(no subject)
Not technically a challenge response since it'd be criminally late because 1)The couple is not very odd 2)I will write at least one more chapter for it from Nakuru's point of view. Regardless, I really sought to challenge myself by confronting a Touya Nakuru story, and here it is. Thanks to L-chan for her advice on writing.
Prompt: Odd Couple
Title: Words Unsaid
Genre: Angst, Romance
Rating: PG
Length: 1530 words
Characters: Touya, Nakuru.
Setting: One year post canon.
****
“Come on, Akizuki, hold on or you’ll fall off.” I adjust the clasp of my hands that serve as a seat for the weight on my back, who purrs sleepily in response.
“Okaaaaaaay…” Slender arms wrap themselves securely around my neck, and soon the sound of her breathing becomes slow and even. I feel her smile against the collar of my shirt, asleep in what was probably her favorite spot in the world.
I should’ve expected things to turn out this way, with the copious amounts of alcohol at the host’s house, with it being graduation night, when even my meekest classmates shed their usual modesty to party with wild abandon after being repressed for three years of high school. I should’ve known that I’d end up carrying her-the biggest party animal of them all-back to her apartment, because in her state she wouldn’t be able to hold onto me on my bike, nor did I trust the other boys not to take advantage of her, especially when most of them were fixated on going out with a literal bang.
Kicking the door shut behind me, I step out into the streets of the empty neighborhood and begin walking. The irony of the situation is somewhat amusing; just months ago, I wouldn’t never have been able to picture myself carrying Akizuki, drunk and vulnerable or otherwise. How things have changed.
I pause at a corner to shift her higher onto my back, drawing a muted growl from the dozing brunette. For someone who’s so much larger than life, she’s surprisingly light; this girl who always stood on tip-toes to thrust a glowing smile in my face, this bounding sprite who pounced on me as part of her daily routine… a routine that ends today, our last day as high school students, after which we will go our separate ways, Yuki and I onto the same university, and she back to London.
She’s flying out tomorrow morning.
After begging Eriol to let her come back, her one year extension at Tomoeda was finally coming to an end, and in just several hours she’ll be gone and out of my hair for good... So why was I walking extra slowly? Why was I carrying her gently to avoid waking her, as if I didn’t want to get this over and done with…
As if I wanted to keep her here… for just a little longer?
We pass by our high school, the basketball courts, and the track, sights I’m so accustomed to now strange and fascinating when I see them as an outsider through the wire link fence that I’ve scaled countless times. I pause to look at the grassy expanse that is our soccer field, at once filled with an empty feeling of nostalgia and vivid memories:
It was the beginning of the season, when training was harshest in order to separate the washouts from those who could hack it; even veterans like me were exhausted, and for the first several weeks I didn’t even have energy left for part time jobs.
On one overcast afternoon, the sky began to pour in the middle of practice and the field was quickly reduced to a slippery quagmire that led to numerous crashes, bruises, and sprains. It was a muddy, ugly, painful sight, therefore no surprise that none of the usual group of girls showed up to watch. Some days, when he was free, Yukito would join them among the stands, but not today.
The rain did not let up even after practice was over, and by then the evening sky was nearly dark. I was sweaty, smelly, and sore all over by the time I was ready to go home; changing clothes was unnecessary, as they’d only get soaked again. The hallways of the school were expectedly empty… but for one person I found leaning against my shoe locker near the front.
“Akizuki?” Her face lit up when she saw me, a wide grin appearing as she held up two cans of drinks, a towel, and a big orange umbrella; my surprise was followed by a slight frown but softer tone. “Were you waiting this whole time?”
She bobbed her head enthusiastically.
“… Why?”
Tip-toeing in front of me, she reached up and dropped the towel over my head and handed me a drink, tilting her head to smile at me. “You know why.”
It took a lot longer to get home that day without my bike; the peach flavored soda was a little sour and too sweet (Akizuki was thrilled when I gave the rest to her; I don’t know why), the towel was fluffy and smelled like girl’s shampoo, and the umbrella was an impractical oversized orange that didn’t keep out the rain at all, so the two of us ended up wet by the time we got home, where she promptly invited herself in to dry up and steal some of my clothes, which was probably the plan all along.
But for some reason, that day, I didn’t mind it so much.
And I didn’t mind it much when a few days later I finally gave in and opened my mouth to the proffered egg roll during lunch, when she tries to force feed me the bentos she makes herself.
“… Not bad,” I mumbled. She gushed, Yuki laughed.
And I didn’t mind the way her face filled with joy when I handed her the small German Shepherd on White Day, a cheap stuffed toy worth far less than what she made me a month ago. “It’s nothing.” I said, “I bought it on the way to school.” returning the favor, obligation and all that.
She didn’t care.
“I love it.” She said, planting a kiss on the pup’s nose and hugging it close. “What’s his name?”
“Whatever you want.”
She pouts, then studies her new pet carefully before a light bulb goes off above her head. “I’ve decided! Your name is…” She spins towards me, her new pet clasped before her. “Touya!”
“… I’m a dog?”
“No, because both of you are so cute.” I raise an eyebrow. “… Even when you try to look annoyed.”
“… I’m taking that back now.” And as I reach for the pup, she squeals and races away, laughing as she goes.
I didn’t mind; I wasn’t really going to take it back.
Only later did I realize that I liked the name.
“Hey, Akizuki… Why did you fall in love with me?” I speak the words softly without expecting an answer; half worried that she’d hear and half hoping that she would.
“I’ve never known anyone like you, anyone so loud, so cheerful, so persistent, so… determined to be happy and ‘to hell with fate.’” A quiet chuckle escapes my lips. “You’re never discouraged; never give up on anything.”
Not even someone like me.
“Would you believe me… if I told you that you’ve become precious to me, in a way few people have?”
How many do I know want me, not for magic, not as part of a plan… just for who I am?
“That’s why I decided that if you ever confessed, really confessed to me, I would turn you down properly....”
But you never got to ask... because I never gave you the chance.
“But… I thought you’d go away somewhere if I turned you down… and I didn’t want that. That’s why I’ve avoided you all this time. That’s why I’m always scowling at you, even when you make me glad.”
That’s why you’re always telling me you love me, but never seriously… I know, because we do the same thing; because we’re both scared of admitting how much we really care about each other.
“I’m terrible aren’t I? Treating you so distantly even though I knew how you felt about me… but not able to let you go either.”
I’m sorry. I’m not someone worthy of your feelings.
“If things had been different… perhaps, if I had met you first, we… ”
A drop of wetness on my cheek interrupts my words; words she wouldn’t hear, words that meant little now and would bring only more sorrow if she did. “Oy… Akizuki, are you drooling on me? Cut it ou…”
Many drops follow the first and I feel her arms begin to tremble; my footsteps cease.
“Touya…” She’s crying; I’ve never seen her cry. “… I love you.”
Don’t say that.
My mouth opens slightly but no words come out. She’s buried her face into the back of my neck where my shirt collar soaks up the wetness on her cheeks, and she continues sobbing, and trembling, and saying those words again, and again, and again. “I love you…”
They tear something in my chest and lift it at the same time; this is the first, the last, the only time that we’ll ever be this close to each other. “…Yeah, I know.”
“I love you so much…”
“I know.” I can’t return those precious words...
“I love you, Touya….”
“I know.” But I want you to know…
“I love you so, so much…”
“… Thank you, Nakuru.”
****
Author's Note: To tell the truth, I'm not even a fan of this pairing, since I don't think TouyaNakuru has enough backing to be even considered a pairing. Hopefully then, this fic will warm some readers in the fandom to this underrepresented couple. Criticism and comments are welcome, as always. Thank you for your time.
Prompt: Odd Couple
Title: Words Unsaid
Genre: Angst, Romance
Rating: PG
Length: 1530 words
Characters: Touya, Nakuru.
Setting: One year post canon.
****
“Come on, Akizuki, hold on or you’ll fall off.” I adjust the clasp of my hands that serve as a seat for the weight on my back, who purrs sleepily in response.
“Okaaaaaaay…” Slender arms wrap themselves securely around my neck, and soon the sound of her breathing becomes slow and even. I feel her smile against the collar of my shirt, asleep in what was probably her favorite spot in the world.
I should’ve expected things to turn out this way, with the copious amounts of alcohol at the host’s house, with it being graduation night, when even my meekest classmates shed their usual modesty to party with wild abandon after being repressed for three years of high school. I should’ve known that I’d end up carrying her-the biggest party animal of them all-back to her apartment, because in her state she wouldn’t be able to hold onto me on my bike, nor did I trust the other boys not to take advantage of her, especially when most of them were fixated on going out with a literal bang.
Kicking the door shut behind me, I step out into the streets of the empty neighborhood and begin walking. The irony of the situation is somewhat amusing; just months ago, I wouldn’t never have been able to picture myself carrying Akizuki, drunk and vulnerable or otherwise. How things have changed.
I pause at a corner to shift her higher onto my back, drawing a muted growl from the dozing brunette. For someone who’s so much larger than life, she’s surprisingly light; this girl who always stood on tip-toes to thrust a glowing smile in my face, this bounding sprite who pounced on me as part of her daily routine… a routine that ends today, our last day as high school students, after which we will go our separate ways, Yuki and I onto the same university, and she back to London.
She’s flying out tomorrow morning.
After begging Eriol to let her come back, her one year extension at Tomoeda was finally coming to an end, and in just several hours she’ll be gone and out of my hair for good... So why was I walking extra slowly? Why was I carrying her gently to avoid waking her, as if I didn’t want to get this over and done with…
As if I wanted to keep her here… for just a little longer?
We pass by our high school, the basketball courts, and the track, sights I’m so accustomed to now strange and fascinating when I see them as an outsider through the wire link fence that I’ve scaled countless times. I pause to look at the grassy expanse that is our soccer field, at once filled with an empty feeling of nostalgia and vivid memories:
It was the beginning of the season, when training was harshest in order to separate the washouts from those who could hack it; even veterans like me were exhausted, and for the first several weeks I didn’t even have energy left for part time jobs.
On one overcast afternoon, the sky began to pour in the middle of practice and the field was quickly reduced to a slippery quagmire that led to numerous crashes, bruises, and sprains. It was a muddy, ugly, painful sight, therefore no surprise that none of the usual group of girls showed up to watch. Some days, when he was free, Yukito would join them among the stands, but not today.
The rain did not let up even after practice was over, and by then the evening sky was nearly dark. I was sweaty, smelly, and sore all over by the time I was ready to go home; changing clothes was unnecessary, as they’d only get soaked again. The hallways of the school were expectedly empty… but for one person I found leaning against my shoe locker near the front.
“Akizuki?” Her face lit up when she saw me, a wide grin appearing as she held up two cans of drinks, a towel, and a big orange umbrella; my surprise was followed by a slight frown but softer tone. “Were you waiting this whole time?”
She bobbed her head enthusiastically.
“… Why?”
Tip-toeing in front of me, she reached up and dropped the towel over my head and handed me a drink, tilting her head to smile at me. “You know why.”
It took a lot longer to get home that day without my bike; the peach flavored soda was a little sour and too sweet (Akizuki was thrilled when I gave the rest to her; I don’t know why), the towel was fluffy and smelled like girl’s shampoo, and the umbrella was an impractical oversized orange that didn’t keep out the rain at all, so the two of us ended up wet by the time we got home, where she promptly invited herself in to dry up and steal some of my clothes, which was probably the plan all along.
But for some reason, that day, I didn’t mind it so much.
And I didn’t mind it much when a few days later I finally gave in and opened my mouth to the proffered egg roll during lunch, when she tries to force feed me the bentos she makes herself.
“… Not bad,” I mumbled. She gushed, Yuki laughed.
And I didn’t mind the way her face filled with joy when I handed her the small German Shepherd on White Day, a cheap stuffed toy worth far less than what she made me a month ago. “It’s nothing.” I said, “I bought it on the way to school.” returning the favor, obligation and all that.
She didn’t care.
“I love it.” She said, planting a kiss on the pup’s nose and hugging it close. “What’s his name?”
“Whatever you want.”
She pouts, then studies her new pet carefully before a light bulb goes off above her head. “I’ve decided! Your name is…” She spins towards me, her new pet clasped before her. “Touya!”
“… I’m a dog?”
“No, because both of you are so cute.” I raise an eyebrow. “… Even when you try to look annoyed.”
“… I’m taking that back now.” And as I reach for the pup, she squeals and races away, laughing as she goes.
I didn’t mind; I wasn’t really going to take it back.
Only later did I realize that I liked the name.
“Hey, Akizuki… Why did you fall in love with me?” I speak the words softly without expecting an answer; half worried that she’d hear and half hoping that she would.
“I’ve never known anyone like you, anyone so loud, so cheerful, so persistent, so… determined to be happy and ‘to hell with fate.’” A quiet chuckle escapes my lips. “You’re never discouraged; never give up on anything.”
Not even someone like me.
“Would you believe me… if I told you that you’ve become precious to me, in a way few people have?”
How many do I know want me, not for magic, not as part of a plan… just for who I am?
“That’s why I decided that if you ever confessed, really confessed to me, I would turn you down properly....”
But you never got to ask... because I never gave you the chance.
“But… I thought you’d go away somewhere if I turned you down… and I didn’t want that. That’s why I’ve avoided you all this time. That’s why I’m always scowling at you, even when you make me glad.”
That’s why you’re always telling me you love me, but never seriously… I know, because we do the same thing; because we’re both scared of admitting how much we really care about each other.
“I’m terrible aren’t I? Treating you so distantly even though I knew how you felt about me… but not able to let you go either.”
I’m sorry. I’m not someone worthy of your feelings.
“If things had been different… perhaps, if I had met you first, we… ”
A drop of wetness on my cheek interrupts my words; words she wouldn’t hear, words that meant little now and would bring only more sorrow if she did. “Oy… Akizuki, are you drooling on me? Cut it ou…”
Many drops follow the first and I feel her arms begin to tremble; my footsteps cease.
“Touya…” She’s crying; I’ve never seen her cry. “… I love you.”
Don’t say that.
My mouth opens slightly but no words come out. She’s buried her face into the back of my neck where my shirt collar soaks up the wetness on her cheeks, and she continues sobbing, and trembling, and saying those words again, and again, and again. “I love you…”
They tear something in my chest and lift it at the same time; this is the first, the last, the only time that we’ll ever be this close to each other. “…Yeah, I know.”
“I love you so much…”
“I know.” I can’t return those precious words...
“I love you, Touya….”
“I know.” But I want you to know…
“I love you so, so much…”
“… Thank you, Nakuru.”
****
Author's Note: To tell the truth, I'm not even a fan of this pairing, since I don't think TouyaNakuru has enough backing to be even considered a pairing. Hopefully then, this fic will warm some readers in the fandom to this underrepresented couple. Criticism and comments are welcome, as always. Thank you for your time.