Chapter Text
Early Morning: Day 9.
Takumi found himself walking into the cafeteria amidst a chaotic frenzy of voices.
"Didn't think you were into that stuff Aotsuki kun." Kako fiddled with the ribbon on her head.
"This better not affect your fighting prowess."
Hiruko scoffed.
"What does that have to do with anything?!"
"It's just a hobby.."
"Is kissing men a hobby too?"
"What?!"
"Hey we don't judge around here!" Takemaru boasted.
"How could you?!" Forcing yourself on Takumi like that!"
"It wasn't like that!" If Eito had bunny ears they'd be lowering right about now.
"But Kawa chan said there were tears involved!" Gaku spoke, engraving the words into their brains.
"Yeah.. i did say that."
"I mean he could've enjoyed it enough to cry.."
"Crying during sex is suuper common!" She exaggerated her speech.
"It's also a huge kink."
Darumi winked, drawing attention to herself. Sitting atop her candied throne, she prevailed at making everyone uncomfortable.
"Ame chan don't bring up your porn addiction at breakfast."
Hiruko sighed, her voice flittled firmly about like a serene meadow fading into the distance.
"How dare they share oaks in public where my dearest sister could see!" The little devil called Ima retorted with a nonary remark.
"The private life of our classmates is none of your concern, dearest brother." Kako bit her lip, wishing the others would just tune out the banter her brother spews out.
"Share oaks?!" A voice no louder than a tweet exited the mechanic's maw.
"I believe that's a sex joke, but what do i know."
"At least he gets more action than i ever will."
Shouma starts rolling down his chair coiling in on himself as if he were a snail's shell until he landed face first on the ground with an audible thud.
"Ow."
"I deserved that." He hastily picks himself up and opts to stand instead.
"What on earth is happening here?!" Takumi waltzes into the room.
"Oh there's the hooded redhead in question." Darumi rolled her tongue lazily.
"You got anything to say, Sumino kun?"
"What on earth are you talking about?!"
"Aoisuki took advantage of your partnership!" Gaku claimed, spewing words out of his ass.
"No he didn't!"
"We were just.. roleplaying."
"R-Right!"
"It was entirely consentual."
"I may have gotten a bit carried away.."
That was an understatement.
"So you're into the type who can pwn you in a maid dress huh?" The unstable girl gorged herself on a piece of cake.
"What?!" The battle partners say in sinc, their faces reach the boiling point of a volcano.
"You have quite the imagination, Ame chan."
"Thanks. It's full of misery porn."
The group continues on with their day like normal. Eat, patrol, training, sleep. The same monotious cycle.
The non fighters get berated for wasting resources, and a noticable unresolved romantic tension arises between the two partners.
It wasn't that the moon wanted to to show it's dark side on purpose. In fact you could never tell something was amiss. He gave encouragement during battle, Hiruko admired his fighting spirit, and overall he was a valuable asset to the team.
However despite his uplifting nature, a sense of guilt crowded his lonely heart yearning for reason.
For days it would stay the the same. As the dead of the night grew closer a moping satilite tucked into it's natural orbit lay baren of their binding link. It's antenna seethed, crackling a blaring bluster as the blubbering of solar panels get pelted by asteroids. The sounds muffled by the molecules of it's plush bolster. An endless void engulfed in stardust erupted into a supernova.
Sprinkles of starlight illuminate, casting the feeble shadow of doubt. A reminder of a distant current that spates undertow, exposing itself vulnerable to lunar hay fever. Sinking deeper in turmoil, they almost miss the peal that was a doorbell. If it had been 3 parsecs, he would've believed it. For this is the only company they've had in eons.
With an unsteady gait the moon turns towards the door wiping at their precarious puffy palpebra. The rhuemy texture akin to sleet. Gliding towards the knob, he twiddled a hand in place. The curt concept of a hinge creaked open with a sudden pop letting a sliver of light into the room as if it were a casting shadow. Cerulean eyes get fallen overboard in the direction of the nearest sail.
Their foreboding encounter was inevitable.
"Hey, i wanted to talk."
An asteroid belt tugged on his aching heart.
"Oh, sure."
The words treaded aimlessly off into the cosmos. Drained of the willows that make up life.
"How long has this been off?"
The sun hadn't risen, yet the starry night was no more.
"There, now we can see."
A hazy sigh crept out of his throat, hoping his nautical friend hadn't payed attention to the saline patches staining his pillow.
"If you're going to be awake, shouldn't you keep the light on?"
"I liked the gift you gave me too much not to use it."
"In fact, i learned how to make more."
"You mean the sticky ceiling stars i gave you from the Gift O Matic?"
"Yeah, those."
"They glow in the dark."
"It's comforting in a way."
("It reminds me of you when you're not there..")
"I'm glad you like them."
"I like anything you give me."
"Are there things you don't like?"
"Loud noises like sirens or things that aren't pretty."
"..."
"Oh, i apologize."
"You came for a reason, right?"
Aotsuki backtracked his words.
"I've just sidetracked your mission.."
He swallowed dryly, leading Takumi over to his bed.
"Here, sit down you must be uncomfortable standing in the middle of the doorway."
"Ah, thanks Eito kun."
The desk was right there, yet he sat next to Aotsuki anyways.
"In this fine evening, what's on your mind?"
He feigned a smile, knowing very well what they were going to discuss might lead to the end of their friendship. He braced for impact.
"You."
"What?"
"Ah, i didn't know you had a hobby for crossdressing."
"Oh that?"
"It's fairly new."
"I just like how it feels."
"I never got to explore much growing up given my health has always been dirt poor."
"When did the roleplay aspect stem from that?"
"A-Ah.."
"I do that subconciously."
"You see to fill the void i'd engross myself in fantasy novels and other books to make up for my sheltered life."
"It's freeing to forget about my life and this living situation by playing pretend."
"Only for a little bit."
"It was something i kept to myself."
"Until i showed up?"
"You can say that.."
He looked away for half a lightyear, continueing.
"I got too carried away that day."
"No that was my fault, i should've never mentioned Karua."
"Who was Karua chan?"
"A very important person to me."
"We were friends since childhood, you could say our bond was more like family."
...
"For a second i thought you'd say she was a lover.."
"H-Huh?!"
"Nevermind."
Eito wrapped his hands around himself.
"What happened?"
"My entire life i vowed to protect her, yet i couldn't do that when she needed it most."
"Now she's gone."
".."
"I'm sorry for your loss."
Silence
"I understand if you resent me right now."
"i stole your first kiss."
"Is that a bad thing?"
...
"Can you look at me for a moment?"
A sail shifts directions, pointing directly at the moon. Hollow eyes stare back.
"Is there something wrong?" The boy inquires.
"The tear stains on that pillow tell me you've been crying for awhile now."
"So you saw it.."
Eito leans over to flip around his pillow.
"Wait!"
"At least tell me why."
"I thought you hated me."
"What?"
"They were right. I violated you."
"No you didn't!"
"You even asked first!"
"Did you say yes?"
"No.."
"Then i crossed the boundries we set for ourselves."
"When did we ever have those?!"
"We don't?"
"You never well, set any."
"We can set them now if you want."
"Okay." His lashes fluttered as he spoke.
"First of all."
"Just because we kissed once doesn't mean were dating."
"Nor are we obligated to do it again if you don't want to."
"Got it!"
"Next, don't let other people cloud your judgement."
"But other opinoins are important!"
"You'll be miserable if you let the world depict your every move."
"You have a point."
"And lastly, let's communicate equally amoung eachother."
"You don't have to hide your feelings around me, i'm you're partner remember?"
"T-Takumi kun!"
The boys embrace themselves in a hug vowing to be better partners from now on. The night ends in union with both parties content with themselves. A bud blooms in their honor with renewed hope.