Title: Silence
Pairing: SouKazu
Fandom: Soukyuu no Fafner
Theme: #11 gardenia
Disclaimer: Don't own it. It's too perfect to come from my unworthy mind.
Notes/Warnings: Was originally going to just be called 'Gardenia', but this story just feels so...quiet to me. So everytime I tried to name it Gardenia this title would just keep screaming out at me, so I finally gave in and went with it. More romance than the previous one in this one, as promised last time! SPOILERS for through episode 6, and part of it involves a scene in episode 7, so be careful. Reviews greatly appreciated, especially as I've been in a bit of a SouKazu slump lately...

Silence

Kazuki believed that bringing flowers when you visit a grave was the best thing to do. Whenever he visited his mother's grave, whether he was by himself or with his father, flowers accompanied the trip. His father always told him how his mother had loved flowers.

Hazama had loved flowers as well.

Therefore, when he and Soushi prepared to go up to her grave for the first time since the funeral on that cold, foggy day, he insisted they bring flowers along with them.

After a moment's pause, Soushi's first response was, "What kind?"

Kazuki merely stared at him for a moment, before abruptly recalling that Soushi had never been as close to Hazama as the rest of them were, and probably wouldn't know her favorite flower, the one they always brought her on birthdays or when she was especially sick and had to go to the hospital. It wouldn't be fair to say that Soushi didn't care, but...the truth of the matter was that he had never really tried to get close to or learn personal things about anyone other than Kazuki.

"Gardenias," he answered. "Hazama always loved gardenias."

They went to the usual flower store, though Soushi had never been there before. Around the island there were a few different stores, and this was actually one of the smallest ones, but it carried the most magnificent gardenias, and no one had ever bought them from anywhere else after discovering it.

Kazuki led them straight to the display of large white flowers, Soushi silently following him while discretely looking around at the same time. Reaching out to gently caress a bud, Kazuki momentarily wondered if it was appropriate to bring a white flower to a grave, but just as quickly pushed the thought away. Hazama had loved these flowers in life, and he knew that she would be just as pleased to get them in death. There was no 'right' or 'wrong'; it was what Hazama would have wanted.

He pulled Soushi closer and pointed out what to look for: nice, large pure white and fully bloomed flowers with healthy, green looking stems. Together they hand picked one after another, until they had a small bouquet.

Holding them in his hands, Kazuki smiled sadly down at the flowers. To have to bring flowers to a friend for this reason was something he had never even imagined having to do. If he had known this would happen, he would have bought Hazama flowers more often, just to make her happy. Instead, now all he could do was regret that he had forgotten this and that time. All he had left of the young girl were regrets and memories.

Soushi was looking at him concernedly by now, and so he pulled himself away from these dismal thoughts and sent a small smile the other boy's way instead. Answering the unasked question, he said, "Just thinking about some things, don't worry."

Understanding, Soushi merely nodded.

They walked through the store again now, picking up one or two random colorful flowers on the way to add to the bouquet; Hazama had loved gardenias, but she had also loved colors.

As they walked to the front of the store to pay, a stack of seed packages caught his eye. He wondered if Hazama's mother would appreciate a gift of gardenia seeds, or if it would just be an unnecessarily painful reminder of her loss. He wasn't sure which, and knew Soushi wouldn't know either, and so he decided that the risk wasn't worth it, at least for now while everyone was still walking on tightropes around each other and any mention of the girl. Maybe once the pain had healed slightly, he would give them to the woman; maybe by then they would be a sweet reminder rather than a bitter one. But for now, he would leave things be.

They paid for the flowers, Soushi pulling out money before Kazuki had a chance to even set the flowers down and handing it to the employee before he had a chance to protest. This was his way of helping, since he hadn't known what Hazama liked. It was the only thing he could think of to show that he cared, and so Kazuki let him have his way. He understood.

They left the store, the bell above the door tinkling as it shut behind them, and walked out into the cold, dark world. The sky was full of grey clouds, almost entirely blocking the sun from view, and it looked like it would start raining any moment now.

How appropriate, for the sky to cry on a day when the people beneath it wanted to as well.

That evening, they went back to Kazuki's house, once more empty handed. Kouyou had been angry, had blamed him for her death. The worst part of it all was that Kazuki couldn't disagree with him, blaming himself just as much.

Still, when Soushi had stepped between them, stopping the other boy from hitting Kazuki and risking taking the blow himself if Kouyou didn't pull back, he had felt happy inside. Happy that Soushi didn't blame him as well, that Soushi didn't want him hurt.

Back at Kazuki's house with his dad still out at the Alvis base, Kazuki pulled Soushi to him as soon as they stepped inside out of the rain, kissing him on the lips. It was a gentle kiss, a quick kiss, and he soon broke the contact, shifting to hug Soushi to him instead.

They were both silent the entire time, relishing in this moment of complete understanding between each other, something that at times felt beyond rare.

Peace, love, understanding, and each other. These were the things that both needed to survive.

And in this moment, each made a promise to themselves to do whatever it took to protect those precious things.