First fic in this fandom! I'm kinda nervous, as I've only just finished the anime. But I fell in love with the characters and this idea just came to me and I had to write it.

I'm sorry, Takeru! (But it will all be okay!)

I have some ideas to keep this going, but I don't know if I'll get them written down.

Anyway, enjoy! :D

This story has also been posted in AO3

He was so bright.

Sparkling. Beautiful and strong.

He was the one who lit up a path for me to escape the darkness that was starting to consume my soul.

I was lost, cold and lonely, caught and engrossed in the firm belief that I was useless, and that everybody would have been better off had I never been born into this world.

I remember that I used to cry rivers – heartbroken, breathless sobs accompanying my uncontrollable shaking – holed up beneath that common elephant-shaped slide in the center of the small park, some blocks away from my house. It had always been my safe place, isolated and protected from all the shouting and hurt caused by those horrible words – words that shattered the little hope I would painstakingly put up together again every night, wishing for a change. A miracle.

I was there, the day I met him. It was raining cats and dogs. It was getting dark and I could not seem to stop shaking, my breath still altered and my tears mixed with the raindrops falling through my fringe. It was partly because of the cold, and partly because of the echo of the last words I heard before the pink vase – the one who used to hold beautiful daisies – was thrown in my direction, crashing against the wall. It shattered into a thousand pieces, which scarily resembled the battered pieces of my broken heart.

"Why won't you just disappear?! Why…? I HATE YOU!"

They were a broken record, replaying again and again in my head, and it didn't matter how much I tried covering my ears, they never stopped. My mother's words had always been sharp as a knife, and just as lethal, at least for the soul of her tiny eight years old son. But this time, it was different. It had been the first time she ever resorted to physical violence, and the change had shaken me to my very bones, even more than her crushing words.

I was terrified, and I felt devastated.

My father hated me – why would he abandon us, if he didn't? –, my mother wished she had never given life to me, my grandparents didn't seem to care, and my classmates thought I was weird and wouldn't talk to me. I was afraid to approach them, because… What would happen if I tried and then they hated me, too?

Why did I even exist? Why was I even there, if I was only being a burden to everyone…?

"HEEEEEY! GLAAAASSES-KUUUN!"

The cheerful, loud voice startled me so badly that I actually bumped my head against the elephant's blue, plastic belly. I hissed and grabbed the sore spot with both hands, closing my eyes tightly and wishing for the pain to stop. I vaguely noticed the pitter-patter of feet approaching before I had to start paying attention because somebody was talking to me.

"Oi, are you okay? Are you hurt? I'm sorry! I didn't mean to scare you!" The voice was still loud, but it wasn't shouting anymore and sounded much closer, almost panicked.

I peered beneath my eyelashes at the person who was suddenly there, crouching in front of me, making the already small space feel that much more crowded. He had short, spiky brown hair and the most sincere eyes I had ever seen, which were full of genuine worry – an emotion that I wasn't accustomed to, and made me feel slightly wrong-footed.

I felt flustered and only managed to stutter a soft: "I'm fine."

I wasn't prepared for the huge, sparkling smile it earned me – I felt dizzy just looking at it. It was warm, full of kindness and happiness and suddenly I had forgotten how to breathe.

"Oh, good! I just saw you running past when I was coming out of the store and I couldn't believe how fast you were! I just had to follow you!" He exclaimed, almost vibrating with pent up energy. I was astonished. What was this boy even talking about? "Name's Riku!" He proclaimed proudly, and the corner of his eyes crinkled. "What's yours?"

Still confused, I hesitated a little before answering.

"… I'm… Takeru?" It sounded more like a question than anything else, but Riku didn't seem to mind. His smile only grew – how was that possible?! – and he stuck out his hand towards me.

"Let's run together, Takeru! It'll be lots of fun!"

"Run… together?" I asked, befuddled, staring at the outstretched hand with surprise, some suspicion, and a great deal of longing.

"Yup!" He nodded enthusiastically, wriggling his fingers as if willing my hand to met his already. "Stride. If we run together, we'll win for sure. I just know it!"

He looked so sure as that bold statement left his lips, his eyes conveying so much passion and honesty, that I found myself reaching out to another person for the first time in many years.

I took the offered hand. It was small, soft and warm. He smiled brightly, which made me smile back tentatively, shyly.

My hand was gently squeezed in response, and I felt as if I had finally come home.