Disclaimer: I don't even own a camera - how can I own Yu-gi-oh 5Ds!?
Characters: Brave, OC.
My OC is Himuro Kurenai, a close friend and sister figure of Crow, I think it sums up everything. A kind of tsundere, who is never confident in herself.
Still, she hasn't appeared officially yet.
You are seventeen when you first noticed him, truly does – before he was just Crow's opponents, who is like Crow in the way he fights to protect the ones he considers as family (like the way Crow fights to protect her and the children). Still, like your first impression of him, you don't notice him in a good way.
Okay, he's friendly and easy going and all, but when you see Aki trying talk to him, you feel as if it's a personal affront when he doesn't reply. (It's not the first time he accidentally gets on your nerves, you remind yourself, but it doesn't help at all.)
You didn't know then that is the always he always has been.
You walk towards him and wave your hands with your best smiles – Crow has given you the title the queen of fake smiles – but he doesn't look up. You tap him on the shoulder (and congratulate yourself on keep your manner and temper), and he lifts his head, green eyes meet yours. Green eyes like yours, really, but somehow it's more beautiful and it gets on your nerves, again.
But before you can say anything, he speaks first:
"Wow, you're pretty."
It's not the first time, but those words still make your eyes widen in confusion before you ask intelligently:
"What?"
"Honestly, Kurenai…" Who gave him the rights to call your first name? "Has anyone told you that you're pretty? I think you are. And I'd like to paint you."
"Oh. Okay. Hold on! Weren't you a treasure hunter? Why do you… How?"
"Hm? I used to paint pictures for children in Swedish, you know. It makes them happy."
"Oh."
Behind you, Crow smirks because he knows what Brave is like, and what you're like (knows so much that sometimes you want to strangle him) and he can see the inevitable.
You are seventeen when he first met you and noticed you and you have become his everything. And he becomes your everything.
(You like to think that. And thinking isn't a crime.)
You sit under the shade of a tree near the porch of your house, his head leaning against yours while he sketches the rising sun.
"Why…" You start in annoyance "… do we have to wake up early every morning and watch the sunrise? I don't see any differences about that."
"Have you ever gone to art exhibition? There're tons of pictures of rising sun, but they're totally different."
You feel no need to tell him that you always find excuses when your grandfather speaks of the work "exhibition". The main reason for that, however, is the fact that you can barely keep your eyes open, and if you say anything, your words will be punctuated by yawns. It will ruin your image immediately, but as Crow puts in, you don't have any that left.
"I ask you, so you have to answer."
"Because I like to watch the sunrise and you like to watch me." What kind of self-assumption is that? "And I like spending time with you." You aren't very honest with one another, but you don't protest.
It's true.
You're never the one to deny yourself.
He flips a page of his sketchbook – a gift from those kids, he has said – and the blank paper hits your forehead, leaving a small red cut.
"Oh, sorry." He says, without looking up. You're not offended. You know it's just his way, so lost in his own world he doesn't even notice much else. You've decided to stay calm and see how far you're able to push him, to feel where your limits are.
You place your palm on your forehead, whimper. Damn, blank paper can kill someone if he isn't careful.
"Brave, you bastard." He doesn't even move when you jab him on the left shoulder – how can he still draw? "At least you should kiss it better." You mean to make it sound teasing but when he looks at you, you realize you're holding your breath, waiting and hoping.
He looks down at his sketchbook, and your face betrays no emotion.
You've always been good at keep your disappointment.
Besides, angels never float on earth.
It's another morning, another sunrise, and once again he wakes you up.
He's painting you, your red hair illuminated by the pink horizon as his brush touch the page. You watch him the whole time with a clenched fist, and your secret is getting so hard to hind as your mind is getting out of control.
You close your eyes tiredly, but you're stubborn, so you keep them open and watch through your lashes.
He kneels near you, paintbrush in hand and says:
"You didn't have any sleep last night, did you?"
You feel no need to tell him about the nightmare of Zone and Yliaster – how silly, they're long gone. His hand is on your cheek, and your breath hitches and you flinch and he withdraws his hand.
"Sorry." He says, and turns on his heel.
Sometime, you dream of your maybes.
You're the girl with red hair like fire, and eyes shine so so bright. You're the girl who stands and watches and listens and waits.
Just like before.
Let blame your stubborness and your determination. You take a deep breath. Just say it, Kurenai, and everything will be alright. You are becoming more and more the girl you used to be, timid and born-coward.
You've been always good at faking your smiles, after all.
"I love you."
A deadly silence falls upon you, the air is so still it seems a puff of air or a stirring of win will knock him over.
You're still smiling.
"I know."
"What?" You ask, intelligently. (he's making you become like that!)
But you remember those words from the past.
('What're beautiful girl doing here?'
'Crow's childhood friend? No, don't tell me he's like your brother or not. It's not fair when he gets all the pretty girl to him.'
'I think you're pretty, I'd like to paint you.)
And you begin to hope, that perhaps, perhaps the breathy words he spoke when he thought you didn't bother to hear were the beginning
The beginning of something.
You should lean forward and kiss him, and speak words of love and forever and ever. But he's Brave and you're Kurenai and you don't work that way.
You clear your throat, suddenly realize that you have stopped smiling.
"Brave…"
"I love you too, of course."
You blink.
"I should have said that first" he continues, "but I always hesitate. You're out of reach, you're so bright that my eyes are forced to shut."
"Since when you have learnt to say those cheesy stuff?" You hug your knees close to your chest, try to hide your reddening face that can put your hair in shame.
"Harald."
"What?"
You look up in surprise, before closing your mouth and feeling suddenly very awkward. You process his words, hardly able to accept it. You have never imagined the scene where he will love you back.
"At the risk of being cliché, can I kiss you now?"
You see the Brave when you two first met, overly confident and gets on your nerves.
But this time, you don't mind. (you've always find that endearing.)
And your lips meet and meld to his, and it's like every romance novels you've ever (been forced to) read, except it's real and it's true, and it feels like thousand star lightening up the dark sky, like firework everywhere and you'll never let go.
"I think we should breathe now."
"No."
"But dying because of lacking oxygen isn't cool at all."
"You want a cool death? But, no is no."
When Crows finds out he smirks his annoying smirk (after threatening Brave to death), because he's Brave and you're Kurenai and Crow can see the inevitable.
"Oh." Yusei blinks when you tell him, and smiles. "What should I do to prepare for the wedding?"
You've never wanted to punch someone that much in your life.
Hope you enjoy.