1.

Title: Fragile
Rating: K
Pairing(s): HakuxOC(ish)
Word Count: 998
Warning/s: Nothing much but I realize in this drabble, I love to use 'smile' a lot but I don't think that's counted as a warning. But this is part of a scene in my current Naruto fic: GreyTears, though I haven't come to this scene in my fic yet. Yeah, spoiler.
Summary: Finally, after being trapped in Fate's maze for so long, they were together.
Dedication: To myself actually.
A/N: I'm just bored when I listened to Every Little Thing: Fragile, and was reading some Haku fics, I decided to write it. Then I found that Hamasaki Ayumi: Carols, suited Haku pretty well I put into it. But please, to those Ayumi-fans out there, please don't flame me because it's just an idea and I like her songs too.
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto but Hijiri belongs to me and Carols belongs to Hamasaki Ayumi.

-.-.-.-

It feels strange. Actually, it might even be weird to be here after seven years of frantic searching for him. Hijiri nodded her head and smiled to herself. Yeah, it's weird. Her grip on the bouquet of fresh lilies tightened as she bravely ventured a step, making her way slowly to him.

It was confusing. Shouldn't she be happy and relieved to have found him? Yes, she was nervous. Who isn't when you meet someone you have not seen for seven years. You would not know what to say to them, right? But no, she knew better than anyone why a sudden constriction wormed its way to her dry throat, stifling a cry. Why there was an urge to run away, as far as possible.

Fear. She was frightened to face the truth. Terrified of reality. However, she refused to cower in the dark, just like the time when Sasuke told her about him. She could not believe it; she did not want to believe it. Every cell in her body rejects the truth, pushing it away when every time, it always found her. So she hides; hid herself from the eyes of truth and from everyone who knew about it. Then, in darkness, she reminisces the past. She dreamt of the past with him, how they used to play in the forest and frolicked the stream waters, watched the starry sky together and made the everlasting promise to each other with the falling snow as their witness and the necklace as their seal of their promise. Her lips curled into a sad smile. Yeah, he promised he would be with her, no matter what and she would wait for his return.

Her feet stopped before the wooden cross and she sucked in a deep breath. But she knew staying in the darkness and living in deception would not get her anywhere to him, it would only widened her distance from him even if they were very close to each other. It would slowly eat away her memories of him until there was nothing left for her to remember. Then, she would wither and finally, die. But she could not die, she was not even allowed to because although she could not see them, she could feel their presence behind her, silently supporting her. Yes, her friends. Because of them, she managed to muster enough courage to confront the truth and she would not back out. Though she was still frightened, her legs were still trembling slightly, it warmed and comforted her to know that her important friends were there to hold on to her if she falls and, Hijiri rested a hand on her chest, to feel his presence embracing her now. Her hand wrapped around the cylindrical pendent of the necklace, they were together now.

Hijiri kneeled on her knees and placed the lilies beside Haku's cross gently. Her green eyes widened slightly at the little yellow flower growing beside the cross. She did not know whether it was raining when she saw a droplet on its petals. Her hands flew up to her moistened face, she was crying all along and she has not realized it until now. A pair of delicately arched brow knitted together as her lips broke into a smile. So she was still weak, huh? Suddenly, a strangled cry escaped from her lips as she choked on great sobs silently. A wet pale hand reached out and caressed the rough surface of the cross. She needed to smile; she would not allow herself to look bad in front of Haku. Gritting her teeth to suppress her sobs, Hijiri forced her frowning lips to smile. She giggled quietly when an image of herself now crept into her mind; she must be looking very ugly now. Wiping the tears with the back of her hand, she pushed herself up and gazed down at Haku's grave.

"A lot have happened. Right? Haku." She stroked the cross.

Her gaze glided to the grave beside Haku's. Momochi Zabuza, the one who made Haku a killing machine yet also the one who took care of him when Hijiri was not able to. She remembered him although they have only met once. Hijiri smiled at the memory, it was also the same day when she and Haku made their promise before he left with Zabuza-san. She walked to Zabuza's cross and bowed deeply, thanking him silently for taking care of Haku although she knew that he was a wanted missing-nin and took Haku under his care because of his advance blood-line. But she did not care, if it was not for Zabuza-san, she would not be able to meet Haku again after he disappeared suddenly from his devastated home back when they were kids.

She stood straight and lets out a breath in a soft huff. A lot have happened, so much that it made her felt that she had lived for almost half of a century. She would need a good long rest. Stretching her gaze to the horizon, she turned to her friends and smiled brightly. Naruto looks proudly at her, grinning from ear to ear and Sakura smiled back at her, she looked relieved. And if her eyes were not playing tricks at her, Hijiri thought Sasuke smiled too.

Today was cold but the sky was not grey and Hijiri was happy about that. Making her way back to Haku's grave, she stared at his grave, hesitant about what she had prepared to do on this day. She has this on her sleeve for a long time but there seemed to be no chance to give it to Haku. Now was a great opportunity yet she felt uncertained. Gripping firmly yet gently on the cross, she stared at the blue sky,

"Haku, I… always wanted to give this to you but… it always seemed to be impossible. So, I hope you could hear this…"

She paused for a moment then slowly, plucking up courage, she sang.

End

-.-.-.-

初めて会った日を　今も覚えている？
照れたように君はうつむいて
目を反らしてばかりだったね

その仕草をとても　愛しく思うように
なったのはいつの頃だったかな
なんだか懐かしいね

やがていくつもの季節が
僕達の前を足早に通り抜けた

白い雪が街を染める頃にも
君の側にいさせて
私これからも
困らせてばかりかもしれないけど

夜通し話してた　未来だとか今が
あまりに私には眩しくて
尊く感じていた

いつか過去を許せる日が
来るといいのにと思ったら涙溢れた

白い雪が溶けて街が
鮮やかに彩られる頃も
こうして君の事が
大事で仕方ない私でいたい

わかり合えないまま　すれ違った日も
涙の日　そして笑顔溢れる日も
そうどんな時だって
どんな君であっても
いつも受け止めるよ

白い雪が街を染める頃にも
君の側にいさせて
私これからも
困らせてばかりかもしれないけど

白い雪が溶けて街が
鮮やかに彩られる頃も
こうして君の事が
大事で仕方ない私でいたい

Hijiri closed her eyes when the song ended. Although she knew she still needs others to support and protect her now because of her weakness and fragility, she promised to grow stronger. So that once again, she would be able to protect those who were important to her.

Huffing out a steam of hot breath, the cold felt stinging against her skin. She opened her eyes when she noticed small white stuff floating in the air. Curiously, she reached out her hands and looked around her.

"Snow…" she whispered.