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A xiao lantern. It is lit, and sent afloat to carry away your most beautiful wishes and desires. Millions of lanterns would drift through the sky, like stars shimmering in the dark of the night. “Make a wish,” they’d say. Though, one who has all they could ever desire has truly nothing to wish for, no? With a content heart, and a hand intertwined with his own, there would be nothing he would wish to change that moment. Sitting atop a hill, not too far from Liyue, watching the people release their utmost desires into the sky.
And a boy by his side. A boy who contained the entire solar system within him. A boy of endless, unpredictable fate. His eyes told the stories of the wind. Every moment spent with him was like a blessing from the gods themselves. There was never enough to perceive; he was an endless book, however one nearly nobody has ever read. They don't give difficult books a chance. A quick skim would do, but the moral would never be reached. Kazuha read him thoroughly and repeatedly. There was always something new to discover, to admire. The smell of the oceans that lay on his skin. His dark, short hair that gently blew with the summer breeze. The small blush that slept on his cheeks. A comforting warmth nestling between their entwined fingers. His soft breaths that only Kazuha could feel. Only Kazuha would ever witness a moment as pure as the one before him. A smile crawled to his face with that thought in mind.
“What are you doing?” Scaramouche ridiculed, turning his head marginally, greeting the eyes of the poetically spoken boy. With his free hand, Kazuha had taken the pleasure of slowly tucking a strand of Scaramouche’s hair behind his ear.
“Hm? Am I not allowed to enjoy my view?” He laughed slightly. Scaramouche rolled his eyes, fighting the upward twitch of the corner’s of his lips.
“You’re an idiot, you know that?” He replies, leisurely retracting his attention back to the lanterns. Kazuha continued staring at him, whilst debating on asking him the singular question on his mind. He watched Scaramouche’s eyes light up in awe the more he observed the lanterns. Had he never seen a festival like this before? Kazuha wondered.
“If you could have one wish, what would it be?” Kazuha questioned with a smile that could be heard through his words. One wish, he thought. A feeling of strong desire or hope for something. He pondered. What did he desire? He truly did not need much other than himself, and certainly did not need to spend time fantasizing of things he could not attain. He didn't need any inanimate objects or useless people that were just living time bombs waiting to expire. He turned to look at Kazuha, who was still smiling, awaiting the answer to his complex question.
Kaedehara Kazuha. The boy he’d, unfortunately, fallen deeply in love with. His emotions were completely out of his reach, yet he knew this was love. And it burdened him. It ached in his soul, it burned in his chest. But to him, Kazuha was like the sun. Beautiful from dawn until dusk. Something that warmed him entirely, and effortlessly. If Kazuha was the sun, then he himself was the earth; slowly revolving around him. And slowly beginning to rely on him. Though he would never admit it. Kazuha was one of the only people Scaramouche has ever grown to love unconditionally, besides his old companion who had been lost to death. Perhaps that was the reason Scaramouche never wanted to admit how important he was to him. One day, he will inevitably be taken from him.
And that’s when he conspired his wish.
“I’d wish for the ability to give eternal life.” Scaramouche looked up, meeting eyes with his questioner.
“Really?” Kazuha said, quite surprised. “That is the most interesting statement I’ve heard out of you.”
“Kazuha,” He starts. The boy nods in response. “I’d wish for you to live an eternal life.” Clearing his throat, he continued in a quieter voice. “With me.” He feared Kazuha’s reaction to his answer. Perhaps it was because he feared being selfish, he feared the emotions he endured towards this boy, he feared being too comfortable. Ignoring all of the sirens going off inside of his head, he stared back at the floating lights. The hand holding his own squeezed tenderly, as Kazuha moved closer to him. He rested his head onto Scaramouche’s shoulder, hesitantly.
“If it were possible, I would live with you forever.” Kazuha whispered. Heat rose to the tips of his ears, before gently grazing a kiss onto Scaramouche’s cheek.
There were very few moments like this; worrying about what lies ahead. The two of them enjoyed living in the present, dwelling on what the past and future may hold was but a foolish action. But they couldn't escape reality. Kazuha was a mortal, a mere human bearing the sands of time that were slowly, but surely running dry.