Work Text:
Raining.
Thick water drops hit the window of a small cafe with loud thuds, and a man in white hair and red eyes that sparkled like rubies sat at the windowsill, watching it.
His name was Mafumafu.
And why on earth would he be there when he dislikes being in public the most?
Apparently, the albino had someone to meet.
Soon, that person came in and Mafumafu rose happily to greet him.
A man with raven hair and blue eyes that bore the night sky- Soraru.
“Soraru-san!!”
“Ah, Mafu! Sorry for making you wait for so long.”
“No, it’s nothing. So, where are we going?”
“A park. It’s quite far away, but it has a very good cherry blossoms view than the ones around here.”
“Cherry blossoms! What are we waiting for, let’s go!”
Soraru chuckled at his boyfriend’s enthusiasm, and placed a chaste kiss on his forehead.
Then, they left the cafe, under the same umbrella, Mafu leaning against Soraru’s shoulders lovingly and Soraru’s hand around his waist.
They looked like the happiest people of the moment, while there was a person who was watching them with loathing in his eyes.
He was hiding behind the bushes, and his eyes were glued to the raven and albino couple.
Yes, he was one of Soraru’s spy fans- those who would go for any measures to make him as theirs.
And he saw him, smiling at the younger albino, love and adoration literally dripping from his eyes.
His face was full of rage, want, and jealousy.
He clutched the knife he hid under his wet coat.
It seems that a couple will be broken tonight.
***
That night, Soraru bore farewell to his boyfriend after the date, and walked home, exhausted but satisfied at the day.
He returned home and sat down on his couch, tired when he heard someone trying to open the locked door.
It seemed that the key the guest had wasn’t working really well.
“Mafu? Is that you?”
He called and opened the door, expecting his lover to embrace him.
It wasn’t.
“Soraru-san.”
A ragged stranger, wet from head to foot from rainwater stood at his doorstep.
Soraru took a step back, taken aback at him and his look which radiated obvious rage.
The stranger spoke.
“It seems that you have found your love, congratulations.”
Soraru’s eyes darted around, looking for a way around this.
He knew that a spy fan was stalking him for as long as he could tell, and tried his best to evade him when he was meeting Mafu.
Still, they were found out.
Soraru smiled awkwardly, “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I don’t have a lover. And if you excuse me-”
“No.”
The stranger said softly, rummaging for something in his coat.
“‘I don’t have a lover…’ eh? What would Mafu-kun say if he heard that his precious boyfriend denied him?”
“How did you-”
“I saw you today. Lovestruck, wasn’t you?”
He pulled out a picture from his coat and showed him.
There was Soraru, snuggling Mafumafu under the cherry blossoms.
Soraru turned pale. He knew that someone may be watching them, but Mafu insisted that no one would see them.
And yet, here he was.
“…What do you want?”
Soraru looked up at the man, his eyes desperate.
He couldn’t let it spill out, not when there was very high risk of them being literally buried in society.
No, he couldn’t let his lover suffer like that because of him.
The stranger said softly.
“I don’t want anything from you. Ah, maybe-…”
It was quick.
He plunged his hand into the inner pocket of his coat and pulled out a dagger from it, and even before Soraru could realize what had happened, ran it through his middle.
He pulled the dagger back, and Soraru fell down, clutching his abdomen.
“Y, you…”
He was losing blood quickly, his visions were getting blurry as seconds passed.
The stranger glared coldly at him, shaking pathetically, lying on a pool of blood, and left swiftly.
Soraru lay sideways, panting.
He crawled to the place where he left his jacket, pulled out his phone and unconsciously numbered god knows who.
Luckily, the unknown respondent got the call straight away, but he couldn’t muster enough power to say anything.
He dropped the phone and fell sideways, unable to focus on anything.
This is the end, he thought.
Soraru’s eyelids threatened to shut; he gathered all his powers left in his body to keep them open.
He lost the sense of time; he didn’t know how long he lay there, panting and whimpering, but over his blurry perception of reality he could sense something happening.
He thought that he could hear the sound of an ambulance screeching, someone running, some yelling and shouting.
He also thought that he could also see his loving albino’s pale face, his ruby red orbs wide open in fear as he shaked him, shouting incomprehensible words.
He regarded all of it as some sort of hallucination.
He couldn’t hold it anymore; he let out one last shuddering breath and his eyelids fluttered shut.
Then, everything faded to black.
***
*Mafumafu POV
3 years passed since the attempted murder of Soraru-san, and everything has changed.
Soraru-san somehow managed to call me right after he was stabbed, and I instantly went to his house and found him, nearly dead.
Luckily, he miraculously survived even though his main artery was cut.
And his life came with a price-
-his memory.
The doctor said that his brain was permanently damaged because of serious blood loss.
And now, he only remembers basic things to keep on living.
He doesn’t remember his family, friends, and-
-me.
To make matters worse, his memory is wiped out regularly every night when he falls asleep, so he learns about his family, friends, and his lover for a day, and then when the night comes…
Poof.
He wakes up next day, his memory wiped clean, unable to recognize anybody.
Deliberately ignoring Soraru-san’s state (and the advice of the others) I took care of him for 3 years.
It’s true, it hurts when Soraru-san looks up at me every morning, his striking blue orbs that I very much adore, blank and unknowing about the person who once he gave everything to.
But still, I love him, and it should be I who should take care of him even though he never recognizes me.
“Soraru-san? Wake up, it’s 9 A.M.”
I went to his bedroom and woke him up with the softest voice, excitement behind my eyes for a thin hope of Soraru-san remembering me today.
He turned over and stared at me with those breathtaking blue eyes. He tilted his head to the side and asked,
“I’m sorry, but who would you might be?”
I was down. No, it’s clear that his memories are wiped clean every night.
I shouldn’t bring my hopes up, right?
I mustered a smile and told him,
“My name is Mafumafu, and I’m your unit partner.”
He frowned.
“Unit partner?”
“Yes, you do. You’re a famous utaite and work with me, as the unit After the Rain.”
And you love me too, I swallowed up that bit.
He would be taken aback if he was told that he loved someone that he doesn’t even know, right?
Soraru-san scrunched his face to remember, but failed and sighed.
“Well, never mind. I don’t remember anything before I woke up today, actually. Maybe I’m really that uta-thingy and... yeah.”
I smiled warmly at him and whispered softly,
“Yes, you are.”
***
I took him to the kitchen to give him and myself some breakfast.
When I led him to the table and made him sit down, Soraru-san looked around the table and the living room.
He inspected our pictures hung in the living room curiously, and picked up some of our albums I placed on the shelves and played them on a CD player.
He sat down in front of it and listened intently at his and my voice, as though he was attracted to it unconsciously.
I smiled sadly, looking at him.
They are really out there, deep inside his consciousness- it’s just that he can’t pull it out from where they are hiding, I thought.
***
Soon, time passed and the golden sun hung at the horizon, coloring the once pale blue skies fiery red.
I sat down next to him as he stared at the burning sunset.
When he felt my presence, he covered my hand with his, and I slightly jumped from that.
This sort of things have never happened for nearly 3 years.
There was only silence until Soraru-san broke away from the sight of the brilliant dying sun, stared directly at my eyes and spoke.
“Thank you for taking care of me today.”
I was taken aback.
He had barely told things like that to me for 3 years.
Actually, he used to edge around me without saying anything until the night came and everything faded away.
He continued, keeping the eye contact.
“I… I don’t know what had happened before today, but I know for sure that… that you were a precious of mine and I yours.”
“I don’t know for sure, but I… just know. Here,” he pointed at his heart, “it says that I love you, although I don’t really know you. There must have been something between us...”
I bit my lips to stop the tears from falling.
Something was rather different today, the way he looked at me, the voice he used at me, and how he talked at me.
It was as though we were back, three years ago once more.
He rummaged through his pockets, and pulled out a velvet case.
Then, he opened it, which revealed a silver ring with a brilliant red ruby shimmering at the top.
I was utterly stunned.
“…Where did you…”
I stuttered.
He scratched the back of his head and said with smile,
“Frankly, I don’t remember, but it was under my pillows when I woke up. I guessed that it must have been a present for you.”
My eyes became teary as he slipped the beautiful silver ring on my finger.
It was just my size, and it glittered beautifully at the dying sunlight.
I strongly swallowed the urge to kiss him; I didn’t want to break his mood.
He closed the velvet case and picked up my hand, which now bore the ring he just gave to me.
Then, he pulled out his left hand, smiling, and placed it on top of it.
It also bore the same ring; except that it had a deep blue sapphire on it instead of a ruby.
I teared up at the sight; it was just too much for one day.
I buried my face on Soraru-san’s chest and sobbed uncontrollably, and he stroked my hair to calm me down, occasionally tangling my locks of hair with his fingers, as though mesmerized with the feeling.
When I recovered enough to look at him again, I lifted my face and our eyes met.
He lifted my now ringed hand, and kissed gently on it.
Then, he whispered softly at me.
“I love you.”
My eyes widened at the statement, and he continued, smiling sadly.
“I won’t remember you tomorrow, and then the day next, and the day next… but I love you. Okay?”
I replied, sniffling.
“Of course. I love you too, Soraru-san.”
“And, forget me not, okay?”
“Of course. You too, Soraru-san. Forget me not.”
“I can promise you that. I won’t forget you this time.”
We held each other’s hands, smiling as the sun finally crept down fully under the horizon and the sky turned deep blue.
Soraru-san absent-mindedly yawned, and I stood up, his hand still in mine.
“It’s time for you to go to bed, Soraru-san.”
He followed me to his bedroom, and I covered him with his blanket as he curled up on his bed.
When I turned the lights off and was about to go to work to write off today as a piece of music, he tugged at the hem of my clothes and I whipped back at him.
He was looking at me with those breathtaking blue eyes, the rest of his face completely hidden under the blankets.
He blinked at me, and I blinked back.
Then, I realized that he wanted me to stay a bit longer with him.
“Do you want me to sleep together, Soraru-san?”
He nodded.
I crawled into his bed and lay next to him, wrapping my arms around Soraru-san’s waist.
He sighed in contempt, and muttered“Goodnight” sleepily.
Then, moments after, the only sound that filled the room was Soraru-san’s breathing.
I watched his peaceful face, snow-white with contrasting raven hair and his eyelids covering the brilliant sapphires behind it.
I smiled serenely and let my eyelids close, wishing for days like this to persist forever.