Princess Tutu Fan Fiction ❯ Rainy Day Man ❯ Chapter 1

[ A - All Readers ]

(Note: I do not own Princess Tutu or any of it's respective characters. Those rights belong to the wonderful Ikuko Itoh.)

(Secondary Note: This is also kind of my first official fic. If you'd like to review, uh, don't be too critical on mistakes or bad writing. I know about the flaws. I tried covering them up as best I could. ;3 This could be a part of a series of different fics, I'm not totally sure. This is likely not to just be a one-shot, however. If I get the time to write more and there's actually some kind of demand, I'll go for it. Enjoy!)



Perhaps it was the way his hair fell over his face. White; a shade with an almost angelic quality to it... Or was it his eyes? At first glance, their golden luster was probably his most striking feature, obscured by those feathery locks, but only for a moment.. as soon as his head was thrown back, it was just as though they'd never left. For the longest time.. the windows to his soul were filled with sadness, longing, a need that always went undescribed and virtually unnoticed. But this time... this time was different. They had an oddly pure sense of happiness. It was something she was still trying to get used to. Something that had finally decided to change...

It seemed she watched him like this, every morning. Dancing around the lake. Was that a regular routine? She'd come to expect as much. It was clearly a regular routine for her - It's not like she had anything better to do, and even if she did have things to do, what more could she ask for, simply being where she was right now? Eyes locked on the Prince, nobody else around. If she could have one simple wish it would be to stay like that forever. Even if she couldn't dance with him, even if she was, to put it simply, only a duck. Only... a duck.

She let out a long, dragging quack, nearly identical to a sigh; closed her eyes. Being like this, she didn't mind.. it was all she ever wanted. Or, perhaps...



Her eyes opened again. This time, however... she wasn't staring out into an endless pond. Rather, she was laying in a bed, no longer a waterfowl, and, a few feet away, within the cot aside her own, there wasn't a sign of a royal heir. There was, rather, a face she at first felt unfamiliar with. The hair was longer, viridian, down-to-earth. And, normally, if they had been alert and aware, a pair of eyes that could pierce through the very soul if they so had the desire- No, that's what she used to think. The eyes she knew now were warm, gentle. Closed or open. For now, she couldn't see them yet.. Although, if she could, they probably weren't things she could bring herself to look upon at all. Oftentimes she wondered just what exactly it was that made her so uneasy. It never used to be that way. But maybe that was changing, too?

The gaze she'd held for what seemed like a lifetime shifted over to the clock on the wall. Seven o'clock. Quietly, and trying her best not to disturb him (what was once an impossible task, what with her clumsiness and all) , she crawled out of the covers, changed into her regular clothing and left the house shortly after. Today wasn't one that included tedious lessons; this break was something she'd been longing for, and for quite a while. She wasn't about to waste it on sleep... Of course, the reason she left the antique shop in the first place was more because she didn't want to be the one to sleep in again, which is usually what ended up happening. She thought he must think of her as a fool for this.

No sooner than she'd made it to the park, she realized some things. One: In her hasty rush to get out of bed and as far away from any sort of comfort as humanly possible, she'd forgotten to bring an umbrella, and Two: It was raining - and the downpour was more depressing than any kind of weather Kinkan Town usually recieved. Neither of these helped when she decided to let her mind wander for a bit.


That dream she thought. Why do I have it so much? I stopped being a duck a long time ago. Does it have to do with the fact that I still quack from time to time? Or maybe it's because my name is constantly referring to the way I act? And why is Mytho still there? He stopped being the prince of my dreams a long time ago, too.. Her thoughts often drifted aimlessly. Once the wedding had taken place.. neither he nor Rue were seen back in town since. Was that their fate? But I thought they defied fate.. Didn't we all defy fate?

She sighed and looked up, finding herself looking at the same lake she'd been constantly dreaming of.

It wasn't anything particularly special, just your typical body of water. But there was something about that seemingly dull hole in the ground. The last time she swam in it, and actually bothered to go below the surface, it appeared to go on til the end of time. She'd been at the very bottom, dancing to her heart's content, with... him. He was not the Prince, yet he was still important to her, if not more than anything else she knew. She wasn't exactly sure of how she felt about him, but up until now she didn't think it truly mattered. Whatever she was feeling, she was sure to figure it out. At least, that's what she kept telling herself in order to get through the night without feeling like her heart was about to burst...

Of course, she didn't understand what that meant, either.

She shook her head in an attempt to snap back to reality, and this appeared to have worked. The rain didn't seem to be falling on her at all anymore, though, and this was something she thought to be very out of place. Even moreso when she looked up and found a strange black object hovering over her head; attached to it a long curved pole of wood. He was holding it.


"Ahiru..." His voice trailed off in undecided concern.

"Morning."

"You shouldn't be out like this. You'll catch a cold."

"Does it matter?" She asked, apparently unaware of the situation at hand.

He spoke, this time with an air of irritation. "What do you mean, 'does it matter'? Of course it matters. If you get sick, that means I'll have to go through the trouble of taking care of you."

"And you wouldn't enjoy that?"

"Who would? You're already a handful as is."


His words sounded so selfish and uncaring at times. 'A handful as is'. 'The trouble of'. But.. something told her he didn't mean for them to be like that, or that he was only joking. She frowned over-exaggeratedly and looked up at him with wide-drawn puppy eyes.


"I'm sorry! I guess I was under the impression that you actually cared for once! I guess some things just don't change..."

He smirked.

"When did I tell you I didn't?"

Ahiru adopted one of her signature looks of befuddlement and shifted her eyes, pouting.

"Well... I guess you never.. really.. have.."

"Here. Let's go for a walk."


She was a little put off by this. A walk? Since when did Fakir suggest they go on a walk? Most of the time, it seemed more like she was the one who wanted to do something and he was the one who was strongly against it.. Maybe this was something more important, though. Reluctantly, she followed him under the umbrella.


"You know... Lately, I haven't been getting enough inspiration for my stories."

"Really?" Ahiru found a rock by her feet and started kicking it along the stone path.

"Yeah. I guess I just have a lot on my mind or something.."

"What exactly is on your mind?"

"That's none of your business."

"..If it's none of my business, why did you even bother telling me?" Ahiru hated it when he acted like this.

"Just making conversation."

"Well, don't make conversation out of topics you're not willing to continue with!" She tried to kick the pebble with more force, only to miss and throw her foot a couple of feet through the air. Ahiru wobbled slightly before achieving balance.

Fakir blinked. Then, somewhat unexpectedly, he started to laugh.

"...What's so funny?"

"Oh, it's nothing.. You're just acting a lot like me. I must be rubbing off on you."

She blushed slightly at that comment... which, again, was not an action she understood. Ahiru tried to shrug it off as they resumed walking, but it wasn't working too well. He was walking ahead of her, rather self-centered as she was no longer under the umbrella and he didn't care to notice, and in his own little world. What could he be thinking about? Ahiru's mind got cloudy when she let herself stare at his hair waving back and forth. The movement drove her insane. Her own hair was wet from the rain and it stuck to her face like bonding glue. This must look unattractive. Luckily, her thoughts were interrupted again.

"And...The stories I do seem to be able to write, they all revolve around the same subject."

"What subject might that be?" she inquired.

"You."

This appeared to catch her by suprise. So much, in fact, that she almost tripped over the same rock upon hearing it and stopped walking. Fakir stopped shortly after and looked behind him.

"Something wrong?"

"N-nothing! I'm just fine! Almost fell to my death a second ago after you basically told me you were obsessed with me, but that's not important! Hahaha.." She wasn't very good at playing it straight.

He grew a dissatisfied look on his face and almost scowled at her. "Stupid. I never said that."

Ahiru sighed and started walking yet again, as soon as she realized he was about to leave her behind once more. He did that often.

"Sorry.. I just.. why is it that you can only write about me?"

"I don't know. But it's getting annoying."

"Clearly," she mumbled.

"What was that?"

"Nothing."

This was getting confusing. Why was she acting so apprehensive around him all the time? What was wrong with her? He must think I'm a complete idiot, she told herself. Falling over just because the only thing he can write about is me... Why did she even care? Well.. Fakir is important to me. I just don't understand why I get so embarrassed and.. Her face was getting increasingly red as she was thinking about it.

Unfortunately for her, he noticed. Again.

"What is with you today?" He shook his head. "...No, nevermind. Don't answer that."

"...I'm sorry. I am so sorry."

By this point, they were back at the lake again. It seemed they managed to walk in a complete circle.

Ahiru stopped walking and looked out at the water dejectedly. And, before she even began to acknowledge it, tears were streaming down her face.

A genuine look of concern quickly drew over the Knight as he stopped as well and started walking closer to her. "Hey! Don't.. don't cry. I was only kidding about writing about you being annoying. I thought you knew that. And.. I... I really don't think you're that stupid.." His voice was drifting off.

The mood was changed completely when he noticed she was laughing, just as he'd been doing earlier.

His eyes narrowed. "...I thought you were upset."

She smiled and shook her head. "Ah.. no.. I think something just came over me. There is something I would like to ask you, though."

"What?" He asked, in his usual irritated tone.

"I guess with your huge little obsession (she failed to notice both words canceled each other out) , you must have some kind of... thing, for me. Will you be honest with me and tell me the truth?" It was unlike Ahiru to be so bold. Even she didn't understand what she was doing.

Fakir's face was noticably more red after thinking about this, but he simply scoffed and looked away, attempting to keep what little 'cool' he had left.

"D-Does it matter?" He asked, flustered.

Ahiru started twiddling her thumbs, not an uncommon thing to see. "Er.. well.. I'm not really sure.. I guess I'm just curious.."

He sighed and kept his head turned. "Do you really want to know?"

"Of course I want to know," she told him, slightly mocking his voice and tone.

"Alright. I'll show you."

"Show.. me?" Ahiru blinked. She wasn't sure whether or not she liked where this was going, or if she even knew where this was going. As it turned out, she hadn't a single clue.

He grabbed her by the shoulders forcefully (perhaps by a bit much) and spun her around. The whole action frightened Ahiru, the last time she had it performed on her it was followed by a painful slap. But what came was something almost, yet not quite, entirely unlike a painful slap. He had pulled her into his arms with a warm embrace, unlike any other, and gazed into her eyes. Those dark eyes. They made her feel calm and protected, and unlike those of which she used to know. No more was there insecurity tucked behind lividness. There was only... longing.

She felt her heartbeat increasing in speed, when finally, he decided to speak.

"I think about you all the time, and it's driving me crazy. Before I fall asleep and as soon as I wake up. When I walk out the door, when I come back inside. Every morning, every noon, every night. The sun rose and fell at least a thousand times. There is not a single minute when you don't occupy my thoughts. Your little habits, the mumbling, the clumsiness, your looks, they posess me when I write, and nothing comes out well.. Unless it involves writing about what I -say- I want to forget, but, in the end, I know I don't want to. You've taken me beyond the edge of all reason and back, but I think I'm in love with you."

Ahiru felt like she was reading one of his mushy confession letters. The ones all the girls used to write him, pouring their feelings onto a page and expecting some sort of reciprocation when she knew he'd never so much as glanced at a single one. Because of that, she felt his words were out of place. She opened her mouth slightly to speak, but she found she could no longer remember what she set out to tell him. And even if she did, it was hard to say anything in her... current position - before she knew it, his lips were pressed firmly against her own. A sudden feeling of realization filled the air.

Now she knew where this was going.