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Another long day at the café behind her. Another day, come and gone… Takina was suddenly extremely aware of the passage of time, hating every minute, every hour that left her. For the first time in a long, long while…
She wished time would stop. More than anything, she wished for time to pause, for a little more.
Walking mindlessly out of the changing room and offering a short, empty smile to Kurumi, who was waving goodbye at her, Takina opened the door of the café, intent on going home and maybe lay down in bed in the darkness. She was just so tired, lately.
Her eyes caught on the blonde head she was, admittedly not on purpose, trying to avoid. The light coming from the stained glass would color her pale hair, dying it in soft pink and orange hues.
Hearing the bell jingling over the door when Takina exited the café, Chisato turned around from her seat on the bench, right in front of the café, and upon seeing Takina staring at her, she smiled.
It was soft, warm, like always. But somehow, it tore her heart apart, shattering it, and the pieces fell in the depths of her chest, rattling around every step.
“Going home?” Chisato guessed, returning her attention up above as she was apparently looking up at the cloudy sky.
“Yeah.”
A soft hum answered her, and for a second, she didn’t quite know what to do. Everything was so… strange, lately. Chisato, despite knowing she had more or less only two months left to live, was still her usual self. Cheerful and bubbly, and… happy.
Chisato looked happy. Despite the fact that everything was just so unfair.
All the others tried to act as normal, but Takina could see the residual tension, the stress in the others, in the ambiance of the café. Mizuki swore more often. Kurumi was more silent. Mika was… A little more morose. As for her…
Takina wasn’t taking the news well at all.
“You seem thoughtful,” Chisato’s voice caught her attention, as she was just standing there, staring at the ground and all caught up in her head. “How about you sit here with me for a while?”
“Okay.”
Making her way to the bench and sitting down, she couldn’t help but curse internally at how ramrod straight she held her back, or how tense she was being. This was her friend, her best friend, she could add…
Her best friend, the most precious person she had, that was slowly dying as time went on.
Dammit.
“What’s on your mind? Spill!”
Opening her mouth only to close it wordlessly, Takina wondered what to say, what she could say. What was on her mind? Everything was on her mind. She should have gone with Chisato to her physical appointment. She knows her partner doesn’t like needles. She should have made it sooner, should have gone right when Chisato was running late.
She should have been there on time.
And because she didn’t, Chisato was running out of it.
“You’re on my mind,” was what she finally muttered, curling her hands on her lap as her bag fell to the side beside her, abandoned.
“Ah.”
A soft breeze blew, disturbing the peace around them and making the nearby sign creak on its hinges, quietly. Leaves and dust were sent in a soft tumble farther away, and Takina followed them with her eyes, wordlessly.
“Don’t you ever think it’s unfair, Chisato?” Takina asked, quiet. “How can you be so calm about this?”
A silent huff lived in the space between them for a moment, before Chisato lifted her head up, leaning back on the bench, so she could better observe the clouds overhead.
“It doesn’t matter whether I find it unfair or not, whether I get angry or not. It’s not going to change anything. It just… doesn’t matter. So I don’t.”
“It matters to me.”
When Chisato met her eyes, she could read the surprise in them, but there was something else also, something… light, and shiny. Like relief. Hope, maybe.
“I want to know what’s on your mind,” Takina insisted, her tone firm, and her eyes never leaving Chisato’s. “You tend to put others before yourself, other’s feelings before your own. I want to know how you feel.”
Despite not having as sharp a vision as Chisato, Takina could still discern the cracks in the façade, the wear and tear on Chisato’s face just before she looked away, a small, sad smile pulling her lips before she short, blonde hair hid it from view.
“Ah, but Takina, I don’t like being sad!”
“I don’t care. I can’t stand seeing you like this. Pretending that everything is fine.”
It was her turn to look away, now, lowering her eyes back down to her curled-up hands as they gripped the fabric of her skirt, tightly. Cursing everything that made this situation even possible.
“Nothing is fine,” she couldn’t help but murmur, willing her eyes to stop prickling already.
“Takina.”
Her eyes were drawn to Chisato’s hand, gently resting over her tightly curled fist. She could feel how warm and strong it was, despite it being a gentle hold.
So alive.
“I didn’t have much left, anyway,” Chisato started, with that annoying fake smile that she was starting to hate with her entire being. “I’m not even supposed to have lasted this long.”
“That doesn’t matter, because you are here,” Takina argued, sharply raising her head and locking her eyes with her partner, who looked entirely surprised by it. “How can you say it doesn’t matter, Chisato? Are you going to tell me that everything you did, all the people you helped, also didn’t matter? What about the people around you, that care for you? Do they not matter too?”
“I didn’t say that…”
“Then just what are you saying?”
It was her partner’s turn to open her mouth only to wordlessly close it, tellingly darting her eyes away. Chisato’s warm hand slipped from hers, and Takina could hear the near silent sigh shaking Chisato’s shoulders.
“This café, the patrons, Mika, Mizuki, Kurumi… Do they not matter too?”
“You forgot you,” Chisato noted, a corner of her lips curling up as she sent her a quick, amused glance.
“I didn’t,” she retorted firmly, keeping her head held straight. “I made my feelings known about what I think of this situation.”
It was enough to earn her a small chuckle from Chisato, and she was surprised to see her shift beside her, moving away from her on the bench, but was quick to remove her hands from her lap when she saw her partner was leaning back down, and, as if it was the most natural thing in the world, Chisato rested her head on her lap. Not really knowing what to do with her hands, now, Takina rested one on Chisato’s shoulder with her arm draped across her collar bone, and the other went to, hesitantly, pet Chisato’s blonde hair.
She was glad that her partner made a cute, satisfied sound at the touch.
“I don’t like being sad, Takina,” Chisato softly, quietly reminded, her crimson eyes strangely veiled but taking her in with such gentleness, such softness… “Who would have thought it would affect you as much as it does, though?”
“You would,” she instantly replied, blinking slowly as she could feel the furrow deepening between her brows. “You know me best.”
For some reason, that seemed to strike a chord. Chisato’s features crumpled, despite that she tried her best not to let it show. Her chin started to wobble as Takina could see how her eyes were suddenly glistening in the dim light, but she still smiled, softly, as a soft breeze blew again.
“Yeah. I know you best.”
Chisato’s voice broke, at the end. It made Takina want to cry all the tears that she had, right here and now, but she didn’t, instead returning a shaky smile of her own, feeling her own eyes watering up. Swallowing thickly, Chisato blinked, slowly, and it was without a trace of hesitation that she brought her hand up and, with all the care of the world, cupped Takina’s cheek, running her thumb across her cheekbone.
“My partner,” Chisato murmured, and it was a miracle that it carried all the way to Takina’s ears with how quiet and raspy it was.
Despite herself, Takina leaned into the touch with eyes closed, appreciating the warm touch on her chilled skin, the evening cool compared to the rest of the day.
“I wish we met sooner,” her partner’s voice rose again, lifted by the soft breeze and carried to her ears like an offering. Her voice sounded so broken, so defeated, in this moment. “I wish… I wish we had more time.”
Her hand leaving Chisato’s hair to instead press against the hand cupping her face, Takina could only nuzzle in it, committing the touch to memory as the remains of her heart bled again in her chest.
She had known for a while, despite not really knowing what this feeling was at first. But now it was made all so clear to her, with the knowledge that Chisato was going to be ripped from her, sooner rather than later.
She was in love with Chisato.
It was the only explanation of all this longing pulling her heart, the dread of knowing Chisato’s fate brought. The pain, the hurt, the anger. She was grieving a love that couldn’t be, not in this life, at least.
It was with lips full of devotion and reverence that she kissed Chisato’s palm, eyes closed, and sealing her fate.
There was no way she would be free of a heartbreak, anyway. No matter what happens now.
“Takina…”
Without moving her hand from her grasp, Chisato lightly pressed her thumb over Takina’s lips, barring them.
“Let’s not make this more difficult than it is, okay?”
Her hand sliding down to hold her wrist, Takina blinked her eyes open, and she could see the breeze disturbing Chisato’s hair, the soft, light strands falling back into her face, and she reached over, carefully brushing them out of the way.
“Chisato,” she started, and she knew she meant every word she was going to say. There was no going back, now. Her partner had to know, despite the fact a small voice in the back of her head reminded her that Chisato probably already knew. “I would willingly suffer a thousand heartbreaks if I get to meet you again.”
The hand so gently cupping her face drew back as Chisato sat up, and for a second, none of them moved. She was waiting for Chisato’s reaction… Whichever it may be.
“Takina.”
She could see the way Chisato composed herself, in that moment. She could almost see all the broken pieces that constituted Chisato’s armor crawl and tumble closer to her, attaching themselves back on to her as those shoulders squared, decided, and it was with a much steadier stare that Chisato looked back at her, over her shoulder.
The same damn, fake smile on her lips.
“I know you best,” her partner continued. “When I’m gone, don’t let my memory keep you chained up. Live a full life for me. Love, like the way I know you can. And maybe, in another life… We’ll be able to meet again.”
The blonde head turned, hiding Chisato’s crimson eyes from view as she turned on her seat, visibly about to leave, and she suddenly stood after a second of hesitation.
“And maybe, in that life… I will be able to return that kiss.”
Without giving her the time to respond, Chisato left, never looking back, and disappeared at the end of the small street the café was situated in.
The confirmation from Chisato was bitter-sweet. On one hand, she was glad that her partner had those feelings too, or at least, that’s what she thought Chisato meant with all this.
On the other… They weren’t meant to be. Not this time, at least.
Sitting back with a deep sigh, Takina looked up, could see the dark, thick clouds rolling menacingly overhead. Blinking slowly, she wondered briefly if it would rain.
A cold drip landing on her cheek, where Chisato’s hand had been earlier, answered her question, as a few others soon fell around her too.
The Hawaiian sunset was always breathtaking, and yet, it strangely reminded her of Japan, when she had watched the sunset in Okinawa, after finding Chisato again. Hawaii was nice and all, but… at times, she missed the café, missed the patrons. She never thought she would say that in her life, before.
The sound of footsteps in the sand coming up behind her, slow and relaxed, caught her attention, and she looked back, over her shoulder, and an easy smile pulled her lips when she could see Chisato, holding a drink in each hand.
“How is the sunset today?” Chisato asked, handing her the cool, sweet drink that Chisato dared call sweet tea. It was juice, at this point.
“Hm. It was a seven out of ten.”
“‘Was’?”
“With you here, it’s a ten out of ten,” Takina said, before quickly sipping from her drink.
The laugh Chisato let out made it worth it as she smiled too, hidden away in her cup. The day had been good, the weather incredible, and she was able to share the sunset with her favorite person in the entire world. She didn’t think the day could be better than this.
She closed her eyes, leaning back against the bench she was sitting on, listening closely to the soothing sound of the waves quietly washing on the beach. Distant seabirds were crying, and the lowering sunlight on her face was warm, soothing.
These past months here, just working at the LycoReco truck, gave her such whiplash after all that happened in Japan. Here, there were no missions, no gunfire, no terrorism that they had to root out. Here, they only served coffee and sweets, and enjoyed long evenings on the beach and late-night movies.
She would even indulge Chisato with her crazier-than-the-next new dessert ideas… But then again, at least Chisato wasn’t the one creating an unfortunate poop parfait…
The reminder made her chuckle quietly, a smile curling the corners of her lips.
“Hm? What are you thinking about?”
“The poop parfait.”
“Oh… You-you tried your best, Takina!” Chisato let out, and she could hear how she was racking her brain to find something positive to say about it. “It tasted really good!”
“I don’t know why it took me so long to realise,” she couldn’t help but wonder, shaking her head.
“Well, Mizuki and Kurumi had a ton of fun with it,” her partner finally conceded, bumping their shoulders together. “Still. You made us a lot of money with that thing.”
“It was worth it,” Takina agreed, nodding as she blinked her eyes open, looking over at Chisato. “The café stayed open.”
Their eyes locked, and Takina could never get over how good Chisato looked bathed in the colors of a sunset. It had a way to make her blonde hair warmer, her eyes brighter, and Chisato in such a warm light was just perfect for her. Her partner was gorgeous, in this light. And just like always, she just couldn’t look away.
As if she knew, Chisato smiled, a small, cornered thing, her eyes shining and full of mirth. Without warning, she reached over, brushed a long, stray lock of jet-black hair that had escaped from her ponytail back behind her ear, and then set her cup down, twisting it firmly in the sand to make sure it wouldn’t budge. Then, she twisted on the bench and, as if it was the most natural thing to do, leaned back down, and rested her head on Takina’s lap.
Quickly getting her drink out of the way and doing the same Chisato did with firmly planting it in the sand, she couldn’t help but respond to the soft, gentle smile Chisato offered when their eyes met again.
Without hesitation, she let her hand pet the blonde hair, her fingers diving amongst the soft locks, gently massaging the scalp on the way, her other arm draped across Chisato’s collar bones, her hand resting on her partner’s shoulder and toying with the small bow on the shirt’s shoulder.
This display of affection was so easy for her, now. She remembered when she struggled to even smile back at Chisato, the first few days after she met her. And now, after all they had been through, after all the nights they spend sitting close to each other and clutching each other after another bad-but-surprisingly-scary movie Chisato picked, or they spent it cuddling when watching one of Chisato’s favorite action movie that she could recite by heart at this point…
It was just so easy. Really, like it was the most natural thing to do.
So she didn’t think much of it when, after a long while of her partner, eyes closed, was just enjoying the gentle, affectionate touches, Chisato grabbed the hand resting on her shoulder and pressed it against her cheek, pressing her hand over it, her eyes still closed.
A little surprised by the gesture but smiling at the sight of it, Takina was quick to adjust her hand, and even ran a soothing thumb over her partner’s cheek. She couldn’t help the warmth diffusing from her chest and fluttering in her stomach when she could see Chisato leaning into the touch, sighing contentedly.
They stayed like this, wrapped in the warm light of the setting day, and Takina wanted to stay here forever, for time to stop or pause, so she could enjoy it for longer. Soon, the warmth would be gone. Soon, they will have to leave.
Soon, Chisato and her will go their separate ways for the night. Right now, it was the last thing she wanted.
Her attention was brought back just in time to see the last of the sun dip into the ocean, her eyes going for the soft feel of her partner nuzzling her hand, before pressing the softest kiss against the palm of it.
Mesmerized, Takina blinked, and as the last of the light slowly faded, Chisato looked at her, a very self-satisfied smile on her lips. Just as her partner was taking her hand to move it to rest back on her collar bone, Takina felt the need to curl it, protecting the soft feel of Chisato’s lips there, tingling at the skin of her palm.
With a smile, Chisato winked, her hand moving to wrap lightly around her wrist.
“I was, after all, given another life.”
It took her a few seconds, but then the pieces fell into place, the puzzle taking form. Releasing a huff, Takina smiled, the long-forgotten shattered pieces of her heart, that had mended together ever since Chisato was back, shaking in the frame of her heart, pulsing anew.
“We are practically living another life, too.”
“Ooh, can we say we met at this cute little food truck?” Chisato asked, her eyes full of stars.
“Which one of us is working there?”
“… We met on our first day of work there!”
It made her laugh, a happy sound that she realised Chisato really liked to hear. She was, also, laughing more often, not necessarily because of that.
Life had been good to them, since they got here.
“And now, a few months later, I can tell you that I fell in love with you,” Takina let out after sighing the last of her laugh.
She said it so casually that it took a moment before Chisato caught on, but when she did, her smile vanished, her expression contorting into a serious, somber one. As Takina was about to ask her what was wrong, Chisato sat up, and twisted on the bench, for them to be sitting side-by-side, but nearly face-to-face, too, as Chisato considered her for a moment, wordlessly.
“I’m so sorry, Takina,” her partner softly breathed out, before leaning her head down to press her face against her shoulder, her left. She could feel Chisato’s breath warming up her shirt, right over the scar hidden under, one of the most obvious remains of that fateful night at the old Radio Tower.
“A-about what?” She couldn’t help but stutter, wondering if her partner would turn her down, after all.
“You’ve been through so much, already,” Chisato kept her voice low, soft. “So much fear, and pain, and… And then I left without a word. For months.”
Straightening her head, Chisato made sure their eyes locked, her crimson stare shifting from eye to eye for a moment.
“I’m so, so sorry, Takina. For putting you through all of this.”
Glad for the apology even after all this time, she quietly sighed, holding her partner’s stare for a moment more, before she reached up and cupped Chisato’s cheek, her thumb rubbing a little.
“I already told you, didn’t I?”
Then, her hand slipped away, and instead she looped her arms around her partner’s waist, gently hugging her with her chin resting on Chisato’s shoulder, and when she felt Chisato instantly respond to the hug, she closed her eyes, grateful for this shared moment.
“I would willingly suffer a thousand heartbreaks if I get to meet you again.”
The responding chuckle, quiet and short, that sounded in her ear made her tighten her embrace, glad that Chisato responded in kind. She could feel the way her partner buried her face in her neck, the feel of her breath on her skin sending a tingle down her spine.
“Takina.”
Despite how muffled Chisato’s voice sounded, coming from the crook of her neck, Takina still heard clearly, making a curious but quiet sound for her partner to go on.
“I fell in love with you, too.”
She could feel the sudden warmth radiating from her neck, probably caused by a deep blush on her partner’s face, and she did pretty much the same in this moment, hiding by pressing her face against Chisato’s shoulder as her face grew hot.
They stayed there, on that bench, embracing each other long after the sky turned dark, speaking in hushed voices about what the future might hold for them, planning for the near and far future.
Planning for a future… together.