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Arcade
For: self-imposed
30-minute fic challenge
Word Count: 369 (ack)
Posted: 2004.5.29
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It
used to be so easy to be with her, to know what was on her mind when he was
with her. Now everything is too
crowded, too noisy, too wrong.
"Not
here?" he asks her, feeling his chest tighten at her vehement nod. "You don't like it here?"
She
turns deathly pale at the sudden blast of sound from a nearby machine, then
shakes her head. No. Not here.
Feeling irritated at himself for making another mistake, he jams his
hands into his pockets and marches out of the arcade, aware of her frantic
near-stumbling after him.
It
used to be so easy to turn back and take her hand; now he moves on without
looking back. They emerge at a busy
street, carefully thread their way through the crowd, then find a safe spot in
front of a shop window. After a few
minutes of pointedly staring at passersby, he finally turns to her. "Sorry," he says, too sharply for
an apology.
Her
eyes are downcast.
"I
thought you wanted to go someplace fun.
Sorry."
"...I-I'm
sorry too."
"It's
my fault, not yours."
"No...no,
I mean..." Her head bows even
lower. "I know you wanted to play
a game, but you weren't able to because... because I was afraid---"
"Don't
be sorry."
It
used to be so easy to say if you're not having fun then what's the
point? I want us to have fun together.
She
lifts her chin and looks at him, and he averts his gaze and keeps his eyes on
anything but her.
They
used to be so close, they could read each other's mind.
"Hiro-chan,"
she timidly says after some time, "where do we go next?"
"I'll
walk you home."
"But..."
He
is convinced she doesn't want to be with him.
Then
her fingers touch his.
"But
Hiro-chan," she says slowly, "I want to stay with you a little
longer."
He
stares at her.
"Is
that all right, Hiro-chan?"
It's
so easy to look at her and remember the first time he thought, here is the
one person I will want to be with for the rest of my life.
He
smiles, a slow shy one. "No
arcades, I promise."
[ end ]
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