disclaimer: TWEWY? Mine? I wish.
pairings: Onesided Neku/Eri. Shiki/Neku.
genre: romance/angst. yeah, it was always going to be angsty.
notes: ever since i defeated Shiki's week, i've been thinking about this. and the ending make what you want of it.
(i'm on week three day 3 in case anyone is wondering- so don't spoil it for me!) but yes, i know what Shiki looks like.

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(we're all gotta crash sometime.)

v.

The first time Eri sees Neku—

She is startled, because he is beautiful in his own way and Eri thinks he is like art. All chaotic and free and expressive and Eri wishes she could be like that. But she's not— but even Shiki; dear dear Shiki has come out of her shell— walking the streets with the sensation of newfound confidence.

And Eri wishes she could be like that too.

He's a living work of art all free and abstract.

iv.

Eri is charmed—

The boy, he's kind, despite his aloof nature. He's artistic and he's beautiful with his long slender fingers and tall but not lanky, muscular but not too muscular figure. And his eyes are the color of a perfect blue, a crystal clear blue, bluer than any sky she's ever seen. His ginger hair just suits him perfectly and sometimes she wants to run her hands through it.

And he's sweet and kind and charming and perfect, maybe a little standoffish, but it was an endearing quality to her. Today she fell, and that boy he held out his hand (and it was the most beautiful thing ever, because his hand fit perfectly into hers and and….)

Eri thinks she just might be in love.

He held out his hand.

iii.

Eri is curious—

And slightly jealous, when Shiki has those rare moments of wandering off— she keeps wandering someplace with people Eri doesn't know, who speak of strange things and have strange quirks and Eri seems envious because Shiki just fits with these people.

And Eri?

She doesn't fit anywhere.

She alone, you know?

ii.

Eri talked to him today—

She talked to him, and he barely responded and looked like he was waiting for someone— and she's quite jealous because whoever it is has to be beautiful and wonderful and just perfect to be with a guy like him. And Eri thinks, she just might hate that lucky girl.

But she doesn't know for sure, so Eri keeps talking to him. Telling him words and phrases and telling him of her artistic nature.

And her heart feels like she's known him for most of his life.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

i.

Eri is broken—

She's lost and she's confused and she's hopeless and she's wondering why. Because when Shiki told her if she wanted to meet her friends and Eri was happy, because maybe, just maybe there was a place for her there.

But when she got there, she caught sight of him again, and his hand was wrapped around Shiki's and he was smiling and laughing and Eri just hated Shiki, but didn't say anything because Shiki was her best friend, her hands and Eri couldn't let that go.

But still before Eri could walk away, Neku said that he had to go and with a swift kiss to Shiki's cheek he left and for a second; he could have sworn he said—

"I like her— and I wouldn't have it any other way."

And Eri has to wonder what these people went through, because it was something. And she wanted to be a part of it too, she wanted it, hell she deserved it more than Shiki. But she didn't say anything— because every day Eri is like this, surrounded by friends while Shiki's looking in like a stranger. And she can see that Shiki has found her place.

And Eri wants to find hers too.

So she jumps.

the end.