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"Okay, what about that one?" Sora asked pointing up at the night sky.
"That's Pisces. The two fish circling each other." Neku answered.
"And that one?" He pointed to another.
"Phoenix." The other responded again.
"Oh, Oh, and that one over there!" Sora pointed to another as Neku quietly sighed.
"Nothing it's just a cluster of stars." He answered the boy.
"How comes you know so much about stars?" Sora looked over at Neku.
"Well this is my favorite spot after all, so I'd figure I'd learn all the constellations that I would see." He explained to the brunette.
"Ah... That's pretty cool, you know all the names and patterns, how many is that?" The boy asked the other.
"88." Neku answered Sora who looked in awe at him while he kept his eyes on the sky.
"Whoa... That's a lot of em. And you learned about all of them. You're pretty smart Neku." Sora smiled as Neku glanced at him for a moment and chuckled a little.
"Thanks, Sora..." Neku said a little embarrassed to be complemented by the other.
Sakuraba Neku, 12 years old was a gifted scholar who studied a variety of subjects. His friend was Akarui Sora, 11 years old was his childhood friend, an adventurous and ordinary boy, always smiling and curious to learn. They were polar opposite but good friends, always together, helping each other out. This was one of their regular activities, stargazing on the hilltop clearing in the woods nearby Neku's house. It was quiet and peaceful and Neku had made it his own until Sora along with some of their friends stumbled into this place one night when they were playing together a few years ago. He preferred to be alone and just look up at the sky but he didn't mind Sora's company, even when he asked him questions about stars, what certain cloud looked like, or just other random things.
Sora was enjoyed hanging out with Neku, he felt like it was cool cause he knew so much stuff and he saw his friend as a typical cool guy. It made him feel special...
Some time had passed as they were still laying on the grass, it was a cool and crisp feeling on their backs as a gentle breeze blew through. Sora's eyes were half open as he was trying to keep them open wanting to stay awake so Neku wouldn't have to carry him again. The orange-haired boy glanced over at Sora before he then sat up reaching for his backpack and pull something out.
"Here. Use this, I don't wanna go yet and this will keep you warm." He said holding out a blanket for Sora as he had started bringing supplies when he planned to stay up here overnight or for a few hours.
"O-Oh, thanks." He said taking the blanket as he wrapped himself in it.
Neku chuckled as he then pulled a canned coffee, opened it and took a gulp. Sora noticed the beverage, it hadn't seen a drink like that before, it had different writing on it.
"What's that?" He asked as Neku looked over at him.
"Coffee, I got it from a world's convenient store... It's from Japan." Neku answered.
"Whoa, But coffee's a hot drink, why it's in a can?" Sora sat up curious to know.
"Cause you can get them like that back home. My dad drank them all the time back in Shibuya, and when we moved here he found a store that sold a similar brand." He explained to Sora.
"Can I try some?" He eagerly asked Neku who just looked at it.
"It's not like soda, it's a really bitter taste pause you wanna be a little older before you try it." He said as Sora just pouted.
"Please. Just a sip, besides you're like a year older than me and you drink it." He replied to the other.
"Well, that's cause I need to drink it and my brain works differently than yours." Neku teased Sora who just glared at him.
"Pleeaassseee!" Sora pleaded giving Neku the puppy dog eyes to the other who just stared at him before he simply exhales.
"Just a sip." He offered the can to Sora whose eyes lit up as he took the can and took a chug of the beverage. His eyes shot open as he suddenly spat out the substance.
"Ew, gross. You drink this?!" Sora turned his head in disgust as he handed the can back to Neku who was trying to contain his laughter.
"Told you." He said smugly as Sora just wiped his mouth trying to get the taste out of his mouth.
"Here." Neku had gotten another can out for him, this time it was fruit flavored soda.
"Thanks..." He took the can, opening it and took a sip to wash the coffee taste away.
(A few years later)
"The sky's covered in stars. I've never seen so many before." Sora looked in awe as he did on the other nights when the sky was filled with stars.
"Yeah..." Neku's tone was dull as his eyes barely open were focused on the stars.
"Hey is that Gemini?" Sora pointed to a constellation that he noticed as Neku's eyes slowly turned in that direction.
"Leo..." He answered as Sora looked at him with a concerned expression.
"Oh. Yeah, I can see it now." Sora said quietly, clearing his throat.
"I know what's bothering you... I understand. I really do you know. But you don't have to worry about me." Sora said smiling at Neku who didn't react.
"We shouldn't be sad... We need to be happy, this is a great opportunity for you Neku." Sora tried further to cheer Neku up.
"Don't you wanna go back to Shibuya?" He asked.
"I don't... Not if it means you can't be there with me." He answered simply.
"I spent so much time studying and preparing for the next exams and I passed, and now my parents wanna go back to Shibuya for a job, and I have to study on the other side of the world." Neku was frustrated as he spoke.
"It's not fair. And you, you weren't mad, you congratulated me, and said you were happy for me?! Knowing full well that we would be apart." Neku said looking at Sora.
"Would you have rather me be upset, to be angry at you for saying yes, to not fight more for you to stay?" Sora asked tilting his head a little.
"That wouldn't make me a very good boyfriend if I interfered with your future and separate you from your parents, just so you could stay with me?" Sora stated as he reached over to Neku taking his hand.
"I want you to go so that you succeed. And yeah I'm gonna be sad for a while after you go, but don't think that because we're on opposite ends of the world that it'll affect our relationship." Sora softly spoke to Neku who looked at him.
"I love you, you were my best friend and now we're partners. That won't change Neku, I promise you..." Sora said as he pressed his forehead against the other.
"I know... But it still hurts. I made a promise, back when we were kids, that I would stay by your side, and that I would protect you." Neku said squeezing Sora's hand tightly.
"I don't want us to drift apart because we'd be too far away from each other... I want it to work, and I can't imagine waking up without you there next to me." Neku said as Sora chuckled.
"Well, we don't always wake up next to each other..." Sora teased.
"I'm serious Sora. I wish that I could stay next to you, that we could keep coming here to look at the stars together." The teenager said.
"Every moment I've spent with you has been precious to me." Neku said as Sora's eyes widened a little.
This was real. This was really happening? They had just graduated from high school and now had made their plans to study at college or university. But due to his father's new job offer back in Shibuya, Neku was forced to change universities at the last minute and was leaving America and Sora behind. The other was going to study in another town but he was going to another country.
Of course, he was upset and worried about their relationship as a couple, the long distance thing didn't always work for people and Neku was concerned would and he Sora still be close if they were apart. Sora was happy for Neku for passing and getting into a really good university but he was upset but he was trying not to show it, he was being supportive and Neku thought that he didn't care...
But of course, he did. He was just trying not to show it, but this was it. In a few days, summer vacation would begin and Neku's family would be returning back to Japan. They had limited time together and they needed to talk about this before he left. They wouldn't be able to stargaze together anymore, be together, wake up together... Everything was changing.
"You know what? I'm really gonna miss you." Sora said lowering his head as he felt his eyes beginning to water.
"I'm gonna miss hearing you complain about life when you correct me on things I don't know. When you hold me in your arms, and I'm gonna miss when you use to give piggybacks when I fell asleep up here." Neku just listened as Sora's voice began to break a little.
"I'm gonna miss being here in this spot with you, looking up at the stars with you next to me." Sora's head was buried in Neku's chest.
"B-But... I don't mean that w-we'll drift apart okay. It doesn't matter, It... It's okay." Sora bit his lower lip, Here he was trying to cheer up Neku and now he was in tears.
"Sorry, I thought I could handle it." He chuckled annoyed at himself as Neku smiled, as he placed his hand on Sora's head gently stroking it.
"Yeah... You suck." Neku mocked the other as they chuckled as Neku's eyes watered a little as Sora just held onto him tightly.
"It really is a beautiful night huh?" Neku looked at the sky, as Sora was on his lap his face still hidden as he just nodded in agreement.
"I am gonna miss this place a lot." Neku sighed as most of his frustration was gone now as he held onto tight to Sora.
Some time had passed and Neku was sleeping beside Sora, their hands were still interlocked as the brunette was laying on him. It was sad that I'm a few weeks they would apart for the next four years but they were gonna try and make it work. No matter what.