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Wuyang's leg was bouncing up and down nervously. His anxiety was getting the better of him, his mind was fuzzy, his brain a mushy puddle of goo.
Anran, as much as he loved her, could be a pain in the ass. She was doing it for his sake, and he appreciated that, but he nearly wanted to kill her in the moments leading up to this.
Wuyang had a massive crush on Mizuki, not long after they had met. Anran knew, of course. She always seemed to be five steps ahead, knowing him better than he knew himself. At least Anran was above outting him for being bisexual. What she was not above, however, was immediately running to ask Mizuki to give her brother a shot soon after Wuyang came out to everybody. Anran's intentions were completely pure and innocent, unlike Wuyang's rage upon finding out what she had done.
Wuyang had never wanted to hurt his sister, except for that single moment. The single moment where Anran had just told Mizuki while Mizuki stood there, processing what she had said. The few moments of silence were agonizing centuries. Wuyang felt a flood of fear stronger than he had ever felt before. It was agonizing, being frozen still, while Mizuki's eyes slowly drifted over him, up and down, eyeing him.
Wuyang had been fully panicking, convinced Mizuki would instantly laugh and decline. Anran had an all too innocent smile on her face, like a cat that was trying to look cute after being caught being a little shit by knocking a glass off the counter. Mizuki's mask concealed most of the expression in his face, meaning neither one could gauge how far his disappointment went.
Except, Mizuki wasn't disappointed. He simply took a quick glance at Wuyang after Anran asked if he'd be willing to go on a date with her younger brother with a big crush on him, then made his decision. Mizuki had looked to Wuyang, smirked underneath the mask, and said, "Oh you think I'm cute? Sure, why not?"
All Wuyang could do was stare in disbelief that Mizuki actually said yes, stuttering and stumbling over his words in a way that was verbally like tumbling down the stairs after miscalculating how far down the first step was. His face was as crimson as a basket full of vivid red apples. His heart had been hammering in his chest with such pace that it felt like it might've caused a nuclear explosion if it continued pounding so hard.
Mizuki had stepped closer to him, tilted up his chin, chuckled and said, "Aw, you turned so red for me, how cute. How about next Friday? Let's go somewhere nice, yeah?"
Wuyang had only nodded, words unable to be spoken when his brain was unable to process basic functions. He was unsure how he did not immediately drop to the floor and faint from fluster.
Later the day that Anran had narrowly escaped death at the hands of her very own brother, Mizuki had texted Wuyang, suggesting a very expensive restaraunt. They could've had a date at the junkyard and Wuyang would've still accepted. So naturally, he agreed to Mizuki's suggestion.
Wuyang immediately had gone to Anran after the text, begging her to help him pick out a nice outfit, excessively worried about potentially looking embarassing to Mizuki during the date. Anran had rolled her eyes but she did help him. The two of them decided on a blue button up shirt with a black vest and slacks.
Wuyang wore most of his jewelry that he typically accessorized with. He fidgeted with his necklace nervously, waiting for Mizuki to arrive. He had been texting Anran barely coherent ramblings but she had gotten sick of it, so he stopped.
"Somebody looks awfully nervous," A familiar voice said from behind him, a figure leaning over him and pressing a hand into his back. Mizuki wore a faint grin on his face, "Try not to explode, kind of difficult to heal that."
"H-Hi, Mizuki," Wuyang stammered, immediately feeling extremely embarassed that he couldn't get out a simple greeting without failing with his words. Mizuki's hand on his back was making his brain short circuit.
"Hey, Wuyang," Mizuki moved his hand and took a seat in front of Wuyang. "You look nice, by the way." He moved his hands to remove his mask. He wasn't wearing his hat like he usually did. He was similarly dressed up, wearing a teal blue suit with a black button up and gold tie. The suit jacket was draped over his shoulders, mostly concealing his prosthetic arm. He was also wearing a vest over the shirt.
"Thanks," Wuyang was trying to calm himself down, it was a task much easier said than done, "You do too."
"You know I wouldn't have agreed to this if I wasn't interested in spending my time on it, right?" Mizuki attempted to help settle his nerves, "I don't like wasting my time on useless things, this isn't a waste of my time."
"I'm still just surprised you said yes."
"What can I say? You're pretty cute, talented, kind, and your existence doesn't annoy me."
"The first and last one must be really important," Wuyang joked, trying to diffuse his own anxiety through humor.
"First one is a bonus. Last one is a requirement."
The waiter stopped by to take their orders and give them water.
"Well, I'm glad I'm not an annoyance to you. Anran seems to think I am," Wuyang said.
"You're supposed to be an annoying to your sibling, that's a requirement, as far I'm aware."
Wuyang laughed, "I definitely succeed in annoying Anran. She wishes she was an only child."
"Ah, so she was seeking revenge by embarassing you as soon as you came out. Well, I'm glad she had the guts to do it because you probably wouldn't have had it in you to do it yourself. Would've been a shame to never have found out."
"I would've killed her if you hadn't said yes."
"Ah, my being gay has prevented murder. Who would've thought."
"Anran needs to thank you for saving her life, and not just in battle."
"Got it, next time I see Anran, I'm going to just say you're welcome with absolutely no context."
Wuyang smiled, imagining a very confused Anran, "You should do it," He encouraged.
"Oh, can you hold something for me?"
Confused but compliant, Wuyang held his hand out in front of him. Mizuki placed his hand in Wuyang's, lacing their fingers together. Wuyang's cheeks turned pink as he realized what Mizuki had done. His mind was turning melting into a puddle again.
"You were too focused on your sister. While I can appreciate the care you have for your sister, admittedly I just want to hog your attention for myself, at least right now," Mizuki smiled softly.
"Sorry," Wuyang apologized, squeezing Mizuki's hand, "You are on my mind a lot."
"Aw, I'm special, am I?"
"Yeah, you are."
"You're very sweet."
"You're just so cool and incredible. How could I not like you?"
"The curse."
"What?"
"Oh... did I say something weird?"
"Not really, just confusing."
"Nevermind then, I'll tell you some other time."
The waiter returned with their food and the two of them ate with small, silly discussions in between bites of food. Once they were done eating, Wuyang awkwardly sat there, trying to figure out where to go from here. He didn't even think he'd make it this far, somehow scoring a date with anyone, let alone Mizuki of all people. He wasn't sure where to proceed after they paid.
"So uh... are we done here then?" Wuyang asked.
"I'd prefer not," Mizuki answered, "I wanted to do more with you."
"Like what?"
"We could pay a visit to this park that's nearby."
"Sure," Wuyang was more smitten than ever. Mizuki could've said he wanted to go dumpster diving and Wuyang would've gone along with it.
They left the restaurant and started their walk. Wuyang's hand hovered near Mizuki's, wanting to grab it but feeling unsure. Mizuki noticed the ghost sensations of the air being warped by Wuyang's hand cutting through it and connected their hands, once again lacing their fingers together.
"Your hand is toasty," Mizuki noted.
"Sorry," Wuyang feared Mizuki could feel the sweat on his palms.
"That wasn't a complaint."
"So um... you mentioned something about a curse earlier. I'm curious what that's about."
Mizuki sighed, taking a long pause before speaking, "My family is cursed by evil or... maybe angry spirits. My grandparents' deaths weren't natural. Water claimed my mother next. Eventually, my father passed away too. No matter how many lucky objects he purchased. The spirits want me gone next."
"Oh, I'm sorry. How old were you when both of your parents passed away?"
"My mom passed when I was two. My father moved to the city and took on loans to pay for things. He passed when I was nine."
"Who took you in after that?"
"I'd... rather not talk about it right now. I don't like remembering them, that's a part of my life I'd rather leave behind."
"I'm sorry. Being an orphan at such a young age sounds miserable. My family means a lot to me. I'm sorry you couldn't have that."
"I'm trying to break the curse but... I don't really know how much time I have left. Some days, the spirits are loud. Others... it's almost like they aren't there. But... I know they're still there even if they are silent. The spirits are always there."
"You think they'll kill you too?"
"Yes, if I don't break the curse in time."
"What do you think it'll take to break it?"
"... I don't know. If I disappear, without a trace... you know why now."
Wuyang's hand tightened around Mizuki's, "As long as I can help it, I won't let that anything happen to you."
"I'm sorry, that's... probably all stuff you didn't want to know about me."
"No I... I like getting to know you better. I'm glad you can open up to me."
"The curse is especially why I don't waste my time. If it's not meaningful, I may as well be spending that time trying to break the curse and set myself free."
"I'm honored that you chose to spend your time with me."
"I've... always wanted to find love. I know that's corny but..."
"Not at all."
"I wanted to find my special someone. Before the curse claims me. You're really special to me, more than you could ever know. More than I could ever properly express. I think I could spend the rest of my life with you without regret." The weight of those words was heavier than any I love you's that Mizuki could've uttered in it's place.
Wuyang's breath hitched in his throat. All he could do was turn to Mizuki and wrap his arms tightly around him. "I really like you, Mizuki." He could feel Mizuki's fingers gently brush through his black hair.
"I know this is a bit forward, but would you want to be official?"
Wuyang smiled warmly, radiant as the glimmering stars in the sky and the sun, "I would love that."
Mizuki leaned down and delicately pressed his soft lips against Wuyang's, holding him as he kissed him. Their hearts danced to the same beat. Mizuki was the darkness of the shadows, and Wuyang was light, coming together just as they were meant to.
Their time together meant the world to Wuyang. Their connection was something beyond explanation, their love for each other seemingly without limit.
It only made the last moment Wuyang saw him all that much more painful.
They had gone on many dates since the first, each other going better and better. They had talked about finally visiting a beach together, spending their time swimming and playing in the sand with each other. That was something they hadn't done yet, despite the both of them having a mutual love of the ocean.
It should've been perfect. It would have been perfect if it had gone how it should have. Mizuki went missing at some point. At first, Wuyang thought he might have wandered off to do his own thing.
Instead, Wuyang found his body just out of reach of the crashing waves, his hat inches away from his head. A single slit was found on his throat. Wuyang had never felt such despair, such pain, such agony, such anger, such sadness. All of it flooded him at once, reducing him to nothing more than a miserable mess of tears. The curse had claimed Mizuki, just as Wuyang had been warned. It did nothing to cleanse his suffering. He would've done anything to have Mizuki back. Mizuki had become his everything.
Wuyang kept the mask and the hat as his most prized possessions, they were all of the pieces of Mizuki that he had left. Even if Mizuki had died, his memory wouldn't.
Wuyang never visited a beach again. He would only be ready when it was his time to reunite with his lover in the afterlife.