Chapter Text
The Cloud Sea drifts along ever so slowly under Rex's feet. Above him, countless stars twinkle in the cloudless sky, flickering in and out of existence in the darkness. He sits there, all alone.
He couldn't sleep. Though he'd tried to think of other things, his mind only supplied him with images of Pyra and Mythra, just the previous night when Pyra had told him how she really felt. There'd been a hopeful gleam in her eyes when she confessed, yet her voice trembled when she spoke.
And so, he's found himself in this place again. His fingers curl into a fist against the grass, shaking. The words spilling from Pyra's lips still linger, sending his thoughts into a frenzy and his heart racing.
He understands all too well what Pyra had really been trying to tell him. Even though he so badly wanted to say yes, a part of him froze at that very moment. A question that he can't answer bounces around in his mind even now.
Shivering in the cold night air, Rex tucks his legs in, hugging his knees together. He's made so many friends, formed innumerable bonds, gone through so much with them. And at the end of that journey, they are only friendships, no matter how deep they are. Ones that he holds close to his heart, yes, but they do not go beyond that. This is different. Rex knows that. In his right mind, he would have accepted. No, he should have, and yet, he didn't.
Love is something unfamiliar to him - he's never known what it feels like. Until last night, the thought never really crossed his mind.
But when Pyra took the first step forward, telling him how she really feels, it was like a lightning strike. He still remembers it so vividly, the events replaying in his mind over and over again. Pyra's voice, wavering ever so slightly. The things she'd confessed. Her admission of love.
All this time, he had no idea that being loved could be so...painful. So conflicting.
It's a confusing emotion. One that he doesn't understand. What would happen if he did say yes? Would his relationship with both Pyra and Mythra have gone far beyond what he can handle? Would it disappear into thin air, slipping from his hands like grains of sand? Would it blossom so beautifully just like the romances in the children's storybooks and fairytales he's heard as a child?
He's not sure. It could be any of those. Anything can happen. It's uncharted territory.
For him, the quickest, easiest answer is to say that Pyra, Mythra and him are merely friends who love each other in nothing but a friendly way. That is the safest option. That way, it can't become unfamiliar. The thought of losing the two of them...it scares him.
If saying "I love you too" spells the end of what he has with them, then no matter how strongly he feels about them back, he won't say it. He can't afford to lose them.
He turns his gaze to the grass underneath him, silently wondering if they could tell him what to do. Of course, there is nothing. Rex is about to stand up to leave. If he doesn't get back home soon, Pyra and Mythra are sure to be worried about him. The sun rises in the horizon, quietly watching him.
Flashes of color appear in the corners of his vision for a split second, causing him to freeze in his movements. Ever so slowly, his gaze turns to his left, then to his right. Unfamiliar flowers surround him, dancing innocuously in the gentle wind that blows by.
Since when were they there? He never noticed. These are types he's never seen before. The light of the sun shines brightly in his direction, illuminating the striking shades of blue, white and gold around him.
For some reason, they remind him of Pyra and Mythra.
With a kind heart, unwavering and refusing to be tainted by anything, Pyra is a pure soul. Although she is innocent, she is not weak or helpless. No - far from it. But even so, that night, as if one touch could break it, her feelings were exposed to him when she confessed.
Mythra's long blonde hair illuminated by the orange of sunset and her eyes of the same color encompasses all kinds of emotions. The smiles that are so very rare, but when they're genuine, never fail to warm his heart. A part of Rex wonders if she feels the same way towards him as Pyra does.
Memories of the sky under which Pyra confessed to him come to his mind. The night washed everything around them in a beautiful sapphire glow, the moon's pure white light bathing them in silver, hiding behind the clouds. Even though it'd been cold, the warmth of their touching fingertips had been all Rex could feel.
They're surprisingly soft, when he gingerly tries to reach out to feel them. Even though they're a little rough around the edges and thorns on the stem poke into him, the petals still feel nice to touch, his fingers absently caressing them. Almost as if he were trapped in a spell just by gazing at them, he mutters the two names that mean the most to him under his breath.
He'll have to tell them about everything. It'd be wrong of him to leave them hanging. Just like how Pyra had taken the first step in confessing, he has to do his part for both her and Mythra.
Sighing, Rex stands to his feet slowly, a hand against the the large tree trunk beside him. He takes another look at the Cloud Sea beneath him, moving alone quietly, then up at the moon and the stars in the sky, twinkling as if to say, 'you can do it'. If he wants to muster the courage to talk to them, perhaps some rest is in order.
He hears the rustling of grass behind him. Who could be here this late at night? He's not sure who or what to expect, but when he turns around, he's met with two all-too-familiar faces. Pyra and Mythra.
"Hello, Rex," Pyra smiles, "I knew I'd find you here."
Rex hadn't been ready. More than anything, he's surprised to see that Mythra's standing there with Pyra, their hands linked. "H-hi." he replies, unsure of what to do. "What's up?"
Should he run? Should he tell them to talk to him later? He can, if he wants to. It won't hurt. Though his mind whispers to brush off the conversation and tell them they should be heading home because it's late, the rational part of him says otherwise.
"We'd like to talk to you about what happened yesterday."
Although Pyra's voice is soft and gentle, Rex catches hints of nervousness in the way her hand tightens its grip around Mythra's, how hesitation flickers in her eyes. Small signs that no one else would catch.
The two sides of his thoughts are at war. One encourages him to take that step forward, to face his doubts head-on, to just tell the two of them how he feels. Yet at the same time, thoughts of how he'll hurt Pyra and Mythra if he continues any further and to just keep it safe and easy by rejecting that love fill his head.
He shakes his head. Rex can't hide it forever. Surely, they would appreciate it if he were honest rather than continuing to pretend like the relationship he has with them is just another friendship. He can't.
Though the silence and the way the two patiently wait for his reply unnerve him so, he swallows a lump in his throat and nods.
"Yeah. I'd like that too."