AN: Hello! This is a sonfic for Japan/Kiku, I hope you like it :) please, could you comment? I would be happy if you did.
~Winter~
The pure snow flutters slowly and gracefully down, colouring the mountain ridges the palest colour of white; this meaning the start of winter has just arrived.
In this tiny, desolate village is a run-down home and inside that home are two people who are madly in love huddling together by the fireplace during that cold winter night, frozen breath, hand in hand and happily waiting for the snowing to stop.
"It was also snowing like this long ago; it reminds me of the day we met..." Your lover softly mummers in your hear with a slight smile plastered on his face.
You gasp then your cheeks flush a bright crimson as you both think to that day back then, the day you found the one you will love for the rest of your love; you then hide your face within the shadows casted by his large sleeve from his yukata.
You feel him stroke the soft surface of your silky (h/c) hair in a gentle and caring manner, his eyes closed, still smiling, showing clear signs of pure happiness and relaxation.
‹Flashback›
There you were, a white hood over your head that slightly covers your (e/c) eyes; you stand on his porch, feeling like you are freezing half to death so you knock on his door, shivering.
Kiku puts down the book he was reading when he heard the knock and hurries to answer the door.
'Who could be here so late at night?' Kiku wonders
When Kiku slides his door open, he sees you look up at him, your (e/c) eyes gleaming with hope and your (h/c) hair slightly revealed.
Kiku stood there, instantly lovestruck, he had never seen such a beautiful girl... He only needed to gaze into your eyes to realize that you are the girl he wants to be with for all eternity.
"Hello there..." Kiku shyly says with a kind smile
"H-Hello, mister..." You reply, still shivering slightly
"How may I help you? Are you okay?" Kiku asks, concern laced in his soft voice.
"I-I am really cold, I really hate asking things like this but I was wondering if I was able to stay the night here?"
Kiku smiles at how timid you came across, thinking it's cute and nods.
"Why of course you can, but may I know your name?" Kiku asks you
"I am _____ _____... What's yours?" You ask
"Honda Kiku, I am very pleased to meet you, _____-San." Kiku says to you, bowing slightly and you also bow in response.
"I am pleased to meet you too, but its just _____, there are no need for honorifics." You say with a slight giggle and he nods silently and lets you inside.
His house was quite large though it looked very old and had very little inside so he must be very poor to live in such conditions but that doesn't matter to you, he was kind enough to let you stay the night and that's all you really cared about.
Though that one special night happened to be the best night of your life and it ended up being 6 years instead of you staying there instead of just one night, when you were set off to leave Kiku would beg you stay and you just couldn't say no to this man, you fell for him that night and then you both got married in only 5 months, you both didn't own much but you both live a rich and fulfilling life together.
‹Flashback end›
You both realise it is late by the way the moon is positioned and then you both walk to the futon you both sleep on, once again huddling up to each other as the two of you do every night and then Kiku whispers in your ear softly.
"Please know, _____, itsumo aishiteru..." He then pulls the blue blanket over your half asleep form as of his own.
"As will I, Kiku... I promise you..." You say, pink dusting your cheeks in yet another blush and he smiles.
You both then fall into a blissful slumber with very pleasant dreams.
~Spring~
With a breath of joy, you sing a chorus with the little chirping bird on your finger for the arrival of spring on one beautiful, sunny morning, the sun reflects beautifully in your (e/c) eyes.
"Your voice is so beautiful..." Kiku tells you, taking a break from basket weaving just to look up at you with a kind smile and happiness clear in his usually dull chocolate brown eyes.
You look back at him, blushing with your eyes wide open and your mouth slightly agape though your emotion of slight shock turns into a smile that can make Kiku's heart melt... Just those little words alone bring you happiness you cannot properly express.
"If someday I no longer had this beautiful voice, would you still, even then love me all the same?" You softly ask
"But of course..." Kiku replies, with that kind smile that you love so very much as a tear rolls down his cheek from the happiness he feels around you, his large hand softly strokes your cheek as you look down at his lying form with tears clearly welling up in your eyes also but then you close your eyes with a sweet smile.
You could wish for nothing more you for the rest of your remaining life, you love him more than anything else but you have no idea that he really feels the same, you assume he says those words since its hard to tell what he's really thinking.
‹Flashback 6 years ago.›
Kiku was walking through a dead-looking forest outside the village he lives to a neighboring nation to the east so he can by seeds for his crops, he then sees a beautiful crane with feathers as white as snow struggling and flapping its wings frantically as if the crane was in some sort of pain or distress.
Kiku rushed to the crane as quickly as he can to see what is wrong with it.
It was in a hunters trap, Kiku gently frees the beautiful bird from the rope and it flies away.
He looks at that beautiful crane fly away with his hand on his forehead to keep the sun away from his eyes and with a glad smile to know that he had saved such an innocent creature from pain and suffering in that trap.
‹Flashback End›
You happily sigh as you watch your innocent husband weave baskets again as the cherry blossom scented air wafts up your nostrils and your (h/l) (h/c) hair sways in the wind lightly.
"Hey, Kiku... I am going to the well to get some water for tonight's dinner. Be right back..." You say and he only nods in response.
Three hours later and you haven't returned, Kiku begins to panic, afraid you might have been hurt or even worse...
Dead
Kiku walks backward and forward on the front porch, panicking and waiting for your return but he then realized that was going nowhere so he then goes look for you, wandering around the small village in search for you and to see if you're even in the village.
"_____!!!!" Kiku cries out in hope you will come running to him, it was a futile attempt.
He walks up to the villages well up the hill and sees you sleeping under a cherry blossom tree, pink petals in your hair.
You mutter something incoherent and he smiles with a slight sigh of relief.
'I should have known she'd be sleeping again.' Kiku thinks to himself
He picks up your fragile body and carries you bridal style all the way home with a pale of water that you gathered.
'She did stay up really late last night, she would be exhausted...'
Kiku waits for you to wake up, holding your hand and occasionally placing a soft kiss on your lips.
"I love you, ______..." Kiku says
"I love you too, Kiku." You say while yawning and then giggle,
"I have made dinner tonight." Kiku says
"Oh! You should have woken me up, dammit!!" You pout and he laughs slightly.
"Let's eat." Kiku says
Tonights dinner is just simply rice with fried egg on top but Kiku is a great cook so it tasted pretty good.
"Ittadakimasu!" You both exclaim in unison and laugh slightly.
Tonights dinner was just lovely as always... Just conversations about life events though you both have heard all the stories over one hundred times, they're funny to hear again.
Then Kiku told you a big secret
"_____... I haven't been completely honest though our marriage." Kiku says, looking down.
"What do you mean, Kiku?" You ask nearly crying.
You sure hope he wasn't cheating on you, you wanted to be his one and only.
"______.... I am the personification of Japan," Kiku says.
"Ohhhh! I thought you were cheating on me or something..." You say with a cute laugh
"I did marry you for a reason... Remember that I love you and will stay your loyal husband." Kiku says
You just nod and then he leans over the table to kiss you and you just kiss back,
Once again, it is such a lovely night with your husband... It just ends with you two gazing at the moon as you do on most nights together.
"The moon, its so beautiful tonight." You say
"Hai, I agree." Kiku says, looking into your eyes.
You giggle and Kiku held your hand firmly but softly at the same time.
"I am so glad to have married you, _____..." Kiku says
"As am I, Kiku." You reply
~Autumn~
One so very gorgeous leaf lit aftermoon it was time to plant some new seeds for your crops to sell in the city and for you both to eat.
Then the most unexpected thing happens.
Just so suddenly, Kiku collapses from a deadly illness and coughing up blood, causing you to scream and drop your basket full of seeds then run to him.
"KIKU!" You practically scream from panic
You carry him over your back to get him back home, he is a lot heavier than you and carrying him back is a lot of hard work but he has carried you so many times back home when you fell asleep under the cherry blossom tree so its the least you can do.
You lay him on the futon, looking at him while crying uncontrollably, he just looks so lifeless just lying there, normally he'd be smiling as you both whisper sweet nothing's in each others ear.
Your very poor married life couldn't possibly afford the needed medicine to cure him with the very little money your earn with hard work.
You then thought up an idea...
You will try your best to weave the most beautiful fabric you can, using your feathers.
You then hurry out of the dark room you were in to the light hallway then the workshop where a loom is to weave the fabric.
The next day, along with all the following in that week all you did was weave without pausing for longer than 10 minutes.
All you did was weave intently weave fabric from your white feathers to sell at the cities market.
Determination surging through your veins, you could not let his life fall like the autumn leaves did no natter how hard doing all this weaving is.
Also, you brought him meals like stews to keep his energy up a bit twice a day.
~Summer~
As the seasons flow by, the bell crickets mark its close to the end of summer, their mating call a beautiful chorus.
You walk to Kiku with some of his medicine so he can stay alive for just a little longer.
No matter what, you will cure him... Even if it takes your life, even if you use up all your feathers.
You hand him a small cup with his medication, Kiku puts it aside as you hold him from behind.
"Your fingers are so beautiful." Kiku says, gripping your hurting, wound covered fingers but his hands were much too cold...
"If someday I didn't have these same fingers and I couldn't weave anymore; would you, even then, love me all the same?" You ask
"But of course..." Kiku replies then starts coughing frantically and caresses your hurting fingers.
You began sobbing uncontrollably, still holding him from behind and fearing by how his life can so suddenly end...
Though you knew you could save him, you go back to your weaving shortly after
'He's getting worse.' You think to yourself as you go back in the workshop and to your loom.
Day and night, you still weave, you know you cannot stop no matter what... Kiku's life is in your hands.
'I can't stop, I won't stop weaving... His life depends on me... Hurry! Hurry, _____, I need to go as fast as I can.
I need to buy the medicine at any cost, just a little more, I am not far of what I need!!!' You think, trying to keep yourself determined.
You will continue until your feathers are used up, until your fingers cannot move anymore.
You wail as you almost give up but the flashbacks play.
When he gave you the last bit of food instead of feeding himself, all those times he carried you when you fell asleep, the times you laughed together about silly things and all those times you held hands.
You loved him and cannot let those memories end... You are not giving up!
"If someday I was no longer human and became a featherless crane, would you still love me?" You ask, plucking the last feather, fearing what he may reply.
Kiku then comes hold you from behind like you were to comfort you while you cry.
"But of course I would, ______..." Kiku says, smiling "I promised I would embrace you, even if you lose all your wings and that crane which had beautifully taken off that day, I had never forgotten and remember, even until this very day... And just like always, I will love you as before."
The end
I hoped you like this, I remind again this is a songfic,
Translation:
Itsumo Aishiteru-I will always love you