Archive of Our Own ^beta

Dark grey clouds covered the blue skies and sun, wind blowing leaves away to parts unknown. They landed in a graveyard where a lone high school student named Gundham Tanaka sat alone. He looked down at the grave in front of him, the tombstone a bit dirty with a few chips and plants growing on it. He read what was written on it over and over again, making sure he would not forget what was written on it.

Here lies Himari Tanaka

A loving daughter and mother anyone could ask for.

He clenched his fists when the memories of her came flooding back. From what she told him, the demon left them when she told him she was pregnant with his child. His poor mother had to go through the pregnancy alone... But when the day of his birth finally came, she couldn't help but smile and cry when she saw her newborn son. Blessing him with the name Gundham Tanaka.

When somebody loved me
Everything was beautiful
Every hour spent together
Lives within my heart

As the years passed by, his mother did her best to give him a wonderful childhood, filled with joy and laughter. She discovered that he developed a love for animals, when he brought home an injured bird and helped him nurse it back to health. Needless to say their home became an animal sanctuary after that.

And when she was sad
I was there to dry her tears
And when she was happy so was I
When she loved me

There were even times where she would just lay in bed, wondering what her life would be like if she had never gotten pregnant. Would the demon stay with her? Would he eventually gotten comfortable with the idea of becoming parents? Would she be happier...? These awful thoughts made her want to cry for thinking such things. But when she saw her son enter the room, getting up on the bed and asking her what's wrong. She just giggle and pull him into a hug. Nothing she would say, that she was happy to have him in her life.

Through the summer and the fall
We had each other that was all
Just she and I together
Like it was meant to be

The environment they lived in always changed with the seasons, for going from a beautiful shade of orange, yellow, and red fall to a winter wonderland. And that meant different animals came by for him to befriend. She would always smile when she saw him interact and play with the animals. Heck, she would even sometimes join him in their games too. 

And when she was lonely
I was there to comfort her
And I knew that she loved me

She's been thinking about dating again, knowing that her son needed a father figure in his life. But after what happened before, she just couldn't bring herself to do it. He took noticed of this and comforted her, telling her that it'll be okay... even though he didn't understand the situation back then. She never knew how much her son cared for her til now. She just hugged him, wanting this little life of hers to live forever...

So the years went by
I stayed the same
But she began to drift away
I was left alone
Still I waited for the day
When she'd say I will always love you

Many years passed by, and he grown into a fine young man on the brink of entering his high school years. His love for animals never died, and his appearance changed as well. His mother, on the other hand, grew weaker with each passing year. One day, when he came home from school, his mother suddenly broke into a coughing fit. She fell to the floor as he quickly called an ambulance... They didn't make it in time. She died from an incurable illness that was slowly shutting down her organs. The funeral was simple, sweet, and short, just like she wanted. He placed the flower in her coffin as he laid a gentle kiss on her forehead, wishing for her journey to the heavens be easy and safe. Every night he would always expect all this to be a bad dream, to hear his mother calling him for breakfast. But he would never wake up...

~~~

Lonely and forgotten
Never thought he'd look my way
And he smiled at me and held me
Just like she use to do
Like he loved me
When she loved me

Gundham chose to eat outside instead of inside to get some fresh air. Just as he was about to bite into his apple he saw his classmate, Kazuichi Souda, walking up to him. He said he noticed him looking down and asked if everything was alright. He replied by saying he was fine. He expected Kazuichi to just walk away, but instead sat next to him. Kazuichi said he didn't want to leave him, so he'll eat lunch with him.

As the months passed by, the two grew closer and closer. Gundham never thought he would be dating the person who used to despised him. But that just goes to show that life is funny that way. When their relationship grew, he noticed that his dark prince grew strong enough to withstand his poisonous body. It was that he noticed Kazuichi held him similarly to how his mother used to hold him as a child. He decided to he would take his beloved to meet his mother.

They arrived at the graveyard where she was buried, getting into a praying kneeling position in front of her grave. He introduced Kazuichi to his mother, telling each of them of how they changed his life. He was thankful for his mother doing everything she could to give him a happy life and being there for him, as he did for her. And he was thankful for Kazuichi being there for him in his time of need, for putting aside his princess fantasy to give him a chance. He only wished that he would never end up like the devil that left him and his mother long ago and hurt Kazuichi. He never knew how many tears he held back for so long until they started to roll down his face. Luckily, his boyfriend was there for him, and his mother in spirit too.

When somebody loved me
Everything was beautiful
Every hour spent together
Lives within my heart
When she loved me...