Hello minna! Anyways, here's the Jirou ending! Oh, and guys... I don't think I'll be on the net for the rest of the vacation (waaah!!) coz we're moving on April 8th. It's not that far, but the computer stays in our old house. Gr. I'll try to convince my parents not to abandon my PC!! Or I could just stow it away... in a big trunk. And be forced to lift it up 2 flights of stairs. I'll find a way... oh I will... XD. Flames are welcome since I got this little thing called a fire extinguisher. Major Atobe moments at first, but then turns to Jirou at the end.
Rukia's POV
Did Atobe really make me happy?
I pondered this in my room, pre-prom madness just ebbing away at the edges of my mind.
Sure, I told Niou he did... but were those insane moments of utter bliss really equivalent to happiness..??
I mean, what kind of psychopath would base their feelings on a person on only a few minutes?
I needed therapy.
My brows furrowed as I twisted the hem of my prom dress between my fingers.
Ironic really that the prom date should fall just a day after my heartbreak. You would think that the world hated me.
I walked in front of the mirror, my newly curled (and against the rules temporarily dyed) hair with the blue streaks bouncing on my shoulders. I had NOT wanted to go to the stupid prom at all because of the emotional wounds that would take forever (and then some) to heal, but my mom had taken one look at me, clucked her tongue and declared me insane.
Some loving mother.
All in all though, I liked the dress. It was a deep blue with black lace at the edges, and reached up to below my ankles. It also had an ebony corset that hugged me just right. The skirt swished when I walked.
Decorating my bare neck was a thick silver necklace with a blue butterfly charm dangling from it.
But when it came to heels... oh NO. I put my foot down. I could barely walk in heels. Let alone dance. I'd probably go home with two broken feet. So I was stuck with my favorite pair of dark blue flats with the silver ribbon.
I looked at myself in the mirror. The contacts were like a clear film, allowing me a bird's eye view of my room. I miss my glasses.
Who really did make me happy?
I frowned, then looked into my eyes. Hazel met hazel. My eyes looked dead. Happiness total; zilch, nada, zip, zero.
When had my eyes last looked alive?
I couldn't answer that question.
Except for that...
No, every single moment I spent with Jirou had been filled with joy and silliness.
He had made my life feel happy and carefree. He had never hurt me. He had always been there.
I had told Niou I didn't care for him.
Was it true?
Did I even think it over when I told my childhood friend?
Did I love Jirou?
True, I liked him a lot. He was always so sweet, so caring and loyal. But I thought I only liked him as a brother.
My heart raised faster as I thought about his warm chocolate brown eyes and the way his orange locks would graze his cheeks whenever he bowed down or jumped up in excitement.
I uttered a light laugh when I remembered how sweet and thoughtful he was. He would always ask me how I was every time we would pass along each other. Even if his class was WAY over there, he would hook arms with me and tow me away to MY class.
I remembered the time when we used to share bento cause he would always either forget his, or it would fall from his sleepy hands and lie dead on the ground.
He would talk mindlessly about EVERYTHING, about how high Gakuto's jump was, about how many novels Oshitari had been reading (no more than 30), about how much Hiyoshi wanted to kill Atobe and take the crown of Hyoutei for himself. I would always listen and laugh.
He had made me feel happy... so happy...
Maybe I could do the same for him.
I could learn to love him.
Not because I wanted to get back at Atobe, but simply because he made me happy.
I could be happy with him, could be happy without getting hurt. Ever. I know he would never hurt me if...
If only he loved me back.
What if he didn't? How horrible would that be? What kind of twisted, deformed, form would I take after my feelings got rejected, found a new love, then got rejected again?
I felt my breathing hitch again. Was I really this bad at love?
But what if he did? What if he did love me?
I shook my head once, feeling my chest tighten considerably.
If I was going to do it, I would regret it. If I wasn't going to do it, I would spend the rest of eternity wondering what would happen if I did do it. So I might as well do it.
******
Deep in thought, I walked down the stairs, completely forgetting about the forbidden hair dye.
"Aw, sweetie you look- what the hell did you do to your hair Fujiwara Rukia?!"
*****
Chuckling, I made my way to the front door as the ringing doorbell continued. My parents hadn't taken the temporary hair dye too well. I had to shout three times over the din that it would come off after a good, long, (fifteen hour) wash. And even by then my mother was still hyperventilating.
Grinning, I opened the door only to be met by...
Atobe.
My throat went dry when I saw him. At first, I was surprised, then I began to see red. And this red was a very, very, dark red.
"Keigo Atobe! What are YOU doing here??!!" I roared, curls flying.
He winced.
I felt a strange sort of triumph settle deep inside me.
But then, as sudden as it come, it was gone as I realized I no longer loved him.
Keigo Atobe was no longer the captor of my heart.
*****
So he loved me?
I blinked. Once. Twice. Several times. He stared at me with composed dark blue eyes.
The tension was thick. I was still dumbfounded.
Oh, life, how I hated you. Why was it that I only found out about Atobe's feeling towards me now? Why now? Why now when I no longer felt anything for him?
I saw his mouth open hesitantly, but I beat him to it.
"Atobe," I began. He stopped abruptly and stared at me with eyes that were ready for rejection.
"I loved you. I loved you very much, Atobe. But you hurt me. When you ignored me, it was like you didn't even care anymore. You're the one who went through all the trouble to make friends with me and you just- just disappeared. You know that hurts, right? How was I supposed to feel?" I felt surprised when fat tears fell from the corner of my eyes. Impatiently, I wiped them away.
"I'm sorry," His face was white. He raised an arm as if to comfort me.
"I forgive you Atobe. But it's not like that anymore. I just can't love someone who's caused me this much pain. I can't take it anymore. I'm sorry," I hung my head in shame and was surprised to be pulled into a cool embrace.
"Don't ever be sorry," he gritted his teeth. "I was an idiot, I know. I know I hurt you. It's not your fault. But please don't blame yourself. It hurts me too, do you know that? I love you. I always will, but you deserve someone better, Rukia. You always did deserve Jirou,"
I lifted wide, surprised eyes to look at him.
"Atobe I-"
"Keigo. You are to call me Keigo." He smiled, squeezed me once, then let go.
"Thank you Keigo. I'm sure whoever girl gets you will be so, so, happy. You're a good guy," I smiled.
I felt so happy and light. It was like a burden had been lifted off my chest.
"Ore-sama takes that as a compliment," Atobe rolled his eyes and leaned back into his old self.
"I love you too, Keigo." I snorted, look exasperated as possible.
"Not as much as I love you. Or as much as you love Jirou," he let out a laugh.
I felt tears gathering in my eyes again. I knew how much it hurt to be rejected like that.
"Keigo, I'm so sorry, look, maybe I could love you, maybe I could fix this-"
"Rukia, you insane, beautiful person. No. Don't do that. You love Jirou." Atobe waved his fingers at me.
"But you- I've caused so much pain, Keigo."
"I'll live, Rukia." He smiled sadly at me, then opened the door.
We had reached the school parking lot.
I whirled around and hugged him tight.
"I'm so sorry, Keigo! I am so so so so-"
"Rukia. You are a blubbering idiot. It's not your fault." He rolled his eyes at me and I raised and eyebrow. I may be stupid, I may be also be a bundle of crazy, but I was NOT a blubbering idiot, thank you very much.
"Go get him," He whispered then gestured to a bundle of what looked to be a garbage bag with carrot tops on the lid. On closer inspection though, it was actually a sleeping orange haired human asleep under a tree.
I smiled a grateful smile at Atobe and he responded with a wink and walked gracefully of to the ballroom.
I sat down beside Jirou, smiling at his sleeping form. Of course. Fall asleep at the pinnacle of important school events. It was so Jirou.
Absentmindedly, I ran my hand through his hair. He stirred and blinked, looking up at me with big brown eyes.
"Ne, Rukia-chan?" He looked confused.
"You fell asleep, Jirou. You're lucky you didn't get run over by a truck or something," I rolled my eyes.
"Oh right." He scratched the back of his head. "I was supposed to walk in as soon as I got here but I took one look at the stars and I just had to count them,"
I looked up at the sky and was stunned. Stars decorated every single corner of the midnight sheen. They twinkled, they danced, they twirled. I watched as one extremely bright one seemed to sparkle in and out of existence.
"Pretty, aren't they?" He smiled happily and at that exact moment, my heart started doing the cha-cha.
"Yeah." I agreed quietly. Silence consumed us.
"Listen, Rukia-"
"Hey Jirou-"
We looked at each other, mildly disturbed.
"You go first," I smiled at him.
"Eh, okay. You see...I always thought... you... and I... well, Oshitari and Gakuto told me that I should tell you before...well, before...Atobe took you...so. And today just seemed like the best day so... So I just wanted to tell you that... that... I just wanted to tell you that... that..."
"I LOVE YOU FUJIWARA RUKIA!!!"
I was stunned. So he did? He did? I guess he did. Did he? Did he really? Well of course he did. He just said so. Didn't he? God. Therapy, four times a week for a month.
Suddenly, I realized he was staring at me with wide, apprehensive eyes.
"No need to shout it to the whole world, Jirou." I let out a laugh and threw my arms around him.
"So..So.. you love me too?" He asked me happily.
"Oh no. I just hugged you for absolutely no reason. I am also crying because the weather's been very mild." I pretended to fan myself.
He grinned happily and pulled me closer.
Together, we watched the stars.
Didja guys like that chappie? Jirou and Rukia are so cute... Ok, it was a lot longer than the Atobe ending, but that was because Atobe, being Atobe, just HAD to make it longer. XD. Niou ending next, then Author's Note. Hope you guys liked my story! I LOVE YOU ALL TO DEATH!! Please review and I am willing to redo chapter... Niou ending coming UP!!!
~Miyu