「Title」: Already Over
「Fandom」: Kamen Rider Kabuto
「Character/Pairing」: Tsurugi/Misaki
「Prompt」:
venus_doom74 #5 - Touch
「Genre」: Angst/Fluff
「Warning」: Spoilers, Slight AU
「Rating」: PG
「Word Count」: 2,286
「Synopsis」: The trust between Tsurugi and Misaki had been broken, but Tsurugi wishes for one last chance with her...
「Author’s Notes」: Thanks to
geeky_goddess79 for the great music that helped me write this! <3
Written for the
'List of Doom [aka Our Challenge is Better Than Yours]' challenge.
Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue
It’s over... My life as I knew it is over...
The pale moon glistened off of the waters, creating a sparkling environment. The night was quiet with the exception of the crashing waves as the atmosphere was peaceful. The sands were white even in the moonlight creating a perfect scenery.
Suddenly, a scream was heard throughout the area that pierced through the tranquility of the beach.
Tsurugi fell to his knees and clutched his chest once again, feeling the immense pressure against his heart. The intense buildup was almost too much to bear once again. He panted softly as he felt the pain course throughout his body. Not just from the power of the Worm but from the sadness and hurt he felt…
Misaki had seen him… seen the true image of him. The look on her face was etched into his mind and, no matter what, he couldn’t get it out of his head. It replayed like a never-ending rerun in his vision, continuing to haunt him at every turn. The rich young man didn’t even know who he was anymore, not since he found out he was a Worm. He felt lost, not sure where to turn to anymore. Since the fateful day of his sister’s death, he swore revenge on all the Worms; no Worm would ever survive his blade and he wouldn’t rest until they were all defeated.
But the horrible realization was he had been one all along...
Tsurugi threw his head back and screamed again into the night until his lungs hurt before he finally stopped and fell back onto the sand. He didn’t know how else to deal with his emotions at that moment, since he was experiencing two different sets at one time. His Worm heart was telling him that it was time for him to act on his mission and destroy mankind but his human heart refused. He wasn’t ready for this to happen and on top of everything, it happened when he was supposed to finally have a chance with the woman he loved.
As he tried to regain his composure, he sat up on the sands and directed his glance to the crashing waves nearby. The sparkling waters were soothing to him somewhat as he tried to figure out what to do. His human heart was more in control and he decided to take advantage of that while he still could. It was then, that he settled on something that meant more to him than anything else at that moment; having one last day with Misaki. He pushed himself up from sands and brushed himself off before he slowly headed back to his mansion. Many things raced through his mind but he was still determined to try to talk to Misaki one last time, to offer a proposition, a last request, before he needed to be his true self once more.
~*~
The afternoon sun was warm as the people around the plaza went about their daily shopping. Misaki happened to be at the plaza walking by herself for once. It was a nice break from her job of hunting Worms. Her mind was full of thoughts, especially about Tsurugi. As much as she tried to forget about him, she found she couldn’t. The annoying and silly man was always on her mind, even more so after she found out his true form. As much as she fought him, she started to fall for him, especially when he had protected her from a Worm. He was persistent in trying to win her affection. She knew he was younger but she couldn’t help how her heart finally grew attached to him. But the hopeless Tsurugi, the rich brat who tried desperately to change for her, was just a façade. She wasn’t sure what to think anymore. Her heart was confused, for she had fallen for a Worm, not a human being.
She stopped in the middle of the plaza near the fountain as she started to think about him once more. Her eyes filled with tears slowly as she discovered that she missed him. She missed him appearing out of nowhere, constantly planting that goofy smile on his face, and begging for her affection. As much as she didn’t want to admit it, she really did miss all that. But she was slowly trying to push all of that aside. After she found out he was a Worm, he had gone missing for several days. She wasn’t even sure if he had been destroyed or not for ZECT and the Kamen Riders were constantly killing Worms left and right.
She didn’t realize that Tsurugi was standing right behind her…
“Misakinu,” he called to her; a name he had mistakenly called her for quite some time before she corrected him… but after his brave act, she told him it was okay to call her by that. With everything that’s happened, he wasn’t sure if it was appropriate or not, but he figured he should be as the Tsurugi she once knew… and hopefully could forgive.
“Tsurugi?” Misaki responded, before she turned around to face him. She was shocked at seeing him right in front of her. The older woman was relieved to see him but she tried desperately not to show it on her face.
“I’m not here to kill you,” he decided to start the conversation with, to try to put her at ease. He stuck his hands into his pockets as he momentarily looked to the side. “I only wish to talk to you... as the Tsurugi you once knew.”
“How can I?” she asked, trying to suppress the tears and feelings she had for him still. She wasn’t entirely sure how to feel, whether to be afraid of him or not. “How can I trust you again?”
“I can’t force you to,” he truthfully told her. “I am the man who stands on top of everything, but for once in my life, I cannot change the heart of the one I love.”
Misaki’s eyes widened slightly at the remark, finding it odd for him to say something like that. He had always been the man who would never admit defeat in anything. His words were spoken softly as if it came from his heart… from his human heart. But... she knew he wasn’t real. She wasn’t sure what to believe anymore.
“All I ask is that we have a real date, one where we pretend that nothing has changed,” he offered. His voice was laced with a sense of gentleness, a tone she hadn’t heard from him before. It was almost as if knowing he was a Worm had changed him for the better; the side of Tsurugi she had hoped would be there the whole time.
“One date with you would mean the world to me, a last goodbye before I have to accept my fate,” he mentioned to her. Misaki’s eyes widened at that comment and she gasped slightly at the realization.
“You can’t possibly mean...?”
“There’s no other way,” Tsurugi told her, interrupting her since he himself didn’t want to hear it from her voice; it was painful enough. “I’ll have to be eliminated. But for now, I only want to live for the moment… with you. One day, is all I ask.”
Misaki’s emotions were all over the place. She wasn’t sure what he was getting at with all of this, she couldn’t believe how he was being… a gentle human being asking for one last request for her love. In her mind, she was very cautious because she didn’t know if he was telling the truth or not, but her heart was unmistakably yearning to agree. But she was naturally hesitant.
“I don’t know if we can go back to how things are. What if you can’t control your form? I saw you...”
“I’m able to control it now,” he mentioned to her. “I can suppress it before it overtakes me completely.”
The silence between them was present as Misaki’s mind raced from one emotion to another. Her eyes directed to the ground as she stared at the hairline cracks in the pavement to try to figure out what she should do. He seemed to be genuine about keeping his promise of not hurting her, but she always believed that Worms couldn’t be trusted with their deceptive ways.
“All right,” Misaki agreed as she felt her heart quicken at how easy she came to the decision. Tsurugi had his head directed to the ground as well but he raised it up instantly at her response. He didn’t think she would agree even though he had been hoping.
“I’ll meet you here tomorrow night,” Tsurugi mentioned as he tried to keep his serious composure even though his heart was pounding against his chest in anticipation. With that, he turned on his heels to leave her. He didn’t want to hear any form of second thoughts and to keep the promise as is. He felt relieved and a huge weight had been lifted off of his chest. This time, he would do things the right way, the way things should have been in first place.
A static sound pierced through the silence and made Misaki jump slightly. She knew it was the intercom and that headquarters was trying to get in contact with her. And it was confirmed when the male voice on the other end informed her of her next mission. She agreed before heading off, but not before she took a quick look in the direction where Tsurugi had once been.
~*~
The moonlight was full upon the pristine beach with no one around. Tsurugi was waiting near the ocean and was mesmerized by the waves. He felt at peace for once, knowing that this day was going to be his last as a human being, even if was a little bit of a lie. He didn’t want to think about that horrible day of when he found out he was a Worm… no, this night was going to be special. He momentarily directed his gaze to the blanket that he had placed on the sand for them to sit on and the bucket full of ice and champagne. Simplicity and romantic at its best, he believed. He noticed some movement from afar and looked up. It was Misaki wearing a nice outfit that was similar to what she had worn for their Christmas date that never happened. He was relieved to see that she had come and planted a soft smile on his face as she did the same when she got closer. Tsurugi motioned towards the blanket for her to sit down on and she nodded, doing just that. He followed as he sat beside her.
“I had all these plans for our Christmas date but I think the most simple would be best,” he said to her as he kept his head to the side, afraid to look at her directly. He wasn’t sure why he kept feeling that way, almost too embarrassed to look at her directly, but he figured it didn’t matter much anymore. He had never seen Misaki’s beautiful face look so peaceful and gentle before. Her job demanded her to be stern and professional and it was always present on her face; maybe that’s why he fell in love with her though, but the gentle expression was his favorite.
They shared the champagne together, enjoying the moment with little talking. Misaki started to forget about all the doubts that she had before. The time they spent together at that moment was something she had never experienced before. When she finished her glass of champagne, she wasn’t sure if it was the alcohol or her heart, but she slowly closed in the distance between them. Her heart swelled with nervousness but she had wanted to do it for so long. Her face closed in with his and when she saw that he didn’t resist, she continued until her lips met with his. It was small and didn’t last very long, but it was enough. The tingle on her lips felt so right and it was exactly the feeling she wanted. Tsurugi smiled softly at her before he wrapped his arm around her to bring her close to his side. She allowed him and wrapped her arms around his waist and placed her head on his chest. She could feel the warmth and his heartbeat against her cheek which made her feel so secure.
Misaki happened to see Tsurugi’s right hand placed in his lap and recognized the silver bracelet that she had bought him for their Christmas date as it sparkled gently in the moonlight. She didn’t want to mention that she saw it, but her heart swelled with joy that he was wearing it. It proved to her more that he really had feelings for her; that he still had the Tsurugi heart beneath the Worm heart. Misaki felt at home for the first time in her life and wishing this could last forever. She cherished the moment in her heart and mind the best she could, for she knew it wouldn’t last.
Tsurugi gently stroked her raven hair as they held each other under the moonlight for the rest of the night. It was like a moment out of a dream or a love novel that he didn’t want to let go. The soft breeze from the ocean blew against them and was soothing. The passion between them was a silent one but it was memorable. For it was the last time they could ever be together…
One more time… let’s cherish the moment… For I know my life is already over...