Day Seventeen - Carol of the Bells

Characters: KyoHaru

Genre: Angst

Triggers: None

A choir of amateur voices echoed into the stillness of night, piercing through the dull sounds of traffic and crowded chattering. Kyoya stood still at a crosswalk corner seemingly mesmerized by the song as faceless people brushed past him. He couldn't will his feet to move nor stray his eyes from the glittering sight that was Christmas lights arched below a walking bridge above the choir of carolers.

They stood in an ordinary space where paved concrete allowed passage to walking commuters with seasonal blinking lights and red ribbons tied at the adjacent street lights. For Tokyo, this spot was nothing more than a decorated alleyway, a convenient spot for artists, musicians, and performers to make camp while avoiding the main path.

It was another crevice in the city, a dip between skyrises, but to Kyoya Ootori he'll always remember that fateful spot as the day his world fell apart.

The day he shattered like glass atop the rugged concrete he stood on.

She had been so beautiful that evening, almost glowing beneath soft hues of moonlight and sharp neon colors from neighboring bar signs. Her hair had grown since high school, resting at an appropriate length just below her shoulders, and her eyes were ever still wide with innocence and strength. After all the years he had known her she never took a step backwards in either success or beauty.

That night she had worn a red dress that perfectly hugged her maturing curves with flare at the skirt. He remembered watching the fabric sway with her movements, never before being so jealous of a piece of clothing. She made everything look simple and elegant, even without trying or meaning to. She never cared to present herself like a well trained aristocrat and never planned to - and yet she never needed to. Her natural grace and humorous bluntness made her all the more appealing and - real. Something rare among his breed.

He had loved her, craved her, needed her, and nearly had her. He had taken long strides with her, made memories that only they would forever be privy to, and whispered silly promises into the late hours of night when sleep glossed over their eyes.

He almost had her, to love and cherish, forever.

But that night, in the forgotten corner of Tokyo, was when Haruhi Fujioka gave him back his ring.