Hey, it's me again. Yes, I am aware that the last chapter of my Tomoyo memory-loss fic sucked. But because I have a really interesting ending for that (wait for the last few chapters) there is NO WAY I am going to leave it unfinished... I am merely exploring a story idea I've been playing around with in my head for quite some time. Actually, it isn't really a story. Just simple fluff. See how early on in the story you can guess the coupling. Not that it's a real mystery... Anyway... Hope y'all like it. Here goes...
DISCLAIMER: CCS belongs to CLAMP. This story belongs to me.
Something To Get Used To
The light afternoon breeze dances through the trees. You know you're in a familiar place when you start noticing such trivial things. Especially with the company I keep. Usually... He's the only thing I notice.
These moments are the ones that will last forever.
And I don't see how that isn't a good thing.
"You're not cold, now, are you?"
I grab on to his arm a little tighter, and shake my head subtly as we walk down that familiar lane. A polite 'no'.
Yes, I am a little cold, but there's no real use worrying him. After all, we both have on our thick coats.
"I'm all right... I'd be freezing if you weren't here to keep me warm."
He makes a cute little grunt that years of companionship have taught me means "acknowledged". An expected response. But today, I tell myself, I won't settle for one of those.
"You know... One would think that we would be used to Tomoeda's late fall weather..."
"Well," he says after a pause, "I guess there are some things you get used to in time, and some that you never do."
Words of truth... For once. With a sigh I wonder if he knows how red my cheeks are right now.
"Hey..."
No response. But I am happy just to hear him breathing. His hands are still in his coat pockets, probably as cold as mine. I'm willing to find out.
"C-can I ask you something?"
We both know he's smiling.
"Go on," he says, no doubt already thinking of something devilishly witty to answer me with.
But today will be different. Today I catch him off-guard.
"Would you say... That we're... In love?"
I half-expect my childhood friend to stop walking right there to answer, like any nervous boy would.
But, as always, he's gotta leave me hanging for a few seconds.
I take this time to scout around for somewhere we can stop... Get off the pavement, sit down, have a heart-to-heart talk. Make up a story about an alien invasion. Kiss me on the cheek. Anything but leave me in this suspense.
Penguin Park is approaching on the right. I try to go back to the times we used to hang out there, clouding my mind, trying to avoid hyping myself up for his answer.
But it's no use.
I'm starting to sweat. He knows it, I'm sure... But that's the least of my worries! Did I just say... What I just said? Oh, no. He's going to shut his mouth and never talk to me again... Okay, maybe never is too big a word, but... Argh! Why did I have to ask that? What in the world is wrong with--
"Well, that depends."
A good five seconds pass before his answer pulls me out of panic mode and back into lover's-quarrel-conflict-flirting overdrive.
"DEPENDS?"
"On who's asking, of course."
I take my head off of his arm, but I don't dare loosen my grip on him. From what I've seen in my past fourteen years, you never quite know who's going to pop up out of nowhere and jump on the one you love in this town.
"N-nani? Why would that matter?"
"You know... About the 'special police'..."
It's my turn to smile.
"No, actually I don't."
My eyes roll drolly. He knows it's all a subtle act of flirtation. A dance we're both touring pros at. Call it shallow, but that's half the fun in this relationship. Little things like that.
"People didn't always declare if they were going together or not. You see, back in the days when the Sun rose in the West, they had a division of special police in Tokyo who went around, disguised to blend in with everyone else... And their job was to arrest people who were suspected of being in love."
I look him in the eye suspiciously.
"And just why did they do that?"
"Oh, that's simple. The law was, nobody could get married or have children anymore back then. It was imposible- there were simply too many people around. You see, this was long before they discovered how to make boats out of orange peels. So naturally, nobody left the main island, because they didn't know any other land existed."
"Right," I say, suppressing a giggle as I discreetly take the boy's right hand out of his jacket pocket and interlock my fingers with his, subtly steering our walking course into Penguin Park. As always, he builds up a little more suspense. From the corner of my line of vision, I can almost see his nose growing longer and longer...
"So... What happened?"
"One day a huge flood came and wiped all the people out."
"Oh."
"Those who survived, obviously, thought that the Gods had sent the flood to challenge them, and set out to defy them. So in a strange coincidence, the first boats were made, and our ancestors, not knowing how to use a compass, traveled outwards towards the horizon to wage war against the Gods, searching in all four corners of the globe..."
"And that of course is how the rest of the world became populated, right?"
I lead him inside the park, in between the structures where we used to play.
"Right..." He doesn't seem so sure.
"So they didn't have any need for the 'special police' anymore, did they?"
Another pause. Score one for me as we walk through this playground of memories.
"Why, you're absolutely right. They all found themselves out of work, so consequently they formed NASA and invented chicken salad sandwiches in 1884."
I stop myself from falling over, and restrain my idle hands from strangling my friend here.
"But if the 'special police' don't exist anymore," I whisper innocently, "then... What's wrong with letting people know that we're in love?"
I didn't think his face could turn any more scarlet. Without hesitation I close the distance between us, taking his left hand in my right, and his right in my left. We share a moment, and I almost die as he looks at me the same way I look at him. After a few seconds of this he loosens his grip without losing his charm.
"Absolutely nothing, Chiharu-chan."
Putting his now-warm hands on my cheeks, my childhood friend leans in for a kiss.
His first.
My first.
Our first.
Under the sunset.
A quick joining of the lips, a moment of bliss that we both instantly realize we have been waiting our whole lives for.
And a shared moment as we both gravitate reluctantly out of the kiss, never taking our eyes off one another.
Even when he opens his mouth.
"Except, of course, for the NASA sattelites up there watching us," he says with a finger raised to make a point, slyly pretending to be unfazed by our declaration of love.
Instinctively my eyes dart up into the sky. He reaches out and tickles my neck silly. After realizing his game, I burst into an unexpected fit of laughter and grab him by his neck, pretending to throttle him.
He winces a little, half-expecting the exorbitant amount of physical pain he usually associates with the punchlines of his 'tall tales'.
There are no words to describe how cute he looks when he's scared.
"Yamazaki-kun..."
"H-hai?"
I release my grip on him and brush a stray strand of hair off his face so I can look into those beautiful, squinted eyes. The ones he seems to open for me and me alone.
"You're a horrible liar."
We exchange smiles and hold hands, eventually turning to the horizon as the sun sends us a final gleam of farewell. I will walk home tonight, and for the first time in a while, I will sleep with a smile on my face. And I think it's safe to assume that my boyfriend will too.
There are some things that you get used to in time.
And like the weather, there are others that you never do.
This, on the other hand...
This is definitely something worth getting used to.
Owari
Well, I hope y'all liked that... Takashi Yamazaki and Chiharu Mihara need more fics dedicated to them! They're SUCH a cute couple... I wish I had a childhood friend I could fall in love with... Aw, well. Man, I really suck writing from a girl's perspective, what with all my failed relationships that prove I don't understand girls one bit. (shrugs) Maybe someday my writing will get better. When I get a lobotomy or something. Till then, enjoy.
Anyways, PLEASE read and review! It would mean a lot to me... Thanks in advance!