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“Wataru-niisan,” Natsume finally said, breaking the peaceful quiet, ”why do you act like you’re ashamed of ME?”
Four pairs of eyes jolted, four heads swiveled around in shock to stare at Natsume, whose own golden eyes averted to lock onto the wall, instead of meeting his inspirations’ gazes.
There was a clinging moment of awkward, deafening silence, before anyone spoke at all. Shu opened his mouth to say something, but snapped it closed; Kanata looked like a fish out of water, and Rei seemed like he was about to throw up. In an instant, Rei motioned with his hand to Kanata and Shu, who both nodded and stepped out of the room in quite the rush.
“N-Natsume…” Wataru breathed, looking like a deer in headlights and staring at the redhead who still didn’t dare look him in the eyes, “Is that really…”
Before he could finish, Natsume nodded “yes” so forcefully that he shook out a barrette; white-gold with a pentagram and a rose carved into it. The jester of the oddballs had given it to him a long time ago, before the war and before hurt seeped into Natsume’s heart like a sponge collecting blood from a crime scene. The redhead made no move to pick it up, and Wataru hesitated before bending down, picking up the barrette with a gentle hand. Natsume heard the “tap, tap, tap” of Wataru’s high-heeled boots advancing toward him, and he refused to look up, even as they stopped in his line of sight.
“Natsume-chan,” Wataru whispered, tilting Natsume’s chin upward with long, painted fingers, “You look stunning in this.” Natsume squeezed his eyes shut, and the eccentric, blue-haired teen sighed deeply. Skillful fingers clipped the accessory back into Natsume’s silky, crimson hair, and when the younger dropped his head, the third year sat next to him.
“You can put your head on my shoulder,” he whispered, “It’s okay, my little dove.”
“Every time that you call me that, it hurts… How can I be your little dove if you don’t want to be seen with me? Please, Hibiki… ” Wataru winced at that. “I just… I wish… you were proud of me…”
“I’m so, so proud of you, Natsume-chan,” Wataru whispered, voice sticking in his throat. “All of us are, but I, most of all.”
Natsume swallowed down a sob and buried his face in Wataru’s chest. The taller boy could feel him shaking as he rubbed his back, almost bringing himself to tears in the process.
“It’s… okay, little dove.” He murmured, stroking down the second year’s taut shoulders with slender fingers. “You're okay. I promise you.”
Natsume’s thin frame rattled with sobs as he pressed his face into Wataru’s chest like a baby kitten hiding from the world. “What is it that you need from me? Your Hibiki Wataru would do anything for you,” he paused, “I promise.”
The redhead looked up, wiping tears from his eyes with the back of his hand, and drew in a shaky breath.
“I…”
“Please,” The jester encouraged. “I need to know what I could do to make you happy again.”
“I WANNA BE LOVED BY YOU!” Natsume’s voice cracked as he spoke, and he choked down another whimper as he repeated himself. “I wanna be.. loved by you…”
The older boy wrapped his arms tightly around Natsume’s waist, and, eyes filled with emotion, he responded.
“Natsume,” violet eyes ripped into the witch’s soul as Wataru spoke each word with passion. “Natsume-chan, there has never been a day in my lowly life where I haven’t thought of you as less than the stars, moon and sun in my sky. You’re the reason I smile when there’s nothing to smile about, and I am honored to serve you, my little dove. I have never loved another with the same standard of how I love you.”
With that, Natsume allowed a soft smile of acceptance through his tears, and he pressed his face into his senior’s neck.
“Please never leave me again,” He murmured, drained, “I don’t want to be greedy, but I love you too much to lose you.” The word ‘again’ lingered on his lips, and both of them noticed.
“You are not greedy. As long as this Hibiki Wataru is alive, he will never step foot away from your side again. Never.”
“Wataru?”
“Yes, little dove?”
“I love you.”