Title: "Forget About It"

Author: Wish Wielder

Fandom: Puchi Puri Yucie

Claim / Pairing / Character Focus: Arc/Yucie // Cube/Yucie

Challenge: 33 Proposals

Theme / Prompt: #01 (Witnessed by the Ex)

Word Count: 3,856

Rating: T / PG

Summary: He had never told her how he felt, and now he fears it might just be too late.

Notes: Post-series; Arc/Yucie with Cucie elements.

Disclaimer: "Puchi Puri Yucie" and all respective properties are © Takami Akai. Meg D. (Wish Wielder) does not, has never, nor will ever own "Puchi Puri Yucie".

"Forget About It"

"Lady Yucie?"

The girl's steward lingered at the door to her room, frowning as he saw her jump. She rubbed at her eyes, offering a hasty greeting before asking what he wanted. He stepped over the threshold and closed the door, though he didn't go any closer.

"What happened, Lady Yucie?" he asked. She blinked and gave him that smile, the one that said she had no idea what he was talking about. The one that made it seem like she was fine. He gave her a look of his own, one that told her she could never fool him. "Fourteen years I've been your steward and friend, Lady Yucie - you can't trick me that easily."

"I suppose not," she said. She turned to face him, hanging her legs over the edge of her window seat. She studied her feet, smiling sadly as she wiggled her toes.

"Hey, Cube…" she asked, and he jumped.

"Y-yes?"

"Are you like me?" she asked, and his eyes widened.

"What?" he asked.

"Ever since I've known you you've looked the same," she said. "You don't grow, Cube."

"But that's by my choice, Lady Yucie," he said, and she frowned.

"Why? Don't you ever wonder what it would be like to be an adult? Don't you ever miss people treating you like your age?" she asked.

"No, Lady Yucie, I don't," he said. He walked over to her and took her hands in his own. She looked up at him, and he smiled. "I don't mind looking like a child, and you shouldn't, either."

"But…I'm fourteen, Cube! Fourteen! And I still look like I'm ten…or younger," she said, looking down. "Boys are supposed to be noticing me now, and no one will ever think twice about courting 'the child', Why would they when they can have girls like Bree? Bree's right…no one's ever going to love me, and I'm never going to be able to thank the Prince, and -"

"Lady Yucie, stop it!" he said, and she looked at him to see a look of pure annoyance scrawled upon his face.

"Cube?" she asked, and he groaned.

"Lady Yucie, you're only fourteen! You don't need to worry about boys yet. And who knows? Maybe you're just a late bloomer - give it a little more time, and soon you'll be taller than Cleo and Bree combined," he said, grinning at her. She giggled and shook her head.

"I don't think I want to be quite that tall," she said, and he laughed.

"I suppose not," he said. "And you will get to thank the Prince someday, Lady Yucie. Bree's just jealous of that."

"You really think so, Cube?" she asked, and he nodded.

"I'm sure of it," he said, smiling. He squeezed her hands, his look turning suddenly serious, yet that playful twinkle never left his eyes. "And if no one ever wants to court you, Lady Yucie, I will. I promise."

He smiled at her laugh, though he wasn't sure if he was offended or not. She leaned forward and hugged him, thanking him for the pep talk. He returned the gesture, but it was stiff - like his smile. He had only meant it to make her feel better; there would never be any need for him to make good on that promise. She would find someone, someday, and he would be somewhere in the background, cheering her on. Yeah. That's exactly what would happen.

He never would have thought a simple promise could grow to anything more. He just meant to comfort her, and in the end…

He had never looked at her the same after that. He paid more attention, noticing every subtle way she did change, even if her overall appearance remained that of a child. He noticed how her mind changed, and how her face slowly grew to reflect her years. He found himself wondering just what it would be like to court her, and soon after he found himself wanting to do just that.

But no, that could never happen - never. He was her steward. He was years older, and - even worse - he had helped raise her. He was a big brother, that was all.

Still, four years later he found himself in just the position he had sworn he would never land in. He loved Yucie, more than he could ever express - and the thought terrified him.

A thud at the front of the house and a giddy laugh reminded him of just why it would never be possible: Arc, the infamous Prince Aero.

He loved Yucie, and Yucie loved Arc. And Arc loved Yucie. He was caught in the middle, with a wealth of emotion simmering beneath the surface. Still, part of that love was wanting her to be happy, and she was happy with Arc. Couldn't that be good enough? A traitorous voice in the back of his mind snapped that it never would be, but he tried his best to silence it. It had to be.

"Is he here yet, Cube?" Yucie asked as she ran into the kitchen, and he sighed. He gave her a smile and shook his head.

"No, Lady Yucie, not yet," he said. She picked up a towel and stood next to him by the sink.

"Need any help, then?" she asked, and he smiled as he handed her a plate.

"Thanks, Lady Yucie," he said, and she laughed.

"Cube, please! How long have you been around? You should know you can just call me 'Yucie' by now," she said, and he smiled sheepishly.

"Force of habit, I guess," he muttered, and she laughed.

"I guess habits are hard to break - like me having to look down to talk to you now," she said, giggling. "I was so used to us being the same height, and now I'm so much taller than you! Can't you grow yet?"

"I…I like this height," he said, shrugging. She rolled her eyes and took the next dish from him.

"Well, I'm just glad I'm taller now," she said. "It's so much easier to get back at Arc for all that teasing when I'm not so much shorter than him. Apparently you can run faster with longer legs!"

"When is Mr. Arc supposed to get here, Lady Yucie?" he asked, ignoring the remark. She shrugged.

"He said around noon," she said. "I can't wait - he said he's got a big surprise!"

"A…a big surprise?" Cube asked, pausing in his dish-washing. She smiled and nodded.

"Yup! I can't wait to find out what it is...Gurenda thinks he's going to propose, but…I hope so, but I doubt it," she said. He sighed and handed her a cup.

Propose, huh? It would be the perfect fairy tale conclusion to their already fairy tale life. It was what was expected, after all; Arc, the prince, was supposed to sweep Yucie, the princess, off her feet in a bout of happily-ever-after wedded bliss. It's just how all the stories went, and why shouldn't Yucie have the same ending? The steward never got the princess; there was always a prince for her.

"I…I'm happy for you, Yucie," he said, and he jumped as she hugged him.

"Thank you, Cube," she said. "For everything you've ever done."

He bit his lip, the words almost spilling from his mouth. He shook his head and patted her shoulder. He pushed her away as a knock sounded on the front door, and he gave her a weak smile. He sighed and said, "It's my job, Yucie. As a steward and a friend." She smiled and nodded, bending down to kiss his cheek before she ran for the door.

"Bye, Cube!" she called, the door slamming shut behind her. He heard the laughter from the kitchen window, and moments later he saw them riding away on Arc's horse. He looked down at the soapy water and let the dish in his hand slide back into the suds. She would be gone soon, if he really was proposing. Then he could assume his normal appearance again. He had only opted to look like a child when Gunberd had brought her home; he thought it would be better if she could have someone who looked her own age around. Now, though, he was scared to go back to his adult self; it was so much harder to control his emotions in that full-grown form - if he had so many "almosts" in this one, how much worse would it be as an adult?

"You never will tell her, will you, Cube?"

He looked up to see Gunberd standing in the doorway, and he looked back to the water as he picked up the dish he had dropped. He bit his lip as he started to scrub it clean.

"I don't know what you mean, Sir," he said. Gunberd sighed and walked over to him, placing a calloused hand on his shoulder.

"I'm not blind, Cube," he said. "I know you love Yucie. Maybe as much as Arc, maybe more. I won't choose between you for her, but…she deserves to know, Cube. You owe her at least that much."

Cube looked at him, and the old hero gave him a slight smile. He turned to leave, turning back once more to say, "At least think about it. Please."

- W -

The sky seemed endless and impossible as Yucie watched it. Fluffy clouds bobbed along in a sea of calm, and for a moment Yucie wondered what it was like to be a cloud. She closed her eyes and breathed as a warm wind brushed over her, and - not for the first time, and certainly not the last - she was jealous of Erumina. If for only a moment, she wished she had wings. Riding on Gurenda's broom was always exhilarating, but some part of her knew wings had to be better.

She frowned as she felt a shadow pass over her face, though the frown curved into a smile when she opened her eyes to see Arc leaning over her. His lips twitched into a smirk as he brushed a stray hair away from her face.

"What's so interesting, hmm, Forehead?" he asked. She looked past his head and back to the sky, and she was once again lost in her reverie.

"Do you ever wonder what it's like to fly, Arc?" she asked. He chuckled and shook his head.

"No, not really. I already know what it's like, so I don't need to wonder," he said. She looked back at him, a brow raised slightly higher than the other.

"Oh, really?" she asked, grinning. He nodded and flopped onto his back beside her.

"Yeah," he said, looking up at the sky. He linked his fingers with hers and gave her hand a squeeze. "It feels the same as this, Yucie. It feels the same way as being with you."

She pushed herself up off the ground, turning to look at him. Her eyes softened as she whispered his name, and he looked at her with a smile. He brought her hand to his lips, gracing the smooth back with a kiss. She fell back beside him, cuddling against his side as he pulled her into a hug.

"I love you, Yucie," he said.

"I know, Arc," she said. "And this has been the best day ever."

"Really? It's not any different from any other day," he said, and she laughed.

"It feels better," she said. She looked up at him, her smile turning sly. "And I can't help but feel that something great's going to happen today."

"Must be you, Forehead, 'cause I don't feel it," he said, closing his eyes as he placed his spare arm behind his head. "Man, I'm beat."

"We haven't even done anything!" Yucie said, trying to sit up. His grip tightened, and he pulled her back down. "Arc, what are you -?"

"I'm taking a nap," he said, a cocky smirk curling his grin. She rolled her eyes and tried once more to sit, but he wouldn't have any of it. "Just relax, Yucie. It's beautiful out here - just enjoy it."

She relaxed against him, sighing as she nodded. He was right; it was a gorgeous day - she should just enjoy it. And if Gurenda was right about his "big surprise", she should enjoy it even more. Wasn't this supposed to be one of those days you remembered forever?

Before she knew it, her eyes had slid closed, and she had slipped into a gentle slumber. She wasn't sure how long she had been out, but when she was awakened the sky was dark. That could have been caused by the rain pounding against her skin, though - for all she knew, she had only been asleep twenty minutes.

"Arc!" she cried as she jumped up. He groaned and rolled over, turning his back to her. She let out a frustrated cry and slapped him, but he just shrugged her off. She threw up her hands and screamed before slamming her palms against the grass. "You are absolutely impossible!"

She looked around for a minute before spotting his cloak a short ways off, slung over his brown horse. A short trip later and the thick fabric was slung over her shoulders, blocking at least some of the rain. She knelt next to Arc and began shaking him again.

"C'mon, you jerk! Wake up!" she said. He rolled onto his stomach, groggily slapping her arm away. She bit her lip, puffing out her cheeks in annoyance. She gave him another shove, squeaking in surprise as he reached out and grabbed her, pulling her close to him. She began squirming, shouting at him to cut it out.

"Stop moving," he said, and she froze. Her head shot up and she glared at him, suddenly feeling a lot less than loving as she saw his twinkling aqua eyes staring back at her. They had that mischievous glint to them - the one they always got when he was planning something.

"You…you…you were awake this whole time?!" she screeched, and he grinned, just like the doofus she believed him to be.

"Yup," he said. She gawked at him, trying to form some kind of comeback that would justify the ire she felt. He just grinned at her, and after a few moments of staring at each other she dropped her head against his chest, biting back the giggles she felt building inside of her.

"It's just a little rain, Forehead," he said, chuckling at her. "You act like it's going to melt you."

"Maybe it will," she said, grinning, and he shook his head.

"You're crazy, Yucie," he said. She leaned up, giving him a quick kiss.

"That's why you love me," she said. She pushed herself up, smiling at him. "Now come on, Arc - we're going to get sick if we stay out in this."

He let her pull him up, sighing as he stood. He took his cloak from her and threw it over his shoulders; he pulled her against him, covering her as well as he led them to his horse. He smiled slightly as he glanced at her.

"You know…" he started, and she looked at him. "Keeping you dry in rainstorms was a lot easier when you weren't so tall."

"Yeah," she said as she hoisted herself onto the horse, "but you know you like me like this so much more."

"No, Yucie," he said, hopping up behind her. He covered her again, but he leaned forward to kiss her cheek. "I like you, child or adult. Being an adult just makes that liking easier."

She smiled, her cheeks turning a rosy hue. No more was said on the way back, though Yucie couldn't say she minded.

- W -

Cube winced as a bolt of lightning lit up the room. Thunder rumbled in the distance, adding to his worry; Yucie had been gone for a good two hours now, and the storm had taken up the past fifteen minutes of that time. It was only getting worse as time progressed, and he couldn't help but be concerned for Yucie and even Arc. He looked down at his tea and bit his lip.

It had been a nerve-wracking couple of hours to say the least. After finishing his chores - which helped to ease his mind a little - he had sat at the table with a cup of tea, where he had been for an hour now. He had been brooding over his talk with Gunberd for most of that hour, and right around when the rain had started he had made his decision.

Regardless of the outcome, he would tell her. As soon as she came through that door. He knew it was foolish - especially if Arc really was planning on proposing during their outing - but he had to. Gunberd was right: she deserved to know.

He jumped as the front door opened, and he looked over to see a laughing Yucie and Arc stumbling inside. They were both drenched, though neither seemed to mind. He ran over to them, his face a worried knot.

"Lady Yucie! Mr. Arc! What happened?" he asked, and Yucie grinned at him.

"Arc's an idiot," she said, and Arc frowned.

"Isn't that a bit harsh, Forehead?" he asked, and she shook her head.

"You kept us out in that storm, so I think it's a lot less than harsh," she said. Cube frowned and shook his head.

"I'll go heat up the tea," he said. Yucie turned to Arc and smiled.

"You're staying, right?" she asked. Before he could answer, she put her hand over his mouth and shook her head. "You're staying. I'm not letting you ride home in that mess, Arc. Even for you it would be dangerous."

He took her hand in his own, turning it to kiss the back. He nodded, placing their joined hands against his chest. When she started to speak again, he said, "I'm staying, Forehead. At least until the rain clears."

"Good," she said, and she turned to follow Cube into the kitchen. He tightened his grip on her hand, yanking her back to him.

"Hold up, Princess," he said, and she raised a brow at him. He bit his lip to hide the smile; that was a habit she had definitely picked up from him. He paused before continuing, taking a moment to just look at her. She looked a wreck from the rain, but somehow that only made her more beautiful.

"What?" she finally asked, and he laughed. Impatient as ever.

"I believe I said I had a surprise for you?" he asked, and her face lit up. He chuckled and pulled her closer, keeping their hands joined between them as he wrapped his spare arm about her waist.

"You might have," she said. He glanced at the wall, the teasing in his eyes mellowing into a peaceful calm. "Arc?"

"It's been almost two years since the abbey," he said. She started to question him again, but he shook his head. "Let me talk, ok? Two years since we met again. You've nearly gotten us killed more times than I can count in that span - reason enough to keep as far away from you as possible. But despite all that…I can't stay away."

"I got you out of those scraps, you know…" she said, frowning. He laughed and nodded.

"Yeah, you did, but that's not the point. The point is…Forehead - Yucie - I would rather have a near-death experience every single day then spend one minute away from you," he said. He brought her hand to his lips, kissing her fingers. "I can't see tomorrow without you in it. So…I'm asking you now, now that nothing's keeping us apart…will you marry me, Yucie?"

Her eyes widened as a smile split her face. Cube, from his position in the doorway of the kitchen, knew that look - that look that said she was the happiest girl alive - but his hands still clenched the tea tray as his resolve strengthened.

"Lady Yucie!" he said, and they turned to look at him. He walked over to the table and put the tray down before going to her, and he bowed abruptly. He looked at her with a steeled gaze, and she frowned.

"Cube?" she asked, and he bit his lip.

"S-Sir Gunberd needs to see you upstairs - immediately!" he said as he grabbed her hand and led her up the stairs.

"Er…o-ok…I'll be right back!" she called back to Arc, who was looking at her with a lost kind of look. When they were upstairs, behind the closed doors of Cube's room, she finally looked at her steward. "Cube, what's all this about? I thought you said Papa needed to see me!"

"No, that's not…well, no," he said, stuttering nervously. She frowned and walked over to him, crossing her arms in annoyance.

"Then what?" she asked, and he sighed.

"I…you can't marry him, Yucie!" Cube said, looking up at her. She paused, confusion marring her face.

"I…what?" she asked, and Cube sighed, looking down.

"You can't marry him," he said. She rolled her eyes, opening her mouth to protest, but he cut her off. "A few years ago, you got into a fight in town, and you got worried that because of your curse no one would ever want to court you. And I told you -"

"You said you would…" she said quietly, her eyes widening as she remembered. He gulped and nodded.

"Yeah, and…I know it was a silly promise then, but I…I wan-" he started, but she shook her head.

"Don't," she said, stepping away from him. His face fell as he gulped.

"Yucie…" he started, unsure of how to say it to make her understand.

"No, Cube," she said, still shaking her head. "I…I'm going downstairs, and I'm saying yes to Arc. I love Arc, Cube. Arc! I…I'm sorry, but…you…just forget about it, Cube."

"Yucie…!" he started again, but she shook her head.

"Please, Cube," she said, looking down at him with teary eyes. "Forget you ever said it. Forget you ever lov…just forget."

She turned and left the room, and moments later he heard laughing from the front of the house. He looked at his hands, gulping slightly to try and breathe, hoping that would keep the room from spinning. He jumped and looked at the door to see Gunberd looking at him with a sad sort of smile. He tried to speak, to find something that could make it all seem better, but the old hero just shook his head.

"At least she knows," he said, and Cube looked down. She knew, but he was right back where he started - or worse. He opened his mouth, trying again to say something - anything - but Gunberd just shook his head.

"It will get better, Cube," he said, and Cube gave him a hopeless sort of look. "I…I cannot say when, but it will. It will."

A.n.: Ok, let's just say it right now: this is the biggest load of crap I've ever spouted. I can't even find a relatively bright point in it (and I know, the ending is waaaay too rushed), and the only reason I'm even posting it is because I promised a friend I'd write some Cucie and I need to meet my deadline. But if I had more time, I would scrap it and totally rewrite it. I wanted to do this theme involving Puck, but I may just use that idea around a Kiss. Either way - this is bad, and you don't even have to pretend to like it.

Even more confusing was my playlist for this. Seriously - usually, my music has to match what I'm writing. Either in mood or lyric, but usually both. This time my playlist was (no lie): "Words I Couldn't Say" - Rascal Flatts, "What I Really Meant To Say" - Cyndi Thompson, "Perfectly" - Huckapoo, "Last Cigarette" - Bon Jovi (which for some odd reason now seems like a perfect Cucie song for me…), "Part of My Heart" - Jim Brickman, "Dear Mr. President" & "Who Knew" - Pink, "Don't Write Me Off" - Hugh Grant, and "Flowers" - Brad Paisley. I can get the first two, but after that it just seemed to…well, how "Flowers" relates to this is beyond me. ("Stop the senseless killing - can't you hear those roses cry?" - Seriously, how does that reflect this drabble?)

Guh…but I guess this just goes to show how wonderfully horrible I am at venturing away from my OTPs. I honestly don't support Cucie. I see Cube more as an older brother, and while there are some scenes that suggest he might have a crush on her (the mermaid scene…) I don't find them frequent enough to believe it. And I'm really firm in the Arc/Yucie pairing, so that made it even harder.

I may try to write a better Cucie someday, but after this I'm really scared to even try it again. I was going to do an alternate ending bit where Yucie finds Cube at his favorite bar and tells him she actually loves him, but I've just lost all inspiration for it. And I really wanted to write in a scene with Cube and Late Night Bird-Eggs! Dx

Long in short: I'm sorry. I've learned my lesson.