Inside your Heaven Chapter 1: Smile for me, a gals! fanfic

A/N: I don't usually write this kind of stuff -- romance, I mean. But what the heck, I'll try. Do r&R!

Disclaimer: Yadda, yadda...you know this already...I, unfortunately, do not own GALS!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 1 -- Smile for me

It was a glorious sunset.

The fiery hues of red blended magnificently with the soft tangerines in the sky. As seven people walked along the park, only two people noticed the sunset.

Aya felt like a ship to a lighthouse with the sunset. It was so beautiful…yet it was so sad. She wished deep in her heart that she would be like Ran and Tatsukichi, so fun and so happy together; or like Miyu and Yamato, deep in the flush of love. She sighed and mentally flicked her forehead…it would never be, especially with the guy next to her. Aya looked down…Rei would never be hers…would never be together with him…sharing the same ice cream bowl…walking together along the streets…that sort of thing. It would never happen. With that thought filling up her mind, she felt like crying…again.

"Aya"

Aya looked up and saw Ran in front of her, her hands on her hips. Aya looked at her inquiringly, "Ran…?"

"Mou," Ran pouted, "You're sad again. Why aren't you happy?"

"This is useless, Ran," Aya started, "He doesn't…he doesn't feel the same about me."

"That's ridiculous!" Ran said, "Why wouldn't he? You're pretty, you're smart, and you're dedicated. He's a fool not to fall in love with someone like you."

Aya felt her face flush with the compliments, "Ran…"

The extrovert grabbed the shy girl's hand and pulled her to Rei, "Just try and talk to him!"

Ran pulled Aya to Rei, and she could do nothing but stare at the gravel and blush, "Um…"

Rei simply stared at her, not a single emotion showing on his face.

Aya tried to muster her courage and looked at his handsome face, "I—"

"I think it's time to go home, Aya." Rei cut in, still staring at her.

She looked surprised, "Huh?"

"You should go home, Aya," Rei repeated, then glanced at the rapidly darkening sunset, "It's late."

Aya looked disappointed and looked down, a habit of hers whenever Rei was around, "Y-You're right."

And despite the protests from Ran and Miyu, Aya heeded Rei's suggestion to go home.

"But Aya—" Miyu protested but Aya stopped her

"He's right…I still have homework to do." Aya said

"You'll go alone?" Yuuya asked her, concerned

Aya was about to say yes when a male voice said, "I'll go with her."

She blushed as she saw the conspiratorial and sly smiles of her friends and decided to face Rei instead, "Rei…?"

However, he refused to look at her and turned his back on her, "Let's go."

It took only five seconds before she followed Rei and ran away from the pressure of her friends.

The glorious sunset had faded to a magnificent night.

The fiery sun had disappeared only to be replaced by a shining moon bathing everything it touched to pale silver. The deep dark blue sky was glittered with countless stars…and that was precisely what Aya was staring at as she walked alongside Rei. She was wondering why Rei would volunteer to walk her home and the mere thought made her blush.

"Smile for me, Aya." He said suddenly

Aya looked at him immediately, surprised by his strange request, "What?"

"Smile for me, Aya." Rei repeated as he ended his steps with a halt and faced the glittering sky, "You're always so sad whenever you're with me. You cry, even. I never saw your smile."

She felt her face flush with heat, "You saw me smile already."

"That wasn't a real smile, Aya, it was a forced smile," Rei said, looking at her eyes now, his brown eyes expressing sadness, "You always show me your pretentious smiles."

"Why would you want to see my smile?" Aya asked

Rei looked down, "I want to see you happy…that's all."

Aya felt a tingling sensation all over her body, and strangely even in her palm, "Y-You make me happy already, Rei."

He looked at her directly, "Liar, you're smiling forcedly again. If I'm making you happy then why are you so sad whenever you're with me?"

Aya couldn't answer and looked away.

"Aya"

His voice was like a caress that sent shivers all over her body, "Aya, how can I see your smile?"

She looked at him with glassy eyes, "You don't need to do anything Rei—"

And before Aya could go on any further, Rei's arms were already around her and he was hugging her tight. Her eyes widened in surprise, "Rei…?"

"Aya," he said again, holding her even tighter, "please show me your smile. The smile that comes from your heart…"

She was even more bewildered than before, her glassy eyes turning shinier, "Why? Tell me…"

Rei releases her and stared at her eyes again…and at that moment, Aya knew the answer. Her realization made her so happy that it felt like her heart would burst and her body shook with her sobs. Rei held her lightly as she cried on his shoulder.

All this time…all this time…he does feel the same for me…, Aya thought as she turned her glassy blue eyes to Rei, you do feel the same for me, don't you Rei? She thought as she smiled at him, a real smile, a true smile, a smile that came from deep inside her heart, a smile of a girl whose sincerest wishes had come true.

"You're beautiful, Aya." Those were the last words that Rei uttered before pressing a sapphire pendant necklace in her hand and his lips on hers.

The harsh shrill ring of her cellphone woke Aya two hours later.

Sleepily she answered the phone, "Yuuya, it's late already."

Yuuya's normally cheery voice was not there, "Aya, something happened." His voice was strange. Aya heard a sniff. Yuuya was crying?

She felt alarmed, "Yuuya, what's wrong? Is it Ran?"

"No, it's not Ran." His voice was interlaced with sobs

"Tell me!"

Yuuya was crying, "It's Rei…"

Aya felt her heart freeze, the sapphire dangling in her chest, her body suddenly stiffened, "What's wrong with Rei? Yuuya, what happened to Rei!"

His sobs were full of grief, "Aya…Rei's dead…"