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“Rushia,” a voice called out to her. That voice that she just can’t forget easily. The voice that annoyed her lot from the start but the more she heard it, the less she could imagine not being able to hear it at all. She never expected she would immediately feel different kinds of emotions with just that voice. A simple, strange, yet very distinct voice that seemed to even be part of her dreams from time to time.
Rushia - though she doesn’t want to admit it - genuinely loves that voice from the bottom of her heart. She couldn’t handle it at first but now she couldn’t handle the thought of being away from the warmth of that voice. It wasn’t anything special, but for her, that ordinary thing was part of her small little world.
“I’m sorry.”
And she hates the thought of it sounding so broken. That voice was always enthusiastic and had many stories to tell so why did it only speak a few words? It always rambled on about anything even if it didn’t make sense at all. The quick pace and rush of excitement in the tone always made her chest bubble up with tiny little pieces of relief and happiness scattered.
So why did those pieces turn into thorns at this very moment?
“I didn’t...”
Rushia waited. She waited for what that voice had to tell her. She kept her eyes on the pair of lips that trembled and struggled to say the words that should’ve been out by now. She was patient, not letting any millisecond pass by without her attention glued at the mouth that opened and closed back again.
She waited. Waited for the smile to finally appear from the person that had such a voice.
“I’m sorry.”
But it didn’t come.
“Rushia, I’m so sorry.” Despite that, Rushia still waited. “I didn’t think it’d end up like this.” Her patience didn’t waver at all. Even if her vision was getting foggy and she couldn’t properly see what was in front of her. Even if her hands started to feel cold. She stayed and waited. After all, she knew that she could wait forever.
So why did she want time to speed up?
“Rushia.”
Please.
“Rushia… can… can you...”
Please, just please.
She badly wanted the voice to get stronger. All she needed right now is to hear the annoying laugh, the obnoxious liveliness of it, just anything that could make that voice a bit louder. Rushia begged within the silence of the wind that the voice would just wrap her with the same old spark.
“Can you hold me close?”
Her head perked up slightly as she heard those words. Though it was still soft and quiet, she felt the spirit and warmth that she desperately wanted to experience. Everything was cold and motionless - even Rushia’s lips that couldn’t breathe properly.
“Rushia… can you hear me... I...”
As she heard those words, her arms that couldn’t move finally started to tremble. It shook but slowly made their way around the hips of the person with the voice that she loved to hear. The same hips that always swayed around with a certain rhythm. She could still see the skirt flow through the wind with those hips that were always so eager.
But even through this cold wind that rushed, the hips that always swayed couldn’t this time.
“...Rushia...”
Rushia felt a pair of hands weakly touch her back. The same pair of hands that ooze with heat whenever she would hold it even in winter. The rustling sound the gloves would make whenever it would sneak up on her was too familiar to be brushed off. One hand was calloused by sword training yet the other is still smooth like a baby’s bottom.
It was really suspicious but she didn’t dwell too much into it.
The same pair of hands that she longed for every night were now holding her carefully, trembling as if they were touching glass that would break any moment.
“P...Please stay with me.”
She would always laugh at that phrase for she knew that it didn't have to be voiced out loud. Of course, even if it sounded silly and childish, Rushia would do anything to make sure that she would always see those eyes that greeted her every morning. A unique pair of eyes with different colors and different shades but belonged to the same person.
The golden color that shone like a treasure deep inside a dungeon would be hidden at times but it didn’t matter that much. She would still stare for hours and hours at the other eye that seemed like raspberries in the morning and rubies at night.
Truly a unique pair of eyes that she never got tired of looking at.
“Rushia, I don’t want you to go.”
Her vision that was clouded since earlier seemed to have cleared up just a bit. She couldn’t laugh or smile but if she could, she would’ve giggled at how ridiculous the whole situation was. Her body felt even colder by the second but her heart was still beating with warmth.
Waiting was worth it after all.
Rushia blinks slowly, making sure to remember every feature that she could. It was quite difficult to focus properly when she’s holding those hips so close to her but it’s fine. The gesture reminded her whenever they would sleep on the same bed, their bodies so close and relaxed.
“Rushia, you’re… you’re everything to me.”
She could still hear the beautiful sounds the voice would let out in their private time together. The shape of those hips really does complement the curve of those thighs and even those muscles. Rushia hates to admit this as well but that body truly is better than hers.
And it makes her stomach be filled with butterflies knowing that she gets to hold it close every day and night.
“You’re everything… I… I just...”
She opens her eyes again. The first thing she saw was a trail of tears that rolled down from those eyes. Rushia felt another painful stab in every part of her body as those eyes wept in her embrace.
Raising her hand, her thumb wiped them off as soft as she could.
So why did the tears flow even harder?
Rushia wanted to say a joke or spit out a roast at how those tears rushed so quick but her body didn’t allow her to. Not even her heart that currently felt like it is the heaviest thing that she has ever carried. It’s odd how it felt that way when following what her heart desires always made her feel like she was floating.
Falling in love made her heart so light and her burden almost non-existent... so why was it like this?
“I just love you a lot.”
Then perhaps she was wrong this time. Maybe her heart didn’t feel heavy at all, maybe it was just because there was something tugging it down. But the moment she heard that, the hands that gripped it tightly suddenly disappeared.
It was replaced by hands that let it float freely once again. Love truly is a mysterious emotion after all.
Rushia finally managed to smile after waiting so much for those words. That voice said it so effortlessly and she knew she had to say it back. But when her mouth opened, she was silenced again.
Her hug became tighter and she couldn’t breathe. She doesn’t understand why but she tried to say it once more. Rushia parted her lips - letting her tongue roll off the words that she desperately needed to say - before finishing it off with the biggest grin she could manage.
Which was just a small smile. That smile was soon covered by the pair of lips that she loved so much, the warmth spreading throughout her body for a moment.
“I could never love anyone else except you.”
She wished that this moment would last forever.
“Rushia, I love you. I love you so much.”
She managed to let out a strangled laugh.
“You don’t even know how much I love you.”
She wanted to roll her eyes at this. Rushia knew how much she was loved by the voice that she loved just as much. Memories of their adventures together suddenly came to mind, like that one time where the crew purposely framed an emergency battle just because they wanted to surprise them for being a couple.
“Rushia, if you can… if you would...”
Or that other time when they were actually in deep trouble but their friends rushed to them and rescued them. They started to lecture her for hours just because she was abusing her power in resurrection. Who could blame her though? Of course any one would want to keep the one that they love alive.
Rushia also remembered the first time they kissed. It was in the middle of a battle where Rushia was so angry she couldn’t shut up at all. That was when those pair of lips smacked her so forcefully in such an inexperienced way it annoyed her so much.
It annoyed her to the point she had to kiss back those lips even deeper.
She wanted to say all this, but it seems that her voice could only let out a few words. Rushia could see those lips pop and move quickly but she wondered why she couldn’t hear a thing.
Aah, how good it would’ve been if she took that offer to dance. She may not be a great dancer but even the crewmates were playing instruments for them. Her fandead was also giving her their support. Well, she was sloppily carried bridal style by those arms that held her gently right now so perhaps it’s fine.
Rushia knew that her heart and mind were giggling right now so it kind of irritated her that her body stayed still. Her vision kept getting darker and darker as every second passed by. Her nose and mouth could barely inhale any oxygen and it was suffocating her lungs.
She wasn’t suffering at all though, in fact, she would’ve been smiling so hard right now her cheeks would hurt. Rushia didn’t know that meeting this goofy person who claimed to be an amazing pirate and the owner of the seas would have such an impact in her life.
The person who she gets angry at a lot of times is the same person that she loves and seeks attention from. That is also the same person right now who’s holding her tighter than anyone ever had but it’s strange how her body is only getting colder.
Rushia sighs out, opening her eyes as wide as she can for the last time. Everything is blurry now but the affectionate idiot crying out is still beautiful as ever. Even if that face is now ruined with snot and tears, that is still the most annoying yet cutest face she ever saw in her life.
“Rushia… please...”
Rushia waited again, hoping her ears could still understand even just a bit.
“If you would, then please… st-”
Rushia wanted to hear more but perhaps that’s the end of it. She could even barely see her self-proclaimed best pirate utter words she couldn’t hear. Perhaps her body finally gave up on waiting. Time really can’t be merciful to anyone, not even to someone like her that lived for a long time. At least, until the very end, she heard that beautiful voice.
It made her feel at peace.