literature

A Birds Home: Howard LinkXReader part 2

Deviation Actions

sora22302's avatar
By
Published:
914 Views

Literature Text

     He'd started to ignore you. For awhile you thought that your friendship was completely ruined.

     All of that year he'd hardly speak to you, and the people that were adopted along with him would occasionally ask you what you did to him. You didn't take it harshly, though. After all; Link was sweet. No one would believe he'd done something to you. But he was the one that stopped talking to you. And even though you desperately wanted to go back to how things were before...

            You didn't know how to fix it.

      Towards the end of your middle school year, he started talking to you again. It was like the argument had never happened. You wanted to apologize to him, but you were afraid he might ask you exactly why you were apologizing, and the truth was that you didn't know. You didn't see what was so wrong about what you had said that day.

      He never brought it up again, and come High School; you were more than just close friends. For awhile you were attached at the hip. The boy had grown to a man, but he was still the person you always knew. The beautiful cakes and candies he made once had you thinking that he wanted to make them for a living, but that idea was shot down before the end of Sophomore year.

      "You know, you could come with me to Paris. You could study to be a Patissier'."

      "A what?"

      "It's a pastry chef." You were sitting side by side next to the stream just outside the school grounds. You fingers were intertwined with his, and you turned your gaze to him. He gripped your hand lightly, but his eyes remained on the cooling water.

      "I don't want to be a pastry chef. This town has plenty of bakeries."

      "But you don't have to start a bakery in this town. There are plenty of places that could use one."

      But he just shook his head.

      That was one of your many attempts to persuade him to travel with you. You knew he wanted to stay in the town, but you always thought he'd want to be with you more. But...

         You had your dreams, and he had his.

      You stayed together throughout high school. He would bring you on dates, and bring you gifts. Although the first few were more awkward than romantic, you found that once you both stopped stressing about it; everything went smoother. It always amazed you how he seemed to know every little detail about you. The small things that would make your time together that much better.

      On the Valentine's day of your Senior year; he brought you a small box. Inside was a round cake, and the icing depicted all of the places you wanted to visit most. The cake topper was the Eiffel tower. You had laughed with happiness, and set the beautiful cake on the table as you handed him his gift. He took the plastic bag from you, and you had seen the brightest smile as he looked at its contents, and soon you were wrapped in each others arms, celebrating the night with soft, tender kisses as the gifts sat untouched on the table.

      A cake of the world, and the burnt cookies recognizable only by the two dots on the forehead of each attempted face.

      On graduation night you made your last plea for him.
   
     The summer air was warm and tickled the low backed dress you had chosen to wear under your robe. You didn't normal wear something so revealing, but a bare back was hardly something to gawk at, and it was a special occasion. The day was long and had left both you and Link exhausted. Even so; this was the first time you'd seen each other alone all day. You weren't ashamed to admit that you had cried a little during the day, and you weren't sure if the slight redness to his cheeks was because he cried as well, or because this was the first time today he'd seen you without the robe on.

      You moved from the yard to his room, and although it was just the beginning of summer, the soft hum of the nights bugs had already begun. You wanted the night to be special...but you also knew you had to know for sure. Would he follow you?

      But the answer you had received was anything but special.

      "......" A long, heavy silence had thickened the room. You breathed deeply in, and let out a long sigh that wasn't meant to sound as frustrated as it did. You weren't irritated. You were trying to keep yourself calm. "So...there's no chance you'll come?"

      He shook his head, and you looked away from him. "I want to stay here, and become a teacher." The truth is, somewhere deep down, you always knew this would be his decision. Just as he always knew this would be yours. But you both tried. You tried so hard to convince each other to be someone else; to be the people you had wanted to spend your life with.

      But it wasn't you.

      And it wasn't him.

      As much as you wanted to be with him,

      You were a caged bird longing to be free,

      And he was a free bird that wanted to be caged.

     You had left him then. As much as you wanted to spend that last night with him; you knew it couldn't happen. Neither of you would change your mind, and pushing away the inevitable wouldn't do either of you any good.

     That night you went to bed in the dress you wore, and the same day that you had cried so many tears of happiness; became the day you cried for him.

     You traveled a lot after that. You sent him postcards, and he would send you sweets. Sometimes you would tell him of your more exciting travels, and sometimes he would tell you about the classes he was taking, and eventually about the students he taught.

     But as time wore on the gifts came few and far between, and one day it stopped.

     Now you have children of your own-that love to travel, just like you. You're in your hometown, visiting your aging parents. The house he used to live in is empty, his make-shift family grown up and long gone. You always thought he would stay in that house until the day he died.
           
      ..............and you found out he did.

      The day he sent his last gift to you he sent you a cupcake, and the card that came with it told you about the students, and how worried he was over one of them. The student was a victim of parental abuse, and when Link found out he went to stop it; only to be caught in the crossfire.

      The child he protected is safe and sound in a new, loving family. Link didn't have a family of his own, but he was missed by all.

      You stand in front of the tomb stone, and as you feel the soft sniffle growing into something more, your child tugs on your hand lightly. The sweet voice calling for you.

      You shake your head softly. "Wait in the car sweety. I'll be there in a moment." 

      With a worried glance at you the child makes their way to the car where the person you married is waiting. And as soon as they have left your sight, you find yourself on your knees at the grave.

      You wished you had been there. You wish you had stayed. 

      But the life with him wasn't the one you had chosen, and you didn't regret the life you had lived.

     It didn't matter whether you were at your old house, or at the small Japanese hotel.

      But it mattered to him. And he was buried here.

     This bird was home.
Here's the final part to "A Birds Home".
© 2014 - 2024 sora22302
Comments8
Join the community to add your comment. Already a deviant? Log In
................. :iconcryforeverplz: