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Everybody's falling in love, and I'm falling behind.
What does it mean to love?
Is it the way Rui cares about him? How Gavan Raiya loves walls so much?
Or the way Koto is possessive of Kiki all the time? The way she'd look at her with an unfamiliar glint in her eyes, and mutter compliments about her with a faint blush on her cheeks?
How Chief Date would care for and admire his creation, AGI-chan?
Does love make one cry?
Is there an actual definition of it?
Thinking so much about it lately after hearing Rui utter the word once, made him almost malfunction out of confusion.
Was he built for an emotion like this?
There, he made it a part of his goal to understand how love works; the meaning behind it, and what it would feel like.
It just seemed like he had hope. That forming sentiments as an artificial human could be possible. He's seen AGI, she also believed that it was possible for him to be able to gather emotions and to actually feel.
Love sounded so complex. He was built for war and defeating foes, to protect what he's ordered to, to follow rules, to abide by the laws, to be loyal.
Emotions were so strange—so confusing but so necessary.
He'd keep wondering, keep yearning to experience true emotions, trying to cry, trying to hurt, trying to feel.
Love came in different forms, that's what made it so strange.
Then...
As he stared straight into the dark of space for a while now, overthinking about emotions, he felt an arm swing over his shoulder.
He'd have to admit, it was sudden that it startled him out of his deep thoughts.
That familiar gesture, the warmth of that arm wrapped around his neck...he looked over beside him, his usual stoic expression managed to soften just the slightest bit no one else would notice except for how it felt on his face.
"Reiji-san—I mean, Reiji?"
"Yo. What'cha thinking about? You looked really focused just now, I gotta admit it's kinda cute." He smiled, one corner of his lips lifted slightly higher than the other.
"Is...is that so?" He asked, sounding a little genuine. The tone of his voice sounded as soft as his eyes were earlier, he didn't even get to process his next words faster than he usually would, ending up stuttering. What? He wouldn't do that, why'd he do that?
Reiji only hummed softly once as a response, his face had amusement drawn on it.
Setsuna's gaze darted back towards the arm on his shoulder. All the sudden, almost involuntarily, his hand reached up, drifting towards Reiji's that hung on his shoulder. Merely an inch was left between their fingers, he could sense his warmth radiate off of his skin, contrasting with his cool fingertips.
He stopped there, blinking more than once after realizing what he was doing. Strange. For a moment it seemed curiosity had him drawn towards a thought so much he didn't think before acting. Then he made a noise similarly to that of clearing one's throat—which he wouldn't usually do—and let his hand fall back to the side, turning to face Reiji beside him again who seemed to be busy admiring the window in front of them that displayed the stars.
Were the stars always there? How come he didn't notice until Reiji appeared?
He suddenly recalled AGI telling him something that came from Reiji. "Teaming up with Setsuna, my heart just kind of...is lit ablaze."
Thinking back, what did that mean? Is it love? Did Reiji feel a passionate fire in his heart—one called love? There was no other way to find out than to have to ask.
He swallowed quietly, mouth hanging open with a soft inhale as he thought deeply about how to execute his next few words.
Reiji heard that gentle sound, and turned half his attention to Setsuna, a brow raised slightly.
"Reiji...to you, how would you describe the emotion called 'love'?" He genuinely queried.
The red Gavan paused, eyes trying to read his and that tone he used. Quite taken aback that Setsuna would actually ask him this. He gulped. Corners of his lips twitched up until they finally rose into an amused grin, a soft chuckle escaping them.
He patted his shoulder, then let go of Setsuna with a gentle shake and walked over to face him, the wide window of stars behind him.
"Did...did I say something funny?" Setsuna asked, confused, and that slight furrow of his brows made him look cuter in the view of Reiji.
"No, no, it's not that, Setsuna!" He continued laughing for a while before clearing his throat. "What made you ask, though?"
"Nothing...just, curious." His gaze lowered, Reiji seriously couldn't tell what kind of emotion he tried to express with that stoic face of his.
Reiji stepped a little closer.
"Well, for me, then..." He stretched the word, acting like he was contemplating with one hand on his hip. "I guess, when I see someone so passionate and serious, they look so determined that I admire it so much, adding fuel to my own fire of passion. Like, motivation. Yeah." He answered, a softer grin on his face. "To me, the emotion called 'love'," he air quoted with his fingers as a way to mimic Setsuna, "—is motivation. Something that drives you to your desires. Hope, and motivation."
Setsuna seemed to be visibly confused, probably an emotion he expressed almost all the time even if it didn't actually appear on his face.
"That's..."
"'Course love could mean many different things depending on the person. To you, Setsuna, is there anything you think motivates you? Based on...what I think love is like." His gaze drifted towards Setsuna, eyes staring up and down as he waited for an answer. Seeing someone who didn't understand emotions just seemed so amusing to him, it was an interesting thing.
"Well," He stiffened, for some reason. "I've always been drawn to your fiery emotions." That's something Reiji was aware of. "Then, perhaps you motivate me. Because of how you're so passionate about something that it lights your heart ablaze, it...kind of does the same to me."
Reiji just stared at him after hearing him say that.
"Just seeing you being so motivated, also motivates me. It...draws me closer to you. You're very interesting."
Just looking at each other as if their eyes can continue speaking. Reiji blinked, quickly. Did he say something strange? Was his answer too blunt or, did it mean something else to Reiji?
Then, that amused laugh returned. This time, more...awkward. Hearing that from Reiji kind of...squeezed his artificial heart differently. It was different from his usual laughs, not the kind he'd remember. Something about it, sounded way different.
"Are you ... Setsuna, are you saying you think you're in love with me?" His expression looked softer, face drawn in some gentle emotion he couldn't interpret.
"...I think so. You said love can happen because of motivation, right? So...that must be it."
"Well, like I said, love is defined differently by everyone." Reiji appeared to have faltered just slightly. "What do you think love is like, Setsuna?"
"Love...is what I feel when I end up admiring you so much I feel motivated. Your fire of passion combined with my curiosity seems ...it seems right, does it not?" Setsuna explained, lifting his gaze to meet that glint in Reiji's eyes. It looked like shock. Looking so surprised he didn't know if he should be explaining further. "The way you describe love, I think that's what it means to me, too."
He reached a hand over towards his that fell to his side, yet his arm seemed hesitant, unable to draw it closer. It only hovered near, but the same warmth he got to feel earlier was still there. "If our ideas of love matched, would that mean—"
"I think you're right, then. You found the definition of love to you, do you understand it now?"
"...Huh?"
"You wanted to understand love, didn't you?"
"Well...yes." He admitted.
"Then," Reiji closed the gap between their hands, taking his hand and gently sliding it into his. Setsuna accepted it, startled by the sudden action but just allowed him anyway. "You understand it. To us, this is love, no?" He lifted their hands, squeezing them slightly as his fingers wrapped around his. Pulling him closer to him with a gentle tug of his hand; dragging him near.
Reiji's smile was brought back to his face, more livelier, that is. Setsuna somehow managed a small curve of his lips after facing Reiji like this, mutual admiration and motivation from each other making a difference.
"Thank you."
Reiji let out a soft hum in response.
He wasn't falling behind anymore.
---
+ bonus !
Their love wasn't exactly like how the others displayed it. But it made so much sense to them, it felt right to them.
Setsuna practiced his dual swords under a night painted in stars, he'd steal glances up at the sky as it reminded him of Reiji. He was probably visiting another universe, he'd hoped it would've been his.
After a swift movement of his wrists, sword stopping at a perfect angle, he'd sheathed both of them and stood still, relaxing his composure with practiced ease. He took in the cool breeze of the evening, it wrapped around him with calm.
Then a pair of footsteps were heard behind him, boots approaching with a familiar rhythm. Along with clapping that reached his ears, sounded like gloved palms against each other.
Setsuna turned slowly towards the sound. He knew who that presence was, so a small grin tugged at his lips, eyes softening at the sight of the figure as he emerged from the dark of the evening.
"Flawless as always, Bushido?" He commented, quirking a brow of amusement while he shoved his hands into his jacket pockets.
"I wasn't informed you'd be visiting." He approached him.
"Must I announce my visit?" He jested.
"No need."
Reiji took his hand, pulling close and pressing a gentle kiss against it.