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He knows not where he is nor how he got here, only that his feet had carried him all this way. One moment, he had been arguing with Hifumi; the next, he couldn’t stand those pained eyes peering at him. It would be a fib if he said he couldn’t remember what they had argued about, but he’ll deny entertaining the matter.
Tomorrow. Hifumi is always thinking about tomorrow—the future—and tactless as he is, he had the audacity to drag Gentaro into his delusions. It’s Gentaro’s fault, however, for wanting them to come true. After all, there is no future for a phantom; no tomorrow for someone who will disappear from the stage once their role has come to a close. And yet—
—and yet Gentaro feels a jacket shoved onto his shoulders, followed by a pair of arms wrapping around him.
“You’re gonna catch a cold.”
So casually does Hifumi speak, as if Gentaro hadn’t snapped at him mere hours ago. Perhaps Gentaro, too, would like to play pretend.
His hand slips into Hifumi’s after a breath, his warmth a comfort he dares cling onto. Naturally, Hifumi intertwines their fingers. Gentaro would’ve resisted in any other circumstance, but instead he lets him. Sometimes even he tires of fighting—of lying.
“…Why?” Gentaro finally asks.
“‘Why?’, what?”
“‘Why?’, what?”, indeed. He settles for, “Why did you come after me?”
Hifumi, in turn, answers immediately. “Because I love you, duh!”
Gentaro isn’t surprised, but neither is he satisfied. Or rather, he can’t accept how simple it is. Spending every day with Hifumi wouldn’t be so dreadful if the sand trickling down the hourglass didn’t suffocate him. Once Hifumi learns that whom he loves is a lie, this sense of normalcy is sure to shatter.
Hifumi’s thumb runs up and down his hand, reminding Gentaro of the present. Again, he wonders, “Why?”
“Because I do.” Hifumi counters without hesitation. “Do I need a reason?”
Frustrating is it, the way Hifumi manages to match his every hit, but he wouldn’t be his rival—his lover—if he didn’t force him to face himself. Certainly, there is no point in imposing meaning when the want is there. Maybe these feelings they share make no sense, but what draws them to each other is the desire to be; no more, no less. While tomorrow will eventually catch up, he need not question the now. Not while they’re together.
“No,” says Gentaro, turning to Hifumi for the first time since their argument. Just this instance, he allows himself to embrace Hifumi, and of course, Hifumi embraces him back. In Hifumi’s arms, it’s easy to forget about their reality. “No, I suppose not.”
For a little longer, he’ll be Yumeno Gentaro. For a little longer, he’ll cherish this warmth.