fic; [1 Litre of Tears] Line To Heaven
Title: Line To Heaven
Characters: Asou Haruto and Ikeuchi Aya
Rating: G
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters, nor the series, and make no claims to them. No infringement intended.
Summary: He will always remember, after all these years, the first few heartfelt words she said to him. He will always remember.
It's been years, but Haruto still keeps his old mobile phone in his desk drawer.
The plastic blue shell has seen some wear and tear. There's a scratch along the side from when he dropped it at Higashikou. The front LCD screen has completely blackened-- a result from the inside liquid crystal leaking. It doesn't ring as loud as it used to, and the midi files have been reduced to broken, sad sort of notes when he plays them.
But he keeps it, and he keeps it close. Off the corner a tiny silver dolphin hangs from a blue strap.
Beside it, an identical dolphin floats from a thin, pink string.
~
People say that no man is born alone-- that out there, somewhere, in the great white of the universe there exists someone who holds the other half of your heart, calling out.
Even stars are born this way. There are always two of the same star, born fragments of each other. They will search the skies for their other half, and then, colliding, create something more beautiful than themselves.
~
If there was ever anything that shone so bright it would be her.
The years have begun to chip away at his memory. Sometimes he cannot remember the color of her hair, or the shape of her eyes. But one thing remains clear. Aya had a faint glow about her, as if she were clothed in light, shining. Everything she touched shone, too.
He knows this because he still lives today, even though he has wanted to die all these years.
~
His old mobile phone plays little sound clips, faded away now, and broken.
"Live on," she tells him, her voice barely above a whisper in his ear. And he shuts the phone and lives.
"Do your best," she murmurs, "Asou kun, please do your best." And he gets up and goes through the motions and it's never good enough, it's never his best. But he feels her hand, steady on his shoulder when he operates, he feels her breath, warm on his ear. She is an angel, and she guides his hand.
And people live.
~
It is a warm spring day when he finds her, watering the orchids at the back of the hospital.
She holds the watering hose with two hands now, holding it up with trembling fingers. Her lips are pursed in total concentration. She tries to move, but the hose falls from her hands--
He catches it just in time.
"What would you ever do without me?" he asks, smiling.
Asou kun is always at my side, she says. Thank you, Asou kun.
He places the hose back in her hand, closes her fingers around it. He doesn't let go.
Asou kun...?
From this angle, he can smell wet earth, warm wind, her hair. He can feel her hand trembling in his. It feels damp, and cold. He closes his fingers around hers, holding her hand steady. He closes his eyes, listening to the slow pattern of her breath, and wishes, wishes with all his might.
The sun is setting.
~
Somewhere, up in the sky, in the great white of the universe, a star burns out.
~
There are nights when he listens to her voice, and whispers into the receiver, and wonders if she can hear him.
He was too weak, and had failed to say so many things. But her heart is his heart, and he likes to think that the things he never said are things she already knew.
Things she already knew. Things she felt for him, too.
Dolphins don't need words to communicate, after all.
Neither do stars.
Characters: Asou Haruto and Ikeuchi Aya
Rating: G
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters, nor the series, and make no claims to them. No infringement intended.
Summary: He will always remember, after all these years, the first few heartfelt words she said to him. He will always remember.
It's been years, but Haruto still keeps his old mobile phone in his desk drawer.
The plastic blue shell has seen some wear and tear. There's a scratch along the side from when he dropped it at Higashikou. The front LCD screen has completely blackened-- a result from the inside liquid crystal leaking. It doesn't ring as loud as it used to, and the midi files have been reduced to broken, sad sort of notes when he plays them.
But he keeps it, and he keeps it close. Off the corner a tiny silver dolphin hangs from a blue strap.
Beside it, an identical dolphin floats from a thin, pink string.
~
People say that no man is born alone-- that out there, somewhere, in the great white of the universe there exists someone who holds the other half of your heart, calling out.
Even stars are born this way. There are always two of the same star, born fragments of each other. They will search the skies for their other half, and then, colliding, create something more beautiful than themselves.
~
If there was ever anything that shone so bright it would be her.
The years have begun to chip away at his memory. Sometimes he cannot remember the color of her hair, or the shape of her eyes. But one thing remains clear. Aya had a faint glow about her, as if she were clothed in light, shining. Everything she touched shone, too.
He knows this because he still lives today, even though he has wanted to die all these years.
~
His old mobile phone plays little sound clips, faded away now, and broken.
"Live on," she tells him, her voice barely above a whisper in his ear. And he shuts the phone and lives.
"Do your best," she murmurs, "Asou kun, please do your best." And he gets up and goes through the motions and it's never good enough, it's never his best. But he feels her hand, steady on his shoulder when he operates, he feels her breath, warm on his ear. She is an angel, and she guides his hand.
And people live.
~
It is a warm spring day when he finds her, watering the orchids at the back of the hospital.
She holds the watering hose with two hands now, holding it up with trembling fingers. Her lips are pursed in total concentration. She tries to move, but the hose falls from her hands--
He catches it just in time.
"What would you ever do without me?" he asks, smiling.
Asou kun is always at my side, she says. Thank you, Asou kun.
He places the hose back in her hand, closes her fingers around it. He doesn't let go.
Asou kun...?
From this angle, he can smell wet earth, warm wind, her hair. He can feel her hand trembling in his. It feels damp, and cold. He closes his fingers around hers, holding her hand steady. He closes his eyes, listening to the slow pattern of her breath, and wishes, wishes with all his might.
The sun is setting.
~
Somewhere, up in the sky, in the great white of the universe, a star burns out.
~
There are nights when he listens to her voice, and whispers into the receiver, and wonders if she can hear him.
He was too weak, and had failed to say so many things. But her heart is his heart, and he likes to think that the things he never said are things she already knew.
Things she already knew. Things she felt for him, too.
Dolphins don't need words to communicate, after all.
Neither do stars.