Familiar Stranger: CH 14

Chapter 14: Drown

 

Something is strange lately. It wasn't enough to be said obvious, but it certainly wasn't normal. No one else seems to notice (though they're probably wilfully ignoring it). Nevertheless, the days go on as it always did here.

 

Mikage is rather..jittery these days. And the more he thinks about it the weirder it sounds to him. He looks urgent, and Ryuga keep catching him throwing glances his way every now and then with that strange look in his eyes.

 

"Hey, aren't he acting a little weird lately?"

"Nii-chan? Hm-" Toma tilts his head sideways in contemplation while looking towards his older brother. "-Can't really see it, though. If anything, he looks a bit brighter since you came." He finishes his sentence with a wide, cheeky grin.

He recalls Fusa saying something similar. Well, he for one, had to completely re-wire his entire head to work Mikage out (and completely separate him from Jinga) so he couldn't really comment on that. But even for him,-

"Say, are you two like, dating?" Toma asks, mischief twinkling in his eyes.

This little- "Oi, you're still too young for that kind of thing. You're lucky Fusa didn't hear that."

Toma runs off laughing.

 

 

*

 

 

Night falls and the two knights are out hunting. For quite some time, there weren't many Horrors going around the place. Something he is thankful of, but never fails to nag at the back of his head. Less works means more free time, and free time means his thoughts would be more persistent. And loud.

To the point it's deafening.

 

He's completely occupied with his thoughts he didn't hear the other man moving closer.

"Ryuga?"

The sound of his name snapped him out. Turning towards the call he jumped slightly at the sudden close proximity.

"-Yeah?"

"Nothing, just you looked a bit out of it. I'm worried you might have gotten hurt somewhere.."

His voice trails off towards the end, eyes busy searching before finally settling onto Ryuga's.

"Ah, no, I'm fine." He had to avert his eyes from the sheer intensity of that stare. He's still not used to it, not used to this.

 

An indeterminate amount of time passed by in silence until he felt the other man's fingers reaching out and curling around his own. Gently, they tugged him closer, chest to chest. He can feel the heat emanating off of him, and his heartbeat hammering in his chest.

"..Mikage?" Tilting upward to look into the other man's face. Why does he look so conflicted? What's wrong?

It's when Mikage faced him back he knows exactly what is coming.

"Ryuga, I-" No, don't say it, please.

His words were cut short then; instead he dived in for a kiss so desperate Ryuga can only gasp helplessly. The hands moved to wrap themselves around his waist, pulling him even closer. His own reached up around the other man's neck, holding on.

 

 

(And he allowed himself to be swept away by the currents, to sink deeper under the waves.)