Chapter Text
I. Groceries
Sakuya was truly an idiot.
It hadn't been his intention to even talk to Mahiru, but as soon as the brunette had seen him he had bolted over to him, tripping over his own feet.
"Wow Mahiru-kun, should you really be falling for me?" Sakuya joked with a laugh while he caught him. He joked so easily as if nothing had changed yet his true thoughts could be easily read in his eyes. 'Why did you call out to me?'
"Oh shut up!" Mahiru said, pink tinging his cheeks. Sakuya found it completely adorable. He laughed.
"Stop laughing at me you idiot!" Mahiru huffed, crossing his arms. The bags of groceries he had been carrying had spilled all over the ground, and he bent down to pick them up. While Sakuya knew he should be taking advantage of the moment, he stayed. After a few seconds, he bent down and began helping his friend.
"So how's it going Mahiru?" He asked casually to fill the silence. He really didn't like silence when he was with Mahiru. Sakuya preferred to hear his voice, to joke around with him as they had done once. Still, he knew nothing could be done about. They were nice memories, some of his best, but his loyalties lied with Tsubaki and he couldn't afford to be with Mahiru.
"Fine I guess," the brunette replied. "We're preparing for the festival this year, and I have a whole bunch of stuff to do."
"Ha, as usual. Don't tell me you volunteered to do almost everything again?" Sakuya asked with a laugh.
"It was the simplest way to get things done," Mahiru answered while putting the last can into the bag. He straightened up and Sakuya followed. Okay, he had said hello to Mahiru and had helped pick up his groceries. He could leave now and-
"Hey are you busy?" Mahiru asked. Yes, Sakuya was going to say. The idea of lying didn't appeal to him, it never had, but he couldn't really afford to say he was free. Yet somehow he did.
"No not really," he mentally hit his head against a brick wall.
"Great!" Mahiru said with that bright smile of his. "Here help me carry the groceries home then. We really haven't talked in a while." Damn you Mahiru.
With an internal sigh he bent down and took some of the bags, all while giving the brunette a look he purposely ignored.
"So how are the guys?" Sakuya asked. Mahiru might have been his best friend but the others were still his friends, even if the could barely Remember him now.
"They're okay. They still ask about you once in a while," Mahiru said. Sakuya just hummed and pretend that he didn't care. Mahiru stared at him for a few minutes, awkward uncomfortable silence stretching on for what seemed an eternity. Just as Sakuya was about to say something, anything to break the silence, Mahiru spoke again.
"You could always come back you know. To school I mean." Oh and how Sakuya wished he could.
"You know I can't Mahiru," He said quietly. The brunette sighed.
"Why can't you? Did Tsubaki forbid you, or do you not want to face us?"
"Mahiru, please." Sakuya begged. They walked in silence for a few more seconds.
"So, do anything fun recently? Things must be interesting hanging Belkia all the time," Mahiru said. Sakuya silently thanked him and they began a new conversation. It was fun, and Sakuya was silently waiting and dreading for them to part.
He ended up walking Mahiru to his apartment doorstep despite his better judgment. He could see that Mahiru didn't want to say goodbye but they both new the brunette had pushed his luck more than enough already.
"So uhm, see ya" Mahiru said with an awkward wave. Sakuya nodded and they both moved to walk away in their respective directions when in a split second decision he grabbed his friends arm, pulling him close.
"S-Sakuya?" Mahiru said, startled by the action.
"Just, just be careful, okay Mahiru." The brunette stared at him and nodded.
"Yeah I will. You too."
Neither made to move after the words were exchanged and it almost seemed to Sakuya that they were getting closer.
"You two brats stop blocking the hallways!" An old lady yelled, startling both boys to the point that they jumped apart. Both their faces were a bright scarlet, and the same thought was going through both their heads. 'Was I about to kiss him?!'
"Bye M-Mahiru," Sakuya said, and before his friend could answer, he hald already bolted, leaving a saddened and confused Mahiru and an old lady wondering how the green haired boy had just vanished.
Once he was a safe distance away, Sakuya sunk to the ground, head between his knees. He had forgotten how easy it was to get lost in Mahiru. The brown haired boy with the quirky personality, simple way of thinking, and the most beautiful smile he'd ever seen. He shouldn't have felt like he did around Mahiru, and yet he couldn't help himself. Sakuya clenched his hands. Today was a mistake. He shouldn't have given in.
And yet it felt so right, he had felt so complete. For the first time in a long time, he didn't even have to lie to someone who wasn't Tsubaki.
He slowly rose and began walking. He reached the sushi shop Tsubaki was always at, and wandered in, not even bothering to say hello. The Servamp noticed this and smirked.
"Ne Sakuya, shouldn't someone be happy after spending time with there best friend? You never came back this depressed when you hung out with Mahiru-kun before." Sakuya wondered why he had even bothered to come here.
"You know very well why," he snapped back, avoiding Tsubaki's gaze.
"Not really. Your human emotions really are complicated sometimes. You should take your friends advice and just think simply. If you like him that much why not continue to hang out with him? We might be in a war but I've never told you not to," the raven said before swallowing a piece of sushi. Sakuya was pretty sure Tsubaki was doing this to annoy him.
"It's not that simple," he answered back. All he could think about was the inevitable moment where Magiru would get seriously hurt. Why did he have to get so attached?