Soraru x Mafumafu

Goodbye - Chapter 9

Warning: This is an AU fanfiction (Sakura Tree x Boy).

If you're fine with it then please enjoy!

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I love you.

-

The moment he stepped out of the house, all he had in mind was that he needed to move his legs, as fast as he could. Never had he run like this before, because he never see why he should put so much effort into things. Not that his job was not worth all the effort, but rather, it was because he never met a person who he would work to get closer to, to make him notice him when he gave an effort, or to be with that person.

And that person was at the usual spot they meet. Most probably sitting on his tree, and letting the rain pour over him. Mafu felt the need to give him an umbrella.

Mafu was never good at sports, and naturally, sprinting without ever working out to increase his endurance against these would only tire him out fast. Even so, Mafu still ran with all his might. The distance between the park and his house was, honestly, not that far, so it worked fine for Mafu.

He stopped at his feet when he reached the entrance of the park, trying to catch his breath as he bent his body over, his palms on his knees. Mafu then lifted his head up to look straight at the tree in the middle of the park. He did not see Soraru but he was sure Soraru was there. He jogged towards it.

The moment Mafu went under the tree, he called out his name. "Soraru-san?" he touched the tree trunk, carefully tracing the barks of it just like the first time he did when he met Soraru. It had been a long time since he saw this tree, only a few days actually, and he already missed it.

"Why are you all soaked?" Mafu heard a voice, a low and gentle voice that would only belong to the person he loved.

Come to think of it, he never actually used the umbrella when he ran out of the house. It was as expected though, that Soraru was drenched as well. His yukata was stuck to his firm and strong body, his usual dark fluffy hair were now flattened, and his fringe was pressed against his forehead.

"I forgot to use the umbrella,"

"Are you an idiot?" he expected Soraru to come down to him, but Soraru just sat there on his usual seat on the branch. He felt hurt. It felt like knives stabbing into his chest, and pulling them out would only hurt more. "Why are you here?" he heard him ask as he tried to keep the tears from rolling down his cheeks.

"I came to pass you an umbrella," Mafu said, his voice soft. He did not look at Soraru when he said that. He did not know why but he just thought that looking at him would only make him want Soraru more than he was allowed to. "I didn't want you to catch a cold," without lifting his head, Mafu raised the umbrella in his hand, waiting for Soraru to accept it.

"Are you an idiot?" this is the second time Soraru asked the same question at him within three minutes' time. What was up with him? Just when Mafu wanted to be nice, just when he wanted to show him concern, and this was what he got in return from him. Mafu was mad. Was he the only one who thought about the problem between the both of them? Most importantly, was he the only one who thought about him, this whole time, after that day?

Mafu swallowed the lump in his throat. "Yeah, so what if I'm an idiot? Not that it matters to you," he was not quite sure why he said that when in actual fact, he wanted Soraru to care for him, he wanted Soraru to shower him with kisses. He wanted Soraru's mind to be filled with him and only him when he was not around. "Would you take the umbrella already?" But of course, Mafu did not say any of that. He did not want to further trouble the man anymore.

"If I took the umbrella, would you use yours on yourself?" he heard Soraru ask. See? There it was again. The gentleness that Soraru always shows to him indirectly. He wished he could stop, or he would never be able to put these feelings down, deep in his heart, locked by chains and multiple locks that have no keys to them. Mafu nodded to his request, then he felt the umbrella being taken away from his hand.

He heard Soraru mutter a 'thank you' but Mafu did not hear him open the umbrella. Curious, Mafu raised his head a little to look up at the man. He indeed had the umbrella in his hands, but he was not using it, only staring back at Mafu, as if waiting for something to happen. Realising what Soraru wanted him to do, Mafu opened his umbrella and lifted it above his head, watching Soraru do the same after.

Both of them never talked after that. Soraru sat on the branch, while Mafu stood on his feet, leaning against the tree trunk. Mafu felt lonely. Was it because Soraru was not beside him? He did not know. He only knew that he craved for his warmth, but could not seem to reach for it.

"... Mafu,"

"Nn...?" not wanting to disturb the silence between them, Mafu responded with a quiet sound. His head was lowered, as he stared at the raindrops dripping onto the ground and back into the earth.

"I'm a cherry blossom spirit,"

"... I know,"

"So I don't fall sick,"

Right, figured. What was he expecting Soraru to say? Of course spirits do not catch colds. After all this time, Mafu was still so naïve. He knew that they definitely would not fall sick but what if? What if they do? But this was actually just Mafu giving himself an excuse to come see him. Mafu chose to not add anything to Soraru's sentence, not like how he usually do back then.

"But you, on the other hand-" he heard a thud, something landing on the ground. Mafu removed his attention from the raindrops and placed them on the person beside him. He watched with his eyes widened as Soraru got closer to him, and watched him magically pull out a dry face towel from his sleeves. "- are going to catch a cold,"

Carefully, Soraru lifted the face towel to wipe his face, and then his hair, making sure that they were dry enough so that Mafu would not catch a cold himself. Mafu closed his eyes, the warmth that he craved for ever since. It was right here, in front of him. Soraru then moved the towel from his hair to his neck.

"Ngh..." Mafu made a sound, making it sound as if they were doing something unpleasant in the middle of the park (not that they have not).

"... Don't make that sort of sound," Soraru scolded him softly, being extra careful with his words.

"I didn't do it on purpose- Ngh...!" he made a sound again when Soraru shifted the towel lower.

"Idiot, if you make that sort of sound again, it'll be hard for me to keep myself in control,"

As he felt Soraru stopped with his movement, Mafu stared back at him. He could not believe what he heard Soraru just say. Could it be that he actually had a chance with him? But before he could question Soraru, he saw his facial expression change.

"Wh-What is it, Soraru-san?"

Mafu flinched when Soraru used his fingers to touch his neck.

"I'm sorry, I left a mark on you," Soraru caressed the tiny cherry blossom flower mark with his thumb. His face at the moment did not seem apologetic at all, in fact, he looked at Mafu with so much intensity, Mafu felt suffocated with all the feelings Soraru was pouring into him at then. "Right when I told you to forget about me and here I left a mark on you..."

Mafu was aware that he was trying to keep everything in up until now, but it was time. It was a problem between the both of them, and he had the right to put a say into it, as well. "But Soraru-san," he placed his hands over Soraru's, that were on his neck. He lifted it up so that Soraru's hand was cupping his cheeks, Mafu leaned into his palm. "I never thought of forgetting about you,"

The facial expression on Soraru at that moment, was so gentle and warm, it made Mafu burst into tears.

TBC

A/N: This is sudden but the next would be the last.