A/N: School is killing me xo Maths class has drained me of all my inspiration, so I decided to put up this oneshot instead...
If you don't like this paring, please take your rage elsewhere. I'm just improving my writing, OK?
Enjoy ;3 (Remember to get your tissues!)
.:Till the Day Comes:.
Treasure what you have now, for you may lose sight of it...
An exhausted sapphire-haired Kaito Shion tiredly made his way to the bathroom of his home, yawning and grunting from his strenuous job at the ice cream parlor. He was a lover of ice cream himself, and the customers seemed to like him, the newly-employed, enthusiastic and polite young man. Working overtime at a place that never ran dry of customers was a tiring job indeed.
But his work alone wasn't what made Kaito so miserably drained of his energy.
As he washed his large, calloused hands, he paid no attention to his reflection in the mirror, keeping his head down toward the sink most of the time, avoiding it entirely. It was probably too hideous to look at anyway, with those puffy, baggy eyes, and the emerging blue goatee on his chin.
Kaito splashed the refreshingly icy water onto his dry skin, jumping a little as it made contact with his face. He had to eventually glance at himself in the mirror, he realized. He groaned at the fact, and grabbed a nearby towel to dry off. His image didn't surprise him as he made eye contact with it.
Everything in the mirror reflected exactly how he felt at the moment—extreme sorrow and misery. His eyes, the bright azure gems once sparkling in joy and excitement, had been reduced to pools of dark, shadowed blue, showing no hints of light at all. His pale lips carried a seemingly permanent frown, putting a heavy weight on his muscles, and he made no attempt to try and lift it.
He wasn't in a good mood anyway, so how could he even try?
He—the jovial, light-hearted Kaito Shion who could easily lift the spirits of others—could not even cheer himself up. It was certain that even the most heavenly, mouth-watering delicious tubs of ice cream that waited for him in the fridge would have no effect. No effect at all… Heck, he didn't even feel like moving from his spot facing the sink.
Sighing, Kaito reached for his powder blue toothbrush which he usually kept high up on the glass shelf he had bought long ago. He stopped however, when he laid his eyes on a pale green, leek patterned one, standing right next to his.
Instantly, scalding tears pooled in his eyes.
Almost everything I see here reminds me of her, he thought bitterly, taking both toothbrushes and flinging the green one into the trash can. He had promised her not to cry, and he was doing everything to fulfill it. It was their last promise to each other, after all.
Even the toothpaste affected him greatly—seeing the flashing red and blue label brought his mind back to the days when they would do the groceries together, greedily stuffing more ice cream and leeks into their shopping cart, and laughing their hearts out without a care of the world around them.
Now, the world seemed eager to swallow him up into some dark abyss in the underworld.
Enough of this, please, Kaito begged silently as his frown twisted into a wry smile from the old memory. He kept his eyes trained on his reflection, poking fun at it to distract himself. It was pitiful, really. How much would it hurt to cry for someone who was long gone, like the wind?
Her sweet voice somehow made its way into Kaito's sensitive ears, gently instructing him how to brush his teeth. He wasn't that stupid, but she taught him anyway, dismissing his protests by saying: "You eat too much ice cream! Just think of all the dirt in that sugar, ugh!"
First, you have to brush the surface of those bug teeth at the back, top and bottom. Then, do the insides, where your tongue can feel and where people can't really see, those parts. Finally, brush the outside, where people can see whenever you smile! Oh, it looks like Kaito is wet! Come here, you little…! Ha, all dried!
"Shut up!" Kaito screamed, slamming his fist onto the marble sink in rage. He sank to his elbows on the hard marble, sobbing quietly and gripping his hair with his soaked hands. The toothbrush fell to the floor in one simple clack.
Every single thing he experienced together with her was deeply embedded into his soul, and there was no way he could possibly dig it out now. Each moment when they would hold hands were so blissful that it practically tore his insides apart, stabbing his heart in every way possible. He wanted to forget all this and move on with his pathetic loveless life. He desired so badly to forget her.
They thought they had it all planned out perfectly: he loved her, and she loved him. They even got through their disagreements and troubles together as one. They had planned to be married as a happy couple in the future, but…
Why did you have to go so quickly? Kaito thought sourly as he neatly shaved off his goatee. All that could be heard in his lonely apartment was the busy whirring of the electric shaver, performing its task.
Those three months he had spent with her were the most meaningful and enjoyable times of his life. Instead of sitting at home alone and eating ice cream in front of the television, he was out either snapping pictures of the mountainous scenery or carrying his girlfriend's shopping bags as they headed to another sale. Over that period of time, he had learned how to prepare adequate meals of his own (he ate nothing but ice cream and take out), which he found quite fun to do. He had learned how to do the laundry, and even how to do the laces of his sneakers whenever he went for work.
Clenching his fists, Kaito glared at his reflection, as if daring it to materialize and punch him in the face. Though he had complained numerous times that he didn't like doing those things with her, he actually appreciated it now, more than ever. Now that she was gone, he had nothing to live for: no company, no excitement, no purpose, and no love. She had no right—
"Forgive me, my dear," he mumbled, running his fingers through his hair. "I almost forgot: you didn't even plan to leave, did you? I'm so stupid…"
It was entirely true—it wasn't her fault, and she loved him so much she couldn't even think of walking away. She hadn't planned to leave him all by himself while she passed on either. How could he even blame her for doing so?
"Some people just aren't very lucky, right, my dear?"
All this time, she had hid the secret of her affliction from him, till the day he took her to the hospital for coughing up blood (she had pools of it in her small hands). The both of them were as white as sheets that day, panting and sweating in worry as the doctor examined her with a stethoscope and a simple blood test. The result horrified him.
"Your girlfriend has leukemia, and she will most likely pass on in a few weeks time."
He was frozen to the spot, struggling to process the information correctly. No matter how many times he looked at the doctor with tearing, pleading eyes, the doctor kept nodding in confirmation. What was more terrifying, though, was that she wasn't surprised at all. Not one bit.
I'm so sorry, Kaito, she had said, her eyes close to spilling tears. From there, he learned from the doctor and her that she had been struggling with the deadly disease all along, taking medication, surgery, and many other incomprehensible things. She had stayed positive to enjoy her shortened life to the full, being happy though things turned upside down. Her survival till her seventeenth birthday was truly a miracle, doctors had said.
Though she had heard it a million times, she still cried, drenching his shirt and scarf with salty tears, feverishly apologizing over and over. The fact that he knew her little secret made her stony for the entire day, talking only when necessary.
To make up for her impending doom, she set up more frequent and enjoyable dates with him, approved by her parents and his. They screamed at the twisting rollercoaster, stared skeptically in the hall of mirrors, and ate ice cream cones at the beach, enjoying the bright red sunset as the giant ball of fire sank into the ocean.
Those were the times, Kaito thought, when she did truly look like an angel, letting her little light shine to the world. It wasn't a very big or flashy light, but it was gentle enough to bring out the tears of people whenever she recited her experiences to them. By everyone's standards, she was a very strong girl. That was why he loved her so much…
Coming out of his reverie, Kaito realized that hot tears were steadily streaming down his face, falling onto the tiled floor with subtle plops. He missed her so much; it was a pity that she had to go. She had no control over it, after all. His body shook fervently as he wept.
They had shared one kiss, too. It was in her deathbed in the hospital, just before she released her last breath and passed on with a content smile on her paling lips. It was so brief, yet he was sure he wouldn't be forgetting the sweet sensation for quite a while. Perhaps even till the end of his life.
"I love you, Miku," Kaito whispered softly as he slid his fingers on the cold reflective mirror. "And I will always do…"
He left the bathroom finally, before jumping onto his bed. It still hurt him, but he was going to join her someday, and even then, his bond with her would never break. He wouldn't allow it to. He had a silly grin on his face as sleep claimed his thoughts.
He would have sweet dreams tonight, because in a little pool of water at the bottom of the sink, reflected the petite face of Miku Hatsune, her teal eyes and hair shining.
She was smiling.
A/N: Did this make you cry? Here, have some tissue...
I used Kaito for this story 'cause fanfics keep making him look stupid and dumb. Come on, give him some dignity and respect, will ya? Not every Kaito is happy, as you can see here... Also, my little sis loves this pairing, so I did her a favor :)
Inspiration source: Listening to the songs Ephemeral Fate, Saihate/Farewell, and Shining Ray. You know, those sad songs. Oh, and I was brushing my teeth when this popped up xD
Microsoft word count: 1, 700
Please tell me what you think! Feedback is greatly appreciated, as always ;3
~Jelly-O