Work Text:
Yuichirou’s consciousness rose to the blaring sound of a phone alarm, vibrating near the edge of his dark oak nightstand that rested to his left. He felt the urge to sleep enter his bloodstream, begging him to wither away to rest once more, but it was inevitable. The dark brunette groaned, arm shifting from the soreness of its position to reach for the device that continued to blare in his ear. After he turned off his alarm, the time illuminated his dimly lit room, shining a bold 7:23 AM. Eyes widened as the boy quickly attempted to run from his bedroom to the bathroom, preparing what he could as he was ‘Late, late, late, I’m gonna be so late!’ Yuichirou finished in the bathroom, rummaging through his closet for a T-shirt, baggy jeans, and a slim jacket for the blaring A.C. of Mr. Bathory’s classroom. Once his attire was fitted, he raced towards the living room, gripping his backpack from the couch and running out the front door, forgetting the grunt his adoptive father let out.
The high schooler lived by his resident place of receiving education, but that doesn’t mean he never huffs and puffs from the aftermath of running into the school. As Yuichirou made his way around the empty hallways, plagued with vague inspirational posters and events, he noted his absolute tardiness. He checks his phone, glaring at the bolded 7:30 AM that graced his screen instead. Frustration bubbled in his gut as he made his way to the men’s bathroom, choosing to hide there until the first period ended.
A second goes by.
‘Man I should study for that dumb History test.’
A minute passes.
‘Wow, Seraph Of The End is getting a season-’
Before he knew it, the loud ringing of the period bell blared into every room, signaling to the students that class was over. The influx of students entering the bathroom quickly alerted Yuichirou, who hurriedly exited the stall he hid in.
As he traveled the flooded halls, he thought about his next class. There was just too much he had to study for! Like, how America defeated the British, the French Revolution, and the soft cascade of sunlit hair that disappeared behind his classroom door.
‘Wait, that’s not on the test?’
Yuichirou’s mind started racing immediately, confused by his brain’s idea to focus on a pile of blonde hair. Granted, he has never seen someone with such a pronounced hair color, it almost glittered despite the enclosed space they were in. Whoever it was, they slipped past the student body fairly quickly, even Yuichirou could sense the annoyance from his peers when he pushed into Mr. Bathory’s classroom, yet no one grumbled for them.
As he entered the class, he caught notice of his friend, Shinoa Hiragi. Her magenta bow and mischievous, round, hazel eyes squinting at her notebook. The sight amused Yuichirou, choosing to let his friend write whatever she seemed so focused on. As he maneuvered to his seat third to the back, he caught sight of that same patch of blonde locks, acting as a frame to the angelic face of a boy, lost in his thoughts as he fiddled with a pen. The boy was barely visible, as his hair messily covered his eyes and face, but the dark brunette knew he was beautiful just from his presence. He took his seat, entranced and lost in his head as the person behind him shifted, presumingly to straighten up once the teacher entered the room. Yuichirou just rested his head into his right hand, lazily staring at the teacher welcoming the class.
The instructor, Mr. Bathory, eccentrically explained the test’s contents, singing on when he mentions a name foreign to the class, Mikaela Shindo. He took note of the name, Mikaela, and peeked his eyes towards the stiff blonde behind him, shocked from the boy’s shared look. Their eyes met, leading to a dramatic stare down as the two high schoolers awkwardly maintained eye contact. Mikaela shifted in his seat uncomfortably, confused from the attention he was receiving. The dark brunette eventually turned back around, flustered from his strange behavior. To stare at someone who clearly didn’t know, not just you, but everyone? He was out of his own goddamn mind! Just the uniqueness of it all made Yuichirou want to smash his skull open.
What was also peculiar was the indifferent expressions his classmates wore to the reveal of their new student, as if he was invisible.
As the teacher pinched and dragged the chalk on the board, Yuichirou figured he oughta say something to the newbie in his class, but the feeling of embarrassment quickly swallowed him up. It wasn’t just the fact that he was new, it was how utterly ethereal he was, as if a dim glow graced his pale skin. The sight of his striking blue eyes, deep like the ocean but soft as the gentle tides, caused his cheeks to warm up and flush.
He’s never felt this way before, having a heart beat faster, feeling dizzy, and the fact that no one was even looking at him! Was he going insane? Did no one notice the literal ANGEL sitting behind him?
Nonetheless, the nervous boy turned back around and swallowed his fear, opening his mouth to speak.
—- <3
The blonde wondered, briefly, if he was an alien. Ever since he was 12, the eyes of strangers and passing friends never laid upon him. Negative thoughts entered his mind for the first time, wondering if he was just destined to be alone forever. His mother worried him, stroking his hair on the most painful of nights and cradling his face when the mirror felt twisted. Isolated as always, he expected high school to be no different, and it wasn’t!
At first.
Mikaela held a secret, tightly tucked into the depths of his heart that never spilled for anyone. Painful reminders were plenty, aches in his chest despite the surgery, the lack of appropriate organs, and the absence of joy. A body he was forced into, a puppet to its limitations despite the modifications.
He buried his self hatred, hiding behind elegance and righteousness, even if only his teachers and mother could see it. Seeing, the ability to perceive and be perceived, a foreign concept to the blonde.
‘So what is this guy staring at me for!’ Mikaela grumbled in his mind, waiting as the person in front of him attempted to speak. A murmur that Mikaela could only comprehend as a “hey, uhm—,” graced the stranger’s lips, causing him to meet his gaze once more. Blue meets green in a separate space as the person’s breath hitches slightly. Mikaela’s heart begins to pound, feeling heat tickle his cheeks. Imagine the feeling of a random person in front of you just staring at you, clearly in awe. Very confusing! It scared the blonde, as for all his years, he’s never had a stranger just stare at him, or really, acknowledge him at all. “D-Do you need something? Your staring is making me uncomfortable,” He mumbles, pulling a strand of ashen hair behind his ears.
A second. Time sits still as the bustling class attempts to work.
“What do you know about the American Revolution?”
Mikaela’s mind went silent, when he coughed a response, albeit awkwardly, “Uhm, what?”
Yuichirou stiffens, “Yeah, What do ya’ know about the American Revolution? I’m gonna be honest, I have the memory of an elephant,” he continues.
The blonde lets out a snicker, a mischievous glint making a home in his eyes. ‘Elephants have a good memory.’ He thinks, looking down to rummage in his notes. “I don’t have a lot, I honestly just tried to copy off the person next to me since I’m new here,” He says, looking back up from his eyelashes. Yuichirou looks confused, as he quickly glances at Mikaela’s right to see a random student, idly fidgeting with his pen. “Uhuh, why didn’t you just…ask? Unless you’re shy or somethin’, then I get that!” He responds. The blonde lifts his head slightly, a frown gracing his lips. Yuichirou wonders, briefly, if they feel as soft as they look. “You’re strange, first you notice me, then you ask me a question, and now you’re telling me to just ask someone for notes? Why do YOU have to be the only one who can see me?” Mikaela grumbled.
Yuichirou feels shock surrounding him, looking back and forth between the nearby desks and Mikaela’s disgruntled expression. “Wait what? Is that why no one was annoyed when you pushed through the classroom door?” Yuichirou expresses, reaching his hands to grip the back of his chair. Mikaela grins deviously, “are you saying they would be annoyed with me? Do you make new students transfer for fun?” He says, sitting back in his own chair. Yuichirou mumbled to himself.
The class bell rang, signaling to the two boys who conversed with each other the whole class that it was time to leave. Yuichirou felt drawn to the new student, intrigued by his ability to not be seen by literally nobody else! Throughout the class time, Yuichirou asked him a bunch of questions, trying to get to know the blonde more. Mikaela’s answers frequent basic to straight up mysterious, with a nervous glance or sly grin accompanying such responses.
“How did the teacher know you were here though?”
“Teachers can see me I guess,” Mikaela shrugged.
“If you’re essentially invisible, can you like…steal money or something?”
“No, because I’m a nice person and a cashier would notice,” Mikaela murmured.
“Well, how come I can see you?”
“I don’t know, but I wish it was someone different,” He smiled, bashfully turning his head away from the curious brunette.
Every shy smile, mischievous glint in his eyes, and fidgeting of slender fingers sended Yuichirou into a pit of enchantment. This seemingly ghostly figure who just so happens to be so ethereal to look at made his heart flutter, pulling him into a whirlwind of curiosity and something else that he can’t recognize. But the bell’s warning took his moments away. “Well, I have Ms. Sanguu right now, how about you, Yuu-chan?” Mikaela asked, making his way towards the door. ‘A nickname…’ he thought. Yuichirou huffed, “Ugh, I have Mr. Hiragi, he’s nice, just eccentric. Plus, his little sister is my friend and she’s a nuisance.”
A gasp made its way to the behinds of the two boys, turning their heads to view the source. A lilac haired girl, petite with a magenta bow sitting prettily atop her head, staring with her mouth agape.
‘Is this the “little sister”?’ Thought the blonde.
“You wound me, Yuu-san! My brother will be hearing about this!” She gasped, pushing between the both of them towards the door. Her eyes sat on Mikaela briefly, widening before she was drowned in the sea of students. Her expression was of shock, which caused the blonde to carefully look back at Yuichirou. He seemed amused, but his eyes were trained on the blonde. “I see what you mean by a nuisance, I think,” Mikaela questioned, eyes darting towards the door as the last students piled out. His gaze returned to Yuichirou, who still wore an amused smile and eyes focused on him specifically. The boy began to feel nervous, shifting ever so slightly to turn fully towards his new observer.
“Yuu-chan?” He asked hesitantly.
“Yeah?”
“You keep staring at me,”
“I can’t take my eyes off you, especially now that I know that I’m the only one who can see you,” Yuichirou said while cocked his head. Mikaela blushed, quickly running out the door and yelling, “Okay bye!”
All this while, a petite woman slowed her pace past her son’s room, looking over its details. It was normal, saved by the disheveled pile of unused outfits. She smiles to herself.
– <3
2 months later
– <3
The time that passed them by flew towards and never ending line, causing the two to grow close in such a short amount of time. Silent words said through longing looks, faint whispers in the back of class, and distant smiles that linger when they depart. Mikaela never knew the feeling of being seen before, but the ache pooled in his cold heart, pulsating and poisoning the glee he feels after these interactions. Every moment graced his bubble, and he savored the penetration of it, drowning in the attention. A friend, someone that was not his mother, took the time to look for him, finally! But deep down, the blonde knew he was just desperate.
It was painfully obvious that he was falling for a set of lush, green eyes.
It was an uneventful day, save for Yuichirou’s insistence that they eat in the courtyard for lunch. They giggled and sneaked toward a bench, south of a football field and barely hidden by shrubbery and trees. The secluded spot spawned a unique conversation between the students
Yuichirou watched silently as Mikaela nibbled on a strawberry, coating his lips with the fruit’s sticky juice. Not messy at all, perfectly domestic, as if they were having a picnic break from a long week of working. Ribbons of leaves gracefully fall to the ground, circling them in a dome of tranquility. Mikaelas munching and Yuichirou’s sigh as he feels a cool breeze graze his face were a picture perfect scene.
“Hm, Mika, after all this time being your friend, I’ve never been to your house,” The brunette says offhandedly, glancing toward a point in the sky. Mikaela paused, swallowing his last strawberry and staring at Yuichirou with faint horror. The expression caused Yuichirou to regret his question, with the whispers of discontent plaguing his mind. He attempted to vomit out apologies, but the blonde coughed and looked at him with a softened expression. “W-well, I never invited anyone before, I wouldn’t mind–” Suddenly, a loud scream came from behind Yuichirou. The stumbling of a short girl and two boys who followed. Yuichirou turned back, recognizing the two boys as Kimizuki and Yoichi, the girl being Shinoa. Mikaela squeaked, quickly attempting to hide his face or presence or— ‘wait, why am I suddenly worried someone will see me?’
The thoughts jumbling in Mikaela’s head caused him to space out, finding solace in his invisibility. The past few months have blurred into fragments of memories, joyful laughter and sinful glances with the once in a while longing stare that Yuichirou occasionally does accumulating in his heart. His eyes followed him, digesting every flake of skin, tickle of hair, right down to the molecule, leading to awkward pauses in their conversations. A witness of Mikaela was a gift, a blessing he could not take for granted. He ached for Yuichirou’s eyes, for his daring affection and how gracefully their gazes go on for. He has never yearned before but now he does, not just to be seen by someone, but FOR someone. For having a passing shadow stay longer than the sun’s light.
He didn’t realize how quickly his feelings were growing.
He didn’t realize how quickly it all changed him.
He didn’t realize how much it scared him to lose that.
Yuichirou had friends, people who knew who and what he was. There was no doubt he was a boy. There was no doubt he was real. Mikaela, on the other hand, had to force his body to mold and twist to his desire, selfishly yearning for the approval of unseeing eyes. Ever since that day, he was a nobody. Ever since he met Yuichirou, he was someone.
The brunette attempted to escape Shinoa’s grasp, choosing to yell and complain as the hug grew tighter. “SHINOA! Let go of me! I’m trying to talk to–” “Yuu, why have you been ditching us so much? Did you pop your cherry? Oh my god, you did!” The girl interrupted, choosing to wallow instead of releasing her grip. “It’s not like you to ditch, what’s been going on?” Kimizuki stated, looking at him expectantly. Yuichirou sighed, choosing to look towards where Mikaela was, but found the space empty. All that was left was a small piece of strawberry left, with ants coming together to take its remnants home.
Yuichirou quickly got up from the small bench, causing Shinoa, Kimizuki, and Yoichi to jump as a result. “W-wh- Mika? Mika, where’d ya go?” He asked the void, darting his eyes around in case the blonde was just hiding or playing a prank. “Uhm, who are you talking about?” Yoichi asked hesitantly, lending a small hand on Yuichirou’s shoulder.
“M-Mika, he’s– ugh…” Yuichirou sighed, calming his alerted heart before he took notice of a blur near the football field. Its shape began to open the school’s back door, causing the brunette to start running towards it. The leftover friend group just watched as one of their peers ran to meet the blur of blonder hair.
“You uh–got any idea what that was about?” Kimizuki questioned.
“Honestly, I think we’ll never truly know until Yuu tells us,” Yoichi answered.
Kimizuki and Shinoa nodded in agreement.
Yuichirou reaches for his friend’s arm, stopping his attempt to escape to the school’s insides. The slip of his grip causes Mikaela to take its opportunity and continue his escape into the men’s bathroom. The brunette cursed his hesitancy, purging whatever word vomit he wished to have spoken and took his feets’s steps on another trail. He followed Mikaela’s slim hand slip from behind the bathroom’s entrance and he entered as well. A frown graced his lips.
“Mika? I know you’re in here!” Yuichirou called out, hoping no other student was in there. The faint hiccups of tears coiled in his heart, tugging and pulling, begging to comfort its owner. “Please just go, I know you’ve been ignoring your friends to hang out with me, Yuu-chan…” Mikaela trails off in response, wiping his tears with his dark green sweater sleeves from behind a stall’s door.
“It-It’s not like that! They’ll be fine–” “No it won’t be! What’s your obsession with me anyway? All this time you’ve been talking to me, following me, and asking me every goddamn question in the book and for what? What do you want from me?” Mikaela interrupted, raising his quivering voice.
“You can see me, I get it! Whatever, but what else do you want to do with me? Am I so intriguing in your own, normal, boring life that you just–just want to see what else you can see? What ELSE is there for you to find? All my life, I wanted someone to acknowledge the real me, I wanted someone to finally care about me. I wanted someone who knew how I felt and didn’t hate me for it! But why–” The blonde shutters, “Why did it have to be you. Someone with friends who know you’re a boy. You can walk into this bathroom and everyone would have no doubt you belonged there. But if they saw me…They wouldn’t…”
Almost immediately after Mikaela’s monologue, the bell alarmed the remaining students that lunch was ending.
The soft cries that escaped the blonde filled the deafening silence that encapsulated the bathroom. Yuichirou almost broke down himself, feeling the wave of emotions his friend caused. A wall had always been put up around Mika’s heart, that was obvious, but he didn’t realize how high they truly were. Subtlety wasn’t his strongest suit, but he doesn't blame Mika, it wasn’t his fault that this curse was laid upon him. Yuichirou could never begin to understand the agony and reality of Mikaela’s predicament, it was impossible; Even the softest feather could prick an unassuming hand’s curiosity.
Regardless, Mika was stupid for thinking something as silly as that was the reason Yuichirou cared for him so much. It wasn’t his new ability, it wasn’t Mikaela’s curse, it was nothing like that! It was the blonde’s quiet laughter, beaming smile, soft whispers of how much he appreciates Yuichirou, and the motion of his hands gliding across his notes. This wasn’t a game to him.
He wanted Mika to look at him too.
He wanted his hands to glide across his cheeks.
He wants that laughter to follow him everywhere he goes.
He wants that smile to be directed at him and him only.
“Are you going to hide in that stall forever?” Yuichirou finally states coldly, walking towards the stall Mikaela chose to hide in. He presses his back against the door, and with a sigh, begins to reply.
“I think about you all the time. Seeing you everyday has been the highlight of life, and I’m so glad I asked you about the History test. Every conversation with you is a moment I want to preserve forever, in my heart and in my soul. I don’t know how it feels to be in the wrong body, but I do know that I would support you no matter what. Anyone who tells you what you should be or want to be are idiots, that’s a choice YOU make. I just–want to be a part of your life in a different way…” He pauses, choosing to take Mikaela’s silence as confirmation for him to go on. “I want to hold your hand, drink in your voice, and feel proud that I was able to have the most beautiful person in the world in my life. I love you Mika, not because of some silly curse but because you make my life bearable,” Yuichirou smiled, choosing to close his eyes and take in the relief his confession brought him.
On the other hand, Mikaela was drowning in tears feeling his face heat up from the confession he had just heard. The feeling swelling in his chest begged for its release, and the blonde felt it ready to be such. With a racing heartbeat, he sunk further down the stall’s door until he straightened up and opened it. Before him was the face of adoration, blush covering the brunette’s face and ears. Mikaela felt his tears well up once more, choosing to hide himself in the crook of Yuichirou’s shoulder. Roughened hands take their place across his waist, gripping the hims of his sweater lightly. “Did you just confess to me in a bathroom stall while we skip our 4th period?” He chuckles softly.
“Yeah, but I don’t really care. All I care about is that your hug is not a rejection,” Yuichirou muses, burying his face into Mikaela’s shoulders as well, mirroring the blonde.
The feeling the two shared bled into their embrace, and as if time went still, Mika couldn’t even sense the ache his chest released after being compressed for the whole day. Instead, the sensation of love replaced its painful stir.
“It’s not. It really isn’t,” Mikaela smiled, taking in his new boyfriend’s scent.
“Good, now let’s just wait for school to end, Mika” Yuichirou finished, leading the two to hide in the stall.
– “Parallel lines never touch, due to their symmetrical slope. However, the space between them is open to many possibilities, which could lead to a new line potentially intercepting the two, causing an indirect connection.”
Krul smirked as she watched her son lead a dark haired boy up to his room, quickly saying a hello before disappearing into his space. Despite her boy’s stubbornness and quiet demeanor, witnessing it change to that of an adoring expression made her heart warm up. No matter what, she hoped this boy would take the time to explore more than just the surface of Mika’s being, so he too could be blessed with the beauty that Mikaela truly was.
She was truly proud of her son, and more importantly, he doesn’t hide himself away when the student body ignores his presence. Instead, he holds the hand that attaches to the person who looks at him with all the love he deserves.
Being perceived for the first time, maybe he’s happier with Yuichirou being the first.
Even if he has to get used to 4 more friendly pairs of eyes on him.
(1/1)