Heartache

Inspired by One Ok Rock's song titled Heartache. One of the official sound track used in Rurouni Kenshin Live Action.

Listen to their songs. I'm promoting because I'm an ultimate fan of theirs before, now I'm an air conditioner. Sorry for the humorless pun.

FBNFH and its characters do not belong to me.

So they say that time, takes away the pain. But I'm still the same.

Bright sighed for the umpteenth time, trying to clear the game he purchased in the arcades last night. The floor boss crushed his character for the tenth time and it's annoying the hell out of him.

After all, he never liked losing, especially in a game in which he still has a chance to win.

He tossed the controller on the coffee table and slumped back on the couch. He crinkled his nose and stared blankly on the ceiling fan. It's a nice fan. All that it has to do is rotate. It doesn't have to worry about money, work, future, or love. Oh, how nice it is to be a ceiling fan.

His crimson eyes dropped on the numbers flashing on the digital clock. He still has a few hours before the wedding starts.

Not his wedding, but his best friend's.

The loud knocks on his door hauled his senses back to earth.

He groaned, dragging his body out of the couch. He grumpily stood from his chair and checked his visitor at such an ungodly hour.

The blonde guy peeked through the small crack and saw his best friend pummeling the abused door. He rolled his eyes and grunted.

"Hey! What took you so long?!" Shade snapped, making his way through the apartment like he owns it.

They have been friends for who-knows-how-long and they already know what's running on each other's minds.

Bright slammed the door shut and followed Shade inside. "What is the groom doing here?" he asked, an eyebrow rose, demanding an answer.

Shade exhaled deeply and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Rein is… having emotional stress again, you know. She's worried about you." His last sentence dropping to mumbles.

Worried? Bright tried to analyze the words. But the only thing that registered to him is that the young woman was worried about him.

"You know her…she cares about you." The young Serizawa hesitatingly admitted. "So pull yourself together, dumbass," he admonished whilst pointedly glared at the blonde.

Bright shrugged. "Well, tell her that I'm okay and she should worry about herself. Today is her wedding," he calmly responded.

"You mean, our wedding," Shade corrects.

Bright suppressed a snort. "Yes, your wedding. Satisfied?" He huffed.

Shade smirked. "She thinks she did something to offend you," he explained, grabbing the controller and defeated the floor boss while waiting for Bright's answer.

The young blonde frowned when the game he was trying to clear since midnight was finished effortlessly by his friend.

Yes. Just like how he struggled to patch things up and yet this guy arrived in the picture and easily won her heart.

"How many times do I have to clarify that I'm done with the past and I'm moving on!" Bright unintentionally raised his tone. He clenched his fists and kept his nonchalant façade.

Shade scoffed. "So, will you attend later?" he asked in an intimidating manner.

"Of course. I'm the best man after all," Bright smoothly answered.

Shade laughed before submitting a request. "Anyway, the bridesmaid needs an escort. Can you accompany her?"

"Ah, such a pain. Why so many favors?" Bright hissed as he watched Shade rose from his seat and head towards the door.

The young Serizawa suddenly stopped on his tracks. "Because you made my wife worry. That's all. I'm done here." He reasoned out, not bothering to look back.

Shade exited the apartment but halted when he caught Bright's venomous tone.

"Hey…" the young blonde called, a piercing stare etched on his handsome features.

"Huh?" Shade turned around, giving him a hurry-up-my-wife-needs-me look.

He couldn't form the word but managed to say it nonetheless. "Congratulations." Bright didn't want to admit but it's a complete defeat.

Shade sneered. "How rare, well, thanks anyways."

The young Serizawa left the building to go to his wife-to-be. The idea slapped Bright hard on both cheeks.

The arcade was where he first met her, his first love. He does not know whether she liked games or her younger sister was the one who liked games and she just happened to accompany her.

He liked her since junior high school. She confessed her feelings to him long ago. But because he was torn between studies and living up to the expectations of his parents, he rejected her.

He can still remember it clearly, like it all just happened yesterday.

"I…I like you…" Rein confessed. Her cheeks flushed, hands clutching the straps of her back pack, her hair plunged down to her waist as it was brushed by the wind.

The words are stuck in his throat. His mind had gone haywire. He loves her too. But what if he couldn't give what a relationship requires for it to survive? His time, effort, attention…

"I don't know..." was all he managed to say. His eyes looked anywhere but hers. He's sure her eyes have tears in them and watch her cry will break him to pieces.

"I'm sorry." He apologized. His hands curled to fists as a sob escaped her lips.

Silence fell between them, until Rein decided to fill the void.

"Okay. At least now I was able to confess my feelings and I was properly rejected. That means I don't have to hold onto these feelings any longer, right?" Rein spoke with a warm smile on her face.

Bright felt air leave his lungs as a realization hits him.

Right. That means she has no reason to be around him anymore.

If he only asked if she could wait until he settles everything. He could have told her his situation. She would have understood.

If he just did not bring Shade in the arcades that day. His chances would have been higher.

"Auler said there were only few copies available." Bright informed, shoving a set of CDs in his basket.

"Yeah, I'm not interested in getting it anyway." Shade indifferently replied, arms crossed as he glanced over the games.

Bright looked at him in disbelief. Shade was the one who influenced him with games but now he's uninterested? Is it the end of the world?

"Woah, so in what are you interested now, Serizawa-sama?" Bright quipped.

If only that sentence did not leave his mouth.

"Girlfriend…" Shade answered simply, eyebrows knitted to a scowl.

"Huh?"

Shade heaved out an exhausted sigh. "My mom freaks out that I'm graduating in college yet I still haven't dated anyone yet," he grumbled.

Bright laughed. "For starters, have an attitude check and all the girls will flock to you," he mocked.

"You mean I have attitude problems?!" Shade snarled.

Bright glanced over the other customers. His eyes fell on the girl in twin tails. Their eyes met and Fine waved a hand in recognition. Standing beside the bubbly girl is… of course, it has to be her.

Bright cleared his throat and turned to Shade who is still muttering. "Hey, how about her?" he nudged, pointing to Fine.

Shade's nonchalant eyes followed the direction pointed by his finger. "Eh, well, she looks simple but really cute." He spoke with a dismissive shrug.

Bright wriggled his eyebrows. "She's really cute right? They actually lived around my neighborhood. Do you want me to introduce you to her?" He encouraged.

He didn't know he was looking at the girl beside Fine. It all began with a simple mistake.

"No. I should do that myself." Shade gave him a pat on his shoulder and muttered 'thanks' before approaching the girls.

He didn't know Shade was staring at Rein.

Bright felt his heart stop when Shade made his way through the maze-like shelves of CDs and approached Rein.

"No! Not her!" He yelled, startling Shade and some customers.

"Huh?" Shade grunted looked at him inquiringly.

Bright rubbed the back of his neck and sheepishly grinned. "I mean… good luck, man."

He was such a coward.

Days, weeks, and a good five months passed and Rein finally said yes to Shade. It felt like someone had punched him in the gut. It made him deliriously uncomfortable for the past weeks.

"Hey, you look like you want to kill Shade." Fine comments, observing the way his hands quaked and squeezed the soda can.

She's the only one who can talk some sense into him since the whole dating thing started between her sister and the rakishly handsome Serizawa.

"No. Why do think so?" Bright countered and forced out a laugh.

"You're squeezing the soda can too much. I can imagine it as Shade's neck." She points out, taking a sip on her own drink.

"Stop your weird imagination." Bright spat, ruffling Fine's hair.

Why not start liking Fine anyway?

"H-hey, stop it!" Fine demanded, pushing his hands away. She furiously fixed her hair and made sure that her glare is pointed to him.

"Fine…" He softly spoke, focusing his eyes on her pouting face.

"Huh?" Fine hissed, slamming a fist on the table.

"Are you free this weekend?" He asked, averting his gaze for a second then bringing them back to her.

"Why?" Her frown was pulled back to a confused one.

"Endless treats of sundae and cake… all on me." Bright offered with a wink. She eyed him suspiciously as she mulled over his words.

Fine couldn't believe he asked her out. She crossed her arms in negation and scoffed.

But as the thought of food swirled in her mind, it tortured her to no end. It broke her armor and her mask slipped. Perhaps, it's a good sign. Bright chuckled.

"Endless?" She mumbled softly… and cutely.

"Yes." he smirked.

Their relationship was a bit rushed. Fine did play hard to get and Bright had to endure seven long months of courting. He thought it was a good sign because they got to know each other better. He was there on her birthday. She gave him flowers on graduation. They spent so much time together…

But that also means he gets to see her every day. It was cruel, watching her laugh with someone who is not him.

Their relationship ended shortly after four months of dating. It was just like a reality TV show, nothing special emerged from it.

"I'm sorry." Bright apologized, his head pressed firmly on the ground.

Fine had a scathing glare marring her features. Her hand quavered as she gripped the glass of cold water. She had it prepared for him. She plans to splash it in his face so he could finally wake up. But the guy refused to raise his head since he arrived. How can she execute her plan now?!

"Thank you for making me your rebound girl." She muttered through gritted teeth.

"I'm sorry." He repeated.

Fine sighed, deciding to just drink the water. She finished in one gulp—that's how angry she is.

"Just get out of here and get out of my life too. Kindly do it, now." She demanded, crossing her arms and walked back to her room.

Bright slowly lifted his face and watched her walk away from him. He's glad her parents are on a business trip abroad or he was turned into minced meat already.

"Bright!" He heard a low, furious growl behind him as he sauntered off to his apartment.

Shade grabbed his collar, shoved him on a corner, and punched him square in the jaw.

"What did you do to Fine, huh?" he bellowed. Shade was so loud it's piercing his ears.

Bright kept his nonchalant façade. "Dated her for four months but I got bored." he answered calmly.

Another punch on his gut.

Shade would have killed him if he was just a stranger.

"Don't give me that answer, dumbass. I'm not buying jokes here." The young Serizawa spoke in a threatening tone.

"Do you want to hear the truth?" Bright mumbled, eyes downcast.

Shade laughed. "Isn't that obvious?" The proud smile on Shade's face irked him to no end.

"I can't have her sister! That's why!" Bright spluttered, bottled up tears streamed down his face.

"What?" Shade released his collar. His wide eyes fell on the ground.

"Why didn't you say anything?" The young Serizawa yelled as he began crying as well.

How can he be so insensitive? How could he not notice that his friend liked the same girl?

"It's because I…I'm such a—" Bright stumbled over his words as his emotions choked him.

"You're an idiot." Shade finishes for him.

"And a coward." He adds.

Shade left. Bright leaned back on the wall, exhaling deeply as his mind drifted off to her again.

After seven months of working as an intern in a renowned company, Bright finally had his mind set on different things. But, it seems like fate is mocking him.

He met her on a seminar commenced by the company where he's working. He forgot that the young woman graduated in the same course.

Moreover, he was assigned as the events manager, there's no way he wouldn't meet or have small conversations with her.

"How are you?" Came a soft voice from behind. The voice that he missed so much, only because she's still considered a friend after all.

"Hey. Tea?" He replied, offering her a morning tea.

"I just finished mine," Rein politely declined and leaned on the railing. The venue was by the beachside, creating a peaceful and relaxing ambience.

"I'm okay, I guess." Bright answered as he leaned on the railing as well.

She still looks so young. A few of her features did not change since high school. A few strands of her hair fell across her face as it was swept by the wind. He wanted to brush them away.

But of course he didn't.

"I suppose were even." She suddenly spoke, dropping her eyes on him.

"Huh?" Bright drawled as he took a sip from his cup.

"You hurt Fine and my fiancée had hurt you." She explains.

Fiancée? So they're getting married huh…

"I get your point." Bright chuckled.

"Anyway…" She pulled his senses back to the topic.

Rein rummaged her bag and grabbed an intricately designed card. "Please go to our wedding. Well, we didn't see the rifts coming but things have finally found its right places and filled the right spaces."

Bright blinked then dropped his eyes on the card. It was so hard to register everything in his mind.

"It's the invitation." Rein notified, hopefully staring at him.

"There's no one who can be the best man but you. We, ah no, I am hoping to get a positive response." She adds. The way she spoke reminded him of the day she confessed. But, this time, she's really desperate.

"The wedding is still a few months ahead, anyway. You can still think about it. But I really do hope you would participate in the ceremony."

He raised his head and saw how she smiled by the mention of the wedding.

Do you know how lucky you are, Shade?

"So… this is heartache?" he mumbled, taking the card and observing it.

"Eh?" Rein looked confused.

"They said I'll find another you…" he paused, pushing back the tears.

"But I knew it can't be true. There was only you, Rein." he admits. He forced out a laugh to suppress another batch of warm tears.

The regrets I've gathered changed to tears…

"Why didn't I realize he was looking at you that time?" It all flashed in his mind.

Rein saying "Welcome home" to Shade. Rein laughing at his jokes. Rein crying at his shoulder. It all poured in his mind like a cold bucket of water.

She lifted a hand and rubbed comforting circles in his shoulder.

"Why did I tell lies?" he choked out.

"It hurts. It hurts to forget all about it. But I wanted to forget. I was so desperate that I even involved Fine in this," he sounded so shattered and apologetic.

"But…" he lifted his face and smiled at her.

Rein returned the same genial smile.

"I can say now that your smile from that day… will just turn to memory." He felt the weight on his chest dissipate.

Because he was finally able to say it.

"Thank you, Bright." Rein smiled.

"This means, it's meaningless to hold onto these feelings any longer, right?" Bright asked to double check.

"Yes." Rein stifled a giggle.

After another couple of months relaxing from work and escaping the realities of life, Bright knew he was ready to take a new step in his life.

On the onset of the wedding.

"And what the hell are you doing here, Yasuhiro?" Fine screeched, gritting her teeth.

Bright was slightly surprised at the treatment. Yasuhiro, huh?

He shrugged and flopped on one of the couches. "The groom sent me to escort you, my lady." He grunted, like he himself is not happy at the extra work the groom gave him.

Fine's vermeil-red eyes narrowed to slits. She didn't mean to observe how his messed up, blonde tresses gorgeously framed his handsome face or how his lips are curled to a pout which made him extremely cute at the same time. Handsome would be an insult. He's more than handsome. Well, that's according to Fine's vocabulary.

"Ehem…" she cleared her throat, occupying the seat opposite him. The dressing room suddenly felt sultry.

"You mean, that devil in disguise who is my future older brother sent you?" Fine remarked, sarcasm dripping in her tone. She crossed her arms and eyed him doubtfully.

Bright chuckled and sat up straight so she's on eye level.

A knock on the door suddenly interrupted their argument.

"Fine, Bright, we need you in the venue in five minutes," the voice which apparently belonged to one of the organizers, called out to them.

Bright stood, draping the blazer of his suit over his shoulders and headed for the door.

"You never changed, did you?" He notes. He observed how she looked so elegant (for the first time) in her sleeveless, amaranth-pink dress.

She rolled her eyes and smoothed down her dress as she stood. She followed soon after with a pout on her face.

"What do you mean?" she muttered, maintaining a good distance between them.

"You're still annoying." He answered simply, running a hand through his hair.

Fine would have kicked him if she's not only wearing the deadly contraptions known as stilettos.

"Well, I'm not like my sister who breathes and talks like a princess." She retorts. Bright stifled a laugh which Fine intercepted with a punch on his arm.

I didn't know what I had in my life until it's all gone.

But, this is where I draw the line.

"Fine…" he whispered softly.

"Hmm?" She droned.

"Would you give me another chance?"

Okay, so it's a one shot. The story is circular. The first part is present then the end part went back to the present again. Hope you understood that, I'm sorry I'm bad at explaining things.

First things first, I'm sorry for hurting Bright a lot in this fic.

Shade and our blonde guy are best friends for many years. Bright never liked losing especially to him. That's why he sounds bitter in the first part especially to Shade.

Rein has a very long hair in this fic. I actually considered Fine to be in her position but she has a very important role to play.

Anyways, thank you to all the lovely reviews in Natsukusa Kimi wo Omou's last chapter. I'm still don't know whether to continue it or not. I have chapter 5 ready.

Cynder 7 I will continue the story if you want me to. I'm still deciding. I have lots of upcoming work and I don't know if I can still update then.

HHKath Thank you for reading and reviewing. About your wonderful suggestions, I'll try to apply them in my future works.

KingMaverick I really love your long reviews. About Rein protecting Shade, I admit I was not able to fully establish that area. I like your writing style too!

Cherrione I don't know if I can write something funny soon. I'm experiencing heart break so I'm pouring it out on all my fics. Nah, kidding. You're so Fine is a bit funny I guess. Or that's just me?

Random Person I really don't know if I can write something funny. But I would try don't ya worry. winks~

Comments, questions, reactions about the fic, please do tell me by clicking the review button below. Thanks!