki. It wasn't because he liked her that was bothersome, but it was because he became so glum whenever she was brought up. She thought this was something that would go away, but it only grew, which made Abby wonder why he didn't just tell Kuki already.
Yes, she was going out with Wally, but there was no harm in her knowing. The main problem seemed to come from Nigel wanting her to know, but Abby knew better than to suggest he tell her; she wasn't sure just how much of Kuki he wanted. It was indeed a troubling situation on her part, so maybe that's why this frustrated her so much.
She stopped in front of his dresser and eyed a framed picture: It consisted of the five of them when they were younger. Nigel was in the center, smirking at the camera. Hoagie had his arm hooked around Nigel's neck and was giving the peace sign with the same hand. She was next to Hoagie and was smiling. On the other side of Nigel was Wally who never got the chance to smile because a giggling Kuki lunged onto his back at the last second.
She smirked at the picture, longing to be back in this time when things seemed so much more sensible. It was a wonder why life would allow something like two friends falling for the same girl to happen. Feelings weren't something that could be entirely controlled, so it seemed a bit unfair that this was happening to her friend.
Setting the picture down, she walked back to the boy on the bed and sat next to him. He shifted momentarily, just to give her more room to sit, but otherwise didn't say a thing.
"I'm thinking about going away," he said after a few minutes.
"Away?" She blinked, surprised. "Running away?"
He laughed dryly. "Not exactly."
She waited, hoping he'd say more on the matter, but there was no sign of it. Naturally, she was against the idea, if he was expecting a response, but she caught a glimpse of his eyes from over the top of his sunglasses. He was staring straight forward, staring at nothing, and he looked so tired—so beat down—so damaged. It confused her, made her heart hurt. Was this what he's been hiding this whole time? Is this how he truly feels about his emotions? If so, why didn't he say something sooner?
Abby bit the inside of her lip, shaking her head slightly. If she had realized sooner, maybe he wouldn't be this torn up. Maybe there could have been another way.
"When would you be back?" she asked.
He said nothing but then replied with, "Not for a long time."
o0o0o
After another hour, Abby left to meet Hoagie for a date (or whatever unofficial couples do). In that time, he was able to talk a few things out with her like where he was going, why he was going, and what he'd be doing. He wasn't leaving because of Kuki, no. This was more for himself because he let many opportunities slip by him due to the fact that he didn't want to be too far from . . . her. But, if he had to be honest, he didn't see her much even now. He didn't know if it was because of his own cowardice or because he liked the look in her eyes when she got the chance to see him. It was a bit sadistic to mess with her emotions like that and then twist it into something that favored him, but . . . Well, he was tired of being stuck in this cycle. He was tired of putting her through this cycle. He was tired of being . . . here.
He turned his head to the side, absently pulled out his (modified) cellphone, and pressed three buttons. As he listened to the dial tone, he huffed, amused, feeling a bit of his old self coming back.
KND Moon Base
Numbuh 362.2 sat at the desk of the former Supreme Leader of the KND—her cousin's desk.
She never thought she'd see the day when her cousin would retire. It was a mind-boggling occurrence because Numbuh 362 was spared decommissioning three years ago and had remained the Supreme Leader up until last month when she resigned and had insisted on decommissioning. No one agreed with her. Heck, Numbuh 362.2 didn't agree with her and had talked her into giving it a little more thought. A month later, her cousin still refused to reconsider, so her decommissioning was scheduled to happen in two days.
The young girl sighed as she leaned back in her chair and stared at the ceiling. She was only given this position because of her relation and uncanny abilities to her cousin. Sure, she'd like to think she was as good as her cousin in battle and in dire situations, but could she lead an entire organization like her cousin did? Could anybody do that?
"Of course not," the brunette groaned. She rested her arms and head on the table, feeling exhausted. How could she even prove herself as worthy as everyone thought her to be?
The phone on her desk started to buzz, which only made the young girl groan more. The thing went off every few minutes, it seemed. She groped for the phone, not even bothering to waste the energy to look up, and lazily brought the receiver to her ear.
"Numbuh 362.2 speaking," she droned.
There was a pause.
The girl lifted her head, curious. "Hello?" she said.
"Is Numbuh 362 still not in?" the voice asked—a teenage voice.
She squinted her eyes, but widened them when she realized who she was talking to. "N-Numbuh 1?" She sat up straight, heart pounding."No, my cous- I mean, Numbuh 362 has officially resigned from her position. I am filling her place." Unfortunately, she added glumly.
"Hm." There was another pause. "No matter. I want to inquire about something."
Numbuh 362.2 listened, her nerves on edge because she never had to deal with someone of his high-ranking position before. She desperately hoped that she could help, but as she took in every word, registered his request, her brown eyes grew wide, glistening with astonishment.
She stood abruptly, her chair knocking over. "Are you serious?!" She looked around, searching for her personal phone. "Y-yeah, the position is still open! You can leave in a few days-" She stopped, listening. "Tonight? That soon?"
Listen.
"No, no! Tonight is just fine. We'll send someone to pick you up at around . . ." She stopped to think. "Well, with such short notice, the earliest we can do would be midnight, but . . ."
She listened again and smiled.
"Great! Midnight it is! We'll call you!"
She hung up the phone, breathing heavily, staring at the device in awe. After all these years . . . When no one thought they could convince him . . . And while she was in charge, no less.
"Oh . . . my . . ." She squealed, jumping in place and screaming, delighted. She stopped, catching herself. "I have to call Rachel."
She fumbled with the things on and in her desk until she finally found her phone. She laughed to herself once more. "Wait until everyone hears!"
Numbuh 1, the elusive and most highly acclaimed KND operative, has finally decided to join the Galactic Kids Next Door.
That Night
Kuki Sanban sat in front of her vanity mirror as she combed through her hair. It was now the weekend, and she had just gotten through taking a shower after spending some time with Wally. She smiled at the thought of how far they've come as a couple. Not many would say there was much of a difference in their relationship other than the fact that they were dating, but Kuki knew full well that things were different. He was more open with her when it came to how he felt, and he made the first move more often—even if he stuttered and fidgeted for five minutes before he could get his point across.
Her life was . . . almost perfect.
There was still . . .
Nigel still . . .
She sighed, placing her comb down and resting her arms and head on the table in front of her. She missed him so much, and it hurt more than she thought it ever would. She didn't understand how they could have been so close as children, but were becoming more and more like strangers. What changed? Nothing changed until they all started going to different schools, but his behavior started before then.
Was it her fault?
She knew their personalities were complete opposites, and sure, he seemed irritated with her from time to time, but friends get irritated with each other. That was normal. He even dated someone more of his opposite than she was, and he had been head over heels for her. Lizzie didn't seem to understand that, but it was obvious to everyone else how much of the truth it was.
Was it possible . . . that he saw a bit of Lizzie in her? Is that why he distanced himself—because he still missed Lizzie after all these years?
The thought made her a little spiteful. She didn't want to think that a relationship ruined the friendship she had, but it made sense. It wasn't fair in the slightest, but it made sense
She sighed, pushing herself up into a sitting position. Looking at herself in the mirror, she glared at her reflection. She wasn't going to lose Nigel because of something so trivial. He was a very close friend, so it was about time she stopped being intimidated by the way he brushes her off and assert herself.
She nodded decisively, her bangs lightly bouncing. She'd do whatever it takes to get him back in her life. "I'm not losing you, Nigel," she said firmly, her throat tightening at the thought of her failing this goal.
She jumped when a knock came from her window, which led to her backyard. Despite being on the second floor, her house was built on very uneven foundation, so she could, literally, walk right out her window and onto the the ground. Instinctively, she looked at the clock: It would be midnight in just ten minutes. She stood, tightening her pink, silk robe, and took a few steps to the left. When she pulled back her curtain, she gasped and hastily unlocked her window to open it.
"Nigel?" she gasped, leaning on the ledge.
"Kuki," he greeted, pausing a moment. "Is this a bad time?"
"No," she shook her head. "Of course not. Um . . . Wh-what are you doing here?"
"We need to talk, Kuki." He turned his head briefly before looking back at her. "It's . . . kind of important."
Her stomach dropped. "O-okay. Do you want to come in?"
"No," he smiled. "No offense, but your house is an icebox."
She blinked. "Colder than outside?"
"Do you not feel your house?"
She smiled. She's been told her house is colder than it should be. "I'm actually glad you came, Nigel. I want to talk to you, too."
"About what?"
She bit her lip. It wasn't like she thought he would be totally against what she had to say, but something was bugging her. She didn't know what.
"Well," she sat on her window sill, prompting her friend to kneel next to her, "I want to know something." She looked at him, feeling a bit foolish. "Do I remind you of Lizzie?"
"What?"
"I'm saying . . . is the reason you avoid me because I remind you of her?"
He took a moment to think—to let her question sink in. Was she asking if he had lingering feelings for Lizzie and saw something in her that reminded him of Lizzie? He shook his head, a bit confused by how she could be asking this.
He rubbed his head briefly. "That's . . . not it at all."
"Then is it me?"
"Is what you?"
"Are you avoiding me for something I've done?"
"Kuki, it isn't anything like tha-"
"Then what is it?" she pleaded, trying to keep her composure. "Because I remember a time when we got along fine, and now . . . Nigel, it's like you want nothing to do with me."
"That's not true– You're very important to me."
"Prove it," she insisted, looking away briefly to gather her thoughts. "Let's do something tomorrow."
He hesitated, his glasses sliding down his nose a bit. "Ah, yeah, I'm not going to be here, Kuki."
"Oh . . ." she said, crestfallen. "Then what about the day after that?"
He looked at her and she couldn't have felt more devastated. His eyes seemed to plead with her—to tell her to prepare herself for something awful. She didn't know what was going on, but he wasn't here to just see her—he wasn't here to visit a friend on a whim. He was here for something else, and she felt like she knew exactly what it was. He's been doing it for a long time now.
"Kuki," he said, and she knew how his sentence was going to end, "I'm going away."
A sound escaped her, a choking, gasping sound, and she had to look away. Her eyes stung mercilessly, and she couldn't have felt anymore put down. Why did he come to tell her that? He always leaves, so why did he have to tell her like she didn't know it was coming? Was he being cruel? Did he know how he managed to get to her?
"So," she breathed shallowly, the tears threatening to spill, "when will I see you this time? Two months? Eight months? A year?" she laughed humorlessly.
"Maybe . . . longer than that," he said softly.
Her head snapped in his direction, her eyes wide. He couldn't look at her; his eyes were shut tight because he knew he couldn't bear to look at her expression.
"I've . . . already said goodbye to everyone else."
"G . . . Goodbye?" she breathed. "You . . . You're coming back, right?"
He didn't answer.
"Nigel?" She leaned closer, her mind swirling in all directions. "Say you're coming back."
He opened his eyes, frowning at the ground. "Goodbye, Kuki."
Tears spilled, her throat painfully tight as she recalled all the times he left her—all the times they never spent—all the times she should have called out to him. Numbly, she watched him stand, and it wasn't until he turned his back on her that she found her voice.
"Wait!" she cried, stumbling out her window.
"I've said what I need to," he stated, walking away from her.
"Why are you leaving?!" Her legs wobbled, and she found she couldn't properly follow after him. "Nigel!"
"Go back inside."
"Why do you keep leaving me?!"
He stopped. He could hear her sobbing, and it broke him. He could hear her forcing out questions he didn't plan to answer, and it damaged him. It damaged him because he didn't think he would ever damage her.
"Please, don't go," she begged.
He turned to face her. She stood next to her window, her cheeks shining with tears. A slight breeze danced through, cold air fluttering through her hair and shifting the fabric of her robe.
"Don't leave me again," she said, hot tears streaming down her face.
His feet moved, carrying him back to her, and he hated himself for doing this. As he expected, she welcomed him into her arms, and he couldn't stop himself from pulling her close, firmly grasping her hair as she held onto him and cried.
"I'm sorry," he whispered. He really was. He didn't want to leave her like this.
"Just promise you'll come back." Her tears seeped through his shirt. "Promise me, please!"
He whispered, his voice hoarse, "I can't."
"Why?!" she screeched into his chest. "Why would you come here just to tell me you're leaving?!" She ripped out of his embrace and stepped away from him, glaring. "Do you think I like knowing you don't care? Do you think it's funny to mess with me? It's not! Why would you leave when you know you're our-!" She sighed, shaking her head furiously. "When you know you're my number one!"
Swiftly, Kuki Sanban found herself pinned against her house. She froze when she realized their position, how close he was—how close his lips were to hers. Nigel held her hands to the side of her head, his grip almost painful on her wrists, and his breath mingled with hers. She breathed heavily, her mind clouded because of the heat radiating off of him.
He bit his lip, seemingly frustrated. "Do you get it now?"
"N . . . Nigel-"
A low hum rumbled in the distance. He looked up, listening for a moment, and released her, removing his sunglasses and placing them on her. The rumble soon grew deafening and an aircraft came into view, hovering over the pair. A light shone upon them, and a continuous gust of wind circled the air around. Nigel looked up, shielding his eyes with his hands.
"Are you ready?" a voice from above called—a child's voice.
He looked at Kuki, her hair and robe whipping around her. He couldn't see her eyes, but he knew what to expect. At this, he smiled and looked back up. "Take me out of here!"
A rope ladder came down a second later. He walked toward it, paused, then dug around in his pocket. With a grin, he turned back to Kuki and pulled her into him, whispering in her ear while placing an object in her robe pocket. He climbed onto the ladder, holding on with one hand, and yanked on it three times. The aircraft ascended into the air, taking Nigel Uno along with it, leaving Kuki Sanban to stare after it in a stupor.
She stood until she could no longer see him.
He was . . . really gone this time.
She swallowed hard and reached into her pocket to retrieve the item inside. Instantly, her tears came again as she stared at a red, limited edition Rainbow Monkey keychain. She shook, not knowing the exact reason why she was crying, but Nigel's words echoed in her ears, which only brought the tears faster.
"Kuki . . ." he had said, "You've always been my number one."
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end transmission
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Well, there you have it! I hope you liked it, and I hope you, too, will be inspired to write a 1x3 fic like this! Most of them are oneshots/not finished . . . and they're just not big in numbers. And maybe don't write one quite like this . . . Maybe, you know, write one that is happy!
Thanks for reading!