Work Text:
The low hum of the engine was the only noise as Mafuyu drove in silence, her hands steady on the wheel, eyes half-lidded. Next to her in the passenger seat Ena was a bundle of energy – quietly humming to herself, her sketchbook open, phone in hand as she checked on the map.
“Are you sure it’s this far out?” Mafuyu asked, voice low and even, not showing tiredness at all despite the late hour.
Ena squinted at her phone. “Yep. Just a little more. There’s a hill soon where it’s supposed to be free of light pollution.”
“So, the middle of nowhere.”
“Yup.” Ena smiled without looking up.
Mafuyu only hummed in response, amusement tugging on the corner of her mouth.
After fifteen more minutes they finally reached the hill top. Mafuyu turned off the engine and everything went completely still for a moment. It was darker than either of them expected. Unlike in the city where billboards and streetlights light up the night sky, it was a deep, quiet kind of dark. The kind where the stars didn’t just simply appear in the sky, they filled it.
“Woah…” Ena breathed, stepping out of the car.
Mafuyu followed her, leaning against the car hood, eyes lifting up. “Hmm.”
“That’s all?” Ena turned to her after a beat, almost offended. “Just ‘Hmm’? It’s breathtaking!”
Mafuyu’s lips twitched faintly. “We’ve seen the stars before.”
“Not like this.” Ena argued, moving to the back seat to dig out her supplies. “It’s almost like they’re alive here.”
Mafuyu watched her set up her ‘workstation’ - a folding stool, a small travel easel, a small jar filled with water, brushes and a small lantern, just emitting enough light for Ena to see the paint.
Ena finally settled onto her stool, canvas up on the easel, eyes scanning the stars. “You can sit in the car if you want.” she murmured, dipping her brush into the jar of water. “I know it’s cold.”
Mafuyu shook her head. “It’s fine, I’ll stay.”
Neither spoke. Ena painted, her strokes quiet and rhythmic, the sound of her brush the only noise in the night air. Mafuyu sat still on the top of the car, her eyes drifting from the sky to Ena’s concentrated expression. There was something peaceful about it - the stillness between them, the way the world felt paused.
After a few minutes, Ena broke the silence. “Hey.” she said softly, without looking up. “You’re staring again.”
Mafuyu blinked. “I thought you wanted me to keep you company.”
“You’re too quiet tonight.” she said, softer now. “Usually, you have a comment about my technique, or something snarky to say.”
“I thought I’d just watch you.”
“Watch me, huh?” Ena’s voice was teasing, though her eyes never left the canvas in front of her.
Mafuyu shrugged lightly, back against the hood. “You’re just really stunning when you work.”
Ena laughed quietly, the sound soft and airy. She dipped her brush again, tracing delicate lines across the canvas. “You’re impossible sometimes, you know that?”
“You say that a lot,” Mafuyu said, her voice low. She tilted her head, watching the way Ena’s hair caught the lantern light, the way her hand moved with quiet confidence and care.
Ena’s gaze flicked toward her for a fraction of a second. “You’re smiling,” she said softly.
Mafuyu didn’t answer immediately. “Maybe.” she said finally. Her eyes drifted back up to the sky, where the stars seemed to shine even brighter. “It’s peaceful out here. I can see why you got excited.”
The silence returned, comfortable, full without words. Ena leaned back on her stool for a moment, brushing a stray strand of hair from her face. “I think it’s done,” she murmured, tilting the canvas slightly so Mafuyu could see it better.
The painting was soft, almost dreamlike. A night sky alive with stars, their light scattered across the paper, and in the lower corner, a subtle hint of a figure leaning against a car.
“Is that… me?” Mafuyu asked quietly.
Ena’s lips curved into a small, shy smile. “I thought it needed someone to look up at the stars.”
Mafuyu’s gaze lingered on the painting for a moment, tracing the figure leaning against the car, looking just like her. The quiet of the night wrapped around them, soft and patient, and for a second, neither spoke.
“Thank you.” Ena said, voice almost lost to the slight wind.
“For what?”
“For… just being here.” Ena said, turning her eyes toward Mafuyu. “For letting me drag you out here to the middle of nowhere.”
Mafuyu’s expression softened, lips turning into a soft smile. “You don’t have to thank me,” she murmured. “I like being with you.”
Ena’s smile grew, tender and small, and she set her brush down. “Good. Because I’m not completely done yet.”
Mafuyu raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”
“I’m planning a whole series of night skies now.” Ena said, leaning back to look at the real stars above them. “And I want you in all of them.” she reached over, brushing her fingers against Mafuyu’s hand.
“Ready to head back soon?” Mafuyu asked after a while, though her tone carried no urgency.
Ena shook her head. “Not yet. Let’s stay a little longer.”
Mafuyu glanced at her, eyes soft. “Alright.”