The Secret Admirer

Chapter Three

Before you stood a very tall, absolutely ethereal creature of pure white. 

His body was strongly built, but had an unusual musculature that curved and wove over itself. He was wearing a strange, layered loincloth that seemed to have metallic threads running through it, the wide waistband reaching up to what appeared to be his rib cage. His double-jointed legs ended with strange paw-like feet, and long arms with large, three-fingered hands that were flexing nervously.

His face was very plain, truly lacking of features but for his eyes, which were pitch black, and thin lines that ran down his cheeks like seams before turning abruptly and running back and down his neck. They thinned to nothing around the center of his chest, where you could see an odd, somewhat irregular grey star shape. He had tiny pupils, like white pinprick stars, that were carefully observing you, and you could see his brow wrinkled in concern.

You stood silently as you took in the sight of him, your head spinning and your heart pounding in your ears. You felt dizzy, and the edges of your vision were white. 

A breeze blows through the cherry tree's branches, filling the air with a sweet scent that brought you back to your senses. His expression had changed from concerned to curious, and you abruptly realized that it had been a few minutes since he'd turned around.

"I..." you start, then falter as your heart leaps into your throat. What could you say? How did you approach this situation? It's not like you had any sort of precedent. 

Just be honest, a little voice says in your ear, it's always best.

"I must admit that I'm a bit shocked at your... unusual appearance," you say, and his eyes grow more intense as you continue: "but I have to say that you're... so very beautiful."

He freezes, and you see his hands twitching slightly.

"Y-you think I'm b-beaut...?" he whispers, and you nod slowly.

His hand comes up slightly, and you can see him obviously restraining himself from reaching for you. Your heart aches for him, and you wonder just how long he's been alone, how many he's tried to reach out to.

"You're... you're the first to have ever called me such a thing. To be honest, the first to not run away screaming at the top of your lungs," he says, glancing away.

A black line draws itself down his face, and you realize with shock that he was crying black tears.

Before you realize it, you're crossing the space between the two of you, and reach for his hand. He flinches at your touch, but you hold his large, heavy palm in both of your hands, squeezing slightly. He looks down at you as the tear falls to his chest, a small black dot on his porcelain skin. Up close, you can see that the star shape on his chest was pulsing slightly; his heart?

"Why aren't you afraid of me?" He stares at you in wonder, his unblinking eyes still spilling inky tears. "Why haven't you run away?"

"I don't really know," you answer quietly, gently rubbing the back of his hand. "I'm just...not. I don't feel fear when I look at you, only wonder. Wonder, and maybe..." you pause, unsure of how to describe what you're feeling."...something indescribable, but good."

You wanted to tell him how he made your heart ache, how holding his hand made your head spin, how actually being near to him made you feel like you could fly, but you couldn't say all that. 

You'd only just met, after all. 

He continues to stare, but his tears stop, the trails fading to grey as they dry quickly in the warm sunlight. He places his other hand over his heart, and suddenly his smooth face splits, exposing sharp, black teeth in a wide smile. The effect was jarring, but you don't move a muscle; you were determined to show this creature that appearance was only one part of someone's being.

That, and you happened to really like his dark, dangerous smile.

"I... have a similar feeling about you," he says, his mouth not moving with his words, regardless of it being visible.

He crouches down, kneeling next you and bringing his face close to yours. A strange smell comes off him, like anise; sharp but pleasant.

"I wanted... want to be near you, to see your smile. It's such a beautiful thing, it makes my heart hurt. But I want more. I want to bring that smile to you; I want to be the reason you smile..." he trails off, his smile fading as he glances away. "I know it's too much to ask, but-"

You gently place your hand on his chest, and a shiver runs through him as he stops speaking, looking back at you.

"I need more smiles in my life," you say simply, and his eyes widen. "And you've brought me more smiles in the last few days than I've had in well over a month. I'd say that as far as things go, you've gotten off to a pretty good start," you say with a smile, and you feel his heart pound beneath your hand.

"A... start?" he whispers, and you nod.

His smile returns, wider than ever, and you can see just how sharp his teeth were from this close.

"That means... that there will be more?"

You nod again, and he suddenly picks you up, laughing as he spins you around. You join in after the surprise wears off, his clear and unbridled joy infectious. He spins and spins, before abruptly losing his balance and falling into the deep layer of flower petals on the ground.

He pulls you close, wrapping his long, strong arms around you for protection, and you can feel his heart beating rapidly in his chest, matching your own as it pounds in wild abandon.

The two of you chuckle as you lie there under the falling petals, catching your breath.

And as you feel his strange, dark heart beating strongly against you, you sigh in happiness. It occurs to you that you don't know his name, so you ask. His dark smile flashes once again before he answers, and you melt a little.

"Ainuwa. Given to me by the only other human I've ever met," he says with a nostalgic sigh. "That was ages ago, however. I miss them dearly everyday."

He looks down at you with a warm, sharp smile. His eyes shine brightly despite their dark color.

"But maybe just a little less now."

Your face heats at his words, and you bury your face into his shoulder in embarrassment as he chuckles. After a moment, you look up, Ainuwa's face framed by the branches overhead.

And staring at the beautiful creature holding you beneath the falling cherry blossoms, you wonder if this... was what heaven was like.