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Nikaido Akira wanted to admit he was overjoyed now that his life was normal and boring again.
That was what he said when asked, anyways. By Keigo. By Aya. By everyone. He was happy. At least, that was what he would always say. But really, he wasn’t. Not even a little. Not at all.
It took him a bit to figure that out. That, overall, something was missing. Or rather, someone...
Akira stared at his feet, shuffling them restlessly within the puddle of water he was standing in, rain pouring all around him. He allowed himself to glance up at the sky for a bit, an odd thought suddenly crossing his mind.
The clouds... It looked as though they were crying. What an odd thought. Maybe. Maybe not. Perhaps he was simply projecting? Possibly so. Could be. He, sort of, wanted to cry right now. He just...didn’t have it in him to shed any tears.
To be fair, it was as though there was nothing left within him, anymore. He felt empty. Numb. Just like how a person would be when they lost a loved one. Akira had that kind of impression. Of loss. Of heartache. Yes, he was moping, thank you very much - allow it.
He would’ve never imagined not ever seeing Shirogane again would make such a mess of him. Then again, people loved to take things for granted, only knowing of their true worth and value once they were gone. No longer there. Out of reach. Out of touch. Just forever gone.
Dripping wet from head to toe, Akira was just about soaked to the bone by now. He didn’t care.
He parted his lips, and heaved out a loud, jaded sigh, tasting rain on his tongue as he closed his eyes, basking in an instant of utter, despondent misery. So, what if he caught a cold after this? It didn’t matter. Nothing mattered anymore to Akira. Nothing.
All of a sudden, the rain just, stopped. Well, no, not exactly, as Akira could hear it pouring still. The raindrops were simply, no longer falling down on him.
He blinked. Had he fallen ill already? Damn, sicknesses moved fast. He was hallucinating now - he had to be, right? Unless...
Wide-eyed, Akira glanced upward, only to see the inside of a black umbrella currently hovering above him, and shielding him from the onslaught of dousing rain. An umbrella... An umbrella? Wait, who?
Quick enough to earn himself a whiplash, Akira snapped his head around to see who was there. And if he hadn’t been completely taken aback by who he was seeing right now, standing beside him, he probably would have dropped down to his knees and burst out into tears. Out of shock - and probably out of something akin to pure and sheer relief.
Instead, ever so slowly, warily, as though he was afraid this moment would come to an end and be but a dream, Akira raised a trembling hand up to the beautiful face peering lovingly down at him from above. His shaky, quivering fingers tentatively reached out for pale, snow-white skin. Soft to the touch. Soft, and very much real.
Oh. This wasn’t a dream. Akira gasped audibly, his eyes wide with disbelief, emotion and tears. He wasn’t delusional. There was just no way to mistake him for anyone else in the entire world. Tall, stunningly pale-skinned, ankle-length silver hair kept in a single long braid, dark azure eyes with a touch of mascara, light red lips, white gloves, clothed entirely in black– Shirogane.
It was definitely him. Shirogane was real. And he was here, with him, in the middle of the rain.
Overcome with emotion and utterly unsure what to feel in the moment as Shirogane smiled at him tenderly, Akira went and straight-up slapped the other across the face, the smack echoing.
Shirogane, stunned by the blow, blinked. Once. Twice. He then glanced wide-eyed at Akira: “Will admit that I was not expecting that. What have I done to deserve such violence, my dear?”
At first, there was nothing but silence as a response to Shirogane’s query. Just silence and rain. But then–
“Don’t you DARE act like nothing happened, Shirogane,” snapped Akira sharply, his tone thick with accusation and vexation, which in turn led the other’s smile to become smaller, penitent “You left, remember?”
“Yes, I did,” whispered Shirogane gently, his soft gaze conveying much ruefulness and regret, as he reached out for Akira, to hold him, to comfort him.
But the young man jerked away, his eyes flashing with hurt, shining with ire: “How could you?”
Shirogane blinked, seeming somewhat surprised: “You’re being quaint, Akira, dear. I’ll have you know, never for a single moment did I want to leave. Please understand. I had no choice–”
“You left ME,” let out Akira then, his voice heavy with a strangled, quiet sob “You. Left. Me.”
And though Shirogane smiled sadly, hoping to portray to his loved one just how sorry he was, he couldn’t thwart his heart from shattering a tad at how affected Akira had been by his absence. If Shirogane had the ability to travel back in time and fix that horrid, devastating thing, he would do it in a heartbeat. Alas, powerful as he indeed was, there was just so much he was capable of. And right now, the only thing that truly mattered, was being here for Akira. Even if he was late.
Leaving such thoughts for another time, Shirogane reached out for the angry and shaking Akira, before wrapping his long, lean arms around the younger male’s frame, drawing him in closer.
This time, Akira didn’t resist the embrace, allowing the other to engulf him within his warmth. However, he took it upon himself to not return it in any shape or form, remaining entirely rigid, still seething. Still mad. Still hurt. Oh, how he wanted to just smack Shirogane. Again. Like, right now.
But...
Part of the tension in his frame dissipated ever so slightly, as Akira closed his eyes. He breathed in Shirogane’s sweet, piquant scent, leading him to relax within the other’s gentle, warm hold. They remained as such, oblivious to the fact that the rain had long stopped falling, too immersed in each other to ever notice. This moment was far too precious, too tender, too blissful to break.
“How I have missed you, Akira, my love.”
‘That should be my line, baka,’ thought Akira grumpily, pouting even, as he glared at the floor.
Sensing that Akira was mellowing out, Shirogane delicately tilted the other’s head upwards, before slowly, gradually leaning in for a kiss. But Akira didn’t let it happen, pulling away fast.
“DON’T. You. DARE.”
“I think you’re upset with me,” observed Shirogane after a moment, his eyes going a tad wide, though he did have enough sense to not say out loud ‘still?’.
“No DUH. What gave it away?” snapped Akira mordantly under his breath, as he looked away.
“I’m back now, aren’t I?” voiced Shirogane, as if that alone was enough to make it all be okay.
Spoiler alert - it wasn’t. And Akira’s already very thinly veiled rage exploding, then and there.
“After HOW LONG?! It wasn’t an overnight thing, Shirogane – if it was, I wouldn’t be fuming! It’s been over TWO years!!! You sure took your sweet time, huh??!! That’s seven hundred, and thirty damn, BLOODY days, Shirogane!!! Be sorrier, dang it and DAMN YOU!!!”
Akira was panting now, heart beating so loudly, it was all he could hear. And beating so hard, the pulsating veins within his forehead and neck being all Shirogane could see at the moment. Pretty, blue gems for eyes lowered then, as the older man whispered: “If I offer explanations, you’ll see it as nothing but excuses, won’t you.”
At the contrite sight that Shirogane was right now, Akira made an effort to recollect himself, sniffing with a slight, snobbish air as he clenched his jaw: “Right now? Yes. Later? Maybe not. I’ll probably listen to later. Much, later.”
Hope and pure delight brightened Shirogane’s face then, and Akira almost cracked into a smile. Almost. He was still mad at the other, thank you very much. Well, not as upset as prior though.
“You better not ever leave me again, Shirogane.”
“Never again,” vowed Shirogane gently, as he again leaned in for a kiss, which Akira accepted this time.
Losing themselves in their moment, in each other, neither noting the rain had stopped long ago, a beam of golden light parting the clouds, and showing off a spectacular rainbow in the distance.
The End.