Work Text:
They say that the eyes are the windows to the soul. Fanciful poetry meant to flatter people, meant to sound deep when you're really a cringy teenager. The only problem is, they were right.
"Yeah, that's right Aqua."
"I sure am sleepy, filming's just so early, ya know?"
"Oh, are the cameras already rolling?"
The moment Aqua meets Akane's gaze after she says those words, his heart skips a lot of beats. Enough to be concerned it had stopped completely for a moment before it starts again, heavier than before in its continual drumbeat fueled by anxiety and pain. There was no way this could be real. His whole life had revolved around the sheer unavoidable and unalterable fact that Hoshino Ai had died because of his failure. To see the spitting image of her aura and presence in his own classmate and co-actress threw him for a loop.
For but a brief moment in the view of everyone else, Hoshino Aqua had a blank look of confusion on his face. And then, just as he always did, he went back into professionalism, burying whatever he felt and putting on the facade that was so familiar to him because the one he learned it from had been his entire world.
For now, he needed to just act, and remember one simple truth.
Lies are a form of love.
Later, after he had finished filming for the day and had returned home to his sister and Miyako, he mused on the events of the day while continuing to feign interest in whatever Ruby had been talking about.
During the production that day, Akane had not once broken character while the cameras rolled. She was the perfect imitation of Ai. An unrivaled genius manifestation of character embodiment. This was both a problem and a confusing puzzle. Aqua was sure that there was no possibility of her being their mother reincarnated, as she had already been four years of age at the time of Ai's death. But other than that, how indeed could she have perfectly done the impossible? He himself had said there was no way to imitate the brilliant shining star that had been Ai. No one had even come close, not even Ruby, who was in many ways almost a carbon copy of her.
"This could be a massive headache waiting to happen. I must stay on guard. The last thing I need is to be caught off guard while this continues. Hopefully beyond this show she will drop the act so I can forget about it."
With that plan in mind, he would retire for the night to prepare for another long work day.
Weeks later, it was confirmed that he would have a hard time forgetting his interactions with one Kurokawa Akane.
First of all, they had been coached to continue closing in on each other by the crew, seeing a second couple emerging being great for driving interest and viewership. Second, Akane had continued with her "Ai" persona and had further demonstrated staggering insight into his late mother's character, almost effortlessly slipping into it as if sliding on a favorite coat. Her mannerisms continued to plague his mind, triggering several moments where his trauma threatened to overwhelm him.
Thankfully, today would be the last day of recording. Today there was another focus on him and Akane, as they had become the favorite couple. and the conversation was turning serious.
"How did you know how to act like her?"
"Well, it was mainly a combination of what information was out there and what assumptions I could make based on some things I learned from profiling books. I'm pretty intense when I want to get into a role, haha!"
"What kind of assumptions did you make? What things did you find?"
"I can't really tell you everything, but based on what connections I could make, I was able to conclude one major thing.
"Hoshino Ai most likely had a child in secret. And that's possibly why that stalker killed her."
WHAT! HOW COULD SHE KNOW THAT. WHAT IS SHE EVEN DOING TO BE ABLE TO KNOW THESE THINGS?
Aqua's heart was beating fast now, he had to know more about what this girl knew. What did she know about his mother?
"Oh really? You could deduce that kind of thing?"
"Oh yes. That and much more. What kind of men she would have been interested in, her lifestyle, what kind of relationship she had with the other members of B Komachi. A lot of things. You could say I know more about Ai than almost anyone."
This is it! My one chance to be able to find my father. If she knows this much about her while having never met her, versus me not knowing anything even though I lived with her for years, then she could be my ace in the hole! I can't lose her!"
When filming ended, that would be it for their professional relationship. But he couldn't afford that. He had to do something to keep their connection going.
This would require one drastic move.
Abruptly, Aqua moved closer to Akane, bringing his face closer to hers. He could see the shock in her expression, that glimmer of Ai's personality fading as he closed in, much to his relief. Don't need the guilt of basically kissing my own mom after all. And just like that, their lips met. And for a brief moment, the world felt like it had finally fallen into place.
And after he had pulled back, Akane's eyes had turned downward for a moment, her composure broken for just a few seconds. And then she looked back up, stars shining in her emerald gaze, and said something that threatened to shatter him.
"Aqua, I love you."
It took him a moment to register anything had been said, almost like a shutter had come down between them, muffling any sound. But when her words finally reached him where they could be understood, his vision began to shift, going from seeing the young actress in front of him to seeing the vision of his mother, eyes damp with tears and mouth dripping vital essence from the corner. His mother as she slumped against the wall,her eyes vacant. His mother's last words to them.
"Ruby, Aqua, I love you."
He felt sick, he felt like his body was falling, maybe he had. Maybe he was dreaming. No matter what was going on, he only knew one thing. He had betrayed Ai. He had gotten complacent. He had fallen into greed and wished for more than he should.
Ghistly specters of his past appeared. The forms of 4 year old Aqua and Gorou Amemiya glared coldly at him.
"How dare you. You sully our mother's name and likeness by falling for this imitation. How weak. How will you ever be strong enough to avenge her if you cannot repel a false idol like her? How could you?"
With this, Hoshino Aqua lost all control, and began to sink into oblivion.
With one final tear of regret, he would pass into unconsciousness, a whispered apology on his lips.
"I'm sorry. "
The cast of Love Now watched the adorable exchange between the star couple of the show, having anticipated something massive. The last day of filming had come and there were many hoping for that climactic kiss that the previous season was known for. They couldn't hear much. The crew had decided to not use audio for this last scene, at the two's request. There did seem to be something serious going on, and many could only imagine what they were saying.
Mem-cho was pacing, nervous as they just continued their conversation.
"When are they going to wrap this up? They haven't even kissed yet! This is ridiculous!"
Yuki chuckled a little, as she became somewhat fond of her friend's antics. "Relax, Mem. They've got to get the right kind of build-up first. You can't hit the peak without first climbing up the slope of the mountain first. It's progressing fine."
All of a sudden, one of the crew says, "Shh! I think it's time! Watch!"
Sure enough, Aqua had stepped forward, and he and Akane locked lips. They stayed like that for a moment, before slowly parting again. Akane had looked down for a second, almost seeming to gather her thoughts, before looking up at Aqua with a smile. She had said something, and smiled even wider afterward.
Then, all hell broke loose.
Aqua's eyes began to widen, his face slack with a shock almost reminiscent of a soldier returning from a horrific battle. His breathing quickened, his eyes began to water, and his legs were shaking like trees blown about by a hurricane.
Mem-cho was the first to react, a cry escaping her lips as they watched Aqua collapse to the ground. She was on her feet and running towards the two as the rest of them got moving as well, the director shouting over the din of commotion.
"Shit! Someone call the medics, we need him checked on. You two, cut the cameras, let's hope we can salvage something after we make sure everything is alright. Everyone else, give them space!"
As the flurry of activity continued. Mem dropped down beside Aqua, quickly checking to make sure he wasn't injured. The next thing she did was to try and calm him." Aqua-kun, can you hear me? It's Mem-cho, it's alright. Can you tell me what's wrong? Please?" She was less than sure she was even getting through to him,as he continued to shake and curl up into a ball on the ground, his aquamarine eyes sightlessly staring into the distance.
Mere inches away, Akane looked on in horror as she watched the boy she had begun to fall in love with succumb to demons that she had no idea how to deal with. Witnessing his struggle as he shivered on the ground, her own ordeals with the darker side of the human mind paled in comparison.
Her eyes pricked with tears as she witnessed her savior succumb to something she couldn't help him with. As she watched, she saw him slowly begin to stop shaking as the medics took over for Mem and began to diagnose the problem. She could almost hear him whisper something. It sounded like "I'm sorry."
As she heard him say that, she could only think one thing.
"Oh gods. This is my fault. I should have never said that. What have I done?"