~ Day 30- Slipping Through My Fingers ~

Takane stood in front of the now empty bed as she clutched an orange and black sketch pad to her chest. The sheets were made neatly and no warmth was lingering there anymore as the soft wind of an early autumn day ruffled the curtains behind her.

She hadn't seen him anymore- maybe she was somewhat thankful for that. Over a chair hung a lime coloured hood jacket, the only thing that had remained here apart from the sketchpad. Slowly, she went to pick it up, setting the collection of drawings and stories on a nearby table.

The fabric was soft to the touch and felt somewhat warmer than the rest of the room. Takane's heart jumped up into her throat and she choked back a sob, letting a single tear run down her cheek.

She could still feel him there with her, that moment, tightly encased in her arms as she pressed her streaming tears into his warm chest, close to his still beating heart, even if she was actually just standing there while pathetically crying into a limp piece of clothing.

Both smell and warmth contained by this single article were enough to comfort her. And despite her sadness, deep down, she was happy. He'd passed away in a nice way- a single attack while sleeping, simply never waking up again. He'd had friends, the story of an unforgettable summer, love, affection, happiness- all that he'd ever needed. Takane doubted that just anyone could meet their demise quite as happily.

Gently, she lowered the hoodie again and slipped it onto her slight frame, flopping down in the chair, scooting closer to the window and picking up the sketch pad. The first few drawings, she could remember from the time when they had been in school together- the designs for their video game characters, a lot of conceptional art that had influenced Headphone Actor and some small drawings of this and that. More often than not, she found her own face staring back at her- smiling, laughing, frowning, blushing.

Then, she came to a part that must have been a new addition- pages over pages retold the events of the summer in his messy handwriting. Pictures of places they had been at had followed, initially without any occupants, going by the erased lines covered up by their friends.

She smiled idly as she flipped through everything, coming closer to the end. About seven or eight pages had been left blank, but it hardly mattered. The final picture drawn in the book wasn't of the Mekakushi Dan though. It was stunning and beautiful in its elaborate shading with nothing but pencil- it looked close to being the real thing.

Grinning back at her with a silly expression was no-one but herself. Her hands shook as she read a few little paragraphs of text written on the back, trying desperately to stop her tears so she wouldn't sully the picture by soaking the paper through.

"Takane is a great person. She has always had issues with accepting it herself, but she is kind and pretty and smart and funny. Because the doctors said my condition is worsening, I thought I should draw the person I love most as prettily as possible before I become unable to do so, but in the end, the real Takane is a hundred times more beautiful.

And if you're reading this right now, Takane, then please, don't cry, okay? I like your smiling face best, so please smile thrice as much in my stead as well, even when I'm not around. What else? Ah, I love you, of course. Don't forget that. But I also don't want you to dwell on the past. Please move on ahead and keep your head up. It's fine if you find someone you like a lot more than me someday. I'd actually be happy for you.

I've had a happy life- it might not seem like it, but in the end, it was worth it. We've had our adventure and friends, made nice memories and laughed a lot. I think I'm really glad. And after it all ended, you took me by the hand and remained by my side.

Right now, the sun is shining and the skies are incredibly blue. The birch tree in front of my room has started painting its leaves yellow. Blue and yellow are a nice match, aren't they? Your favourite colour is blue, right? Mine is yellow. That means something, doesn't it? If it does, then it's great.

Hey, Takane, are you still crying? I want to comfort you, you know. There's not much left for me to do. Tell everyone thanks for me, okay? Simply for their kindness. But of course, you're the kindest of them all. I love you. I'll always be there for you, so if you're feeling sad, then I'll be there to make it better.

That's pretty much it. And again, I'm sorry for leaving you like this. It's okay to stop crying now. Please lead a happy life. Think of me from time to time. We've got plenty of that- time, I mean. Don't worry, I'll wait."

Takane covered her mouth as sobs and tears started escaping her uncontrollably. Her throat was so tight, she felt like choking and the sketch pad fell from her hand gracelessly and hit the floor. Soon enough, she slipped out of her seat and landed on her knees, picking up the orange and black book while pressing it to her chest like her life depended on it.

At some point, she had started hyperventilating and was becoming unable to move or think anymore. She hadn't heard his last words, hadn't seen him before he had gone to sleep on what must have felt like a regular evening to him. And yet, in her arms, she held plenty of words dedicated to her. Words said out of love and nothing else.

The world was so unfair. Taking someone as gentle as Haruka away and allowing him to remain gentle and by her side even when he had gone completely cold. She was the one live- he was the one to die. It was fate mocking her, nothing else.

And yet, it didn't even feel really painful. Some sort of proud happiness mingled with the terribly aching heart pressed close to the words she'd treasure forever. Haruka was right- she should stop crying. And he wouldn't like seeing her like this, either.

As she stood up shakily, breathing quickly but calmer than before, a gentle touch grazed her cheek, wiping away a single tear. With wide eyes, she turned to look in the direction of the window.

Curtains swayed gently in the breeze of an early autumn day. Before the window, an old birch tree stood, the yellow leaves contrasting beautifully against the azure skies and pure white clouds as they danced in the sun.

Takane stared out for a few minutes, her tears stopping at some point. Then, she pulled the light, transparent curtains away and leaned onto the windowsill with a bright smile. Taking a deep breath, she screamed at the top of her lungs.

"Haruka, you idiot! I love you!"

The leaves swayed with the breeze that gently ruffled Takane's hair. Her smile widened as the fluffy white clouds moved over her head, making their shadows rush over the gorgeous scenery.

Takane could have sworn she had heard an all too familiar laughing voice coming from somewhere, then, carried by the wind.

"I know."

A/N: A downer to finish it all off?

I actually cried while writing a few parts and I'm sorry if you had to, too. I wanted it to end a little heartbreaking. It suits HaruTaka. But now I broke my own heart, too. Argh.
Also, this somehow feels a bit like the ending of Persona 3 to me. I don't know why. Maybe it's just that Kimi no Kioku would suit it. Takane isn't Aigis, though.

There's so much more to say. These 30 days passed by pretty fast. The challenge was really fun to write, even though I had to search my brain for prompts more often than not. But your reviews always kept me going. It's amazing- I've received so much love through all of this! Thanks a bunch to all of you. And also for really going for fifty reviews over night. I was really... wow. Just wow.
Well, thank you very much! Especially to the ones who bothered to fave and review- it's my most popular story to date, going by the numbers, you know? The biggest huggies to the following people who kept me going like nothing else: Mio-San, KatoKimeKa-chan, VanessaLB, Twi-Hoster Girl and NekuSakuraba101. You guys wrote, like, the most motivating reviews ever.

Okay, then. Maybe I'll write something else for KagePro, and I feel like that's pretty damn likely, so stay tuned! Until then, happy HaruTaka shipping!