That Last Time

[Aeyra 260]

I have... no idea why I wrote this. Okay, I do, I was bored, and this kind of came out of my boredom. It's one of those random one-shots that are kind of dark and angsty, but aren't very long.... ... ... Yeah. Self-explanatory. I don't think it's very good, but I guess it's decent. Please comment!

That Last Time

He showed up late that night, an hour later than he should have. He had promised to show up at 7 o’clock sharp, under the Tokyo Tower, where we would stay and watch the stars all night. I’d waited for him eagerly, my short dress rustling in the breeze, my smile bright and anticipating. I had scanned the crowd, looking for that familiar cowlick on the back of his head, those sharp blue eyes that could catch every detail of any murder, guaranteed.

When ten minutes passed I called him, but no one answered, leaving me slightly anxious under the towering crimson steel. I started pacing back and forth to keep my mind from wandering, wandering to ugly places, where imagination runs wild in the ways you wish it never would. Ten more minutes passed and I called again, still no answer, and I grew extremely anxious.

Whenever he was late, he’d call, at least text, tell me why he was being delayed, be it traffic, a sudden appointment, or him having simply forgotten. But even that one time he had forgotten, he had picked up his phone, and there shouldn’t be anything keeping him from answering it. I send him a quick message, just in case. A simple ‘Where are you?’

At least a text he should have been able to reply, just a few words, ‘I’m almost there’ or ‘Just wait a bit longer’, but I was left in the dark, never feeling more alone. I wanted to leave, to get a taxi to his house and figure out exactly why he had completely ignored my calls and forgotten our big date, but I was afraid to go, not knowing how I’d react if he wasn’t home either.

Half an hour passed, and the streets were quieter, no longer the hustling, bustling crowd it was barely an hour ago, and occasionally a couple or a small family would cast me a glance, at the teenage girl staring at the ground, tapping her feet anxiously against the stone. I could only worry, wonder where he was, if he had gotten sucked up into another big case, and disappear again.

When the hour struck, I was done with the unproductive waiting, completely intent on barging through his door and hitting him until he begged for mercy as payback for making me so afraid, so scared, and so vulnerable. I turned away from the Tokyo Tower, filled with newfound fury, so distracted with anger that I accidentally ran into someone.

Someone who grabbed my arms and pulled me into his chest, my nose buried in the his cool, yet warm scent, someone who stroked my hair, his hands soft and gentle, someone who dragged me into the darkness of an emptier, less-lit street, someone who remained silent. Someone who I knew very well, someone who I had been waiting for, someone who I cried into, unconsciously digging my nails into his back where I clung like some baby animal.

“Shinichi,” I whispered, my voice muffled against his shirt, and I heard my whisper returned by soothing hushes, responded by his warm touch slowly making its way up my arm. “Why were you late?”

His breath came in pants, like he’s been running for hours, and I notice that his palms are sweaty, and that his fingers have left trails of moisture on my skin. “I’m sorry, Ran. I didn’t mean for it to happen.”

“That’s not an answer!” I protested, squirming in his tight grip. “You had me worried! You wouldn’t answer my calls, my texts or anything! I had no idea what might have happened to you.”

He didn’t answer, just pulled me tighter, until I could hardly breathe, and with me in his arms we stepped further into the darkness, and I could barely make out his shape. I was so angry at him, yet I couldn’t speak a word of that masked fury, I could only let them flow out in tears.

“I’m sorry, Ran,” he repeated, and he let go, and I shivered, feeling the cool air replace his touch. “It won’t happen again, I promise.”

I should have felt relieved, but I couldn’t, because while it did sound like a promise, it also sounded like… a good bye. “Shinichi?” My voice wavered, a question spoken into the still air.

“I’m not coming back again until I can stay for good, Ran.” His voice shook, and grew hoarse, almost scratchy compared to his usual eloquent tone. “It’ll be better for the both of us.”

“No, are you leaving me again, Shinichi?” I wanted it to come out like one of those painful, heart wrenching screams you hear in romance movies, where the heroine cries and her lover pities her and takes back his words, wiping the tears off her cheeks, caressing her as he comforted her. But it came out like an inaudible whisper.

“Trust me,” he replied, as quiet as me, and for a few seconds, all we could hear was Tokyo traffic, the melody of rushing cars and honking horns, so loud, yet so silent.

“Promise you will come back, Shinichi,” I commanded, sounding strong even though the tears had already spilled down my face. “Promise.”

“I don’t know if-“

I cut him off in a way that surprised us both. My lips were pressed strongly against his, and I heard his slight gasp of surprise turn into a satisfied moan, and he took me in his arms again, hugged me close, never once separating our connection. His lips were hot, burning, like he had a fever, and I could smell the sweat on his brow, a salty tang. Then…

He pushed me away, repeatedly murmuring, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” so quietly I could just barely hear him, and his voice sounded as if were interlaced with pain. He started running, and I could hear him stumbling, but I couldn’t move, rooted to spot.

The next day, I received a text early in the morning, a text from Shinichi. There were only two words, but those two words meant everything. “I promise.”

[Valkyrie 72]

Nice! I like it! It's filled with emotions and it's well-written! Keep it up! +1 for you!

[Amaranth 52]

Aww, how sweet... It's amazing as ever, Aeyra! Good job! Your one-shots are just as good as your longer works.

[ShiroKuro 2]

wow thats really good

I'm new here so yeah but anyways it was full of emotion please keep it up!

[Aeyra 260]

Aww, how sweet... It's amazing as ever, Aeyra! Good job! Your one-shots are just as good as your longer works.

Thanks. :3 Though I have to update those sometime... -.-' I want to, but I really wanna write my Code Geass fanfic too... BTW, do you want to see it? (AKA Can I show it to you?)

[Amaranth 52]

I'd love to.

But don't expect any critique whatsoever from me.

I've completely given up writing fanfiction.

[Cindy-Chen 82]

I really like it, it's really sweet.