Wow, it's definitely been a while since I've put up a oneshot.
I like this one for multiple reasons. First, it's a Linkin Park songfic, using the song "One Step Closer." Linkin Park is my favorite band, so I already like it.
Most of LP's songs are pretty... sad. Depressing, kind of.
So therefore, most LP songfics are also depressing.
But this one, I tried my best to do something different. This one is happy/fluffy, because I've interpreted the lyrics differently.
I hope you enjoy.
(Ulrich P.O.V.)
I slide the tie up to my collar and turn to look at myself in the mirror.
"Ew. Too much. Ditch the tie Ulrich, you look like you're going to a business meeting." Odd says with a laugh. I turn around, glare at him, and pull off the tie. I unbutton the top two buttons, leaving it loose and comfortable.
"I just wanted to see what it looked like. I don't think I was really planning on it."
"Yeah well, don't wear it. This is a valentine's dance, not a business meeting." Odd reminds me before walking out the door.
Tonight is the school's annual valentine's dance. This is my junior year, and I've been going to this dance date-less ever since my seventh grade year. It didn't bug me until my freshmen year. Because that's when Yumi was finally off-limits, not just me being too scared to ask her.
"Get over it Ulrich. She's gone, you can't have her. She made that clear to you long ago." I whisper to myself, even though it kills me to say it. Sophomore year, Yumi told me that her feelings for me has passed and she wanted us both to move on.
I haven't gotten over it yet.
I cannot take this anymore
I'm saying everything I've said before
All these words they make no sense
I find bliss in ignorance
Less I hear the less you'll say
But you'll find that out anyway
Just like before...
(Yumi P.O.V.)
I put on my shoes and walk out the door. Locking it behind me, I walk down the steps and out the front gate. My parents aren't home, and Hiroki's over at a friend's house so I can go to the dance. I get into the small car my parents bought me and head for the high school for my last valentine's dance. It's my senior year, there's not going to be a chance like this one. I purposefully declined any invitations for dates because I didn't want to be held down by anyone on my last one.
Well, I would have accepted one from Ulrich, but that's different.
About my junior year, Ulrich approached me and we had a serious talk about where we stood as friends, and where our relationship is. I told him the truth at time. My feelings for him had passed, and I wanted to go out and meet some more people that were in my class. But as I tried, I found myself wishing I was back with my old friends… and with Ulrich.
At the time, I didn't love him.
Or so I thought.
But when I started hanging out with them again, I realized that my feelings for Ulrich were so deep, so profound, and so… natural, that I had thought they weren't there anymore. I had taken them as a normal part of living. And the more I hung out with them, the more I hung out with Ulrich, the harder it became to resist him. His very words were beginning to take me over the edge and give in to what my heart wanted.
But I couldn't. My stupid pride wouldn't let me go back and tell Ulrich I was wrong. After I shot him down so hard, I couldn't go back and take it back.
Everything you say to me
Takes me one step closer to the edge
And I'm about to break
I need a little room to breathe
Cause I'm one step closer to the edge
And I'm about to break
(Ulrich P.O.V.)
I enjoyed myself fairly well at the dance. I met up with the gang, two of which have paired off. After a long and fierce argument, Aelita had decided that her love rested in Odd, that Jeremie's pure addiction to his computers overshadowed any chance he had once had with her. Jeremie was fairly distraught over it, but when he saw how happy Aelita was with Odd, he let go and went back to his real love. His computers. Maybe someday he'll find the girl for him, but for now he's just Jeremie.
I think we all enjoyed ourselves, especially Yumi. She looked fabulous in her pitch black dress which hugged all her curves perfectly.
Unfortunately for me, I'm considered to be one of the most popular guys in school, so I ended up dancing with quite a few girls, most of them not by my own free will.
Every once in a while, I glance over at Yumi, who is smiling, but not really dancing with anybody. I saw a senior come up and ask her, but she smiled and declined.
Yumi's not dancing? Why not?
I push it out of my mind and keep dancing. Eventually, I manage to escape from the girls, who had formed an actual line to dance with me. Slipping through the crowd quickly, I distance myself from the other girls. When I reach the other side of the gym, I find Yumi standing there looking distant. At the same time, the DJ starts up a slow song. I walk next to Yumi so that no other girls will try to ask me to dance because it looks like I'm taken.
"Um… Hi Ulrich. Would you… would you like to dance with me?" A young freshmen girl asks me before I get the chance to say even one syllable to Yumi.
Well, that didn't work.
"Well uh… I uh…" I stammer. She's so shy, it's kind of hard to turn her down because I don't want to hurt her feelings.
"He's dancing with me." Yumi says, grabbing my hands and pulling me close to her. I smile apologetically at the freshman, who seems to take it fairly well. She just smiles grimly, nods and walks off.
"Woah, thanks for the save Yumi." I say, looking at her. Yumi hasn't grown much since she was a freshman, although I've sprouted a couple inches. We're now just about the same height, I'm slightly taller.
"Of course," She says, "I've always been saving your butt." She laughs that lovely laugh. I never get tired of it.
"Excuse me? I believe I've been saving your butt all this time." I say. I knew we were holding hands to look like we're dancing, but somewhere along the line we actually started dancing, swaying our hips slightly to the music.
"Oh really? Like when?"
"Well, I know there was at least twice on Lyoko that I saved you from falling into the digital sea." I say with a smirk.
"Woah, wait a minute. You also missed me that one time and I actually DID fall into the sea." She says and laughs, but I immediately sober up. That memory still brings painful thoughts into my heart. Being Yumi's one chance for survival, and I missed it, it killed me inside. She notices my discomfort and winces.
"Sorry. Painful memory?" She asks quietly. I nod slightly, and she makes a move that surprises me. She lays her head on my shoulder and rests it there.
I thought she didn't like me…
I find the answers aren't so clear
Wish I could find a way to disappear
All these thoughts they make no sense
I find bliss in ignorance
Nothing seems to go away
Over and over again
I immediately tense up, and wish I could just disappear. Pretending like nothing is wrong, I just keep dancing. Then suddenly it hits me that this is the first time I've danced with Yumi. Ever.
I wish I had gotten this chance a lot sooner.
She adjusts her body position slightly, so I take advantage to change mine as well. I move both my arms so they're locked around her waist, and she interlocks hers around my neck. We keep dancing in the motion of the song.
Just like before…
(Yumi P.O.V.)
I lose myself, caught up with the fact that I'm dancing with Ulrich, in his arms at last. Ever since eighth grade I've been dreaming about this, and it's like a dream come true.
I realize that it's getting harder and harder to not tell Ulrich. Not to tell him that I love him, that I've been obsessed over him for years. I've always known that I've had a lot of pride, and that it's very strong. But this love for him… it's burrowing into my soul, dismantling my pride, and opening my defenses.
Everything he says to me takes me one step closer to the edge.
Everything you say to me
Takes me one step closer to the edge
And I'm about to break
I need a little room to breathe
Cause I'm one step closer to the edge
And I'm about to break
I look up into his chocolate brown eyes and he looks back into mine. I feel a connection there, stronger than friendship. Stronger than best friends. Stronger than anything else I've ever felt before. It's true love. It has to be.
I'm about to break!
I can feel the dam about to burst. My emotions are rising to the top, threatening to spill all my feelings for this wonderful boy in one blissful moment. Throwing up defenses to block them, I can only delay the inevitable. I can no longer get one step closer to the edge. I'm there. Absolutely anything can set me over now, swallowing up my pride and forcing me to tell Ulrich everything.
And he smiles at me. Just a small smile, but it's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen on this planet.
Everything you say to me
Takes me one step closer to the edge
And I'm about to break
I need a little room to breathe
Cause I'm one step closer to the edge
And I'm about to break
"Ulrich, despite what I've said before… I love you."
Please reivew. Whether you loved it, or hated it. Seriously, if you think it was horrible, and you want me to drop of the face of the planet, say so!
And just because I can, here's a quote:
"Nothing is impossible. Some things are just less likely than others."