Work Text:
It was a warm, late evening in the middle of August - the peak of meteor shower season. The sun had already set, and the fading twilight was slowly giving way to the night
The meteor shower had always been a special event for Tome. Ever since she was little, she had stayed awake every year on this night, gazing at the sparkling stars and hoping to catch sight of a UFO passing somewhere among them
But this year was different. For the first time, she wasn't watching the falling stars alone. She was with her girlfriend, Tsubomi, who was just as excited for the event
The two of them sat on the steps of the gazebo in the backyard of Tsubomi's house, the one her family had moved into a little over a year ago. The backyard offered a good view of the night sky, something Tome appreciated a lot. In the past, she had only ever been able to watch meteor showers from the window of her bedroom because, according to her parents, she had been too young to stay outside at night, even if it was just to look at the stars
"Oh! There's the first one," Tsubomi said, pointing up at the sky
"What? I missed the first shooting star of the season?" Tome quickly turned her gaze toward where her girlfriend was pointing
Tsubomi chuckled. The sight of an excited Tome was simply adorable
"So, have you already decided what you're going to wish for?" she asked
"A wish?" Tome repeated, looking confused
With every passing moment, more and more stars began streaking across the sky, quickly stealing Tome's attention
"Look, there are even more now!" she said with a bright smile, her eyes sparkling
But Tsubomi kept looking at her. A wish? She couldn't believe that Tome, the girl who had spent the entire week enthusiastically talking about this meteor shower, didn't know that people traditionally made wishes on shooting stars?
"Well, people usually make a wish when they see a shooting star-" Tome's attention shifted back to Tsubomi. "Honestly, I can't believe you, of all people, the one who knows so much about space, didn't know that." She smiled
"Well, you know! I've always watched meteor showers because of aliens, not wishes-"
Tsubomi wasn't surprised by that answer at all. She knew all about her girlfriend's fascination with extraterrestrial life and the fact that she had once even celebrated New Year's aboard a spaceship with her friends. Even though Tsubomi didn't believe in any of it herself, she genuinely enjoyed supporting Tome's interests. Maybe that was part of the reason she'd fallen in love with her in the first place - Tome's passion for things that most people takes as nonsense
"But since I've already met them..." Tome continued, "now I can watch meteor showers for the wishes instead"
Tsubomi laughed softly "Alright then. You just have to spot a shooting star and say your wish in your head before it disappears"
The two of them turned their eyes back to the night sky
"Hmm... you can wish for anything, right?" Tome asked
"Yep. Just don't tell anyone what it is... or it won't come true"
From the corner of her eye, Tsubomi saw Tome nod thoughtfully before turning her gaze back to the sky.
A few minutes passed. The shooting stars became more and more frequent before Tome finally spoke
"I did it!"
Tsubomi flinched slightly as the comfortable silence was suddenly broken
"It's really hard to finish your wish before the star disappears"
"How long was your wish?... Actually, don't answer that. It's supposed to be a secret"
"Oh, come on! I'd say it was medium-length. Not a whole poem, but definitely not just one word," Tome said with a laugh. "What about yours? Is it short?"
Tsubomi blinked a couple of times as she looked at her girlfriend
She was enjoying the beauty of the moment they were sharing that she'd completely forgotten she could make a wish herself
"I... haven't thought of one yet"
"You'd better hurry, or the meteor shower will be over," Tome teased
Tsubomi didn't reply. She looked back up at the sky, lost in thought
A few moments later, a small smile appeared on her face as she watched an especially bright shooting star streak across the darkness
"You're right," she murmured. "It really is hard to finish your wish in time"
As she said that, Tsubomi gently rested her head on Tome's shoulder, and a comfortable silence settled between them once again
For a long while after that, the two of them sat together, watching the countless glittering stars fall across the night sky