Wings for Mitsuki

>>Renzie>>Wow. What a long delay. I'm super, super, super sorry :( That's the longest writer's block I've ever had. Lately I've been writing other stories on FictionPress, so I apologize. But if you'd like to check them out, my pen-name is Renzie. Enjoy Chapter 7 of Wings for Mitsuki!

>>Disclaimer>> nn; See previous chapters?

QueenEtna - Haha, yea. I think he does too ;D But I didn't portray it very strongly, so some people might not have caught anything. Thanks for your suggestion. Putting in a side story would definitely be an option. Sorry I haven't been on AIM often :( I keep forgetting to log on. By the way, update your stories!

Kintora- Yea, I was thinking about somehow using them in the story. If I make it into a side story, I'd want it to relate at least a little bit. You know :D Thanks for your suggestions!

Thanks to all of the other reviewers! Your comments were so sweet, it means a lot to me. You guys helped me to get off my lazy butt and start writing. :)

Chapter 7: Moving On

Mitsuki sighed, flinging a pinch of bread crumbs out to the pigeons. The sky was dimming, though it was hard to tell beneath the heavy fog. She and Takuto sat on a bench in the middle of a park.

"Ack."

Takuto glanced towards his shinigami, raising a brow at her remark. "Ack?"

"I feel like I need to start something. Or make something." She paused, tipping her head to the side. "Maybe I just need to do something."

"Yea, tell me about it..." Takuto leaned over his knees trying to lure one of the birds closer.

"...Okay. Takuto, birds don't come like that. That's more like...coaxing a kitten."

"What? Seriously?" He gave up, folding his hands behind his head. "Well, I guess there's not much to do for you in the Human World. You don't have a job -- not really at least, and you aren't exactly allowed to have friends here. People would get freaked out if they knew."

She understood what he was talking about. If anyone from the human world found out about her secret, there was bound to be trouble. Mitsuki gave a tiny murmur and shook her head. "But you're not freaked out."

"Nope."

She leaned over, peering at him intently. "Why not?"

"I'm not sure, really."

"Well, it makes sense to be spooked. I think you should be."

"I should be...if that explains anything. But," He returned her gaze gently. "I'm not."

She quickly turned away, flustered from meeting his eyes. They were soft, with an expression she couldn't quite understand. There was something so easy and likeable about Takuto, that she could ask him almost anything. But suddenly she felt like a fool.

"R-Right...Okay." Crap. This had to stop.

"You alright?"

"Yes, of course. So...let's go!" she said, adding fake enthusiasm. Standing from the bench she quickly darted off in a random direction.

"Go where?" He asked, standing up. "Hey? ...Mitsuki!"

'Somewhere I can clear my head and get rid of this stupid blush! ' she thought, silently answering his question. Takuto was great -- no doubt about it. But sometimes, more often than not, he could make a girl so damn confused.

-

After a while, they finally ended up seeing a movie. An action comedy that no one had ever heard of before. And for a good reason too...

"I have to say..." Mitsuki carried the rest of her popcorn out of the theater, dodging the evening crowd. "That...was horrible."

"A painful watching experience," commented Takuto.

"A burn to the eyes."

"The worst movie I've seen in years."

"Hey...weren't you the one who picked it out?" Mitsuki asked. And knowing she was right, the girl couldn't keep the smirk off her face.

"Nope, you did."

"Wha? No. You did," she countered back.

"You did."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Takuto!" Mitsuki shouted, though still smiling.

"Sure, I did. But you agreed to it," he stated.

"Yea? Well if you don't cut that out, I'll agree to hit you over the head with this popcorn bag!"

"Fine, fine - you win."

She knew they were being foolish, but sometimes it was hard to resist. They trudged out of the entryway and down the street, heading towards home. Takuto was the first to crack a bad movie impression, and then everything just started from there. Jokes, laughter, teasing, popcorn. Everything seemed right with the world. But then something happened, that Mitsuki had been fearing from the moment she died.

"Mitsuki? What's wrong?"

She could hear Takuto's concerned voice in the background. Repeating her name, over and over again.

"Mitsuki?"

"Mitsuki?"

"It's him," she murmured frozen. 'It's him. It's...Eichi."

A man was slowly walking down the street, his breath visible in the evening air. His blonde hair fell slightly past his eyes, and an autumn colored scarf was wrapped around his neck. Mitsuki kept eyes on him the entire time. Takuto was still calling her name, but she couldn't respond. She couldn't even move. All she could do, was stare blindly at Sakurai Eichi. The boy who she had foolishly fallen in love with.

All at once, a series of flashbacks hit her square between the eyes. Being with Eichi used to make her feel so good. So complete. But now, it just brought back unwanted memories. His understanding, his encouragement, his affection, his hugs. His smell, his walk, his rejection. It was like her mind was stuck in reverse.

Suddenly, he smiled. A smile. Was it...for her? Mitsuki's heart gave a tiny skip. Before, she had thought everything was okay. That she was cured of all the pain Eichi caused her. That her feelings for him had slowly faded away...

But when she felt that familiar heartache, as well as the quickening beat, she knew it was anything but. The feelings for him were still there...They weren't that easy to get over.

Was this what they called an 'old flame'? Or was it still just...unrequited love?

He began walking towards her with those slow and definite steps. Confident, and composed. All reasoning flew out the window, as Mitsuki only stared. And subconciously, she began to smile back.

Until he walked right by into the arms of someone else...

Michiko, to be exact.

It took her a while for Mitsuki to adjust.

'Eichi's here.' That sounded perfect in her mind. If only that were the end of things. 'But he's...not with me. He's never been with me.' It was true... But even more so, he was with her.

Something cold grasped her throat, and she couldn't help but hold a breath. It was like something tugging her back. Mitsuki couldn't move...not at all. Her legs were frozen to the ground, but they couldn't stop the trembling. Yea...she had definitely adjusted. The flashbacks, the images, everything... everything was just too much. Suddenly, she felt her left shoulder pull back.

It was Takuto. "Mitsuki?-!" He was staring at her so intensely -- so...certainly. Even though he didn't know what was going on. But she couldn't look away. God. Why did his eyes have to be so... "What's wrong with you?"

"I..." She opened her mouth to protest. That there was nothing wrong with her. But instead, it came out as a throttled noise from the back of her throat. She hated that sound... It made her sound weak.

"Mitsuki?" For what seemed like the billionth time, Takuto called her name again. The girl could hear his voice emptying out her ears -- ringing in her head. A nauseous wave hit her suddenly, and the world seemed to sway dizzily. It was almost painful.

Mitsuki, Mitsuki, Mitsuki, Mitsuki, Mitsuki...

"Did you say...Mitsuki?" This time the voice did not belong to Takuto. It was...Eichi. He was staring at Takuto now, eyes widening. "You said 'Mitsuki' right?"

Takuto paused, before giving a crooked nod. "Yea, I...guess I did."

Eichi raised his eyebrows in surprise, before lowering them calmly. He seemed like he was looking for something. Or someone, actually. Maybe it was Kouyama Mitsuki. That little girl from the orphanage, and the little sister he never had. But of course she couldn't be there.

She was dead, after all.

Eichi let out a sigh -- all breathy as if he'd been searching forever. And Mitsuki?... She felt empty. That familiar sway right before tears hit home. Maybe he had been searching forever. She'd never know.

The man just stood there, gazing sadly into the sky. "Sorry about that... It's nothing."

Takuto opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off by someone else.

"What's nothing?" Michiko stood beside him, taking his arm casually. "If you don't hurry, we'll miss our reservation. You've always been slow, hon." Affectionate laughter slipped from her mouth. It was dainty and feminine.

"You're right...we should get going." Eichi smiled, pulling his wife closer. It was the smile that Mitsuki had become so accustomed to. It was meant to be her's. And no one else's. So why did...?

The couple walked away, with only the clean sound of their steps ringing through the air. And that was that. They just...walked away.

And it was done. Forever.

Donever.

After that, a sad silence filled the air that neither Takuto nor Mitsuki wanted to break. The just stood there. The people on the streets had gone now -- off to their own lives. Mitsuki stared hard into the wall, her shoulders tense and uptight. She tried to stay calm, but that only resulted in her uneven breaths.

And...he was there too. Takuto. Adding silence to the atmosphere.

Suddenly, Mitsuki's emotions were mixed with anger. She tugged down at her shirt, trembling with unspoken words and...embarrassment.

Why did Takuto have to find out about Eichi? He didn't need to know anything about her past life...there was no need. She was just going to take his life anyway, right?-!

I could've avoided this. Avoided this... mess!

She could have...but she didn't. And now Takuto knew things she never, ever would've revealed to him. Or for that matter, anyone else.

'Well, that's fine -- that's okay,' she decided haughtily. 'It's not like I'll break down. I just won't tell him anything.' Mitsuki clenched her fist tighter, the wet substance stinging at her eyes. 'I won't tell him anything...'

She swallowed heavily. There was so much to remember about Eichi. So many things about him that she hated to love... His smile. His face. The whisking breeze against his hair. The way he'd listen... To her problems and everything else. The tender way he spoke. The tender way he rejected her.

She allowed the memories to run through her head, unsure of why she didn't stop them. She had always thought they'd go away, but they didn't. They just kept replaying like a broken record.

She tried to give an angry sigh, but it came out shaky. Breathless. And whether she wanted it to or not, the past hurt... Like hell. Mitsuki swallowed another lump of uncertainty, feeling it all the way down to her toes.

One glance was all it took. One glance at Takuto, and a voice in her head came plummeting down. It whispered shrilly in her ear. Telling her, ' You can't do it alone.'

You can't do it alone. You can't do it alone.

And slowly, Mitsuki watched her hand reach out to take his. It was so natural, that she didn't want to pull away.

'Don't think -- Just do.' Their fingers intertwined perfectly. Without a word, without an explanation.

Because there was no need for either.

Takuto didn't say anything. But under the dim streetlights, she felt a solid squeeze come from the other line.

Mitsuki could feel the slight pulse of his hand, and she wondered if he could feel hers too. It was like they were connected somehow. She squeezed back, as the first tear leaked out. One, two, three... how many tears would it take?

Maybe she was still in love with Eichi. Maybe things would stay that way forever...unrequited. Pining over lost smiles and broken conversations. Crying on her pillow only to cry again the next night. It was all hurting. Five, six, seven tears...

But whatever emotional battle Mitsuki was fighting, she would win. Because at the moment, she had Takuto. She had Takuto. Mitsuki had his words, and his smile. His hand, and his pulse. No matter what she was to him -- friend, shinigami, angel, or...something else, it was good to know that she wasn't alone.

Mitsuki decided that she didn't care about regrets. She didn't care if a painful history would repeat itself.

Because right then, she would've given anything...just to be there with Takuto. Walking down that road, hand in hand.

She didn't care if she was making a bad mistake. She didn't care if it was forbidden the way it was.

Because what in the world would she do ...without Takuto?

This chapter has a lot of ideas that go way back :D I'm glad to know I could finally include them. Ohmigawd! Chapter 7. That's a lot of words! Of course I'm at the same point in A Walk in the Park, but these chapters are longer. I'm proud of myself. Maybe I'll go bake cookies or something...

>>Reviews :D