ritornello | fics list

Crossposts: http://kuchren.livejournal.com/431954.html

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It was supposed to be just a short walk home, but who'd have expected there to be construction on the main roads? What was meant to be a simple, 20 minute walk had been greatly delayed due to finding his way through some pretty backwards alternate routes.

To add to the misery of things, it had begun to rain.

At first, it was just a small drizzle. Annoying, at best, but easily ignored. But it was as if Mother Nature wanted attention, and was increasingly dissatisfied with Athrun's attempts at ignoring her attempts, because the drizzle quickly turned into something more.

Hands in pockets, head down, he quickened his step, careful not to slip. People all around him were running, trying to find shelter before they were soaked. So he hadn't exactly paid attention as a set of speedy footsteps from behind seemed to close the distance between them. In fact, he took a small side-step to make room. But strangely enough, the footsteps slowed as they approached him.

Something hung over his head. His first reaction was to reach out to knock the object away. His arm hits metal, and then the object -- something incredibly lightweight and rather obnoxiously bright -- flies backwards.

The soft gasp of surprise brings him back to earth, just in time for him to catch sight of the mint green umbrella tumbling down the sidewalk. It takes a few seconds to connect the dots, and Athrun is tearing down the street, trying to outrun the wind and catch the umbrella again. He reaches out just in time to grab it before it was crushed by an oncoming car.

By the time he makes it back to the owner of the umbrella, he's drenched and slightly out of breath. Wordlessly, he reaches out to hand the umbrella back.

She flashes him a pretty smile as she takes it, her hand lighting brushing against his during the exchange. He recoils in surprise, and quickly reaches his hand up to brush the wet hair out of his eyes. "S...sorry."

She shrugs lightly, hoisting the umbrella against a shoulder. "I startled you, didn't I?" She doesn't wait for him to answer. "I suppose I should have said something. Like, 'hey, do you want to borrow this?'" She takes a few steps closer, and he's suddenly overwhelmed by just how little distance there is between them. "Thanks for running after it, though. Do you live close by? The least I could do is walk you home."

He opens his mouth to respond, but nothing comes out. "I..." But she startles him yet again, as she loops one of her arms around his and practically drags him forward. Words are momentarily forgotten as he tries not to fall flat on his face, and tug her down with him.

"I'm Momoi, by the way. Satsuki Momoi."

Mom!

He throws open the door, and he's relieved to see her. He's so very glad she's okay, but he has to warn her. Has to let her know that danger--

Danger is lurking right behind her, and there's nothing he can do, because he barely had time to react before it's all too late. And suddenly, he finds himself bathed in thick, metallic blood. He can feel it covering him, taste it, smell it...

Kurogane jerks awake with a loud gasp. There's blood in his mouth. His. It takes a moment to realize that he'd bitten the inside of his cheek while struggling to wake up from his nightmare. The dull pain is actually a welcomed feeling, bringing him back to reality.

He casts a few glances beside him to make sure his male companions are all asleep; this isn't something he wants to talk about, especially not with particularly nosy members of his party. He pushes himself up quietly and tiptoes out of the room. He needs some fresh air, somewhere to breathe.

His feet seem to have a mind of their own, leading him down corridors of the large mansion until finally stopping at the courtyard. The cool night air is refreshing, and just what he needs. For a minute, Kurogane focuses on his breathing; tries to will it back to a normal pacing again. He's so caught up in avoiding his own thoughts that it takes a moment for him to register the shadow sitting by the fountain.

"Hello...?" A cautious move forward.

"Ah?" Even before the shadow shifts closer to the light, he recognizes her. "Kurogane-san..." At first, he's annoyed, because all he'd wanted was some fresh air, to be alone. But the annoyance evaporates as he catches sight of her smile. It's infectious, and he can't help but feel comforted by it.

"What are you doing up so late?" He hadn't meant to sound so gruff and disgruntled, but she doesn't seem to mind.

"I couldn't sleep." If she notices at all how disheveled he is, or how he's drenched in sweat, Sakura doesn't comment. Instead, she turns her gaze upward, toward the sky. "I was looking at the patterns the stars make." He lets her continue talking as he takes a seat next to her. "Like, see that clump up there?" His gaze follows her tiny finger as she makes a small circle up at the sky. "It looks just like an archer. See? There's his bow and arrow."

Kurogane takes a moment to consider her words. At first, it just looks like a clump of small, bright dots in the sky. Nothing spectacular, and certainly not an archer. But as she continues to trace the pattern back and forth, he starts to see a small outline. This isn't something he'd normally care about, but her excitement is endearing, and the sound of her voice is soothing. "What else do you see?"

"That one looks a little like a cat, don't you think?" He doesn't really think so, but he lets her continue pointing out pictures in the sky regardless. "And that one, if you tilt your head to one side" -- and despite the fact that he's really not seeing any of them, he does actually tilt his head at the same time she does -- "looks like Mokona!"

"What about you, Kurogane-san?" He turns to look at her in surprise. "Do you see anything?"

"Hnn..." He could just shut down the question with a quick, no, no I don't, or even make something up, but for some reason, he feels as though it's his duty to try. So he turns his stare back up at the sky again. And focuses.

It feels like it's been hours before he finally points up at a small cluster in the North. "That one. A sword." He'd expected to feel silly. Childish, even. But as he continues to stare up at the sky, he feels comforted instead. A hint of a smile slips through as Sakura agrees with him, excitedly adding to the picture he'd just discovered in the sky.

Thank you, he thinks as he looks down at her brightly smiling face.

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fics list

Athrun + Momoi | rainy day

Sakura + Kurogane | stargazing