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Exams were not something Caelus cared about. Like…at all. All he wanted to do in life was to be a famous streamer and play games all day and enjoy life. So when it came time to state and AP testing season? Caelus sat back and guessed the shit out of the state tests. And of course, he wasn’t smart enough to even be let into the AP classes at the start of the year—the Aeons know his GPA was fighting for its life—so he just sat back and watched his friends suffer.
Including his lovely boyfriend Sunday.
Sunday, who by all counts, was the perfect student. Nearly all AP classes, so many extracurriculars, student council president. That boy was busier than a bee in spring. But Caelus could tell Sunday was running himself ragged with studying for the AP tests. And Caelus did not like it one bit. He thought boys with dark circles were cute, but now it just made something sad settle in his chest.
Case in point, Caelus decided it was time to force Sunday into taking a break. But, he had…no idea how. Sunday was a nerd through and through. Caelus was…obviously not. Like…at all. Half of his classes were remedial ones. And while Caelus’ idea of a good time was gaming all night, Sunday’s was curling up with a book or doing a Sudoku puzzle. Which—how does Sudoku work anyway??
Which is why he was talking to his nerd brother. None other than Dan Heng.
“C’mon. What do nerds even like anyways?” Caelus grumbled, splayed across their living room couch and attention split between his game and his brother’s words. He wanted to make his boyfriend feel better, and thank the Aeons Sunday was also friends with Dan Heng, so Caelus could totally leech information off him.
“...You act like nerds are a species. Nerds can be nerdy about different things.” Dan Heng rolled his eyes, staring at his grey-haired brother.
“That’s not important though!” Caelus shot back, giving his brother a pointed look before his eyes shifted back to the television, which currently had Caelus’ favorite gacha game on screen. “I need to figure out how to get him to chill out for a little bit. I swear, sometimes I look at him and it looks like he’s gonna drop from exhaustion at any time.” He admits, a touch of worry painting his voice, but his eyes don’t leave the screen.
“...That’s how high school is sometimes, I suppose. But, I did hear there was a new exhibition opening in the museum downtown. Something about…I think it was the history of Aeons in ancient times. Isn’t Sunday interested in religious studies?” Dan Heng said with an eyebrow raised as he glanced at the screen, which was currently on the page of a character Caelus wanted. “...You have like, what, three pity?”
“...Yes. But! I have the best luck ever.” Caelus responded, his sly and confident grin on his face like always. “...And Sunday is interested in that kind of stuff…that does sound like something he’d love to see.” Despite Caelus sometimes not understanding half of what Sunday rambled about, Caelus wasn’t that dumb. He knew that Sunday was always fascinated with religion and why people followed it.
“Obviously.” Dan Heng stood up with an eye roll. “But try to work it into his schedule. I don’t need you coming to me crying cause he said no or Sunday coming to me feeling guilty because he wanted to go but couldn’t.” He said before walking out of the living room, presumably to go study for his AP Biology exam or something, not that Caelus cared very much.
Planning time. He hated planning, but alas, he would do anything for his boyfriend.
“I didn’t expect the exhibit to be so large!” Sunday smiled as they walked. Caelus couldn’t help but agree, the exhibit area was massive, spanning multiple rooms based on the history of different Aeons. Caelus didn’t understand most of it. Then again…he didn’t understand most Aeons anyways. He just went with the flow. If shit hit the fan there was always Qlipoth, and that was good enough for him.
“...Are people really that close to Aeons?” Caelus mumbled as they started looking around the first room—dedicated to Yaoshi—and the contents in it. The only thing that really caught his attention were weapons used to give sacrifices to the Aeon millennia ago.
“Well of course they are. People need something to believe in. And sometimes that means devoting your life to an Aeon that gives a lot of everything.” Sunday answered almost immediately. There was a shine to his eyes that was almost never there, and Caelus couldn’t help but love it.
All Caelus could respond with was a small shrug and a squeeze to Sunday’s hand. “You’re so nerdy, you know that?”
“You say that like you don’t love it,” Sunday countered with a small smile. It wasn’t often that Sunday showed his emotions in public, but when he did, it was always a treat for Caelus.
Caelus absolutely adored everything about Sunday. And it was always a shame when Sunday forced himself to hide his emotions or thoughts, all because he wanted to please others more than he wanted to please himself. Which Caelus absolutely despised. It made a certain kind of hurt bleed into his heart. The kind that made you want to hold something in your arms and never let it go to keep it safe from all the harms that the world had to offer. He just loved Sunday so much and wanted to see him happy and—
“...Caelus. You’re staring again.”
Caelus’ mind snapped back to reality to see Sunday staring at him with a small smile on his face, cheeks slightly red. “Am I really?” Caelus asked, returning Sunday’s smile. He already knew he was staring. He always stared at Sunday. He just liked hearing the other boy admit it.
That’s when it hit Caelus. Shit. It did work.
“...Yes you are. Now c’mon. Yaoshi isn’t the only Aeon in the universe. Did you know that HooH the Equilibrium is the oldest Aeon out of all of them? And no one knows why THEY split in two.” Sunday said, obviously showing off his nerd skills by accident.
“Really? Also what kind of name is HooH?” The quippy words easily left Caelus. Sure, he loved listening to his boyfriend go on and on about the Aeons. But man the Aeons were weird as hell sometimes. Why was something so…huge in the universe so weird.
“Hush. Their name is HooH because it mirrors itself in writing. Maybe to show the balance of the universe or something. Do you even know anything about Aeons aside from Qlipoth’s wall thing?” Sunday asked, giving Caelus a pointed look. Which of course made the gray haired boy give Sunday a wounded look in turn.
“My love! How you wound me so. I know that…uh…Aha became an Aeon because they saw Nihility then saw a baby fall and THEY burst into laughter.” Caelus countered easily. But only because—
“I told you that one like yesterday though.” Sunday huffed, “You’re lucky I love you. I would’ve left you for Dan Heng otherwise.” He said dryly. Despite how nerdy Sunday was, he had dry quips when he felt comfortable enough for them anyway.
“Oh my god you truly don’t love me anymore, do you?” Caelus whined, clearly wanting to get a rise out of Sunday. But of course, all he got in response was a flick to the forehead. He loved trying to ragebait Sunday. Even if it often resulted in nothing at all. He just liked being a little tease.
“I love you. But I also love when you actually use the peanut brain of yours.” Sunday grinned, before pulling Caelus into the next section of the exhibition.
By the time they left the museum, Caelus’ face hurt from smiling. And he was hoping Sunday felt the same way. He was really really hoping Sunday felt the same way(read: the tickets were a hundred dollars and he’d borrowed from his dad to afford it and if Sunday didn’t feel the same way it was all for nothing).
At this point, Caelus was just walking Sunday back home. Hands once again intertwined and the night and silence comfortable around them both. At least, until Caelus broke it like he always did. “...You had fun today right?” He asked, a slightly unsure smile on his face.
Sunday of course gave him a pointed look before laughing. “Of course I did! I think this is the first time since second semester started that I didn’t think of school at all. Thanks. A lot.” he smiled, moving to place a kiss on Caelus’ hand.
“...Well y’know. Thought you deserved it. The past couple days you’ve been looking like you’re about to drop dead.” The words came easily to Caelus. He had seen just how badly Sunday needed a pick-me-up. And he was very pleased to be the one providing it to his boyfriend.
After another minute or two of walking, they stopped in front of Sunday’s house. Well, Caelus preferred to call it a mansion. That’s what it kind of really was more than anything else. It was so fancy and although Caelus always felt weird being inside it when he visited, he thought it very much fit Sunday himself.
“Have a good night, yeah?” Came Caelus’ automatic words as he moved to kiss Sunday. The pair always did this whenever they went out. It was always the same routine. And Caelus preferred it that way. “You better not do any studying tonight,” he added with a small grin.
“I won’t,” came the quick reassurance from Sunday. Well, it tried to be reassuring, but it sounded way too forced, even to Caelus. Who was very bad at reading people.
“Hey,” Caelus’ voice softened to something he only let Sunday hear. “It’s okay. You’re doing just fine, alright? You’re crushing it. Just– remember you need a break too, yeah?” He reassured his boyfriend, a gentle smile on his lips.
“...Yeah. Okay…okay.” Sunday said, glancing at the floor before looking into Caelus' eyes. “...Okay.” he repeated to himself one more time, like if he said it enough times it would become reality. He gently gave Caelus one last peck on the lips before the pair separated. Sunday moved to his door, giving Caelus a final small wave, before disappearing into his home.
Caelus watched the door for a second, before the events of the day finally caught up to him. “Yes it worked!” he celebrated to himself as soon as he was alone. The mission was a success!...But Caelus knew this wasn’t a magic fix. Aeons above he wanted exams to end already so Sunday could go back to being less burned out. But he knew better than that. So, Caelus started on his way home, already trying to think of another way to cheer Sunday up(read: one that would hurt his wallet less).
He just hoped that his Dad didn’t make him deep clean the house tomorrow to pay back the money.