Ice, Frost And A Wilted Flower
Title: Ice, Frost And A Wilted Flower
Fandom: Tiger&Bunny
Pairings: Karina-->Kotetsu
Summary: She had always expected rejection to be harsh, but she had never expected it to leave her feeling so cold.
Her hand let go of the rose he had given her. Like he had for all the other heroes. Like he always did.
Somehow, this time, she had hoped it had meant more - that he had had an ulterior motive, knocking on her front door so late at night - but no.
So annoying.
Staring Kotetsu dead in the face, he had prompted her to take the - not red nor pink but blue, he just had to choose fucking blue, didn't he? - rose. He had been grinning so hard his eyes were closed. After some time, she had reached for the offered flower. Noticing her extended hand, his expression changed, morphing into a soft and tender smile. One you gave to your loved ones--
She dropped the rose. Confusion flashed across his face not understanding the situation--
Burying her head in his left shoulder, arms wound tightly around his waist, she evened her breathing out - with difficulty - trying to calm herself down. Her heart was thundering against her ribcage whereas Kotetsu's heartbeat was deceptively steady, nothing like her fluttering one, no skipped heartbeat, no gasp, no nothing.
Nothing at all.
Desperately clinging to a last string of hope, trusting her instinct to guide her, she lifted her head.
And stopped short.
He wasn't smiling but he looked at her in obvious fondness. Fondness and nothing more, just a kid, a friend, a colleague-
Like a little sister.
She hadn't uttered a single word but his eyes were more than enough for her to understand.
He didn't feel the same. And never would. She was precious to him but not in that way, the one she so desperately craved.
Unknowingly, she had untangled herself from him - who hadn't moved, hadn't even touched her. Just looked and nothing more, putting a distance between them - while still staring at him with hurtful eyes, red spots blotched around them. Heaving, panting to keep her tears at bay, head held high to show him she wasn't defeated, no way in hell would she break because of, of stupid feelings and a stupid crush-
However, it wasn't - hadn't been, she chastised herself quickly - just a crush. It was so much more. She admired him for his beliefs, she laughed at his poor sense of humor, she never failed to be amused at this pitiful man's attempt to appear superior, she could count on him when something was wrong even though he was a bit clumsy and rough around the edges. She was captivated by his apparently simple persona.
He wasn't the King of Heroes but he had been the King of her Heart, until it all ended here and now, on her doorstep, way past midnight.
She couldn't hate him. No matter how many times she willed herself to, trying to make him fall off his throne to be replaced by whoever - someone her age, from her school, who would never hurt her, someone who didn't know her inside and out both as Blue Rose and Karina-
Stop.
She couldn't take it anymore. She turned on her heel, intending to go back in forgetting anything happened.
When she closed the door, the last thing she saw was Kotetsu picking up the blue rose.
Fandom: Tiger&Bunny
Pairings: Karina-->Kotetsu
Summary: She had always expected rejection to be harsh, but she had never expected it to leave her feeling so cold.
Her hand let go of the rose he had given her. Like he had for all the other heroes. Like he always did.
Somehow, this time, she had hoped it had meant more - that he had had an ulterior motive, knocking on her front door so late at night - but no.
So annoying.
Staring Kotetsu dead in the face, he had prompted her to take the - not red nor pink but blue, he just had to choose fucking blue, didn't he? - rose. He had been grinning so hard his eyes were closed. After some time, she had reached for the offered flower. Noticing her extended hand, his expression changed, morphing into a soft and tender smile. One you gave to your loved ones--
She dropped the rose. Confusion flashed across his face not understanding the situation--
Burying her head in his left shoulder, arms wound tightly around his waist, she evened her breathing out - with difficulty - trying to calm herself down. Her heart was thundering against her ribcage whereas Kotetsu's heartbeat was deceptively steady, nothing like her fluttering one, no skipped heartbeat, no gasp, no nothing.
Nothing at all.
Desperately clinging to a last string of hope, trusting her instinct to guide her, she lifted her head.
And stopped short.
He wasn't smiling but he looked at her in obvious fondness. Fondness and nothing more, just a kid, a friend, a colleague-
Like a little sister.
She hadn't uttered a single word but his eyes were more than enough for her to understand.
He didn't feel the same. And never would. She was precious to him but not in that way, the one she so desperately craved.
Unknowingly, she had untangled herself from him - who hadn't moved, hadn't even touched her. Just looked and nothing more, putting a distance between them - while still staring at him with hurtful eyes, red spots blotched around them. Heaving, panting to keep her tears at bay, head held high to show him she wasn't defeated, no way in hell would she break because of, of stupid feelings and a stupid crush-
However, it wasn't - hadn't been, she chastised herself quickly - just a crush. It was so much more. She admired him for his beliefs, she laughed at his poor sense of humor, she never failed to be amused at this pitiful man's attempt to appear superior, she could count on him when something was wrong even though he was a bit clumsy and rough around the edges. She was captivated by his apparently simple persona.
He wasn't the King of Heroes but he had been the King of her Heart, until it all ended here and now, on her doorstep, way past midnight.
She couldn't hate him. No matter how many times she willed herself to, trying to make him fall off his throne to be replaced by whoever - someone her age, from her school, who would never hurt her, someone who didn't know her inside and out both as Blue Rose and Karina-
Stop.
She couldn't take it anymore. She turned on her heel, intending to go back in forgetting anything happened.
When she closed the door, the last thing she saw was Kotetsu picking up the blue rose.