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Magic has existed in this world for as long as humankind can remember. With the development of humanity came the development of the arcane. The understanding of magic changed from a mysterious lifesource to an incredible energy with an immeasurable number of studies conducted on it. Theorems, properties, and laws became so well laid out that magic was no longer referred to as one overarching ability, but instead divided into nearly infinite categories and subcategories.
As magic became the focal point of society, some took to pursue studying the arcane further so humans could utilize it to its full potential. Others focused more on adapting it into modern applications, or entertainment. Despite the many branching paths of styles and use, most people stuck to one category of magic so they could best perfect their chosen path.
And then there's Itsuki Shu.
Shu chose to apply his studies and abilities into a refined artform. Though, unlike most arcane artists, he didn't want to focus solely on one path. To him, understanding magic as a whole and being able to adapt and understand every unique property about it was the best way one could create true art. With that ideology, Shu dedicated himself to study every known type of magic . He knew that the goal he set for himself was high, but he refused to back down from that challenge.
During his time in school, those who caught wind of his chosen path called him "foolish", said he was "biting off more than he could chew" or, at worst, they called him a "lunatic". Nonetheless, he stuck true to his path.
There was only one person who seemed to support Shu's endeavors—a boy named Kagehira Mika. He too was looking into more artistic forms that magic could be used in, however he had a near opposite goal to Shu. While Shu pursued all forms of magic, Mika was in search of one type to find a home in. Throughout his life, there wasn't a single type of magic that called out to him. That wasn't to say he couldn't use his magic. It might've been tricky at times, but not impossible. The problem was that none of the magic he used felt like it belonged to him. It was frustrating, to say the least.
One day after Mika had ran into another dead end, he decided to search in the library for something that might catch his eye and lead him down another path to try. It was on this day that Mika first met Shu, sitting at a table in the library. His eyes were locked on the book in front of him, but from the way his eyebrows were furrowed, Mika could tell Shu was having an unpleasant time.
Mika had heard of Shu in passing from other students. Since he'd never seen the person they were talking about, Mika never put much thought into what they were saying until that moment. If this guy's learnin' 'bout all th' types of magic… Mika thought, ...Then, he'd be able t' find somethin' that would call t' me for sure! With that thought in his head, and a rush of excitement, Mika sat down at the same table as Shu, asking for his assistance
Shu remained on guard when Mika first approached, but whenever Mika explained his plight and Shu saw the determination in those mismatched eyes, he realized Mika was being completely genuine. Once it clicked in his head, Shu couldn't help but smile ever so slightly. Mika may have been seeking a direction to follow, but he was willing to go through every possible option before giving up. It wasn't the exact same direction Shu was going, but it had a similar heart behind it. Mika was even a developing artist—Shu would value having another artist's perspective on using each type of magic in their work more than anything. Who would Shu be to turn down Mika's request?
From that day onward, Shu and Mika studied together. With each new category of magic Shu dipped into, Mika followed him, helping him gather any research he could and even trying them himself. With how much faster and in-depth his studies were going thanks to Mika's assistance, Shu even invited Mika to stay with him so that the two could spend time outside of their classes cultivating their craft. Spending nearly every moment together led the pair to share a much deeper bond than they'd ever imagined.
Shu's bond with Mika stirred up some unexplainable emotions. As the months passed by, Shu started to notice more symptoms of these strange feelings—like how he felt warmth in his chest anytime Mika called his name. Or, how when Mika laughed, Shu always smiled. Or even how if Mika happened to get super close to him or even hugged him out of pure impulse, Shu always felt his face heat up. They weren't unpleasant feelings to say the least, but it wasn't an emotion Shu was certain how to put in words. The feelings started small, easy to dismiss after a moment, however they quickly grew into something he was thinking about constantly.
Shu's feelings reached a near boiling point while he was studying celestial magic—magic involving celestial bodies such as stars. Shu had done enough reading on the subject that it was time for him to go out and practice using that magic. Mika learned more by doing, so this was the best time for the two of them to go out together. The best spot to practice would be some place far from the lights of the city, and close to the sky, so that was where Shu planned to take Mika. If I'm fortunate enough, this time together will help me sort out these emotions that have overtaken my thoughts, Shu thought.
Having prepared everything he needed and with a plan in mind, Shu left his room to retrieve Mika. Mika's room was just a bit down the hall from Shu's, so only a few seconds passed by the time Shu arrived at the door and knocked.
"Just a sec!" Mika called from the other side. Shu leaned back slightly as Mika shuffled around in his room doing who knows what. A moment later, the door opened. Mika blinked and looked Shu up and down, noticing a small messenger bag over his shoulder. Mika grinned as soon as he saw this and looked up to Shu. "Ya look like yer ready t' go somewhere."
"I want to try my hand at using celestial magic tonight." Shu glanced towards a nearby window for a moment, then looked back to Mika. "It's clear outside tonight, and I've found a spot that should give a clear view of the stars."
"Oh!" Mika giggled a bit. "Didn't realize we were that far along. Time really flies, huh?"
Shu felt his heart flutter at Mika's giggle. It seemed like every time he saw Mika's smile or heard his laugh, that would happen. Hopefully he'd have an explanation for it tonight.
"It does. Since we should get as close to the stars as possible, I planned to travel to our destination by broom." Shu paused for a moment before continuing. "It's a bit of a longer distance and we'd be airborne for a while, so I'm not expecting you to do it but… would you like to practice flying as well?"
For quick personal travel, flying with a broom was the most common method of transportation used by magic users. Mika, however, had trouble grasping how to fly. It was one of those types of magic Mika struggled with. Most travelling Mika had done via broom was while riding on the same broom as Shu. Shu had been giving him small lessons from time to time so Mika could eventually do it by himself, but despite his successes in practice, Mika was hesitant to practice away from home. Nevertheless, Shu always offered.
"Nn… I think I wanna wait." Mika gave Shu an awkward smile. "I've been doin' better on flyin' for a long time, but 'm not so good at holdin' m'self still in th' air, y'know?"
"That's alright," Shu replied while giving Mika a nod. "I'll take us there. Though we should get going before it gets too late. I may need to work in the night, however I'd rather not be out until three in the morning."
Mika let out a small yelp. "Yer right! Lemme get ready, I'll be out super quick!" He quickly swung the door shut. Shu heard him move away from the door. "I'll meet ya by th' front door!"
Shu let out a sigh, slightly smiling. "Alright. Try not to rush so much that you slip and fall."
"What did ya say, Shu?" Mika's question was quickly followed by a few panicked 'nnah's and a somewhat hard tha-thunk that made Shu stare at the door, holding his breath. Mika doesn't make another sound until a few seconds later. "Everythin's okay! I caught m'self on th' dresser!"
Shu ran a hand through his hair and exhaled. He was thankful that Mika had caught himself safely, but… he wished Mika wasn't so clumsy so he didn't have to worry as much. Once he hears Mika walking around his room again, Shu turns to head towards the front door. "I'm glad you're alright. I'll see you at the door."
"M'kay!"
******
Getting to the spot Shu had picked out wasn't an awfully long trip, but somehow Shu felt like it was an eternity. Not because he was impatient, but because he was distracted by Mika's arms around his waist the entire flight. It wasn't anything unusual, Mika always did something like to keep himself secure when riding with Shu, but something about it this time made Shu's heart pound. He was much more aware of Mika's presence on the broom than before, and honestly found himself a bit comforted by it. Though the way his heart was pounding, he definitely needed to land for a moment before trying to work with the stars. He slowly descended with his broom, landing on a grassy hill.
"It's quiet out here…" Mika mumbled, scanning the surrounding area.
"I needed to find a spot far from any sort of town so that we could better see the stars." Once both of them were off of the broom, Shu pointed at the sky. "See?"
Mika followed Shu's finger to look up at the sky. Once he saw the near infinite stars lighting up the night, he gasped and grinned from ear to ear. "I've never seen this many stars! It's so pretty~!"
Shu smiled slightly at Mika's fascination. "Lights from cities drown out many of the stars in the sky. There are billions of stars—we simply aren't able to see as many because of our typical environment."
Mika nodded his head in understanding, still looking up at the night sky. "It'd be nice t' see this more often…" Mika trailed off, then gasped, turning quickly to face Shu. Shu jumped a bit in surprise at Mika's turn and Shu's face flushed in embarrassment, thinking he'd been caught staring. "We're here 'cause we were lookin' into using our magic with the stars! So we're gonna try and use 'em for art, yeah?"
Shu stared at Mika like a deer caught in the headlights for a moment. Mika didn't say anything about noticing him staring, so that was a good sign. He sighed a bit and relaxed himself. "That is my primary intent behind studying magic like this, yes. Though, I need to practice and see what can be done so that I'd know how to use them."
Mika nodded with a grin, very subtly bouncing on his heels. "Gotcha gotcha~ Are ya gonna try first, or do you want me t' try?"
Shu felt a small smile tug at the corner of his lips. He could tell Mika was eager, and he looked so…cute. Is that it? He's cute..? Shu furrowed his brow, now distracted from Mika's question by his ever-confusing emotions. Mika is quite aesthetically pleasing to look at. I noticed that quite some time ago. But… is that really what these emotions stem from? Only me finding him adorable…? No, it's something deeper than that. I just can't—
"Shu? Is everythin' okay?" Mika's words yanked Shu from his thoughts. He quickly looked up to see Mika's expression had shifted from excitement to concern. Shu cursed himself under his breath for making Mika worry.
"I'm alright. Thank you, Mika." Shu ran a hand through his hair, then looked back up at the night sky. "...If I practiced first, I'd have a better visual example so I'd know how to help you learn. However, I should give you opportunities to try on your own." Shu looked down in thought. "... We'll have you try first. I think it'd be good for developing your magical abilities. Is that alright?"
"Yep!" Mika grinned from ear to ear. "I can do that!"
"Excellent." Shu held a hand out to Mika. "The closer we are to the stars, the easier it should be to cast magic on them. I'll fly us higher into the sky for that."
Without hesitation, Mika took Shu's hand. The feeling of their hands together immediately made Shu feel butterflies in his stomach. With that feeling alone, Shu knew for certain the feelings he had for Mika were something much deeper than a surface-level attraction. But he had something else to focus on for a moment; getting Mika into the air and helping him with his magic. Once he and Mika we're back on his broom, Shu flew the two of them into the sky.
"I'm certain you remember the first thing to keep in mind when using your magic, yes?" Shu asked, making sure Mika was mentally prepared. It was also something to take Shu's focus away from Mika's arms being around him again, but he wasn't going to admit that.
"Mhm. I gotta stay calm." Mika's arms wrapped around Shu's waist a little tighter. So much for the distraction. "Stayin' calm helps keep my focus, and keeps my magic steady."
"P...precisely." Shu nodded slightly, slowing their flight to a stationary hover once they'd gotten high enough in the air. Shu turned himself to look back at Mika. "Celestial magic such as this on a small scale revolves more around channeling energy from the stars rather than manipulating the stars themselves. To start, simply try and harness some of the energy from the stars. Concentrate it at the top of your wand."
"Th' tip of my wand…" Mika carefully removed an arm from Shu's waist and reached into a small pouch attached to his waist, pulling out his wand. He lifts it towards the stars. "And channel energy from th' stars." Mika took a deep breath, trying to focus.
Shu watched Mika's demeanor shift to a much more serious and calm one. It had taken practice for Mika to effectively keep himself calm. When the two of them first began studying together, Mika tended to be so nervous before trying something new that his wand trembled in his hand. Shu saw a spark in Mika's determination when they first met, and he wanted nothing more than to see Mika blossom to his full potential. Seeing how far Mika had come in that moment brought a gentle smile to Shu's face.
To think he'd come this far in what seems so short of time… It's admirable. Shu paused on that thought. Admiration. Would that be what I'm feeling towards Mika? I do admire him... Is that all?
"Shu! Shu! Look!"
Once again, Mika's voice brought Shu out of his own head. He was grinning, and holding what looked to be a small ball of light on the tip of his wand.
"I got it so quickly! Ain't it pretty, Shu?" Mika giggled, then gasped and quickly cleared his throat and let out a sigh to calm himself down. "U-uhm… Sorry, I was gettin' a lil' too excited."
"It's alright to be excited." Shu gave a small nod, looking back towards Mika's wand. "It's exciting to learn a new skill."
Mika blinked, then smiled at Shu. "Yer right. 'S real excitin'."
Shu's cheeks flushed when Mika smiled at him. That smile of his… It's infectious. As he thought about the warmth behind Mika's smile, Shu gave Mika a smile of his own. Mika hummed happily when he saw it.
"I really like it when ya smile. You've got a good smile." Mika's smile grew into a grin. "Makes me feel kinda special seein' it."
"H-hm? Is that so?" Shu could only feel his cheeks get even warmer at the complement. Whatever the feelings Shu had were, they were far deeper than admiration. He seriously needed to figure this out, for his own sanity at least . "That's kind of you to say, Mika."
"U-uhm, now, the next step…" Shu made a quick move to change the subject. "Try moving what you have gathered in sync with your wand. Loosen your focus enough so that energy leaves a small trail. Essentially, try to draw with it."
"Draw?" Mika looked back towards his wand. "Drawin' with stars. It sounds fun~" He took a deep breath to ground himself, then slowly started moving the wand. The magic at the top of his wand seemed to wobble, but it wasn't leaving as much of a trail. Mika frowned slightly and glanced at Shu, looking for support.
"It's alright." Shu didn't hesitate to respond to Mika's silent request. The small frown was the only signal he needed. Seeing Mika frown was the last thing Shu wanted. "Relax a bit more. Try not to think about keeping your magic in one place. If a visual helps, try playing connect the dots with some of the stars in the sky."
Mika nodded. He visibly relaxed and moved his wand to point from one star to the next. A bit of the magic started to trail behind the wand. The trail slowly became longer and longer until Mika was finally leaving small, twinkling lines above him pointing from one star to the next. Once he realized how well he was drawing the lines, Mika looked to Shu with a grin.
"I got it now! It's fun t' do once ya get th' hang of it!" Mika lifted his head slightly with pride, then looked back to the sky. "We could make a lotta beautiful things with this. Maybe like…" Mika trailed off and stared at the lines that were still floating in the air. He whined and waved his free hand in the middle of it, making the magic scatter. Then, he put his wand back out and very slowly drew a smiley face. Once finished, he looked back to Shu, smiling like the smiley face he drew.
Shu laughed under his breath. "Yes, you're correct. And your face is nice."
Mika blinked and his face flushed. Shu noticed the shift in his expression and raised an eyebrow. After a moment of thought, he realized—instead of looking towards the drawing, he stared at Mika when he called his face "nice". Once it clicked, Shu quickly looked away from Mika to hide how red his own face turned.
"Th-the drawing, I meant, the drawing." Shu stumbled over his words. "My apologies for not being clear."
...Was it really just the drawing? "Nice" would be a way to describe Mika's face, but thinking about it, Shu would pick something more than just "nice". Something more like "handsome", "beautiful", or "radiant", perhaps.
Mika simply giggled. "It's okay t' say my face is nice. I don't hear it too often, so it felt good. 'Sides, I think yer face is nice too, Shu~"
That caught Shu entirely off guard. He peeked over his shoulder towards Mika, still trying to keep his face hidden. "You...do?"
Mika nodded with a grin. "Mhm. You've always been so kind t' me, too." He gently put his hands in his lap. "I appreciate it. 'Specially since you've been a big help with my magic. I don't know what I'd be doin' without ya."
Shu turned to face Mika completely. He saw Mika staring at his hands in his lap with a smile on his face. Shu didn't expect for Mika to say something so simple, yet meaningful. Not to mention the gentleness he heard in Mika's voice. Shu could tell that what Mika said came from his heart.
His heart… Shu gently put a hand on his chest. He could feel his heart racing. Normally when he felt his heart pound, it was out of some sort of stress or anxiety. This time, however, Shu felt happy. Perhaps I need to do the same.
"Mika. There's something I need to discuss with you."
Mika looked up at Shu. "Nn? What is it?"
"I…" Shu sighed. "I've been having these...thoughts and feelings that I cannot fully understand."
Mika tilted his head. "Whaddya mean?"
"While being around you, I've noticed my mind starts racing, as does...my heart. I'm unsure of what any of it means."
Mika's expression shifted to one of concern. "S'it like anxiety or somethin'? Am I doin' somethin' that stresses ya out? I'm sorry if I am! If ya tell me what it is, I'll knock it off—"
Shu quickly put a hand up to stop Mika from rambling any further. "No! No no no, absolutely nothing like that. I believe it's the opposite of that, honestly."
"Th' opposite? Of anxiety?" Mika furrowed his brow. "Like… I make ya feel calm?"
"Well, that isn't exactly what I was trying to say, however I suppose that isn't wrong …"
"What were ya tryin' t' say?"
Shu tried to swallow down his nerves. His face flushed at the mere thought of explaining these feelings to Mika. "You make me feel... happy? I suppose. More than that but..." He sighs, trying to find his words. "I admire your growth. Not just that, your smile is infectious, and you're… You're breathtaking. It's difficult for me to take my eyes off of you. Not to mention your abundance of kindness, and the way you've stayed around me and supported me all this time ...I care for you deeply."
Mika's face turned a deeper shade of red the further Shu spoke. His mouth hung open slightly and he stared at Shu in silence as he tried desperately to grasp at a cohesive thought.
"Y...ya do?" Mika squeaked out after a moment.
Shu nodded slightly in response. "I do. I couldn't imagine what I would have done without you." He sighed. "I've been trying to understand what exactly these feelings are. Telling you how I feel seems like a good start."
Mika knew exactly what Shu's feelings were. It was obvious—love. He loved Mika. Mika was able to tell because he felt the same about Shu . Mika was far too nervous to tell Shu about his feelings, so he kept quiet about it for months. Mika never expected Shu to return those feelings, though. He heard it for himself, though; Despite all expectations, Shu loved Mika the same as Mika loved Shu. It seemed too good to be true. In fact—
"Ow!" Mika winced after pinching his arm.
And in response, Shu went into a protective worry. "Mika? What was that about? Are you alright??"
"I'm fine, I promise!" Mika gave Shu a small smile. "No need t' worry, I was just… checkin' if this was a dream."
"A dream?" Shu raised an eyebrow at Mika. "Why would this be a dream?"
"...'Cause."
"Because…?"
Mika looked away a bit sheepishly. "...'Cause of how ya said ya feel 'bout me."
Shu felt more confused now than he was trying to put his feelings into words in the first place. "What do you mean by that?"
Mika looked back to Shu, biting the inside of his lip. "I...feel th' same 'bout you, Shu."
Shu stared at Mika, his mouth slightly agape. He froze in place as he processed the words Mika had said. Eventually, he spoke. "So you know what this feeling is?"
Mika nodded.
"What is it?"
Mika hesitated. "Love."
The word made everything in Shu's mind fall into place. "Love…" He gasped, then locked eyes with Mika. "That's it. That's exactly it." Shu took Mika's hand gently. "…I love you, Mika."
Mika lightly squeezed Shu's hand with a smile. Tears pricked at the corners of his eyes. "I love ya too, Shu."
The two stared at each other with rosy cheeks and smiles on their faces. Shu moved to lean in closer to Mika, but was quickly startled away by a yelp from Mika and his broom suddenly dropping down. He grabbed onto the broom tightly and directed his focus back to keeping him and Mika in the air. He sighed slightly, then looked up at Mika apologetically. Mika simply giggled.
"It was kinda spooky, but I'm okay. Promise." Mika smiled at Shu.
Shu nodded. "I should probably wait until we're out of the air for that…"
Mika laughed, then leaned in and kissed Shu's cheek gently. Shu gasped quietly once he felt it, putting a hand on his cheek the moment Mika leaned back.
"I don't have t' focus on flyin'." Mika grinned.
"R-right…" Shu glanced away as his face turned a deep shade of red.
Mika stared at Shu with a smile for a moment. "Do ya wanna get back t' practicin' magic? Ya haven't gotten a chance t' try, after all."
"Ah, right, magic." Shu looked back to Mika and gave a small nod. He was so caught up in his emotions and finding out Mika shared those emotions that practicing magic had completely slipped his mind. Shu tried to bring his thoughts back to his magic studies. His mind, however, was uncooperative, and continued to pull his thoughts back to Mika. Shu sighed to himself, realizing he was unable to focus. "Perhaps it's best we head home for the night. We can come back tomorrow. I can't seem to get you off of my mind."
Mika snickered. "Okay. We can go home." He waited until Shu looked prepared to fly home. Once he was, Mika wrapped his arms around Shu's waist and leaned against him. "I don't mind ya thinkin' about me though."
Shu quietly laughed. "Then I'll continue to think about you."
With a newfound warmth in their hearts, Shu and Mika flew home to spend the rest of their evening together.