Work Text:
~
[ But I think it’s all I’ve got
You’ve taken all I’ve got
And I’m sorry to hold your hand
But I miss you and your life
There’s a full moon in the sky
It makes me glad
That there’s something pure
In something that I had ]
This was it — The inevitable gnawing sensation in Fujino’s chest had surely grown unbearable.
She was certain that it would slowly spread throughout her body like a cancer, growing agonizing evermore — Ready to tear through her skin.
Maybe this process had already begun.
After all, Fujino’s words held more of a bite as of late than ever before, often causing a pang of guilt to settle low in her stomach, tearing apart her very soul as Kyomoto began to cry.
Though the pair were in this together, working hours upon hours to perfect their craft, Fujino’s irritation doubled with every deliberate, calculated stroke of Kyomoto’s.
The shy recluse held an exhilarating passion for her art — A passion unmatched by Fujino, who, unlike her partner, regarded their shared hobby as mere work.
Was it ever about drawing?—She often asked herself; the question, however, remained unanswered.
It didn’t matter how Fujino felt about her craft as the stubborn girl had gotten herself strung into this spot all on her own.
Nearly two summers had passed since the pair’s first one-shot was published — Countless adventures and late nights were shared as they dove head-first into new experiences with one another, forming limitless ideas through their tall tales.
~
Tonight, Fujino felt the lamp on her desk engrave a hole into the skin of her bare arm, despite the tired bulb lacking the capacity to emit such heat.
The fan’s constant drone, too, overloaded her senses as the hardworking girl mindlessly worked on her share of the panels.
Sitting behind her partner’s aching body, a tired Kyomoto fought sleep, silently awaiting Fujino’s decision to rest.
And when she finally made her way to bed, the quiet girl wordlessly followed in a seemingly unspoken practice between the two.
~
It felt like they had lain in bed for an eternity to Fujino, who seemed to lose all sense of fatigue after getting settled beneath the comforter.
Her every waking moment was devoted to manga, whether she was drawing it or thinking of what to draw next — There was little time for other interests when she had to attend school whilst simultaneously working on panels.
Her partner and companion, on the other hand, truly spent every tiring hour devoted to drawing backgrounds — Kyomoto was something of a mystery to the other girl.
Then again, when had Fujino ever gotten the chance to truly know her?
While the pair laughed together and worked for the same goal, they, in all likelihood, didn’t know each other to their fullest — Many interests remained unspoken in the quasi-professional relationship that the pair had developed early on.
Turning her head in a gentle attempt at not waking the other girl, Fujino’s careful gaze began to trace the pale figure before her as though she had only just laid eyes upon her fragile skin for the first time.
Kyomoto was a vast sea of never-ending emotion; a current impossible to convey by any stretch of imagination.
The bashful girl went along with everything asked of her, whether she seemed to agree or not.
Fujino recounted few instances in which Kyomoto had tried to voice her discomfort in going along with an idea for their work, but the petulant girl before her always protested.
Such vulnerable moments often ended in tears threatening to stream down the rosy cheeks of her companion.
Fujino would feel her mouth run dry as all hint of color slowly drained from her face — The mere sight of Kyomoto’s distress made her feel as though she had swallowed a pill with nothing to ease it down her throat.
Shame and guilt pooled deep in her core as she recalled each vivid memory.
In a twisted way, Fujino almost wanted to be mean — To put down the other girl, despite hopelessly caring for her.
Even if they had spent the day sharing ideas and laughing together, Fujino would still find a way to hurt her partner.
Every word came out wrong — Every interaction was spoiled without hesitation.
She looked to the other girl once more in discomfort.
Kyomoto’s bangs began to slide, lightly sweeping her chin as they fell; the featherlike touch causing a shaky breath to dance off the parted lips of the sleeping figure as though it had tickled.
Their faces lay mere inches apart, practically sharing a breath, but Fujino could only wonder what the other girl was dreaming of.
An unwavering sense of longing often overtook her in the most quiet moments of nightfall — She longed to know the other’s thoughts that kept her mind occupied as she drew backgrounds, but a strong sense of pride kept Fujino’s words helplessly nestled in her very throat.
Then came a small, hushed voice—sweet as nectar—from the gentle breath of Kyomoto, “You still awake?”
“Couldn’t sleep,” Fujino quietly muttered.
A sliver of moonlight shone from the blinds, illuminating Kyomoto’s cheek as she softly nodded — The motion a serene blur of nature’s pale beauty to the weary eyes of her partner.
A loving hand gently brushed against the soft fingertips of the stunned girl, sending tiny sparks alight throughout her restless body.
In utter silence, their fingers intertwined, melting into the palm of each other’s hand as if upon a forbidden instinct that came to them as natural as breathing.
Sparing a moment’s breath, Kyomoto gave a low, tranquilizing hum; its soothing vibration undoubtedly felt by the resting head of Fujino.
The shy girl’s lips tugged at the corners and widened into a soft smile, causing Fujino’s head to spin as the scintillating moonlight planted its gentle kisses to the soft corner of Kyomoto’s jaw.
She desperately craved this quiet moment of freedom from the pressure of deadline, allowing a sense of peace to wash over the pair—even if only for a moment.
“Fujino,” the smaller girl muttered, “Why did you start drawing manga in grade school?”
Silence flooded the space between them once more whilst Kyomoto’s partner briefly pondered the question.
Starting in a purposefully airy tone, Fujino responded, “Like most manga artists, I guess… Wanted to replicate what I saw in my favorite series. Parents and teachers liked it, so I took their advice and started drawing for those strips in the school paper.”
She thought of the other girl’s praise all that time ago, causing Fujino to feel a sense of pride build within her, yet again.
“I’m happy that you did,” Kyomoto softly remarked with the moon’s reflection in her big brown eyes — The eyes that her partner seemed to find herself helplessly lost in at that very moment.
The unwanted idea of never meeting the shy recluse often crossed Fujino’s mind.
It was an unnatural feeling — Kyomoto was far too integrated in her life; a plan crafted by the hands of fate itself.
Fujino’s fingers lightly brushed against a small callus on the side of Kyomoto’s, which she suspected to have surely formed during the immeasurable amount of time in which a pen had rested there.
Bringing their tangled hands to her lips, Fujino pressed a gentle kiss to Kyomoto’s thin fingers, rewarding her with a small tremor of the other girl’s bare arm as a feeling of surprise seemed to overtake her expression.
“Fujino,” her partner started breathlessly without finishing.
Everything that she was capable of feeling washed over the stubborn girl at once — Jealousy, injustice, love, admiration, longing, guilt.
In a mindless daze, she leaned forward and squeezed her eyelids shut, gently pushing her lips flat against Kyomoto’s.
Though it felt awkward, the other girl melted into her embrace, leaning forward just as Fujino began to pull away.
Time ceased to stop, and it became apparent that fireworks were not sent flying towards the stars — Reality was far different from what she had imagined as a young child.
Then again, everything else seemed to feel much less than her grand desires too.
This very moment, however, contradicted what she had begun to think was the unfortunate truth of growing up.
Whether it was the uneven nature of Kyomoto’s chapped lips or the way her breath hitched upon contact, Fujino felt at ease.
It no longer mattered how unsatisfied she was with her work as the girl before her proved to be all that she needs — Fujino believed everything would fall into place as long as they stick together.
As she began to study the ceiling—lying on her back—the smaller girl extended an arm over her chest, gently cupping a warm hand over her companion’s shoulder.
In response, Fujino tilted her head, leaning into the small dip of her partner’s collarbone.
She drowsily focused on the way that her breath trickled down Kyomoto’s chin, which lulled her off to a gentle sleep before she could even remember to say ‘goodnight’.
It had been the most rest that Fujino knew throughout such a long, humid summer.
How could she live without such a divine creature?
Kyomoto was her passion for creating art — Her very muse.
All that she needs is to keep the other girl close, no matter what paths may potentially lie ahead.