the space between promised hands
Haku allowed his hand to linger in the wedge between them before allowing it to drop back down by his side. He wanted to reach out, call her back, grasp the soft material of her shirt and thread it through his fingers, but he couldn't – wouldn't. So he settled with leaving his hand in the space where hers had been, even if it was only for a few seconds.
He watched her scutter through the field, a mere human escaping the realm of gods. Indeed, she had a tiny frame, but there was something about her that stood out – a vivid shade of kindness and a glimmering gem of determination.
It was a beautiful day. The wind was giggling, just enough to be coy, but not overly so. Haku remembered when the wind greeted him like an old friend – breezing through his waters and casting ripples on his surface. That was some time ago – even before a girl, even tinier than she was now, fell into him one summer.
It was too beautiful a day for him to be lying, really. He knew he wouldn't be able to keep his promise to Chihiro ("But it's strange. I remembered yours.") because he was a god and gods aren't able to cross the border into the human world, not unless he was a river, like before. Well, he wasn't sure if that constituted as lying – he supposed it was only partially so – but he knew Chihiro would consider it a lie anyway, what with her high moral standards.
He smiled at the thought of Chihiro's kindness as he spared a glance at the clouds, and then started walking back to the bath, where he would tell Yubaba he was quitting his apprenticeship. The words were already forming in his head – what he would tell Yubaba, that is. He had a vague idea of what he wanted to do after this and where he wanted to go.
Of course, his heart laid with Chihiro right now. She was where he wanted to be and with her was whom he wanted to do everything with, but he supposed he compromise.
Chihiro would forget him soon enough. Everything that had happened in this world had probably been too eccentric for her, anyway. She would think it was all a dream – simply fragments of her imagination. It saddened him, somehow, that he would someday only be a part of her dusty memories, buried deep down with everything she deemed unworthy of her thoughts.
He shook his head resolutely and internally reprimanded himself for thinking like that.
It's alright. As long as I would be able to see her again, it's alright.
He watched as the wind shook the fragile leaves, hanging from branches.
There were spells for lots of things – breathing life into coals, automatic-sewing, transfiguration, and many more, but there was no spell a god could use to visit the human lands.
He yearned for the day he would be able to welcome the wind as a friend once more.
Chihiro took a deep breath, causing an audible gasp to permeate the air. She scrambled to sit up and was surprised to find that her back didn't burden her with any pains.
She looked down, at her hands, pressed against the floor, and found that they were smooth and soft.
Was she dead?
"Chihiro."
Her head snapped upwards. The voice, the one she heard in all her dreams, the one that had always brought a perfect mixture of bittersweetness, the one that felt like the pain of losing her first love but also the one that felt like the joy of reuniting with him once more.
A familiar figure, in crisp, white and blue robes, stood before her.
She smiled, "I've been waiting for you."
"So have I. For 70 years, I have waited to fulfill my promise."
Laughter rang through the air.
"Silly Haku. When I said to meet me again, I meant in a day or two, not in 70 years."
He crouched down so they were on eye-level with each other. As if instinctively, their hands interlaced.
"I'm sorry."
The tenderness in his voice caused something in her chest to shiver.
"No, no, it's fine. Everything's fine now."
As long as I have you.
Author's Note: I realize this is kind of pointless but I have so much FEELS for them I just- I mean I love these two, okay? They are my precious babies.