Introduction
She often found herself staring at the curious boy from behind the blonde veil she wove across her face. She found him in her sketchbook on nearly every page and each time he had the same, faint smile. Except for the one. That day, he was more rigid and cold. Naminé found herself dreaming of it still, waking in a pool of sweat and uneasiness.
Every day, she went to that park in the middle of the darkest part of the forest. It was the only place she'd ever seen him, and he'd become her muse. Some days, she'd curse herself for her pitiful attempts at learning him. A normal person would have introduced themselves, but she was too much of a coward. Instead, she learned people. She studied them from afar and wrote her own versions of their lives in her head. Naminé was a learner.
It never occurred to Naminé that the boy might introduce himself. No one had ever been interested in her much. She was far too skinny-awkwardly skinny. Her flesh was pale and her head was down-turned. Naminé liked to think herself a watchful ghost of the forest; not quite there to anyone but herself.
When Ryo asked for her name she didn't utter a sound. His very closeness both frightened and flattered her. Part of her felt like he knew. He was very cautious around her. Every move he made was gentle and subtle, like he was afraid she might fly away like a fragile butterfly. Despite her silence, he wouldn't leave her side.
Naminé could feel his eyes on her, and especially on her sketchbook even as she kept her eyes downward. He held his hand out for her to hand him her most prized possession. Hesitantly, she put the book in his hands, heart pounding, eyes turned away for fear of rejection.
The silence between them beat Naminé over the head mercilessly. She found herself on the verge of tears, her nerves getting the better of her. Never before had she had so much human interaction and she had no idea how to handle it. Her shyness had crippled her and she cursed herself for being that way.
Ryo took her hand in both his and kissed it gently. Naminé felt that he, too, understood her loneliness, and she kissed his hands back.
Author's Note: Okay, so, this is heavily inspired by The Path, David Firth, Autumn Christian, a Russian artist on deviantART, Boards of Canada, and many other things. One night I thought about how cute Ryo and Namine would be as a couple, so I just couldn't help myself. This was originally supposed to be more romantic, but I'm finding that it's going to turn more and more into a horror-type fiction as it goes. So... yeah.
I hope you enjoy! 3 Thanks for your time!
~Lully