smile

If someone asked him what made him fall so deeply in love, the answer wasn't a simple one. Her eyes? He strength? Her endless energy?

No, it was her smile.

She smiles with sunshines and flowers, her face bright and cheered like a kid in christmas. She would smile almost all the time, to everyone and for everything, and he loved that. At first he thought it was her naiveté that blinded her of the pain and darkness of this world; but after everything that happened (Satsuki fought to forget that memory), he knew it was the source of her strength. She smiled and smiled to charge her up with energy to cope with painful emotions, with stress, and she gave that energy to all that surrounded her.

He felt blessed every time she smiled at him. It was like being kissed by the sun. And the curious thing about it was that she didn't ever realized the powers she had, the things she could do with that smile.

Or maybe, she could. Because thanks to it Shishio wasn't killed that fateful night when her uncle caught them kissing in the park near the apartment. It was a few weeks after their confession and he had been introducing her to his "adult feelings" bit by bit, slowly guiding her through all he knew and was comfortable about. They barely had started the kissing thing, not wanting to feel that their relationship was purely physical, so it was a real hit when Yukichi punched him right in the face and screamed hurtful things at his face.

He already knew all these things. He knew it was really wrong and nine years was too much. But he just listened in silence, got to his feet and said goodnight. He feared the worst, so when he got home Shishio started crying thinking that Suzume wouldn't come back to school next monday or ever again, that he would send her back to her hometown. No one asked why he looked so gloomy and not even a student dared to ask him anything on his way to the class. He didn't expect her to be there at all so when his eyes clashed with her blue ones Satsuki almost lost it. He was sure that everyone noticed, it was too obvious, but was grateful that anyone pointed out the various mistakes he made through his lesson.

After class was over and lunch break started, he found her in the backyard looking at the trees dancing in the wind. He just couldn't wait anymore and hugged her little frame.

"What happened? I was so worried, Chun-chun."

"Me too," she confessed returning the hug. "Uncle almost called mom. He packed my stuff and wouldn't listen any word I say."

"I'm so sorry… If I just-", she stopped him with her hand open in front of her face.

"It's ok. I fixed it. I can stay here until I finish high school. Then… we have to think of something."

Two years. They got only two years. Shishio closed his eyes and smelled her sweet scent tainted by the salt of her tears.

Some months later, when Yukichi accepted him back in his bar, he discovered that her bright smile when she spoke about her precious sensei was what convinced his friend that Suzume wouldn't survive if he banished her from Tokyo.