- Title -
Secret Love

- Pairing -
Kanone/Eyes

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Eyes Rutherford was a famous pianist; renowned for his captivating looks and talent. Despite his young age, he was looked upon as a role model in many countries by countless people, young and old. There was not a concert he held that was not filled with excited audiences. Be it because they were thrilled to listen to the melodious piano pieces he composed, or merely to observe whether or not the rumours of his talent were true or false.

Today was Eyes' first concert of the year in this particular country, and it was something that no one wanted to miss. The ticket booth was crowded with people, as many patiently queued in lines to purchase the entry tickets. Some returning home with eager expressions written on their faces at the prospect of the upcoming concert, and some disappointed that the tickets were sold out, to return with high hopes the next day.

One week passed and soon, that day arrived.

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Delicate fingers danced gracefully on white and black keys; hands synchronizing flawlessly at each beat of the music to create a mellow, yet mysterious melody. The music piece started off with a dolce as it continued to a forte, and only the melody of the piano filled the air as the audience who were present in the concert hall silently listened to the breathtaking piece that was played, all eyes focused on the young pianist on the stage.

Eyes had never felt strongly about anything before, except for his passion for music. Slowly, he realized that music was something that he could put his heart into; showing his emotions through his songs, and in each note he played. Be it in times of happiness or despair; calmness or anxiety. Before he realized it, music became something that he could not let go of; something that was important to him.

Many adored Eyes and were captivated by his music, but no matter how much they respected or admired him, it would never be anything deeper than that; as they could only touch the surface of the mysterious pianist. Eyes knew that very well, for no one would ever know what his songs truly reflected, and the meaning they held in each note. In his whole life, there was only one who knew, and it would always be only him.

The concert was over as applause rose from the audience, breaking Eyes from his train of thoughts.

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How many years has it been since the two last seen each other? Kanone did not know the answer, as he had lost count. All he knew was it had been a long, long time. The day he said goodbye to Eyes was also the day he vowed to start over from the beginning as if nothing had happened. But in the end, he could not bring himself to put the past behind him. The past shaped him into the person he was, and Eyes played an important role in it. Even now, that had not changed.

One of the reasons Kanone had been avoiding the platinum-haired youth all these years was to ensure the other's safety. Unlike himself, Eyes had a bright future ahead of him and Kanone did not want himself or the Blade Children to be the wall holding him back. The platinum-haired youth deserved to live; to truly live. Because of that, he had to be the one to leave him. It was also during those years that Kanone stopped believing in Narumi Kiyotaka, and the words that he often told them about never giving up on hope. It was nothing more than sweet lies.

When Eyes started playing, the brown-haired youth broke out of his reverie. A smile crept onto Kanone's lips; his cat-like eyes focused on nothing but the pianist on the stage. The songs played by the platinum-haired youth were as beautiful as they had always been, and today was no different. The only difference was the characteristics of the songs that the pianist chose to play. The melody was constantly in a peculiar tune, randomly jumping from soft and calm, to fast and agitated. Even so, the song was continuous and smooth, even when the tempo was random. When had Eyes started to play like that?

Kanone exited the hall a few minutes before the concert ended; the same bright smile still curved upon his lips.

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Eyes gave out a sigh of relief as he had finally returned to his hotel. It had been a long, tiring day and he would have liked nothing better than to take a warm bath, and retire for night. He unlocked his room door and slowly pushed it open, letting it close automatically behind him with a soft 'click'. It was only then that Eyes' gaze landed on a bouquet of flowers lying silently on his bed.

From a closer distance, Eyes identified the flowers as a bouquet of pure white gardenias. Slowly approaching the bed, he lifted the bouquet and brought it to his lips, taking in the sweet scent of the gardenias; smiling softly. He scanned the nearby area for any card that the person might have left along with the bouquet of flowers, and there it was; a pure white card on the bed where the bouquet was. All that was written on it was, 'I miss you'.

Eyes looked at the hand-written words; his eyes widening as he recognized the familiar cursive and elegant style of writing. It was him.

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Kanone took one last look at the hotel before disappearing into the dark shadows of the alley. He had left Eyes before in the past, and he was not going to show himself to the other any time soon. He did not want to see Eyes because he was afraid. Afraid that if he gazed at those perfect blue orbs, he would never be able to leave again. It had taken him several years to realize his feelings for Eyes, but he intended for them to remain a secret.

After all, in the language of flowers, gardenias represent a secret love.

OWARI

Author's Notes >> Thank you for reading! Reviews and consructive criticism is greatly appreciated.