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That face had been haunting Shuriken for weeks now.
It felt like months, really. What felt like so long he had gone without seeing that charming face again; that man he had accepted he would only cross paths with once, and yet the idea of that still… hurt. It was weird to say that, but wording it any other way would be a lie. It hurt. It stung.
Shuriken didn't even know why. It wasn't as if he knew that man—Coil, he remembered that name vividly—very well. All it had been was some brief meeting, helping someone injured get back on their feet. It wasn’t anything more than that. It shouldn't have been. It was just his job, his goal. He wanted to help people, so he did—nowhere in the ‘job description’ of being a vigilante does it say ‘get attached to a random person you met who lives in a completely different region!’
And admittedly, Shuriken had tried to ignore it. To shove that… yearning into a box, seal it up, and toss it into the sea. He didn’t want these feelings to linger, there's no reason he would. This was a detriment, an obstacle he’d have to overcome. Yet, no matter how much he fought against it, that feeling would still break free; swinging back at him with full force. How irritating. He wanted that ache in his chest to disappear, to stop being reminded of those bright blue and orange horns, that smug smirk.
Not to mention, it was especially loathsome being like this when surrounded by nosy people. Well— maybe it wasn’t right to call Slingshot and Vinestaff nosy. It wasn’t some crime to want to know why he’s acting weird, but in Shuriken’s mind this matter was too personal. So personal that any inquiry about it had to be some personal attack, a jab at him, someone wishing that he would unravel some big secret. It was irrational, yes, but cut him some slack, he’s never dealt with feelings like this! How is he supposed to react?
…But this begs the question. How must he respond to these issues? Shuriken would rather not let them stain his thoughts any longer, but the only thing he could think of to rid himself of this…
…
The only solution he could think of was finding Coil again.
Maybe it’d satiate some of his desire, that desperate wish to see him again. It was a stupid idea, really. Heading to another faction with the hope of finding one singular person in the midst of it all? Impossible, it had to be. Yet, despite the knowledge of this, Shuriken wanted to. It was the only idea he had, the only way to lessen the amount of times he spaced out at work or followed any hint of a cold breeze, praying it’d somehow bring him back to that ice-covered stranger.
Stranger, he reminded himself. A stranger is what he was after. He didn’t even think he could call them acquaintances. He wasn’t even sure he’d told Coil his name, let alone spent enough time with him to learn anything about him. That just made this situation all the more embarrassing… Having a (although he despised calling it this) ‘crush’ on someone he hardly knew? He’d never hear the end of it!
…oh well. If he wanted this to ease up a little, he might as well go seek out this stranger. Quench some of that curiosity, at least find out some more about this guy. Couldn’t possibly go wrong, huh?
Sneaking out was child’s play at this point. He’d done it so often, the most optimal ‘routes’ for it engraved in his mind. Not that it was the hardest thing to do, not when Slingshot and Vinestaff were fast asleep by (relatively) certain times, thus giving him a good ‘schedule’ for when to make his move.
He was almost surprised he hadn’t been caught yet. He’d been doing this for Swords know how long, nearly every single night… not to mention the times he returned home a little too late. It was a miracle he hadn’t crossed paths with a-just-waking-up-Vinestaff as he crawls back inside through a window. Whatever, he wasn’t going to take it for granted. He couldn’t have been happier that his cover hadn’t been blown yet. And he’d definitely prefer it if it stayed that way…
With that being said, this wasn’t one of his typical vigilante excursions. It was, as mentioned before, that ‘solution’ for his feelings that he was oddly adamant on. Was this a stupid idea? Yes! Could he have waited for morning to tell Vinestaff and Slingshot, therefore making it less suspicious? Definitely! But did he do that? Nope!
I mean, how would he explain this? Sure he’d be gone for a while, but he didn’t feel like arguing with those two over why he should ‘definitely get a day or two off work!’ The chances of them listening? Slim, I tell you!
…
So of course, here he was.
In Playground. Wandering around, completely lost! Sure, he had a map to guide him– And he’d done well enough to only stay in the bounds of the city that he had directions for. Even so he felt like some stray dog wandering the streets. Like some tourist. Technically he was, but… well, he wasn’t really here for some tourist-y reasons.
Shuriken found himself stumbling through the main city, face either buried in the map he held or anywhere but in front of him. One thing he often turned back to was the towering mountain far off in the distance (albeit, if he could see it past the buildings he walked by). Something about Windforce living up there, something about it being ‘sacred and how no Inphernal had ever returned from there alive’... he didn’t think he cared much about any rumors surrounding it. Just the look of it was enough to stun him, to stop him in his tracks just to stare. There wasn’t anything like this in Crossroads, nothing more than that impressive tower surrounded by buildings, buildings, and even more buildings.
…With that said, you’d think a ‘city boy’ like him would do a little better in a place like this. Shuriken bumped into more people than he could count, thanks to all the distractions that he, of course, focused on instead. He often had to throw his hands up placatingly, praying that he wouldn’t get cursed out by whatever Inphernal he’d just bumped into… something he’d handled a lot. Whatever Playground was like, Crossroads likely wasn’t any better with it’s amount of… let’s just say rude people.
Aside from whatever natural scenery that grabbed his attention, such as those impressive mountains or whatever local plants he came across (he saw some cool flowers… he’d have to grab some for Vinestaff later), his eyes were often captured by decorations or whatever was hanging up on walls and in windows. Lights, signs, and specifically posters were what he often found himself staring at. Posters about some new fancy product, some famous music artist coming to Playground, and… something about boxing?
He hadn’t been able to just— stop in the middle of the street and get a closer look, but they had definitely caught his eye. Flashy Inphernals with equally as flashy Gears, either beating each other to a pulp or reducing some Biograft to scraps. The only word he could make out from a distance was ‘TOURNAMENT’ in some big, bright, and bold lettering. In all honesty, Shuriken had fully intended to simply walk past them, pay no further mind to something he didn’t have much interest in attending. Well… until he saw a certain thing out of the corner of his eye.
Something had puzzled him, stopped him right in his tracks. A mixture of colors that he swore he’d only seen one other place. Shuriken was quick to turn, rushing towards the poster he had seen. And, well, getting a good look at it hadn’t eased any of that shock he felt, either. If anything, it just increased tenfold.
At first, he was so sure his eyes were somehow tricking him. That it was simply a coincidence, that it just had the same colors as him and nothing else. But there was no mistaking this.
Shuriken stood frozen in front of the poster, eyes wide as he stared at the face printed onto it. Coil's face— exactly what he had come to Playground for. That was what finally got him to read the rest of the information, lightly skimming over whatever the date, address, or schedule of it was. He was only focused on Coil's name, briefly reading over what time he was supposed to fight, whoever—or whatever—it was, Shuriken hardly cared. He found himself reading Coil's name time and time again, as if to make sure it was real, that he wasn't seeing things. That he wouldn't have to go on some wild goose chase just to find Coil like he thought he would. This was real.
…The only issue was that it was scheduled for tomorrow night.
Surely finding it wasn’t going to be much of a problem, he’d found his way around the confusing routes of Crossroads before. But really, he really needed to start coming up with some excuses for when he got home…
Not only that, but he’d have to find some place to stay for the night. That’d be annoying… whatever. Shuriken would find his way around that, he’d deal with it. He had to stay, his goal was so close— within reach. It was weird to think of it, the thought of it made his cheeks heat up immensely… the thought of finding out more about Coil. It was embarrassing, getting so flustered just knowing that he could learn more about him. It was irritating, annoying. Hell, he couldn't even think of the name Coil without his face heating up!
…He had to stop and breathe. To remind himself that's why he's here. Yeah. That's definitely why he's here. To stop these infuriating thoughts. Because he definitely hated them so much. And there was no other reason at all for it. He had to convince himself of that.
…
The rest of that day was just as uneventful as you’d think. More wandering aimlessly through the streets of Playground, noting things he’d have to pick up later, and of course… finding some random spot in an alleyway to stay for the night. Not the first time he’s napped in some cramped place like that…
That brings us to his current predicament. Shuriken had given himself all day to find the address. There was no physical map he could have followed to find it, just some directions from Playgrounders, keeping an eye on wherever he was, and the map he created in his head as he went. He was thankful for not being stupid and procrastinating (for once), but damn it was hard to find his way around Playground. It hadn’t taken the entire time, of course not, but by the time he found the location? There was only about an hour until any of the matches were scheduled to start. Not that he was complaining—it gave him time to be nosy, to look around. Maybe catch a glimpse of him beforehand…?
No. That was wishful thinking, Shuriken reasoned with himself. It was unrealistic to think any of those competitors would be doing anything but preparing. All that meet-and-greet stuff was for afterwards… He thought. It’s not like he’s ever gone to watch some boxing match. He had no clue how these things were supposed to work.
…
Then it hit him again.
He’d been thinking about it again— getting hopeful, desperate. It’s been said again and again, but it was embarrassing. Embarrassing how he always found himself looking forward to this, looking forward to so much as seeing Coil in person once more. It was stupid. It was a crush. He hated that fact… or maybe he was trying to convince himself of that.
…
There was nothing noteworthy about Shuriken’s… Well, let’s just say his snooping around. Sticking his nose in places it likely didn’t belong, too close to a place he wasn’t supposed to be in. It was unfortunate, but he hadn’t discovered anything of interest. He was stuck on the worthlessness of that nosy-ness as he settled into his seat, blankly staring off into the ring as he awaited the start of the event. Shuriken wasn’t really thrilled for the first couple of matches, not after actually taking time to look over the order of them all. He’d been satisfied to see Coil’s name a little early on—thank the Swords he wouldn’t have to wait much longer—but when that’s your only reason for being here? Everything else felt boring.
…
…This really was pathetic, his reason for being here. All it had done so far was worsen this ache, not satiate it at all as he had hoped. It was stupid, in retrospect. It sucked that he was only starting to realize his idiocracy so far into it. But, in a way, he… didn’t regret this.
Maybe it was that… oh, he hated thinking of it like this, his lovestruck brain that was influencing any rational thought. It didn’t matter. Not when the thought of seeing Coil face-to-face had begun to fill him with some pure, childish joy. It had evolved into more than that frustration with himself. That fact itself confused him. He was conflicted. Should he hate that development? Should he, for some weird reason, be happy about it? Whatever his thoughts on it were, they were all over the place. Some in favor of it, others distraught that he derived any joy at all from it.
Long story short, these thoughts and feelings of his were a mess.
…those first few rounds were a blur, thanks to Shuriken being lost in his thoughts. The only thing that managed to drag him from his own mind was the booming voice of the announcer. Although he had tuned it out previously, it was as if just hearing the name ‘Coil’ was all that was needed to catch his attention. Maybe the volume of the announcer’s voice was just some bonus.
It was almost immediate, the way Shuriken had perked back up, now focusing completely on the ring. Or, more specifically, the man who had stepped under the harsh spotlight.
Coil, just as it had been announced. Whatever the name of his opponent was, Shuriken didn’t care; he was zeroed in on Coil, and only him. Again, as I’ve said time and time again, it normally was embarrassing. But in the moment, it wasn’t. Not with that big, stupid grin on his face, not as he watched Coil triumph in what felt like seconds, and not as Shuriken cheered for him afterwards. It seemed as if none of his own judgemental feelings mattered at that moment, that he couldn’t bring himself to care about how ‘dumb’ or ‘stupid’ it all was. He couldn’t bring himself to feel that shame that had constantly plagued him. Even if he wasn’t actually speaking to Coil, even if they weren’t having some fun ‘icebreaker’ chat where they told each other fun facts about themselves—or whatever people did on first dates. Or first meetings. Something like that.
Even if he was only watching Coil in some boxing competition, it was still… fun. Intriguing. Interesting to see that someone like this, with influence and a small amount of fame here, had been standing before him that whole time.
…
…He didn’t want to think about how it could have made his chances even slimmer.
So he didn’t.
In Shuriken’s mind, he had just struck gold.
The tournament had ended, Coil obviously prevailing over every other Inphernal who had competed. Just from the looks of it, Coil had no issues with his victory. He had knocked every opponent down shortly after each match started, that sharp glare of his a death sentence to whoever stood before him. Shuriken couldn’t tell if signing up for it would be brave, or just plain stupid. In all honesty, he was leaning towards the latter…
Naturally, someone so damn skilled would be flocked with fans, swarmed with people who wanted recognition from their idol.
Shuriken didn’t want to admit that he wasn’t any different from those people, even if he was in the exact same spot.
It didn’t make things any better considering he waited.
He’d waited for a crowd of people to die down, for Coil to make his leave from the building before trailing behind him. Was it a little creepy? Definitely… he’d have to apologize for that if he could actually manage to get Coil’s attention. Of all things you could call him as a result of his actions… he really, really didn’t want to get called some creep or stalker.
Perhaps those thoughts were what prevented him from approaching Coil at first. Perhaps it was the thing that kept him following shortly after him like some weirdo— but maybe he should go ahead and speak up, try to amend any tension (that is to say, if Coil had even realized Shuriken’s presence. He was… awfully confident in his abilities to sneak around, going unnoticed).
So, he gathered the courage to approach.
“Hey, wait up!” Shuriken called out, quickening his pace to reach the other.
The look on Coil’s face as he turned almost crushed him. An irritated look had spread across his face, mouth open as if he was about to object. As if he wasn’t afraid to try and shoo some late fan away. Shuriken couldn’t blame him… he’d probably be mad, too.
However, that expression didn’t stay the same the entire time. It changed in a matter of moments, contorting from that irritation, to one of confusion, to slight recognition, back to confusion—if not laced with a bit of suspicion. He was silent for a second or two as he took in Shuriken’s appearance, as if trying to process it.
“...Hey,” he replied, “need anything?”
…Right. That mask of his— had Shuriken taken it off at all that whole night? Surely he had, but… for long enough for Coil to actually stare at him, recognize his features?
At least the slight look of recognition he had caught was better than nothing. And surely Coil would remember if he explained everything…?
“Oh Swords, this’ll be really awkward. Just, uh— Hi, I’m Shuriken, don’t think I ever told you that name… But, do you remember a few weeks back when you were in Crossroads? And, like, those Biografts hurt you kind of really bad? And that guy who patched you up after…?”
…An awkward silence hung between the two of them for a few short moments. Shuriken watched Coil’s face carefully, registering every miniscule change.
A wave of pure relief had crashed over him as he watched Coil’s expression shift, mouth spreading into a wide grin after processing his words.
“Ohhh, it’s you! The guy who took me to his house after knowing me for five minutes!”
…he was teasing, that much was obvious, but Shuriken still felt his face heat up (for what seemed like the hundredth time these past two days).
“It's fine, I'm just teasin’!” Coil snickered, clapping a hand against Shuriken's back like he was some old friend. As if they weren't basically strangers.
“What are you doing all the way out here??” he questioned, that smile confident yet kind.
“Oh, uh…”
“I think I heard you cheering louder than everyone else. Hah— what, did you come all the way from Crossroads just for me?”
…
Shuriken had gone quiet. He debated what to say, whether he should admit it or not. It could make things awkward, insanely so. It’d just ruin whatever friendliness there was, surely. But even then, he couldn’t bring himself to be fully pessimistic. It was hard to believe that the only way this could go was badly.
“...What if I said I did?” Shuriken replied.
…guess that hope of his had overpowered any other worries.
Yet, dread had soon crashed over him. Coil was silent. Shuriken didn’t think he could look up at him, look him in the eye and see a possibly confused or amused expression. He didn’t think Coil would be disgusted, but that didn’t mean the reaction was bound to be positive.
“Is that right…” Coil mumbled, his voice urging Shuriken to finally look up at him.
When he did, he was met with a surprised expression on Coil’s face, perhaps even a little flustered. Shuriken wasn’t sure if this was… entirely negative. Just shocking on his end, as well. Coil had fans, yes, it’d be strange for him to suddenly be confused when people do want to see him fight. From what he could tell, Shuriken was almost certain that the main positive response would be fueling that confidence of his. But he wasn’t really met with anything that he anticipated.
“Is that weird!?” Shuriken blurted out, hardly thinking about his words before he did so.
Coil just raised his hands placatingly, lightly shaking his head.
“Nah, don’t think so— just uh… a little shocked that you would,”
Shuriken stared at him expectantly, urging him to continue.
“I mean, can’t think of a reason for why you’d show up to some guy’s boxing match… Some guy you only met once. I mean, I guess normally I’d be more confused than anything but…” Coil paused, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck, “...maybe you could say I’m pretty flattered.”
That sounded so sincere. So genuine. Not some appreciative words lathered in a massive ego, perhaps coming off as artificial.
“You mean that?” he questioned, not intending for his words to come off so… desperate.
Coil’s embarrassment seemed to exponentially grow.
“I mean, don’t ask me why, I dunno why it’s different this time,” he stated— words a little defensive, but not fully cold or closed off.
“...guess it’s ‘cause I thought you were pretty damn cool when you helped me then,” he mumbled. Now it was his turn to be unable to look Shuriken in the eyes.
It mirrored the first time they met, the silence that hung over them. Neither knew what to say, when to say it, who should speak up first. It lacked the same intensity, yet it was just as awkward. In both of their minds, maybe one wrong move would shatter the entire moment. Neither of them seemed to realize that was all just in their head.
Guess the only option they considered was completely changing the topic was the only way to cut through that silence.
“You got a place to stay tonight?” Coil questioned, nervously shoving his hands into his hoodie pocket.
Shuriken shook his head.
It seemed as if most of Coil’s composure and confidence completely melted as he spoke next, “...Guess I could like… let you stay with me for the night? Kinda like how you let me?”
Shuriken didn’t answer verbally. He didn’t think he could. All he did was nod to show his agreeance, a stupid smile spreading across his face.
Coil nodded, his own smile softening. Just kind, a little embarrassed, yes, but primarily kind.
…
Their walk was as silent as it had been the night they met, but the silence was far more comfortable. Every so often it would turn awkward, like when the only thing breaking it was the sudden hitch of someone’s breath after accidentally brushing their hands against the others.
It was strange. How this was only their second meeting, yet in several regards, it was vastly different from the first. While yes, it mirrored the situation, walking to a place to stay in mutual silence, almost none of the feelings were the same. The affection that Shuriken had developed for Coil… most of it had formed during that short time where he was being patched up inside of Shuriken’s home. He swore that the moment when he felt his heart first swell was when he wrapped that injured leg up in bandages, able to see Coil in a vulnerable light that perhaps only few others had. Yet here, simply on their walk, his head was swimming with all sorts of thoughts about how much he admired Coil, or how impressive everything about him was.
It was this recognition, this remembrance of those first moments, where he remembered something else, formed another idea.
Those simple wildflowers native to Playground that had grown through the cracks of concrete, or spread along the side of towering walls. Originally, he had only kept those in mind for his sister. Shuriken’s only goal was to gather some for Vinestaff, and watch that appreciative smile spread across her face at the sight of some new plant she hadn't had the chance to grow yet.
His eyes locked onto a few in the corner of his eye, picking up his pace as he approached them. He could feel Coil's puzzled gaze beating against the back of the head, but he couldn't care. No, this was a priority. However, as he reached down to pluck the flowers, that other idea resurfaced. He had tried to shove it down, to ignore it, but… he might as well.
A few of the flowers he had picked from the ground—trying his best to keep the roots intact, or else he'd have to face Vinestaff's lectures opposed to cheering her up—were separated into his other hand. Three of the flowers he had deemed the prettiest, his favorite.
“What are you doing??” Coil raised an eyebrow, watching as Shuriken hauled himself back up.
Shuriken couldn’t hide the redness of his face, not as he shoved the three plants into Coil’s hands, muttering something about ‘for you.’ Barely even loud enough to be heard.
Coil was frozen for a moment, before slowly opening his hand… staring at what had been placed into it. At first, he just stared. Moments later he devolved into laughter— not teasing, not judging, not to make fun of Shuriken. Nothing but a pure fondness, amusement over just how unexpected it was.
“That's kinda cheesy, y'know?”
Shuriken nodded, “but you don't seem like you hate it!”
“Why would I hate it?”
…
“Dude, I love it.”