Fic [the GazettE] - "Snowflakes that Never Melt"
Title: Snowflakes that Never Melt
Chapters: Oneshot
Author: machete_rose
Genre: Fluff
Warnings: None
Disclaimer: I do not own the GazettE. Sadness.
Rating: G
Pairings/Characters: Aoi/Reita
Summary: Young Yuu is in an unfamiliar town for his winter break, immensely unhappy until an unexpected new friend comes along with something to brighten up his spirits.
Comments: Written for 50stories. Theme set 001 - #044: Snow.
----------
A gentle squeaking echoed through the otherwise deserted playground as one little boy sat dejectedly on the swing set, his back hunched and the tips of his scuffed sneakers barely touching the dusty ground. It was minutes past dusk and the world had begun to wind down from the day’s activities, leaving only traces of the busy whirlwind of life in the last few neighbourhood children running home for dinner, or the slamming of car doors as husbands finally returned home from work. Yuu ignored all of these sounds and stared down at his feet, watching them in empty fascination as the left one swung forward then back, followed closely by the other; if he angled them just right, he could almost pretend he was walking on air.
He supposed it was around the time when he should be getting back to the house. If he listened hard enough, he could hear the faint voices of mothers calling for their wayward children, and if he closed his eyes, face scrunched tight in concentration, he could almost imagine that it was his own mother’s voice calling for him to just come inside already. But this was not his home in Mie, and his mother’s warm voice could not reach him here.
Only a few days ago Yuu had been told that he would be staying with relatives in Kanagawa for a week. “A change of scenery for your winter break,” was what his father had said at dinner that night, ruffling Yuu’s hair fondly like he always did. His mother had only smiled brightly from across the table, nodding in agreement with her husband’s words as she piled more steaming food in front of Yuu and his older brother. And Yuu had just smiled weakly back at them, fighting back tears despite his growing anxiety, because boys aren’t supposed to cry, right?
It was already almost the end of his stay at his uncle’s house, and Yuu was still as miserable now as he had been that night. He had no friends in Kanagawa, and he missed his family terribly. Even his brother who teased and tormented him to no end would have been welcome company, compared to the no one that Yuu had here. But his brother had had to stay behind in Mie so that he would be sure to complete his winter break homework under the watchful eyes of their parents. Yuu’s homework, on the other hand, still lay untouched and carefully packed away in the firm leather backpack that he had brought along on his trip. It was a small sketchbook, its pages still unmarked and pristine white, meant for keeping a picture diary of his break. He wasn’t quite sure what amazing insights into everyday life an elementary school student could possibly have but he was willing to bet that it was simply a means of keeping little kids out of their parents’ hair for the two weeks of break.
The cold air blew gentle breezes through Yuu’s hair, mussing it into unruliness as his thin shoulders shivered at the sudden chill. He looked up at the sun as it dipped just a little lower below the horizon with each passing minute, squinting at the brilliant orange glow and wondering if it would snow tonight. Winter this year had been uncharacteristically warm, the only snowfalls having been the brief moments of flurries and the light blankets of powder snow that before long melted away with the midday sun.
“Aren’t you cold?” Yuu’s head turned in surprise. Another little boy stood off to the side of the swing set, his head cocked curiously to one side as he watched Yuu. A small smile played at the corners of his lips, and his hands were shoved deep into the pockets of his coat. Yuu looked away as he gave a little shrug, not quite sure what to say; hadn’t his parents always said don’t talk to strangers?
The lack of response didn’t seem to bother the other boy as his smile widened and he moved closer to plop himself into the adjacent seat, almost as though Yuu’s silence was invitation to join him. His legs swung energetically back and forth, the limbs not quite long enough for his sneakers to even slightly graze the ground beneath. Yuu unconsciously grasped the chains of his own swing more tightly in nervousness, his fingers numb from the wind despite the woollen gloves that covered them.
“You’re not from around here.” It was a statement more than a question. Yuu watched warily out the corner of his eye; the other boy’s hands were still jammed into his pockets, even as he struggled every now and then to maintain balance on the shaky swing. His dark hair was just a little longer than Yuu’s, curling a bit at the nape, but just as tousled from the wintery breeze.
“Oh!” Yuu jumped a little at the sudden exclamation, glancing across in mild shock as the other boy hopped off the swing and excitedly rummaged through his coat pockets. “Here, have some of these! They’re really yummy!”
Yuu stared confusedly at the outstretched hands; no gloves covered those small palms but nestled within them was a small mound of sweets wrapped in brightly patterned foil that glistened in the fading sunlight. The other boy beamed at him, shoving the offering a little closer as though coaxing Yuu to accept them. Gingerly, Yuu picked out a couple pieces, clutching the unexpected gift to his chest. Warmth seemed to spread from those small, wrapped spheres to his fingertips, seeping deep into his core.
“My - my name is Yuu,” he practically whispered, grateful that he had made at least one friend, one memory worth keeping, during his stay in Kanagawa. Grinning, the other boy opened his mouth to reply when a voice, breathless and bordering on desperate, called out from across the playground.
“Akira! We’re gonna get in trouble if we don’t go home right now!” Yuu could see a boy probably of about the same age running towards them with hair wild from the wind framing his pale face, his bow-shaped lips drawn into a deep pout as he frantically rubbed at his moist eyes. He skidded to a stop before them and Akira slung his arms around the newcomer’s shoulders, hugging him close.
“Alright, alright, don’t cry. You’re supposed to be manly, you doofus.” Tiny sniffles slipped out from beneath those skinny arms, only somewhat muffled by the thick fabric of the other’s coat. One arm still slung comfortingly around his friend’s shoulder, Akira began to guide him to the playground entrance before turning around and shooting Yuu a wide, toothy smile.
“Bye bye! Let’s play together next time!”
And just like that, he was gone, taking the last dying rays of the day’s end with him. Yuu didn’t have the chance, or even the voice, to say that he was leaving tomorrow and that there won’t be a next time.
Stumbling a little as he half-jumped off his seat, Yuu trudged across the empty playground in the direction of his uncle’s house, glancing down every now and then at the foil-covered sweets, the bright designs a stark contrast against his dull-coloured gloves. They were themed to match the season; the silvery snowflakes glittered up at him under every streetlight that he passed, and somehow Yuu didn’t crave a snowfall quite as much anymore.
Later that night, Yuu sat on the floor of the guest bedroom, his still blank sketchpad balanced carefully on his folded legs and a small box of crayons lying open on the floor beside him. He rolled one of the little candies around his mouth with the tip of his tongue, savouring the milky sweetness. His fingers lightly caressed the outside of the empty wrapper, roving the flattened surface and tracing the shapes as though he could memorise them by touch.
Bottom lip caught lightly between his teeth, Yuu chose his crayons with much thought and drew his first diary entry: an orange orb half-hidden by buildings and trees, and light blue snowflakes scattered within the grey outline of what he supposed looked close enough to a candy wrapper. A light blush warmed his pale cheeks to pink as he coloured in a small, red heart in the very corner of the page. Yuu gazed down at the picture, satisfied with these snowflakes that would never melt and his silent promise to somehow make sure that next time would one day come around.
----------
Chapters: Oneshot
Author: machete_rose
Genre: Fluff
Warnings: None
Disclaimer: I do not own the GazettE. Sadness.
Rating: G
Pairings/Characters: Aoi/Reita
Summary: Young Yuu is in an unfamiliar town for his winter break, immensely unhappy until an unexpected new friend comes along with something to brighten up his spirits.
Comments: Written for 50stories. Theme set 001 - #044: Snow.
----------
A gentle squeaking echoed through the otherwise deserted playground as one little boy sat dejectedly on the swing set, his back hunched and the tips of his scuffed sneakers barely touching the dusty ground. It was minutes past dusk and the world had begun to wind down from the day’s activities, leaving only traces of the busy whirlwind of life in the last few neighbourhood children running home for dinner, or the slamming of car doors as husbands finally returned home from work. Yuu ignored all of these sounds and stared down at his feet, watching them in empty fascination as the left one swung forward then back, followed closely by the other; if he angled them just right, he could almost pretend he was walking on air.
He supposed it was around the time when he should be getting back to the house. If he listened hard enough, he could hear the faint voices of mothers calling for their wayward children, and if he closed his eyes, face scrunched tight in concentration, he could almost imagine that it was his own mother’s voice calling for him to just come inside already. But this was not his home in Mie, and his mother’s warm voice could not reach him here.
Only a few days ago Yuu had been told that he would be staying with relatives in Kanagawa for a week. “A change of scenery for your winter break,” was what his father had said at dinner that night, ruffling Yuu’s hair fondly like he always did. His mother had only smiled brightly from across the table, nodding in agreement with her husband’s words as she piled more steaming food in front of Yuu and his older brother. And Yuu had just smiled weakly back at them, fighting back tears despite his growing anxiety, because boys aren’t supposed to cry, right?
It was already almost the end of his stay at his uncle’s house, and Yuu was still as miserable now as he had been that night. He had no friends in Kanagawa, and he missed his family terribly. Even his brother who teased and tormented him to no end would have been welcome company, compared to the no one that Yuu had here. But his brother had had to stay behind in Mie so that he would be sure to complete his winter break homework under the watchful eyes of their parents. Yuu’s homework, on the other hand, still lay untouched and carefully packed away in the firm leather backpack that he had brought along on his trip. It was a small sketchbook, its pages still unmarked and pristine white, meant for keeping a picture diary of his break. He wasn’t quite sure what amazing insights into everyday life an elementary school student could possibly have but he was willing to bet that it was simply a means of keeping little kids out of their parents’ hair for the two weeks of break.
The cold air blew gentle breezes through Yuu’s hair, mussing it into unruliness as his thin shoulders shivered at the sudden chill. He looked up at the sun as it dipped just a little lower below the horizon with each passing minute, squinting at the brilliant orange glow and wondering if it would snow tonight. Winter this year had been uncharacteristically warm, the only snowfalls having been the brief moments of flurries and the light blankets of powder snow that before long melted away with the midday sun.
“Aren’t you cold?” Yuu’s head turned in surprise. Another little boy stood off to the side of the swing set, his head cocked curiously to one side as he watched Yuu. A small smile played at the corners of his lips, and his hands were shoved deep into the pockets of his coat. Yuu looked away as he gave a little shrug, not quite sure what to say; hadn’t his parents always said don’t talk to strangers?
The lack of response didn’t seem to bother the other boy as his smile widened and he moved closer to plop himself into the adjacent seat, almost as though Yuu’s silence was invitation to join him. His legs swung energetically back and forth, the limbs not quite long enough for his sneakers to even slightly graze the ground beneath. Yuu unconsciously grasped the chains of his own swing more tightly in nervousness, his fingers numb from the wind despite the woollen gloves that covered them.
“You’re not from around here.” It was a statement more than a question. Yuu watched warily out the corner of his eye; the other boy’s hands were still jammed into his pockets, even as he struggled every now and then to maintain balance on the shaky swing. His dark hair was just a little longer than Yuu’s, curling a bit at the nape, but just as tousled from the wintery breeze.
“Oh!” Yuu jumped a little at the sudden exclamation, glancing across in mild shock as the other boy hopped off the swing and excitedly rummaged through his coat pockets. “Here, have some of these! They’re really yummy!”
Yuu stared confusedly at the outstretched hands; no gloves covered those small palms but nestled within them was a small mound of sweets wrapped in brightly patterned foil that glistened in the fading sunlight. The other boy beamed at him, shoving the offering a little closer as though coaxing Yuu to accept them. Gingerly, Yuu picked out a couple pieces, clutching the unexpected gift to his chest. Warmth seemed to spread from those small, wrapped spheres to his fingertips, seeping deep into his core.
“My - my name is Yuu,” he practically whispered, grateful that he had made at least one friend, one memory worth keeping, during his stay in Kanagawa. Grinning, the other boy opened his mouth to reply when a voice, breathless and bordering on desperate, called out from across the playground.
“Akira! We’re gonna get in trouble if we don’t go home right now!” Yuu could see a boy probably of about the same age running towards them with hair wild from the wind framing his pale face, his bow-shaped lips drawn into a deep pout as he frantically rubbed at his moist eyes. He skidded to a stop before them and Akira slung his arms around the newcomer’s shoulders, hugging him close.
“Alright, alright, don’t cry. You’re supposed to be manly, you doofus.” Tiny sniffles slipped out from beneath those skinny arms, only somewhat muffled by the thick fabric of the other’s coat. One arm still slung comfortingly around his friend’s shoulder, Akira began to guide him to the playground entrance before turning around and shooting Yuu a wide, toothy smile.
“Bye bye! Let’s play together next time!”
And just like that, he was gone, taking the last dying rays of the day’s end with him. Yuu didn’t have the chance, or even the voice, to say that he was leaving tomorrow and that there won’t be a next time.
Stumbling a little as he half-jumped off his seat, Yuu trudged across the empty playground in the direction of his uncle’s house, glancing down every now and then at the foil-covered sweets, the bright designs a stark contrast against his dull-coloured gloves. They were themed to match the season; the silvery snowflakes glittered up at him under every streetlight that he passed, and somehow Yuu didn’t crave a snowfall quite as much anymore.
Later that night, Yuu sat on the floor of the guest bedroom, his still blank sketchpad balanced carefully on his folded legs and a small box of crayons lying open on the floor beside him. He rolled one of the little candies around his mouth with the tip of his tongue, savouring the milky sweetness. His fingers lightly caressed the outside of the empty wrapper, roving the flattened surface and tracing the shapes as though he could memorise them by touch.
Bottom lip caught lightly between his teeth, Yuu chose his crayons with much thought and drew his first diary entry: an orange orb half-hidden by buildings and trees, and light blue snowflakes scattered within the grey outline of what he supposed looked close enough to a candy wrapper. A light blush warmed his pale cheeks to pink as he coloured in a small, red heart in the very corner of the page. Yuu gazed down at the picture, satisfied with these snowflakes that would never melt and his silent promise to somehow make sure that next time would one day come around.
----------