Attraction
by crystal tiara
Disclaimer: Get Backers is property of the two geniuses behind it - Rando Ayamine and Yuya Aoki.
"Love from one being to another can only be that two solitudes come nearer, recognize and protect and comfort each other." - Han Suyin
It begins with an attraction.
It's not an attraction of the romantic sort, like others would think. He is youthful and maybe just a bit innocent, possessing intelligence beyond his years but having little human company. She, on the other hand, has just been thrust into this dark and dreary place, with only her brother to keep her company, away from the home she once knew.
They're both lonely, and maybe they can share their loneliness together. She yearns for the family she once had; he never had one to begin with. In a city where illusions intertwine with reality, they can become family to each other. And so these two lonely souls take a liking to each other, opening the way for a new beginning.
He thinks that she is beautiful, not just on the outside, but inside as well. He finds the way she smiles quite attractive - wistful and demure. Sometimes, he swears that she smells ever-so-faintly of cherry blossoms in spring. He talks to her about everything under the sun - from everyday happenings to more complicated things like computers and information technology. And the nice thing is, she's always willing to listen. On cold nights, he sleeps in her arms and she gives him warmth and solace, wrapping him with her shawl. And sometimes, he takes her to the roof to talk, or to watch the stars, or to look down on all of Shinjuku as if he ruled the place. He says that he goes there when he feels like being alone, and that she's one of the few whom he allows to set foot there.
To him, she is everything - a friend, mother, sister, confidante, source of comfort. And above all, he's in love with her.
She thinks that he could probably be the most intelligent boy in the world--or at least, in her world. She thinks he's charming and mature, but at the same time a child at heart. In her eyes, though, he will always be young. As the years go by, she thinks that he will never lose that youthful look in his eyes--that youthful look she loved, and still loves, dearly. She loves to sit with him, even just to hear his voice. She tells him stories about the world out there-- the world he longs to see. She talks to him about how her family was like, before she came to this place. He tells her that it must be nice to have someone to care for and to be cared for in return. She thinks to herself that she wants to care for him, not expecting anything in return... only, perhaps, that he'd care for her and think of her often.
To her, he is everything - a friend, brother, child, someone to watch over. And above all, she's in love with him.
They're so in love that maybe they should confess their feelings to each other, and take things to the next level. But they're far from the ordinary couple. They weren't even supposed to love each other in the first place anyway. For one, they're years apart- he being on the brink of adolescence, and she long past that stage. To the outsider, they would've looked very much like siblings. But if one is to disregard age, they are equals in mind and heart. And for them, so what if the world casts them disapproving looks? The world can laugh at them, and they can laugh at the world together. For very few people could possibly understand that sometimes, love can break a few rules here and there.
Their relationship isn't all about displays of affection nor sugar-coated words, not about seeing fireworks and stars or getting lovesick; it's all about being subtle but obvious enough, about loving without ever having to profess love, about the little things that matter - a bit of comfort, a bit of warmth, a bit of giving, a bit of taking. They can be in love with each other without having to say a thing or formally declare the beginning of a relationship. For them, silence speaks words. A thoughtful look, a helping hand - they say and mean a thousand words more than sweet nothings do.
And they've never been happier with the way things are. For her, it's like discovering that she's never too old to experience first love all over again; for him, it's like discovering that he's not too young to love. They're not perfect, but it is when they are together that they are made perfect. For it is truly a magical thing when two lonely people find each other to fill the emptiness in their lives, and in the strangest of places, too.
It begins with an attraction. But it always ends in love.
Author's Notes: There you have it; my very first Get Backers fic. I've been a Get Backers fan for a few months now, lurking in the GB section of and reading the things people post on GB Comm. I soon came to like the MakubeX x Sakura pairing because I found them cute and compatible. They're so obvious that I think they're canon. It's been my Get Backers OTP for some time now, which is why I feel disappointed that there aren't that much MakuSaku fics out there. But thank God for bubblegum2000, whose fic and drabbles on MakubeX and Sakura I really enjoyed (I didn't review, though; I admit I'm lazy hides from shame). I hope this fic was satisfactory enough--I'm only sixteen and I have a real inferiority complex when it comes to my fics, and that people won't be put off by my unconventional style of writing. :) If you've noticed, I deliberately omitted the use of MakubeX's and Sakura's names, just to see if I could write a romance ficlet without ever having to mention names. Reviews are much appreciated!