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Nazuna was always skilled at putting up a strong face, keeping himself distant enough from others so his position as Valkyrie’s angel remained solid. But no matter how hard he wanted to keep himself locked away, he needed something more. Kuro was one of the few who could see through his farce. When he first ran into Nazuna on the rooftop, he could tell there was more than he let on. He could never understand why he refused to speak to anyone. His voice while practicing was angelic, nothing at all like when he performs. Kuro had only been to a handful of Valkyrie performances, yet it wasn’t those songs that looped in his head. No, it was the raw unfiltered songs that Nazuna would sing on the rooftop that haunted him. The melodies and lyrics were exactly the same, but his voice- that was what made all the difference. His voice would waver as it tried to hit the high notes, cracking and breaking as he strained against his own body, forcing it to go against itself and recapture what he once had. His voice was so beautiful in those moments, yet Nazuna himself never seemed to realize it. It hurt Kuro having to sit and listen to the man he so admired hurt himself in this way, trying to sing a song that was made for what he once was and not his true self.
Yet he couldn’t say anything to him. Kuro would be forced to hide himself behind a wall whenever he listened, as Nazuna would quickly flee the moment he noticed someone else there. It was just as difficult to talk to Shu about it. It was near impossible to track the enigmatic leader of Valkyrie down, much less to get him to listen. Shu was a proud man, and Kuro knew this. Even if it was from Kuro, he wouldn’t listen to any form of criticism of his work. Especially not if it was about his perfect little doll Nazuna. Even from the outside, Kuro could tell how this was taking a toll on the both of them. It didn’t help when fine started proudly proclaiming about how they will execute the eccentrics. Keito never explained the specifics, but Kuro could tell that something horrible was about to happen to Valkyrie. Over that week, he would hear Nazuna singing his heart out on that rooftop. His beautiful voice became harsh and ragged from the practice he put in, trying desperately to keep the ship known as Valkyrie from going under just yet. Kuro couldn’t sit by and watch these people he cared about continue sinking like this. But when he tried to warn Shu, he simply brushed it off. He spent that week tossing and turning in bed, trying to come up with any way to protect them all. His pleas to Valkyrie and Keito turned more and more desperate each day, yet neither of them took any heed.
Kuro was in the audience during the execution. It couldn’t even be called a battle with the bloodshed that took place. The audience was incredibly one-sided, coming only to see Fine win. They cared not for the art that Valkyrie was performing, ignoring how they beckoned the audience to join them in this fantastical land where Shu leads, and they follow. The growing chasm between the stage and fans only grew worse as the show continued, and Kuro couldn’t bear to watch. The audience whispered in hushed voices, completely ignoring Valkyrie’s increased frustration as they tried in vain for any sort of attention.
Then the audio cut out.
Like a rug pulled out from under them, Valkyrie froze, their pre-recorded voices stuttering for a moment before it totally shut off. The audience instantly started gossiping. Shu stayed frozen, and Nazuna looked on the verge of tears, unaware of what to do. Eventually Mika stepped forwards, singing in a broken voice, praying and hoping that it would be enough to save Valkyrie. But the damage had already been done. The moment Nazuna joined in, singing in the same beautifully haunting way he does on the roof, Kuro knew that this was Valkyrie's best performance.
Like a guillotine, the curtains closed, signaling the end of Valkyrie.
Kuro couldn’t bear to stick around for Fine. The audience erupted into thunderous applause the moment they stepped on stage, and Kuro knew they had won. It was over before they had even appeared. He went to find Nazuna backstage, yet they had all already left the auditorium, unable to handle their own failure.
It took very little searching to find where Nazuna had hidden. Kuro could hear him running his voice hoarse on the rooftop, wishing desperately to turn back time and fix everything. Not just the performance. Fixing his inability to talk to Shu, to say clearly that this was harming him, that he couldn’t sing the way he wanted to, that he was no longer the same person when Valkyrie formed. Finally, he’s able to let out these emotions instead of shoving them down to be forgotten. With each note he sings, each breath he takes, it gets woven into his voice and released into the world. He doesn’t even realize how long and hard he’s been singing until Kuro gently places a hand on his shoulder. He jumps back, startled. He hasn’t let anyone get this close- it’s been too much to handle. He rushes around Kuro, trying to run away.
“I was there.”
Nazuna pauses in his tracks, hesitating as to what he could say next. He didn’t need any clarification as to what he was talking about.
“I wanted to stop it. To save you all.” His voice cracks. “If I was stronger. If I was more than a stupid fucking delinquent. Maybe Shu would have listened.”
Nazuna continues standing, back turned. He can’t let him get any closer. If he witnessed their horrific downfall already, what else does he know?
“You’re gonna think I’m a creep, but I’ve been listening to your singing practice up here,” he confesses, taking a hesitant step forward. “I know you don’t talk to anyone, but your singing. It’s been haunting me. I want you to sing without those strings. To be your true self.”
He takes another step towards Nazuna.
“I feel that I have a better understanding of you from just listening. And I hate that it’s so
one sided.”
Another step.
“I want you to know me too. I want to support you through this. I know it will be hard, but– I want to be your friend.”
Without realizing it, Kuro is now right behind him. And he waits. He wants to truly understand this secretive man. But he doesn’t want to force it out of him. He needs to know if this is what Nazuna wants too. Nazuna already knows though. His facade of Valkyrie's perfect puppet has already fallen apart, and he knows what he needed all this time. Sincerely from the bottom of his heart, he hoped- no, he knew that Kuro could do this for him. So he turned around, tears welling up in his eyes and nodded. He didn’t need someone above him controlling his every move. He didn’t need someone who loved an idolized version of him. No, what he needed was much different.
He needed someone who saw him as an equal. Nazuna needed a friend.