Kakerus
date had abandoned him long ago, but he didnt care. He hadnt
really wanted to come along with her, anyway. His plan to make
Keiko jealous had not worked; in fact, shed hardly paid
any attention to him that entire night. The only times she would
take notice of him was simply to glare or to smirk. Not once did
she release her grip on Otaru, though. Kakeru found himself feeling
helpless, longing to dance with the brown-haired girl who so openly
mocked him.
He
watched the couple spin across the floor, Otarus face burning
pink with the exhilaration of dancing, and Keiko looking tired,
but happy. Otaru spun his partner around once before stopping
her in Kakerus direction. The dark-haired boy nearly choked
as Keiko shot him a quick glance, then rested her head on Otarus
shoulder.
Kakeru
stood from his table in a huff. She was doing that just to spite
him; he knew it! He turned and left through the forest, steaming
with fresh anger.
Keiko
watched as he left, becoming immediately irritated. Hes
been acting like a baby about this all night! She thought
angrily, her grip tightening on Otarus shoulder. He winced
as she did so.
"Anything
wrong, Amuro-san?" he asked quietly. Keiko stared at him
blankly, before nodding.
"Yeah,
I gotta go use the..." her mind conjured up a reasonable
word for what she was thinking. "...The "Girls
Room". Ill be back in a sec."
She
released her grip on Otarus shoulders and backed away, not
trying to be too obvious in the fact that she was angry. Otaru,
she was grateful, had not noticed, and smiled as she walked toward
the forest. "Ill get us some drinks!" he called
after her, her back disappearing into the shadows of the trees.
He hesitated for a moment before bouncing off to the refreshment
table, feeling light as air.
Keiko,
her fists clenched and her shoes thumping loudly on the ground,
went in search of Kakeru. For a moment, she had felt a pang of
guilt for leaving Otaru back there, thinking she was going to
the bathroom. She assured herself quickly, however,
that it was for a cause, a reason. Kakeru wasnt going to
ruin her evening.
It
hadnt taken long for Keiko to find herself deep into the
forest. The trees had suddenly gotten thicker, and there was barely
enough light for her to see by, save for a few patches of moonlight
through the dense mass of trees. She slowed her running pace to
a fast walk, and she scanned around for any sign of a person.
She stopped for a moment in a patch of moonlight to get a better
look at her surroundings.
Something
she had earlier mistaken for a tree suddenly moved out of its
place, and Keiko froze. As it stepped out of the cover of the
shadows, her teeth clenched instinctively. Kakeru.
"Why
did you follow me?" he asked bitterly, his face still slightly
covered by the darkness. Keiko peered through the shadows at him.
"Why
did you leave?" she asked, folding her arms in irritation.
Kakeru did the same.
"Didnt
think youd notice, with Otaru distracting you like that,"
he replied coolly, receiving a glare from Keiko. She stomped over
to him impatiently.
"And
just what, pray tell, are you implying?" she poked
him in the chest with her index finger, which he quickly brushed
off with his hand.
"You
tell me!" he said angrily, finding his mind to
be slightly blurry, so he wasnt able to come up with even
reasonable retaliations. Keiko angrily put her hands on her hips,
as if to restrain herself from slapping him then and there.
"Tell
you what?! I havent even the slightest clue what you mean!"
Kakeru
turned from her, fuming. "Just forget it." He felt a
hand on his shoulder, as an angry Keiko quickly spun him around.
Her eyes were asking a million questions, though her mouth kept
opening and closing like a goldfish.
"No!
I wont forget it!" she finally spluttered resolutely,
her eyes widening with realization. "You think Otaru is HITTING
ON ME?!"
Kakerus
eyes widened, then narrowed again. "What, you dont
think he has been?"
Keikos
face reddened deeply. "Otaru would never do anything as un-gentleman-like
as that! Hes polite, and nice and..."
"Hes
been gushing over you the entire night!" Kakeru inserted
the last bit of Keikos sentence. "And youve been
hanging all over him like some kind of mindless doll!"
All
the bitterness he had been feeling that night managed to form
itself into the last remark. Keiko stared at him, shaking with
anger. Her eyes stung with tears, but she forced them back with
a short sniff. Her face went a deep red as she thought through
Kakerus sentence one more time.
"How
can you say those things?!" she demanded hotly, shutting
her eyes to block out any escaping tears. "You know I
would never be like that! You know Otaru would never be like that!"
Kakeru
narrowed his eyes to the point where they were almost closed.
He wasnt so sure he did know that. They had seemed
so close..."You fooled me..."
Keikos
head shot up. Her veins suddenly pulsed with rage. Did he really
think she was so immodest--!? Her hand shot out before she could
stop it. There was a crack of air as her hand met with his pale
face, and a gasp of disbelief from both sides. Kakeru didnt
look at her, but his eyes were wide with a sudden horror. Keiko,
too angry to notice, brought her hand back to her side, shaking
uncontrollably.
"How
can you be so cruel all the time?" she asked quietly, her
voice quivering. "How can you say those things and still
live with yourself?"
Kakeru
opened his mouth to respond, but only a quiet, throaty sound came
out. Keiko noticed his attempt at retaliating, and soon stopped
him.
"No!"
she squeaked, her eyes becoming over-bright before she closed
them. "I dont want to hear what you have to say anymore!
Ive been tired, sore, and sick of everything this entire
week! And, when I finally get a chance to relax and have fun,
YOU have to act like a CHILD and RUIN EVERYTHING!" she paused
to take a breath, but instead found herself wiping away furious
tears. She went on, in a somewhat defeated voice.
"What
am I saying? You are a child! I dont know why I put up with
you all the time!" her words hit Kakeru hard. Had he really
been so cruel? Cruel enough to make her break down like she was?
To make her cry? Her voice went on, quieter by the second, tears
now streaming steadily down her face. "You are the worst
person I have ever known! All you do is hurt meâI
dont know why I stand it! I wish I had never met you! I
wish I had never come on this trip! I wish I had never even come
to the Unicorn Academy! I wishâI just wishâIâ"
But
what exactly Keiko wished, no one ever found out. She suddenly
found herself unable to speak. Her words became a jam in her throat,
and, for a very, very fleeting moment, she wondered why. She wondered
why she had suddenly become so weak, and why her heart had skipped
a few beats she was sure was necessary to keep her functioning.
She had not long to wonder, though, because the reason became
quickly apparent as she opened her eyes.
Kakerus
lips were on hers.
Keiko
immediately found it a struggle to focus or breathe. Her entire
body started to tremble with the reality of her situation, and
her senses suddenly piqued. The touch of Kakerus hands on
her back and the nape of her neck became a sudden tingling sensation.
Every part of her body that even remotely came in contact with
Kakeru had the same indistinct tingling sensation, until it felt
as if her whole body was on fire with it. Her knees almost felt
nonexistent, just then, and she would have surely fallen had Kakeru
not been supporting her so tightly.
Thats
when it suddenly struck her. It was Kakeru. She was being held
by Kakeru. She was kissing Kakeru...
Her
body suddenly felt very weak, and it became even harder to stand
than before. She felt an unbearable tiredness, along with a sickness
at the pit of her stomach. Her whole body felt lighter than air,
though she was not sure if this was a good or a bad thing. It
certainly helped thoughts from weighing down on her mind, however...The
whole world seemed to suddenly sweep down upon her and, finding
it too much to bear any longer, Keiko felt everything go black.
Kakeru
felt her body go limp in his arms, and it became apparent that
she had fainted.
He
slowly opened his eyes and brought his lips away from hers, becoming
aware, only then, of what he had just done. Everything suddenly
felt surreal, and he felt dizzy. He found himself unable to stay
on his feet. He slid to the ground, Keiko still limp in his weak,
shaking arms.
The
dark-haired musician was breathing hard now, nearly gasping for
breath as Keikos still form pressed against him. Her head
rested on his shoulder, and Kakerus brown eyes widened with
a sudden horror. His grip loosened around the girl and he tilted
her head to look at her face. Stupid thoughts passed through his
confused mind as his eyes took in the ghost-white color of Keikos
face. He wondered, fleetingly, stupidly--if she might be dead.
He shook her roughly, air rasping into his lungs. Could he have
really...? Was she...? How could...? ...!
Then
her eyelids began to flutter, and Kakeru could feel what little
air he had in his lungs escape him. Her eyes slowly opened and
focused on the dark-haired musicians face, which had gone
deathly white under crimson cheeks. She stared at him for a moment,
gathering her thoughts, and noticing that the tingling feeling
had not fully left her body. Then her eyes went wide.
"Kakeru..."
she breathed, blushing at the realization that he still held her.
"You...you..."
She
couldnt muster the words. Even now, it confused her that
such a thing could have been done by the heartless musician. Kakeru
seemed to know what she was thinking, however, and he flushed,
his entire face going a deep shade of red.
"Im
sorry," he gasped, struggling with the words. The air had
not fully made its way back to his lungs. Abruptly, he let go
of Keiko and jerked up onto his feet, though he trembled visibly,
the act of standing a struggle. Keiko watched him, a slight chill
passing over her as the warmth of his body left her. Kakerus
brown eyes looked troubled and confused, and he turned away. Then,
as if both ankles had been broken in several different places,
he staggered off deeper into the forest.
Keikos
green eyes trailed after him as he walked away. Why does he
keep running away..? She thought breathlessly before staggering
to her feet. She was trembling and her knees almost buckled beneath
her as she stood, but that did not stop her from going after him.
It
had not taken long to find Kakeru, as he had apparently collapsed
on the forest floor. He was on his knees, bowed over to the ground
as if deep in prayer. However, his shaking back gave away what
he was really doing, and Keiko approached him, overwhelmed with
a sense of pity and almost unbearable confusion.
A
twig snapped under her foot, letting out a bigger sound than thought
possible of a small object. Keiko stopped in her tracks and waited
with baited breath, as Kakerus head shot up. He flung his
head in her direction and stood, his mouth hanging open as he
breathed audibly. Keiko, still trembling, smiled gently at him.
"Kakeru,"
she murmured, "Why do you keep running away from me...?"
The
violinist stayed glued to the spot, his eyes fixed decidedly upon
Keikos pale face. She repeated her question, this time with
more urgency, and he swallowed.
"Im
just so afraid..." his voice quivered as he spoke, hardly
above a whisper. "Im afraid Ill hurt you..."
His
reply had struck Keiko like a blow to the stomach. Feeling dizzy,
she slumped to the ground, leaning against a conveniently placed
tree for support. Kakeru...afraid? About hurting her...? It was
so strange; so unlike him...
A
sudden panic had risen inside Kakeru, and he grasped desperately
at the spot on his chest where his heart was located. He was hurting
her! However, Keikos sudden smile told him what he was feeling
was wrong, and he slumped down beside her.
"Why
are you smiling?" he asked quietly, his brows knitted in
confusion. She looked him in the eyes, and he caught the ironic
twist to her smile.
"I
just dont understand you," she stated simply. "You
tell me youre afraid of hurting me, but thats all
you ever seem to do..." She rubbed her eyes with the back
of her hand, and Kakeru felt a pang of guilt at the fact that
her hand was wet with tears.
Absently,
he reached out and took the hand, trembling as he did so. She
stared at him with watery eyes, her heart fluttering curiously
at the touch of his hand. Kakeru looked down at their joined hands,
and he smiled somewhat sorrowfully.
"I
dont mean to hurt you..." he whispered, his voice still
shaking, though not as much so as before. "When I do it,
its only because Im scared...Maybe Im so afraid
of hurting you that I do it without realizing it..." his
voice trailed off thoughtfully. Keiko looked him over incredulously
before blurting out the thought that had been plaguing her.
"Why?"
she said, "Why do you care so much? About me; about hurting
me...?"
Kakeru
did not respond right away. His heart nagged at him to tell her
exactly why, but he couldnt bring himself to say it. More
than being afraid of hurting her, he was afraid of losing her.
He knew if he said it, he would surely never see her again...
However,
he finally relented to his hearts nagging, and he sighed.
With every ounce of strength left in his weakened body, he answered
her.
"Because..."
he mumbled, determinedly looking Keiko in the face. He wasnt
going to be a coward anymore. Keikos green eyes looked at
him expectantly, and he knew that it was too late to back out.
He swallowed back the lump in his throat, Keikos green eyes
boring into him.
"I
love you."
Keikos
heart stopped in mid-beat, as did her breathing and nearly any
other function her body might be performing. For a moment, it
was as if everything stood still, and Keiko was in disbelief.
When her heart finally caught up with her again, her eyes opened
wide, taking into full account Kakerus words. She shook
her head disbelievingly.
"What...did
you say...?" she asked slowly, unsure of herself. Kakerus
eyes went down once more to their hands, and his face went paler.
He swallowed again.
"I
love you." It was easier this time, Kakeru noticed, and he
felt he had accomplished quite a feat that time. He had admitted
it! He tried the words out one more time. "I love you."
The faintest of smiles spread across his face at his feat. He
couldnt believe hed actually said the words hed
been wanting to for so long...the faintest of sniffles met Kakerus
ears, and the smile vanished from his face. She was...crying?
He suddenly felt ashamed of his smugness in his accomplishment.
He shouldnt have said anything; he should have just kept
walking! He squeezed his eyes shut, afraid to look at Keikos
face.
"Why
didnt you tell me before...?" Keiko asked in a small
voice. Kakeru opened his eyes curiously, but did not look at her.
He felt his face go red with a mix of shame and embarrassment.
"I
just...didnt want to lose you..." he said weakly. He
closed his eyes again as Keiko let out another, louder sob. He
loosened his hand from hers and prepared himself to leave for
the last time, when something stopped him. Or, rather, Keiko did.
She threw her arms roughly around his neck and began sobbing uncontrollably
into his shoulder. Too stunned to even react, Kakeru merely sat
there in Keikos embrace until he regained his senses. Then,
automatically, he put his arms around the crying girl and rocked
her back and forth. This was more comfort to himself, he noted,
than to her, as she continued crying into his shoulder, soaking
his elegant tuxedo in salty tears.
As
the girls tears began to lessen, Kakeru lifted her head
from his shoulder to look her in the eye. If there were any answer
to be found in her crying, he would definitely see it in her eyes.
When she finally looked at him, Kakerus heart thumped loudly
on his ribs. Though her green eyes were over-bright with tears,
there was a certain softness in them, one Kakeru felt was easily
recognizable...There was love...
All
doubt in Kakerus mind vanished at that one look and, without
further hesitance, he closed the gap between his face and Keikos.
This time, as his lips touched hers, there was a noticeable difference;
a kind of understanding between the two. The tingling sensation
had returned full-force, but Keiko knew this time, without a doubt
in her mind, that it was a good sensation. She held on to the
feeling as long as she could, but knew that, as all good things
did, it must end. She reluctantly pulled her lips away from Kakerus,
eyes still closed.
When
she finally opened her eyes, her heart did a near summersault
in her chest as she looked into Kakerus deep brown eyes.
A look of such total adoration filled them that it was hard for
her not to smile...or for tears to leak out of her eyes. Kakeru,
noticing the tears suddenly streaming down the girls face,
placed a kiss on one of the sparkly tears running down the girls
face. She blushed furiously as he continued placing soft kisses
on various places all over her faceâthough she
could not say that she was unhappy about it. Finally, he kissed
her soundly on the lips one last time.
When
they parted, both were smiling widely; Keiko looking slightly
embarrassed, though happy all the same; Kakeru grinning like a
child who had just received the largest candy bar he had ever
seen. They simply stared at each other for a moment, examining
the others face curiously. Then Kakeru stood up, pulling
Keiko up with him. Almost naturally, Keiko slipped under his arm
and settled herself in that small area where the joints connected,
placing his hand on her shoulder. He blushed, slightly, at her
actions, but gave no objections.
"I
dont think I want to go back to the dance," Keiko said
quietly as they began to walk. Kakeru arched his eyebrows at her.
"What
about your...date?" he said with some difficulty. It had
only just dawned on him that this might all be a dream. He shook
off that feeling as Keiko sighed.
"Ill
explain it to him tomorrow..." she said tiredly, pressing
herself closer against Kakerus chest. Instinctively, his
grip about her shoulders became tighter, and she looked up at
him inquisitively. He avoided her eyes bashfully.
"You
know, if Im asleep and this is really all just a dream,"
he said quietly, "I dont think I ever wanna wake up
again..."
Keiko
blushed beautifully and nodded, a mutual understanding passing
between them. Neither of them talked the rest of the way, as their
feet carried them off, without their noticing, back to their camp.
It was only once they had reached their tent that either of them
stopped walking, or let go of the other. It was also about then
that the realization that they were still sharing a tent together
dawned on them.
As
usual, Kakeru allowed Keiko to dress first though, as he waited
outside the tent for her, he felt an odd sense of loneliness without
her touch. Keiko felt about the same as she waited, impatiently,
for him to get ready. Once they were both inside their tents,
they crawled inside their sleeping bags, not looking at each other
as they did so.
There was a long silence between them until Kakeru finally spoke, somewhat ruefully. "This was a great dream, wasnt it?" he asked quietly, his face focused decidedly on the door of the tent. Keiko smiled as she closed her eyes.
"It was the best dream Ive ever had..." she agreed, taking Kakeru by surprise by reaching over and placing a goodnight kiss on his smiling lips. Through the darkness, she could almost feel the blush rising to his pale cheeks, and she giggled. She then took his hand and lay back down.
"If we wake up still holding hands," she said sweetly, "Then well know that this wasnt just a dream ... "
Kakeru smiled at that. He sighed satisfaction at her words, and tightened his hold on her smooth hand. It did not take long for them both to slip into deep, dream-filled sleep, each still thinking about the other...
(a/n) sorry to cut that off so abruptly. ::points to head:: ran out of stuff up here, you see. For those who were confused about the whole thing, this is kind of an alternate scene thingy for the RR dance...thing...yeah...::coughs:: ::flies off in the destination of her next KK fic thingy!::
oh, yesh.
THE END