"It's my first love."
- Nikka Costa
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As the dazzling sunlit touches her rosy white skin while running as if there was no tomorrow, with the flowers scattered all over, and that harmonious aura from her enchanting reflection on the tranquil water were overflowing. The bluette looks like a goddess from her beauty, whom she has told herself the exact opposite. And it was unlikely of her to be in her true form over the past few years of being a magic knight which made her feel anxious every time.
Eventually, she halted as soon as her eyes landed upon a masculine, tall figure who was sitting on a bench with his eyes closed. "Is he sleeping?" She mumbled and leisurely walked towards him as her cloak got whirled because of the wind. "Are you asleep?" She asked, swaying his brown hair.
"Yes..." He replied.
Grey without a doubt froze on the spot and was ready to remove her hand, but Gauche immediately grabbed her and gestured to sit beside him. No matter how much she wanted to run away from embarrassment, she resisted of doing so and obediently sat beside the mage. Looking at him, his eyes were still closed, and his body were leaning against the bench. He looks very tired and exhausted, but somehow he feels more relaxed when Grey's presence were around.
"What brings you here?" The brown haired asked, making her jolt and startle.
"I just wanted to... talk to you." The bluette said in a sheepish manner.
When she looked at him, Gauche was already staring at her. "Tell me... why did you cry when I got stabbed?" That question kept repeating in her head, even she could ask the same to herself.
"Because... I don't want Gauche-kun to die." She replied. "And I'm glad that you didn't."
"Why?" Gauche averted his gaze from the sky. "If I died, what's it with you?" He scoffed bitterly. "I'm an ex-convict who was a former noble and a sister-loving jerk. I think of nothing but myself and Marie. What's it with you when I'm alive or not?" Grey was too stunned to speak from his question. She couldn't come up with an answer, even though she had plenty of reasons why.
She came here to tell the words that she's been keeping for a long time, yet it's not even starting, and she's at a loss for words already. "Gauche-kun was my comrade. H-He's one of my precious friend, that's why... I care so much about him." Her eyes then started to get blurry, she was ready to cry at any moment. "You may not have known this, but... you actually saved me."
"'Saved'?" Gauche asked in confusion.
"Gauche-kun... Do you want to hear a story?" The bluette asked out of the blue. "One day, there was this little girl who were treated badly at home. With her step-mother and step-sisters abusing her kindness, the little girl did her best for them to love her for whom she was." 'She didn't stutter.' Gauche thought, listening to her. "But it turns out, they never once thought of loving her no matter how she looked, so it ended up for that little girl to have insecurities. She then cried, and cried, and ran away far from home. And then one night, that little girl stumbled upon some bad guys lurking in the forest." Grey smiled and stood up. "Those bad guys wanted to kidnap her, but a man suddenly hurried in the scene to save her from those bad guys. The little girl wanted to thank him, but she was interrupted by that man, and told her that if she was not prepared to get everything with her own hands, she wouldn't make it in this world. He may not have notice it but, that gave her the hope to continue living and survive. And guess what... that was me. You were the one who saved me that night." The bluette can't help it but to sob and wipe her tears.
Gauche felt dumbstruck as soon as he remembered a fragment of his memory from the past.
"So you see... t-the reason why I wanted you to live is that... I wanted you to keep looking at me... as I become more stronger... and stronger..." Grey continued to cry, that made the brunette feel so powerless. It made him hurt so bad to see her cry like this. "Because, Gauche-kun I... I love you." A hand then lifted across the bluette's face as he pulled her closer to him while gently wrapping his arms around her and letting her cry on his chest.
The bob cut didn't know if she would be rejected or not after this, but the warmth of his embrace is what all that matters right now.
She kept on hiding this burning feelings for too long, and now that she said it, she'll probably regret it later.
"Hahaha..." Gauche then started laughing, face showing a bit tint of red. "It's crazy!" The bluette was shocked as they both let out of their embrace, her tears stopped on flowing.
"W-W-What's wrong?!" The bob cut asked, embarrassed.
"Nothing. I just found it really crazy how I feel the same without even realizing it!" He beamed, which the bluette found really unusual for him to show this side of himself. Ever since Grey showed her true form in the underwater temple, Gauche had always thought that she's adorable. Her timidness also kinda reminds him of Marie, but Grey was more timid than her, of course.
"W-What do you mean?"
"I think I feel the same, too." The brunette then held her cheeks and gently pulled her for a kiss in the forehead. "Let's take things slowly, shall we?" Gauche was a little worried at first. He didn't know if it's even the right thing to do, or he might end up having a wrong decision. He also didn't want to reject her because he knows it could work out. And besides, he already fell for her without even realizing it.
"Do you... really mean it?" Grey asked, face red. It was too hard for her to believe everything. It feels like a dream.
"Yeah." They both then smiled and hugged each other one more time.
End...