Disclaimer: My characters, places, etc. are my property, anything else belongs to Gainax and I take no right to owning FLCL.
Author's Notes: First Chapter, I did my best to capture Haruko's zany attitude and how quick her "conversations" seem to move. Please Read and Review.
The streets of Mabase were strangely silent, cars were parked neatly on the side of the streets, bicycles were chained to various traffic signs, and in the very distance sat the Medical Mechanica factory, the giant golden iron, though smoke no longer poured fourth from it and sat rather desolate against the starry night sky. It was that place that had caused a young and dysfunctional twelve year old to learn what it means to accept oneself but also the place that unleashed the events that tore Mamimi and Haruko from him.
Could it be her? Naota thought frantically as he scurried down the paved street. No, it couldn't…but then why am I running like an idiot in the middle of the night? Naota asked himself, almost bitterly, as his bare feet pounded on the pavement in one long sprint for his destination. The barren streets made for an unconscious shudder to run through Naota's youthful body.
Even if it is…her… what makes you think she'll feel the way she did about y- Naota stopped his mental argument. What did he care if she felt about him the way he had when he had been twelve, when Atomsk had finally emerged from him and fled. Haruko had said he was 'just a kid' and gone off in pursuit, leaving behind a devastated Naota. With a sigh, Naota pushed his sprint even harder, ignoring the strain in his lungs and legs.
Sometime later Naota skidded to a stop under the old bridge where he had spent so many childhood days with Mamimi. He nearly doubled over, gasping for breath, the polished Rickenbakcer Bass still held over his right shoulder firmly. It was his last memory of Haruko and as much as he wished he could banish it to whatever watery depths that lay under the bridge, he knew he never could. How could someone try and destroy what had changed their lives so radically and ultimately became a way of life?
Naota sat back, hard, holding the bass in front of him by the neck like a walking stick. The troubled teen craned his neck back to examine the twinkling sky for anymore signs of what his brain told himself was some obscure space particle falling to Earth but what his heart told him was something otherwise, something special.
After several minutes of waiting, Naota became frustrated. How could he be so stupid!? Foolishly running all the way across town like some little kid with idiotic hopes of seeing her again. Standing back to his feet and resting the large bass against the side of the bridge, Naota searched his pants pockets for a cigarette, he had taken up smoking a year ago when he found that school was just adding too much stress to his life for him to handle correctly.
Shaking his head when he found no way to release his frustration Naota simply snapped, grabbing the bass and holding it high above his head, ready to smash the last memory he had of her against the hard stone of the bridge (though subconsciously he knew it'd probably end up ripping a hole in the bridge).
" Damn it, damn it, DAMN IT! I've had ENOUGH of thinking of her, of THEM!" Naota swore, rather loudly, and wound up, ironically just as Haruko had taught him when he had bash the massive space mine that had headed for Earth so many years ago. Before Naota could shift and put his full weight into the swing a yellow, gloved hand, caught a hold of the bass from behind.
" Who's 'her', hmmmm Ta-kun?" asked a much too familiar voice, as first a nose, then lips, then the distinctive peach hair that dangled loosely from under the hard gray helmet came into Naota's peripheral view. The yellow gloved hand yanked the bass backwards, sending the wide eyed and shocked Naota flying backwards and onto his backside. The intruder peered closely at the stone that made up the bridge.
" Har-Har-Haruko? " Naota gasped out, rubbing his head then his backside as he slowly came to his feet, his eyes wide in disbelief. He had hoped, of course, but never truly expected Haruko to come barging back into his life like this…
" Oh he REMEMBERS me! " Haruko squealed in the whackiness that she always exhibited, jumping around and waving her bass, " C'mere Ta-kun!" she sang, rushing forward excitedly, grabbing Naota by the collar, and smashing him into one of the none-to-familiar kisses that Haruko had laid on him before.
Naota's eyes seemed to widen even more, if it were even possible, and he looked liked some sort of shocked frog and would have tried to say something, except that Haruko smashed the much abused Naota into her sizeable breasts after the hug as he flailed away.
"It's been sooooo long since I've seen you Ta-kun! You've certainly grown in that time!" Haruko ripped Naota from slowly suffocating him in her bossoms to about arms length. Even though he was now taller than her and would sensibly seem stronger, Haruko had some sort of unbreakable kung-fu grip to her. Needless to say Naota stopped his flailing momentarily, seeing the futility of it. Naota actually blushed ever so slightly as the returned alien ran an approving gaze over his form, lingering in some areas that most people would consider…inappropriate.
" So why did you come back?" Naota asked after a moment, something that significantly changed Haruko's demeanor back to her normal smirking self. All she did was point out behind him. Naota, unthinking, began to turn only to suddenly catch on and turn around…just in time to meet the massive sweep of a large Rickenbacker Bass Guitar straight into his forehead.
" Because I saw you first Ta-kun!" Haruko remarked, back to her ever-so-whacky antics, and grabbed the spinning Naota by the arm, flinging him around and onto her yellow Vespa which sat parked only a few yards away. With that Haruko strapped her old bass to her back, hopped onto the sleek, yellow Vespa and took off down the streets of Mabase for the Nandaba bakery and residence, a huge grin plastered across her face as she used one hand to snap her goggles on over her eyes….