infinity.

WHEN THE REST OF THE WORLD sleeps, they sit together, side-by-side by the steps of the Butterfly Estate. Just the two of them, no one else. Only the stars above &. fireflies that dance &. intermingle with the cosmos. Never one to express herself with words, Nezuko &. Muichiro normally enjoyed each other`s company in silence. It was never awkward ; there was comfort in tranquility, being able to bask in the stillness without interruption.

Is that not eternal bliss? Nezuko thought so. When the sun rises, there`s less turbulence ; yet, somehow, there`s more noise, more crowded &. claustrophobic, more problems that were harder to hide, left bare by the brilliance of the sun. It was blinding. The demon conquered the sun, but she sought the peace the moon brought her.

Somehow, she felt that Muichiro understood that. At least, he understood the value in solitude, influenced by the moon.

But, there was also value in sharing that peace with another person. Kindred souls endlessly lost, finding each other. When Muichiro is near, Nezuko cannot help but stare. Even now, she stared — pink eyes that habitually stared at the midnight blue above were suddenly fixated on aquamarine. Captivated by the pools of his eyes to the tips of his dark sleek hair, she was starting to think she found a new favorite color. The same peace she felt when she gazed at the stars was felt around his presence, one she sorely misses in his absence on a quiet night like this.

So fixated by the boy next to her, she almost missed the shooting star that flew past them, startled by him blurting out the discovery as he pointed towards its trajectory. It was now gone, quick like a flash, leaving behind a bright trail that faded just as quickly as it came.

“W - Wow…” She gasped, still amazed regardless of the short-lived occurrence. Nezuko would have never thought she would get to experience seeing a shooting star before her very eyes — her human memories were still hazy, but she could faintly recall a similar event … somewhere up in the mountains ; however, she knew that she blinked, &. she missed it, gone before she could even catch a glimpse of it. A fading memory, a fading photograph. ‘Just like a shooting star.’

“…”

Her eyes returned its gaze towards Muichiro, still looking above with amazement. &. He was smiling. A small but soft smile, one that was carefree, adorning his features as if he never carried the burden of loss &. grief. ‘Muichiro`s smile…’ Her heart skipped a beat. Then, a staccato tempo started to beat against her chest. His smile was more valuable than gems, than diamonds, than the stars she loved. Their proximity was at a respectable distance, standard between accompanying friends, but there was something inside her that suddenly ached for something … different. Something new, yet familiar. Instinct compelled Nezuko to close the empty space between them, shoulder-to-shoulder, inching close with her fingers grazing over his. Mere fingertips, a simple touch, yearning for affection yet unable to risk getting burned by warmth.

‘A fading memory, a fading photograph…’ No. This memory will forever stay locked in her mind. Even after she turns back into a human ; even after she regains what she has lost. This moment will never fade.

So, when the rest of the world sleeps, they sit together in silence, close, her hand atop of his.