Sealed Off Heart

   “Hm…?”

   His brow raised at the initial statement. Satsuki wanted to be serious for the moment? That was far more than enough to fully grasp Ai’s attention. At times Satsuki would kid around and others he could be rather serious, but seldom would there be instances for the shadow to demand a moment to be taken seriously which meant something must have or something was going to happen. Giving a small nod of the head, Ai acknowledged that he was listening.

   Each word of how much Satsuki loved him were things Ai heard and witnessed daily with the other, but it never hurt to hear them spoken to him let alone spoken to them in the tone Satsuki used at this very moment. With each word… each breath… each syllable Ai was kept fully attentive. He was almost in a trance-like state as he listened, only to have everything pulled to a halt the moment the ring was taken out and presented to him.

   So this was why Satsuki wanted a serious moment. It made perfect sense now. Prior the shadow seemingly teased wanting to spend his life with Ai, but now that there was a physical ring and the question out in the open, everything became all that more real. The two were more than simply an android and a shadow with their own purposes to fulfill, they were their own individuals that had grown to form this strong bond with one another.

   “Idiot.” The first words that slipped past Ai’s lips were muttered time and time again before Ai would extend a hand out to the other. “You know very well what my answer is, but since you clearly wish to hear it I suppose I can do that this once…”

                      “Yes”

Each moment of silence felt like an eternity. He never doubted the other’s love but now the shadow wondered if this was too early. Maybe Ai didn’t feel they were ready. He had expressed before that this was a serious step. Satsuki was serious however would the other be ready? The thought of the other saying no scared him.

However, the fear went away when the other called him an idiot. Instead, he was a tad confused. It threw him off.

He listened to each word carefully. It didn’t sound like a no. His heart swelled but he told himself to wait. Then he heard the answer. A singular word. However, it was the best thing he could have heard. “Y-Yes?” He had to clarify it. Rather, let it be in the air again. He said... yes. Ai...

    “Ah…” As Satsuki jumped on the couch and scared Fuyuki, Ai’s attention moved over to the hissing feline before glancing back at Satsuki. Well… he has minimal choice but to look at Satsuki as the other wrapped his arm around Ai’s shoulder, bringing the android closer to him. Though Ai wouldn’t complain as he rather liked being close to the taller male. “That is a redundant question as it should be obvious that I did.”

“... Ya know that I’m asking so you can actually say it.” Still, that’s the kind of answer he was expecting from the android. It didn’t surprise him nor did it discourage him. Satsuki knew what he meant. He was missed. Looking at the other for a bit longer, he sighed. “Ai, I’m gonna be serious for a second so you better listen up.”

The shadow cleared his throat. “Ai... Well, first off, I love you. I’m gonna say that now. You mean... so much to me. I never thought I’d feel this way about someone, let alone you. I don’t mean it in a bad way but hell, we weren’t exactly on the best terms at first. I don’t know how or when you managed to make me fall for you but you did. I know our time... is limited.”

His free hand pulled out the small box that had resided in the other’s possession for the last few months. He didn’t look down at it yet but his fingers ran over the cover. “That isn’t what I want to focus on anymore. I want to spend each moment I have in my life with you. However, I don’t want to do it as we are now. I... I want more. Ai,”

   To Ai, his birthday was just another day of the year only differing from the other days by greetings, gifts, and birthday wishes from the people around him as well as wishes from his fans on social media. No matter how many years would pass, Ai still failed to get accustomed to so many people sending him well wishes and greetings.Despite his inability to get accustomed to the special treatment on his birthday Ai had to admit it was rather pleasant to say the least.

   Feeling the kiss at the top of Ai’s head, Ai looked up to see the shadow before proceeding to return the kiss on the top of his head with a brief peck on Satsuki’s lips. No matter how many times Satsuki would surprise him with kisses, Ai would never get tired of this affectionate side to his stubborn boyfriend. “Hello.”

That sent his heart racing. Just a simple sign of affection yes but to Satsuki it meant so much more. The idol before him meant the world to the shadow. Staying there for a moment, he stared at the cyanet, taking in his expression. Was he in a good mood? Happy? The blond would say so. Otherwise he’d be in a doghouse by now. Chuckling at his own thoughts, he jumped over the couch before sitting on it. He scared the cat, who hissed and scurried off. “... My bad.”

The shadow had finally gotten the courage to go to the birthday boy. Had he been pacing back and forth in the lobby, debating on whether or not to finally go through with his plan? Satsuki had been planning this for a while. At first, it was going to be on Christmas, then New Years, Valentine’s day... Each time, it didn’t feel like the right time.

   “You should give yourself more credit.” His voice became softer as Ai let out a soft and content sigh. “You do things without even noticing. You help me fill in the pieces. Without you… I wouldn’t be able to.”

   “You’re right. We are both learning from one another.” A content sigh slipped past Ai’s lips as he proceeded to rest his head against Satsuki’s shoulder. “I think that is why we work so well together.”

   “I put up with you because despite all odds I’ve fallen in love with you. Saying something so sweet to me on this day… it seems Natsuki has been rubbing off on you much more than before. But even so you are still Satsuki and I still love you dearly. Thank you for allowing me to feel what love is like Satsuki.”

soft angst starter

How long had it been? A month? Two? Time was hard to tell in the other world. Everyday was spent the same. Satsuki would be in their home, stretched out on the couch like he would normally. The difference was now he didn’t need a blanket.

A soul didn’t need anything from the physical world.

Well, not entirely true. He still needed Ai. He perked up every time his beloved woke up. It was strange to be able to see his morning routine. Normally he’d still be snoring in the bed he was leaving. Satsuki watched as he neatly made the bed, his hand hovering over the other pillow.

Satsuki’s pillow.

With a sad smile, he followed Ai around the room. When he left for the day, he waited for him on his old side of the bed.

Again, he would shoot up when the android would get home. He’d sit on the desk as he worked. He’d follow along as he cleaned. He respected his privacy though, waiting outside the bathroom door like a dog.

When it came time for bed, he watched as Ai pulled his covers over himself. He’d face the empty side of the bed, a hand placed over the other pillow. Satsuki would wait until his eyes would close before he’d lay on the bed as well. He frowned when he tried to hold him and his arms would just phase though.

   “It is exactly what you said.”