Words unspoken, Feelings understood
There are some people who speak and always get misunderstood.
There are some others who can understand each other without having to say a word.
It was near sunrise by the time Keitarou had reached the place he was rushing to.
The tree. Where he would find an Onikui perched everyday.
Supposed to find.
He has not been looking for the Onikui for a week.
As he ran towards the tree, his heart beat faster with uncertainty.
True enough, there was an Onikui perched upon the tree, looking as though he was asleep.
Well, not really asleep, because he stirred as soon as he heard the small ruffling of leaves as footsteps approached him.
He looked up immediately intently, and immediately met the young exorcist's intensive gaze.
Feelings not made known, yet somehow was understood between the two.
The young exorcist knew. He knew that the Onikui had a choice to fly away, during the 1 whole week that he had avoided the goblin. That fact that he didn't just confirmed that he was waiting for somebody.
Waiting for the young exorcist himself.
Keitarou didn't know to feel lucky that the Onikui was still around when he needed to see him most, or to curse himself for having the urge to see him so badly.
So badly… that when he is finally in front of the black winged goblin, gift of speech seemed to have left his soul.
"Yo… uh… Ohayou gozaimasu." Keitarou managed to struggle out after some determination.
"… Ohayou." Was the reply given to the young exorcist.
Thousands of thoughts were, or had been swimming inside the exorcist melted at the instant he decided to greet the young exorcist morning.
Thoughts like:
Why did he disappear for 1 whole week?
Why did he run away after that night?
What happened after that night?
Why did I feel his heart quicken?
Most importantly,
Why did my own heart feel the ache when he just ran away and disappeared?
"What a good morning it is! Shall we take a walk along the river?" The young exorcist started, attempting to break the awkward silence.
"Sure." Replied the goblin just as nonchalantly.
As if nothing had ever happened.
It was better to take things naturally, wasn't it?
The pair were strolling down the huge river when something appeared to have caught the young exorcist's attention. He whipped around, and walked inwards towards the forest without notifying the companion who happened to be lost in his own thoughts as well. By the time the young exorcist's absence was felt, he had already walked quite some distance and was about to disappear into the greenery of the forest. Making a small sound of irritation, the black winged goblin spread out his wings and set to close the gap between the two.
The young exorcist stood in front of a huge, ancient tree and appeared to be staring at the roots of the tree. A black winged goblin flew in from above and stood silently behind the young exorcist, observing the young exorcist intently.
The young suddenly crouched down, and a group of small monsters came out from the roots of the tree.
"Here! Don't disturb the tree again ok? Go and play around! Don't irritate uncle tree anymore!" The young exorcist reprimanded the monsters gently. The monsters obeyed, and scurried off to other places in the forest.
The young exorcist then turned around and looked at the Goblin.
The goblin smiled at the young exorcist involuntarily.
"You know… this tree seems like it has a life of its own. Sometimes I look at it, it appears as though it is trying to tell me something."
"So… What does it say right now?" the black winged goblin asked, trying to act as nonchalant as he could.
The young exorcist smiled, and turned towards the goblin, sitting on the huge rock conveniently located by the side of the tree.
"It…" the young exorcist began, and stopped.
"It?"
"It…"
The young exorcist stood up again, and turned his back towards the goblin. The black winged goblin took a step closer.
Teardrops splashed onto the roots of the big tree, and the goblin realized that the young exorcist was crying.
"Hey, tell me what's wrong, won't you?" the goblin asked, placing his hand onto the young exorcist's shoulder, voice laced with concern.
The young exorcist's lips moved.
"… …"
The goblin looked at the young exorcist intently, trying to make out what he was trying to say.
"I don't … lose you… I… cannot…" barely audible, the goblin could only hear these words over and over in the young exorcist's voice, muffled with silent sobs.
The goblin did not know what was going on in the young exorcist's mind. All he could feel was the pain, the fear in the young exorcist's heart.
He then did the action that was most logical to him at the moment. Using the hand that was placed on the young exorcist's shoulder, he gently pulled the young exorcist in and cradled the young exorcist's head with the other free hand, at the same time wishing that the young exorcist would not break away and run away.
In response, the young exorcist turned and wrapped his hands around the goblin, this time turning it into a full embrace, tears spilling onto the black-winged goblin's shoulder.
"Don't die… I don't want to lose you. I don't… I don't…" the young exorcist continued within muffled sobs.
"I won't. You're not going to lose me or anything. I won't."
It was all the goblin could say as he held the young exorcist like the most fragile spirit in the world, ready to break. The black winged goblin hardly knew why, but his heart ached at the pitiful sight of the young exorcist.
And the goblin then made up his mind then and there.
He was going to protect the young exorcist at all costs.
He would not allow this fragile spirit to have another chance to cry so miserably again.
Yuko smiled nervously as she poured tea into Minamoto's cup for the infinite time.
It has been three hours since the older exorcist has stepped into the house and there was no sign of the young exorcist returning home yet.
"Uhm… I'm so sorry Minamoto sama, well you see, master wasn't usually like that. He would usually inform me of where he was going if he had to go out, and I would have informed you, but you see I…"
"No worries, Yuko. I understand." The older exorcist interrupted Yuko, waving his palm to emphasize the unnecessary explanation.
Hurried footsteps were heard just as the older exorcist was finishing the last drop of tea from his cup.
"Brother I'm so sorry! Well you see, I don't usually do this. I would usually let Yuko know if I ever have a need to leave the house so that she would have informed you, but you see I…"
The young exorcist was interrupted by the loud guffaw from the older exorcist.
As the young exorcist scurried after the older exorcist out of the house to get a present for their father, he could not help but recall the little meeting with the goblin earlier.
Unspoken words, yet feelings understood.
As the sobbing ceased and the young exorcist slowly lifted himself from the goblin, he wondered how long more he could retain in self-denial.
Or maybe he should just admit himself to it.
He, the exorcist Ichinomiya Keitarou, had fallen for the Ogre-eating-Goblin, the Onikui.
Oh. Crap.
Lost in his own thoughts, the image of a father and a brother whom he was supposed to meet for buying a birthday present swam along the confused thoughts.
Supposed to meet? Birthday present?
"Oh no!" The young exorcist suddenly exclaimed out loud, surprising the Onikui that he blinked twice.
"I'll come and meet you again tomorrow!" The young exorcist promised the Onikui, his hand lingering on the other's longer than usual, before the young exorcise sprinted off to the bewilderment of the black-winged goblin.
Watching the young exorcist sprint off, the black-winged goblin could not help but break into a smile.
A genuine smile.
One that had the power to fill the Onikui with warmth, and with it an unknown feeling that he has never experienced before.
A/N: Hello! I'm sorry. I really am.
I have no proper excuse to defend for my long absence from continuing with this fic. I could not untie myself from the knots I had created for myself. It had been a period of chaotic mess, and by the time I had recovered from it, I had shelved this fic aside.
I have not forgotten about it though. I guess I just needed some motivation, and some will power to sit down and run through my thoughts once again.
Thanks Tsuzuki Yuki, Anifantwist, and the regular readers at the beginning of the story for reading my fic as always! It has been more than a year, I hope you are all fine…
Thanx to AngelAriel, Aoi, DrakenD4, SadomasochisticBloodLust, ShinigamixGirl for your motivating reviews!!
I will continue this story until I've finished what I have in mind for this fic, so wish me luck with writer blocks ;