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When Lumine proposed to, as she curtly put at the time, ‘let’s get out of here,’ Ayaka thought the blonde had planned some sort of romantic escapade for the two of them. She then thought she was silly. Who in their right mind would strike out moments before the clock struck midnight? Actually, a lot of people, if her friends’ stories were to be believed. Wasn’t the phrase 'Midnight? More like startnight!’ at the heart of decadent adolescence?
Wrong. Nobody said that. It was totally made up. What was a startnight anyway? Was she referring to one of Van Gogh’s greats? She would be saddled with her reputation of being reserved and old-fashioned forever this way, and unfortunately she couldn’t bring herself to deny it.
Besides, hadn’t Lumine brought her out to places past midnight on dates before? Admittedly, they were already outside on those occasions, and it was hard to resist the glimmer in Lumine’s eyes when she saw something interesting.
Regardless, this was entirely unprecedented! They were laying in-bed, trying to sleep! For at least half an hour now! It was silly!
It only made Ayaka feel sillier.
She had been dating this girl for...how many years now? Making the impossible possible was Lumine’s truest style. Was that reason enough to acquiesce? Ayaka thought neither hard nor long. Her girlfriend wanted to go somewhere.
“I can’t sleep,” they turned to each other, Lumine’s words barely above a mumble.
It was a simple statement. All-in-all, it was a rather flimsy reason on paper, and yet it carried a certain amount of significance.
Was it because Lumine said it?
It was because Lumine said it.
That was all there was to it.
With three hastily fetched water bottles in-hand, two jackets with whatever was inside, and two phones with an accumulative battery life of forty-two percent that was sure to be false, they set off. The familiar night-blanketed streets gave way the unfamiliar, then to the unknown. The buildings thinned out, and the abundant lights of the city were quashed by the dark. Ayaka had been in Lumine’s truck many times before at this point. Was it...a truck? A pickup truck? Ayaka wasn’t familiar.
It was a ‘gift’ from Lumine’s brother.
A glorified hand-me-down, in other words.
It really wasn’t anything special on the surface.
It was old, slightly cramped, had only space for two people, far from mint-condition but perfectly functional a good eighty percent of the time.
What brand was it? A foolish question. All that mattered was that it was Lumine’s. That made it special.
She would not ever say it to the girl in question, though. There were better things to compliment... Especially since the air-conditioning was bust.
The girl’s ashen eyes looked through the window she had rolled down. As her gaze wandered the darkness, her eyes subconsciously followed the series of lamplights illuminating the road, casting a spotlight on them again and again, repeating. Looking to light was only natural, the dark nothing but danger. Even in woeful summer when nights were short, one still had to be careful were they to find themselves ‘neath that dark veil.
Though she wasn’t scared. She couldn’t be.
The latent sweltering summer heat surrounded the truck, Ayaka’s gaze shifting to the left. A car passed them, heading the opposite way. How rare, for people to still be going somewhere at this hour. There were still some cars as they exited the city, but that had felt like so long ago.
The hypocrisy was, of course, not lost to the heron.
Were they not the weird ones here? Ayaka kept her head fixed to the left.
“Is there something on my face?”
Oh dear, was she staring? The flick of her girlfriend’s eyes to the right made her grow a touch crimson, but surely it was just the heat. She just couldn’t help it. Lumine was just too pretty. Even in the dark, those golden locks were ever radiant as they were lightly swept by the wind, for the window on her side was open too.
Besides, what else was she supposed to do? Continue looking at the dark nothingness? While her kendo practice made her mind sharp, disciplined, and most of all, refined, even she needed some stimulus every once in a while. She did not study criminology, but last time she checked looking at her girlfriend wasn’t a crime.
That was more Sara’s thing.
“I was wondering when you would fix the air-conditioning.”
Talking to her was an even better excuse to keep looking.
She was growing tired of the silence only disturbed by the vehicle’s music, anyway.
“I don’t think you were thinking that, Aya.”
“Where is your evidence, Lumi?”
If she was going to play nicknames, then Ayaka was not one to avoid a challenge.
“I guess you got me there...”
“Conceding already? I remember your tongue being sharper and…wittier,” Ayaka jabbed.
“Ayaka, dear? It is nearly 3AM. Just what are you expecting? I’m sure even your brother would not be at peak functionality at this time...”
A logical argument.
However.
“Oh, how sweet of you to regard him so highly. Though in my eyes you far exceed him in many capacities... Perhaps even all?” it was a devious line. Both parties knew there was no room for Lumine to properly counter it. Denying a compliment from her dearest Ayaka? It would be criminal! A corner of the blonde’s mouth stirred to an awkward smile, a trembled laugh escaping. Even her lawyer friends could not defend her from a case mounted by the Kamisatos, surely!
“Ah... I was thinking of getting a new one, after saving. The upkeep is getting quite steep,” Lumine chuckled at her unintentional rhyme. How was that for wittiness?
Oh she just dodged it entirely, Ayaka giggled to herself, which brought a smile to Lumine, which in-turn melted Ayaka’s heart. They continued to feed each other the simplest of happiness, bringing life to their night. It was like the time they went strawberry picking last year. The fruits weren't big since they were late, but somehow everything tasted so sweet even before Lumine dumped condensed milk all-over.
Without knowing, the duo was on the cusp of discovering their personal perpetual-motion...perpetual-happiness machine, capable of causing a scientific upheaval.
If only it wasn’t so late at night, or, at the very least, an actual new discovery.
Submitting that seeing your significant all smiles made you want to smile too was hardly publication worthy.
Though, it really was priceless.
The pale-blue haired girl shifted in her seat, her eyes regretfully tearing themselves away from her beloved, looking at the horizon… Or well, where the horizon would be. She could hardly see anything. Ayaka reached for her designated bottle, putting it to her lips. It had already gone tepid, no evidence of it ever being housed in a fridge.
If only one of us could control the heat in some way, she thought to herself with a yawn.
Ayaka shook her head. She had to stay in reality…and awake. The prospect of leaving Lumine entirely alone in the world of the waking shot a hurtful loneliness through the martial artist.
“Where are we headed, anyway?” Ayaka asked a little languidly, shifting again to snap herself awake through motion. Her eyes landed on the dashboard, as she took to interpreting the indicator needles and whatever-it-could-be-for-meters as a mental exercise.
One second.
Two seconds.
Three seconds.
It was now 3:03AM.
Does she have no idea?!, Ayaka thought.
“Lumi?”
And she would be right.
“Uhm...”
It is not as if Lumine was solely at fault. It slipped both their minds. They had neglected it, forgotten, the question temporarily left behind and shut away in their little apartment. Perhaps she should not have asked?
But it has now caught up.
Instant transmission.
“What about...a place where the world can’t find us?” her words were soft, Ayaka thought. Was she growing tired too? They had been driving for a while now, so it was no wonder. She would offer to take over, but unfortunately Ayaka had no license. Lumine’s words repeated in her girlfriend’s mind, echoing. She really was being whisked away while her not-quite-an-abductor possessed no idea as to where...
Was that phrasing too belligerent? Perhaps it was twisting it too much.
Ayaka went along willingly...but that may have been a bad idea.
In a slow movement, perhaps out of general tiredness, Ayaka reached out tenderly to the sleeve of Lumine’s jacket. The blonde could only raise an eyebrow.
“Then you should not have brought me along.”
“Are you saying that you’re my whole world?”
No, that is not quite it.
“I am saying that you are mine.”
The words hung between them, punctuating their weight. It was as if every second elapsed and every meter traveled served as emphasis. Peel away the banter, the playfulness, and let all pretense fall to the side. Should you be successful, then you would only find the purest of love. They were each other’s weakness, rosy tints dusting their cheeks. Their hearts beat in sync, adding the most beautiful undertone to the music only known to them.
“Then what about the place where shooting stars land?”
“Do most not burn up in atmosphere?” Ayaka paused, melancholia overtaking them despite the pedal being pushed down just a little further. She couldn’t prevent a sigh from escaping. “Most...do not reach the surface,” it is not as if she longed for a meteorite to strike them down and the greater world along with it, but it was the image of falling short that plucked at her.
Like messages lost in the mail.
Like feelings left unspoken.
Like words unable to communicate emotion.
Was it not lamentable? For all those sentiments in the world? Perhaps Yoimiya was a better spokesperson on this point, but it was a shame. Humans were meant to connect, yet so much existed to blunt us at every turn. She couldn’t help but remember her own yearning for her beloved Lumine, before they entered this relationship. What if she had fallen short? What if she said the wrong thing? Stumbling over her feet despite her mastery in bladework?
How do you phrase love?
Surely it must involve the moon?
“I’m sure we’ll reach it!” Lumine declared, attempting to dispel the downwards mood overcasting her girlfriend. “We’ll touch down. I’m sure of it,” The blonde looked to the sky to the best of her ability within the confines of the driver’s seat. Ayaka was enamored. It was nearly a starless night, so why did it seem as if she could see the galaxies in those eyes of gold?
Lumine was always like that. It always felt like she saw more out there, the glint in her eyes betraying a trailblazing desire.
It was one of the 122 things Ayaka could list about the things she loved about Lumine. It was still a work in progress.
Though she hoped she would never finish.
“Eyes on the road, stargazer,” Ayaka chuckled, her mood successfully lifted.
“Oh, come on. There’s nobody around~” Lumine said with a smirk, patting herself on the back. The main quest, ‘make your girlfriend happy’ has been completed.
Her reward?
A happy Ayaka.
“How would you know? You are not the one looking.”
Their destination was unknown. If it was the end of the world, or the resting place of the stars, it did not matter. They rode the tailwind, or was it blowing in their faces? In this oversaturated world of give and take that took more than it gave, they vowed to stick together. Both held that direction close to their heart without giving it any words.
“I think I’m seeing more than you, thank you very much.”
“Really? I am seeing the whole world here.”
Lumine’s gaze flicked back to the road, then to Ayaka briefly. “What a coincidence, me too.”
She really was a dork. An utterly lovable one.
They leaned back in their chairs, comfortable in each other’s presence as they continued to make headway to nowhere. Lumine pushed the accel, most definitely breaking speed-limits by some tiny margin, but neither cared. Well, Ayaka did. She would certainly use this to reprimand Lumine, but it wouldn’t be now. Now wasn’t the moment. Was she being too lax, perhaps? Ayaka couldn’t deny it. Lumine really did change her.
They basked in the night-time vibe and this speed that made them feel alive. The music was put on louder, fighting away the encroaching sleep. There was less than a liter of water left. They didn’t worry, for they did not need any of that right now. All the two needed were each other and this continued moment stolen from time. That was all.
Unfortunately, the human body does need sleep.
Should you ignore it...
Well.
“I wish this night would never end,” Lumine mused with wistful longing.
These sorts of thoughts are conceived.
“Lumi?”
“It’s like a dream...this night. Being together with you like this. It’s like the nights when you teach me how to dance.”
“Then should you not be teaching me how to drive right now? There is hardly any room to dance here.”
Speed limits were one thing, but safety belts were another!
“Is the middle of the night really the best learning environment?”
Perhaps not...
“Out here, it’s as if there’s nothing but us,” her eyes fixed on the road, Lumine began to ramble to her audience of one. “The world and everything in it, it can’t reach us here.” In stark contrast to the usual Lumine, the one driving’s expression was sweet, if not a little melancholy. Vibrant and ardent were the words quick to well whenever Ayaka let thoughts wander to her girlfriend, which admittedly happened often.
That did not make this sort of Lumine less lovable; let it be known. It was a delightful reprieve from the usual Lumine-branded antics, and who could honestly hate heavy-sappy moods?
If only tomorrow wouldn’t come, whispered from behind the wheel, Lumine’s voice was lovely like melted sugar and soft like marshmallows. As sweet as it sounded, the words weren’t empty. Had this thought not possessed everyone at some point? Ayaka was sure she thought something similar when her parents passed.
Tragedy was such a common fashion.
Though it appears that feeling needn’t solely be born from sadness.
“Are you dooming the world?” Ayaka could not help but tease, “To make it so it is just us forever?”
“Would you hate it?”
Would she?
Ayaka had no idea.
It would be sad, to be sure.
The number of people she would miss increased quickly every split-second she spent considering.
Though, there was a certain appeal to it.
Hence why this moment was so precious, as fleeting as it was.
“Everyone...” Ayaka could only say.
“Oh, right, big brother...” a dumb grin paired with a sheepish laugh, Lumine did her best to keep her hands steady on the wheel. It was cute. “Don’t tell him about this...”
Did she really forget Aether?
“I was just about to send him a text,” she reached for her phone on the dashboard, which Lumine was quick to whisk away.
“Civilized people don’t send texts at this time.”
Tsk. This girl only claimed reason when it worked out for her...
“Still, it would be nice to be able to change the world,” Lumine let Ayaka reclaim her phone. A continued struggle would certainly be unwise right now. The facial recognition lit-up the screen. The time was now 3:12AM. “Just the two of us. I’m sure we could do it. Defeat evil, you know? Like...”
“Capitalism?”
“Yeah like that,” Lumine smiled again.
“Do you fancy yourself a hero?”
“What?” the driver’s voice sprung to life as it exclaimed in mock-offense at the faux-doubt present in Ayaka’s voice. “I totally could be one! Do you not believe in me? How cold, Ayaka... So cold. If it weren’t summer I’m sure I would be freezing right now! You should freeze time, not me!”
Oh, how dramatic.
“Unfortunately, I am not in the possession of such power...”
“I’m sure you could if you tried! You seem like you would be good at it. Freezing.”
“Now what is that supposed to mean?”
Though, the blonde was right—barring the part about frost.
Somehow, someway, Lumine did seem like she showed the signs of a hero.
Someone that could change the world and be a light never-before-seen.
Like a flame in this dark unstable world, bearing hope.
“I believe you,” Ayaka said straightforwardly, from the depths of her heart. From hers to hers, Lumine’s heart could only melt into a smile. Nevermind the freezing, Ayaka was much more adept at the opposite. If only she wasn’t driving. Ayaka just looked so huggable right now.
“Then, everyday just like this?”
If only they could. Finals were just around the corner. And after that graduation. Then the job-market...
Perhaps it would not be so bad if life could be this leisurely—this idyllic.
Or was that greed?
It couldn’t be. It’s what the world owed.
After all, Lumine was offering.
“Are you offering to elope? It is not as if Ayato is against us or anything...”
The blonde reacted as if she had spit out water. Not that she had drank much recently. “T-that’s not—” she blurted out to which Ayaka could only let out a warm chuckle. “It’s just... Ah, sorry. It must be selfish.”
“Are you not the one telling me to be a little more selfish constantly?”
“Unlike you, my dearest Aya, my card must be maxed out,” Lumine was quick to quip. “Though, yes, live a little!”
It reminded the young Kamisato of the night they met at that freshman’s party. They had all just entered college, tasting life. It was Ayaka’s first experience at a college party. At the time, still adapting to this life away from home and newfound freedoms, she hardly knew how to distinguish left from right.
Or how to distinguish thinly-veiled malice from honest friendliness.
Lumine looked out for her.
Let’s get out of here, the blonde stranger, a girl about her age, said.
The blonde’s grip on her wrist was warm and gentle as she led them out of the door, away from the fuming senior whose toes had been stepped on by her now partner. She quickly learned that those kinds of parties didn’t suit her.
The ones Lumine held for the little circle of friends they fostered were much more to the heron’s liking.
Lumine was right.
This was a dream.
But Ayaka wagered she has been dreaming.
Ever since that night—
“Wouldn’t we be running away?”
“Is that so wrong?” their eyes locked only for a brief moment. Wasn’t driving so inconvenient? It blocked romance at every turn. They couldn't even look at each other lest they seriously risk an accident. Was love this helpless? Was romance unable to surmount this gap of only a few centimeters? Or was danger just part of the show? “Running away is something relative to a place or destination right? In this world where we don’t know where we’re going or where we’re supposed to be, how could anything be considered running away?”
A pause.
“Who knows, maybe by taking those detours we’ll find our path,” Lumine finished.
Was it due to instability because they had been tumbling forward in drowsiness for so long? Tears welled from the corner of Ayaka’s silver eyes, streaming down her cheeks. Witnessing it, Lumine drove the truck off the road, the tires coming to a stop. No chance for accidents now, romance was officially a-go. “Ayaka? What’s wrong?” Lumine wiped the tears away.
“I am just...”
“Just?”
“So surprised you said something smart...”
...
Maybe romance was dead.
Deciding to take a much needed break, they both exited the vehicle. Standing in the middle of nowhere without music blaring, they finally noticed the sound of the sea and the telltale saltiness latent in the air. The pair climbed onto the back of the pickup, huddling close, a cloth beneath them that Lumine had stored. Ayaka staggered as she ascended, falling onto her beloved. It was not as if she lost her balance or the ground was unsteady, she merely wanted to pretend.
It wasn’t cold. The coastal wind was more sweltering than chilling. And salty. The heart of summer was alive and well, yet Lumine put her jacket around Ayaka anyways.
“I do not need two, you know.”
“You looked cold. Otherwise, consider it revenge.”
“Who is the one being cold here, Lumi?”
The blonde sneered.
Was this really far enough? Could this be called a proper overnight journey, or just a half-hearted attempt at escapism? There weren’t any craters around.
Time passed and the skies began to turn. The celestial ceiling lit-up, the stars gleaming in nascent orange. Myriad lights blinked into and out of existence. The light from that sun splintered into hundreds if not thousands of starlight sparks, dancing on the tranquil waves as if saying hello. Both knew that it was merely reflected light. They knew that. And yet they wouldn’t stop pretending it was a galaxy of their own creation. There were no fallen stars to be found, only starfall.
Ayaka’s gaze shifted elsewhere, holding a breath, watching Lumine’s face growing brighter as that fireball returned her gaze.
Glittering, scintillating, the world looked so beautiful reflected in those eyes.
“Is there something on my face, Aya?”
Yeah, it was far enough.
They had both already reached the place to be.
“Not necessarily, but I do love it dearly.”
The duo staved off sleep, all the while exchanging meaningless dreams, as first light dawned.
“Good morning,” in unison, their smiles rivaled even dawn.