Lavender Roses {Oc X Hakuba Saguru}

Forget-me-not 42: part of the past

Forget-me-not - true love memories, do not forget me

December 24th 2011

Saguru's Grandparents' mansion in the mountains

Isabelle's pov

I walked along the icy walkway, father held a firm grip on my hand. Ever since mother passed he treated me like a scared little bird, a delicate flower that he never let anyone see. He thought I was broken inside, he treated me like I couldn't make decisions for myself. I had been taken out of boarding school at the age of seven because of my mental health, instead I had to live at home and go to a private school nearby, that I didn't really mind. But it's been five years since mother passed I'd be fine if he didn't remind me of it every day. I clutched my china doll, the only possession from that time I still hung onto.

As we came up to the front door I looked around, the manor was surrounded by trees each one frosted with white snow. Lottie had long since quit her job working for my father and had reportedly began to work here as a maid. We'd come here to Japan to meet a family friend, the only thing I anticipated was meeting a friend, a blonde boy I had met five years ago. We'd met many times after that during summer and spring holidays, and I've grown to love his company.

A man dressed in black opened the door. We walked in and I immediately looked around. The place was like a museum, there were all sorts of  antiquities from both Japan and England. It was incredible how both cultures seemed to harmoniously live together, not one overpowering the other. 

A small boy stepped into view, he wore a navy suit with a red tie, I recognized him at once as Saguru. He turned and locked eyes with me, I smiled, his entire face turned red.

Saguru smiled meekly and walked over,"Here, I'll show you around if you'd like," he said.

I looked at father for permission, he nodded hesitantly and let go of my hand.

Saguru led me into a corridor before taking my hand, he looked back at me and smiled, it was warm and familiar smile, one I wish to always have in my life.

"So what do you want to do?" He asked.

I looked back into his china-blue eyes, "I hadn't really thought about that," I said.

"Do you want to play cops and robbers?"

"Only if I'm the robber," I said bolting in the opposite direction.

Author's note: For those who aren't familiar with the game cops and robbers let me explain. Cops and robbers is a child's game similar to both tag and hide-and-seek, there are many variations of this game that range in complexity, however all variations share a similar structure. All players choose one person among them to be the cop(aka seeker), depending on which version you play the robber may be one person whose identity is unknown to the cop, or simply the rest of the players are robbers. The cop then "goes to sleep" and counts to an agreed number ex 30 seconds. While the cop is sleeping the all of the other players(robber or not) must hide. Much like hide-and-seek the cop "wakes up" and has to find all of the players. If a player is found they must run away from the cop before they get tagged, once a player is tagged they go to a designated spot called the "jail". This is where the game varies some games leave it that simple, other variants like the one I played as a kid would involve breaking out of prison and hiding again and making stories/alibis for an "Interrogation"(yes my family went the whole nine yards). it was fun especially when my cousins were over. I do believe some people call this game "jail tag".

I ran down the hall taking a series of sharp turns before reaching a set of wooden doors. From somewhere down the hall I could hear Saguru shout out,"Alright here I come!"

Adrenaline  rushed through my body, I opened the door and shut it behind me as quietly as possible. It was a library filled floor to ceiling with books. I could hear his footsteps in the hallway. I quickly dashed up a flight of stairs ducking behind several bookshelves.

From the first floor I could hear the door open with a creek, his footsteps echoed throughout the room. He recited nursery rhymes as he walked up and down the rows of bookshelves,"One, two three, four, five. Once I caught a fish alive. Six, seven, eight, nine, ten. Then I let it go again. Why did you let it go? Because it bit my finger so. Which finger did it bite? This little finger on my right," He paused. I could hear his footsteps grow closer to the staircase," Princess," He called out,"You must be out of breath from running all that way," he said, the teasing tone in his voice making butterflies in my stomach.

 I put my hand over my mouth to  try and hide my heavy breathing.  I could hear him as he ascended the staircase, his steps were light. He gradually approached the shelf I was hiding behind.

I held my breath and turned around. I crouched down, I could see him on the other side of the shelf slowly pacing. There was a soft tapping sound from him running his fingers along  the spines of books. I could see his waist through a small gap. I clutched my doll close to my chest. He stopped almost as if he could hear the heavy beating of my heart from within my chest. 

"Found you," He said crouching down, he gazed back at me,"Your under arrest for stealing something dear to me."

I laughed,"Not if I can help it,"I made a run  for it, in the direction of the stairs. 

Behind me I heard a 'THUMP'. I glanced behind me momentarily to see Saguru lying face planted on the floor.

"Your not going to catch me if you keep tripping on your own feet," I teased.

I took advantage of that mishap and dashed out back into the hallway. I continued running along toward the back of the house and entered a room closing the door behind me. I looked through the keyhole out into the hallway. There was no  sign of saguru.

I peered out, keeping a watchful eye until my breath returned to normal. I turned around.

The room was lit only by two fires burning on either side of the room, each fire place was decorated with tiles of an enchanting olive green. The oak floor was left bare revealing the mosaic like pattern in the wood grain. The far wall had a set of two doors made of beautiful green bullseye glass, the rest of that wall was covered with windows the panes made of a similar green glass. I walked over to the window sill. 

The scene that lay beyond the tinted much like the glass. I forgot all about out childish game and stared longingly out. There was a garden outside blanketed in a layer of undisturbed snow. There was a path on the far edge of the garden that led out into a forest of trees. The sky was a dark midnight blue graced with the stars and constellations that sparkled like brilliant gems. The pale moon glowed just above the treeline, painting everything with a silver haze.

From behind me a small tinkling sound, much like that of a small silver bell, began to play a sweet melodic tune, a waltz.

I set down my doll and kept staring out.

Saguru stepped up next to me," Merry christmas," he said holding out a porcelain music box.

The box was beautifully decorated, the chimes played a waltz.

I looked up into his eyes,"Would you like to dance with me?"

Word count: 1328