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[singwithin.livejournal.com]

Challenge: 108. Belle
Title: One Fine Day
Word Count: 672 (.. I tried. D:)
Spoilers: CoM.
Notes: Inspired mostly and entirely by a line from the musical 'Romeo et Juliette'.



Elle est belle, belle à mourir
Belle à choisir
Un jour de mourir pour elle.


Riku is in love. It hits him, suddenly, like a bolt of inspiration from somewhere in a blue sky that he knows is out there, even if he’s never seen it. He’s in love, one hundred percent, sweaty-palms-quickened-pulse-bright-red-ears, the works.

He feels freer, somehow. As if his heart had been chained up tight, a prisoner in a lonely cell, and someone finally came along and gave him the key. And the chains fell off, just like that.

The marble flowers in the hallway seem so real that he can almost smell them. There’s colour, there, beyond the white and white and white that goes on and on in each direction, and he’s going to reach for it with everything he has. It’s yellow hair and blue eyes and a box of crayons, and a gentle voice that resonates in his very soul.

Now Riku has a purpose to his existence. Everything he’s done everything he’ll ever do is out of love, just for her.

He watches Sora climb higher and thinks – If I had to, I would even die for her.


-


“You look like you’re in love,” Larxene says, smirking at him.
“What’s it to you?” he shoots back, slouching away.
“Hope you don’t get your heart broken, kiddo,” Larxene calls after him.
He turns back to face her. “That won’t happen.”
“You seem awfully sure about that,” Larxene marvels.
“Because it’s the real thing,” he says.


-


Later, Riku lets himself think about Larxene’s words. Later, when Naminé sits and draws with trembling hands, ocean and trees and a boy fishing by the coast appearing in wobbly brown outlines. He feels himself becoming angrier by the second, and wonders how they dared to make her sad.

He reaches up and gently strokes her hair. She flinches as he touches her, and the tree she was sketching turns into a squiggly bridge, but she continues to draw. Her hair is really soft.

“Listen, Naminé,” Riku says. “I’m going to protect you from now on.”

Naminé chokes back a sob. “You dropped something,” she says quietly.

Riku looks down and picks up the charm. He doesn’t remember dropping it, or even picking it up in the first place. Maybe it belongs to Naminé. Before he can ask, or even move, she carefully reaches over and closes his hand with her own.

“Keep it safe,” she whispers.

Her words act as a catalyst, and his hand moves on its own, carefully putting the charm in his pocket. If she really wants him to have it, the least he can do is take care of it.

“Thanks,” he says. After all, it’s from her, so it’s precious.


-

Finally (finally) he leaves. You can breathe again, a sigh of relief.

You mark the picture you were working on with a small x. It had served its purpose, and there was no point in finishing it. You turn the page.

It’s one of your best works, you’ve heard. Two children watch the sky fall, and the boy offers his hand so that the girl won’t be too scared. She gives him her most treasured possession. It’s a beautiful memory, and the boy will always treasure it.

Sometimes, you wish that it was real.

(Mostly, you wish you didn’t have to do this.)

-


Riku’s always heard that love makes you do strange things, so he doesn’t think about how he’s changed. How he can’t remember a life outside of the castle, even though he has so many memories about his childhood. How he spends most of his free time looking at his good luck charm from Naminé.

Ever since he realized he was in love with her, he’s felt like he has a purpose. He can jump faster, move more quickly. The darkness comes to him easily, as if the chains that had been holding it back were suddenly taken away. And it’s all because of her.

Riku knows that he’s in love. And no matter what anyone says, it’s the real thing.




In the end, Larxene was right.



She's beautiful, beautiful to die for
Beautiful to choose, one day
To die for her.

Comments

[lorei.livejournal.com]

This is so pretty ♥ The ending-- I like it, but it seems sort of abrupt, too sudden. But I love the fic as a whole, especially the second person used for Namine's bit.

[masakomoonshade.livejournal.com]

I disagree with Lorei here (say it isn't so!).

That abrupt ending was perfect--like the silence after a gunshot. We all know exactly what happened, and you don't have to say anymore.

Definitely an amazing piece.

[singwithin.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much! ♥ The ending seemed too sudden for me, too - I wanted to keep writing, but I couldn't figure out how to make it fit as a drabble, or work as a longer story.. and then I figured that Repliku's ending was abrupt, too, so maybe it would work.

[singwithin.livejournal.com]

Thank you!!~ ♥

I'm glad the ending seemed okay to you. :3

[chacusha]

Pretty~~ :D My favorite part is the third section because of the way you showed Naminé's subtle memory-manipulating.

[singwithin.livejournal.com]

Thanks! ^^