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neko_kirin3104Alive
[Ohno/Aiba] [PG-13] [AU]
There's comfort in non-existence.
In drifting through an endless stretch of nothingness.
No worries.
No fears.
No thoughts, nor feelings.
A solid darkness that has never known light, and is thus not blinded by illusions of something better.
This used to be the Elf's world. This used to be his only life.
But then, one night, a strange sound rips through his untilled consciousness—
And he's suddenly seeing light.
He suddenly wants to believe in illusions.
In a better existence.
In happiness.
And love—
"W-Who are you?!" Masaki asks.
"I'm Tohma," the Elf says. "Don't you remember?"
+++++
Tohma loves that happy sound Masaki makes whenever he stalks Nino and copies the oblivious boy's every move.
A comical step here.
An exaggerated scowl there.
A playful flick in the ear, and wet raspberries blown in-between—
"You mean, he can't see you?"
"Guess not. Ain't that the coolest?"
"Why, though?"
"Maybe because I belong to you now."
"That's silly! What does that even mean?"
"That I belong to you. That's all it means. You own me now, Masaki…"
"You're freaking me out! Please don't do that!"
"You own me. And I can totally make all your wishes come true…"
+++++
Tohma's not wearing an elf hat for nothing.
Well, he's not wearing the red overall for nothing too, but that hardly matters.
His magic comes from the hat. That's what he remembers a ten-year-old Masaki tell his friend Nino before—
"It builds up in this tassel, you see?"
"Oh, really…?"
"You'll have to give him a name first, though."
"And get attached to it? No way!"
"He needs a name so his magic can be activated—"
"Are you high—?"
"NINO!"
"Fine! Call it Tohma!"
"Cool! Where'd you get it?"
"The doll spoke to me in dreams…"
"He DID?!"
"Jesus, NO!!"
+++++
Tohma also loves that thing Masaki does with his lips. That teeny tiny twitch in them that ignites a flitting spark in Masaki's warm eyes at the sight of the boy with the round face, chubby cheeks and equally warm gaze—
"'Morning, Masaki..."
"Satoshi-HMPH!"
Tohma aaab~solutely loves that startled little whimper Masaki makes when Satoshi grabs his face and smothers his lips with a shameless kiss in the school hallway.
"Wh-Wha-Eeeh—?!"
"S-Sorry!" Satoshi stutters, clutching Masaki's hands. "I didn't mean to embarrass you! It's just that…" He pauses, thumbing the blush on Masaki's cheeks. "I can't believe we're together now…"
+++++
"What's going on here, Tohma?! What did you do?!"
Now, here's a face that Tohma doesn't like at all. Masaki's brows are too close together, the gnarly ridges between them are hardly able to keep them apart. Masaki's lips are trembling, too; his voice sharp enough to sting the soul.
Tohma has never seen those eyes look so fiery, either—
"I-I told you, ne?" he says, wringing his hands. "T-That I'll make your w-wishes come true…!"
"What's the catch?"
"No catch!" Tohma bravely holds Masaki's pointed glare. "There's no catch. I just want you to be happy, Masaki. That's all."
+++++
Tohma can't read the expression he's seeing on Masaki's face right now. It's a cross between the wrinkled brows and the twitchy smile, as though Masaki himself can't quite decide how he feels about everything just yet.
About coming home in the afternoon to find his mom preparing dinner for three.
Or about eating dinner with both of his parents for a change.
Or about possibly having only dreamt the entire time that he has a younger brother—
"Where is he, Tohma?" Masaki muses in bed that night. "Where is my brother?"
"I'm all the brother you'll ever need, Masaki…"
+++++
"Your doll is brainwashing me, Nino!"
Tohma can only laugh at his Masaki's hysterical outburst—
"My what?!"
"The elf doll I gave you for Christmas six years ago!"
"What about it?"
"He's alive! He's even grown to about your size, Nino! And he's been messing up with my head!"
Nino's eyes dart cautiously around and across the hallway. "Uh-huh…"
"You can't see him. Because he says he belongs to me now!"
"Are you even listening to yourself—?!"
"Nino, you have to help me—!"
"MASAKI!!"
Masaki cringes, bowing his head. "Please… You have to remind me why I can't be here…"
+++++
Tohma watches in growing delight as Masaki gradually lets go and eventually falls back into the folds of this perfect world.
The boy practically floats through the halls of Kirin High now, his smiles brighter than they've ever been; his entire being, a complete slave to his blind pursuit of happiness—
"D'you remember that time we hid in that huge, huge gift box as a birthday surprise for Nino?"
"No…?"
Masaki blinks, his fingers slacking in Satoshi's contrastingly tightening grip. "The summer we were six… Remember…?"
Satoshi clicks his tongue. "How can I remember something that didn't even happen, Masaki?"
+++++
Masaki crashes even worse than he did when he found out that Sho, like his brother, does not exist here.
The questions and the appeals start pouring again, this time laced in snot and tears—
"He can't remember that summer! Why can't Satoshi remember that summer! He can't not remember that! He can't, Tohma! He can't!"
"What are you whining about now?" Tohma's patience is about to burst. "This is your perfect world, Masaki! Everything that happens here serves nothing but your eventual happiness!"
"Then take it back!" Masaki snarls. "Take it and give me back my un-perfect world!"
But Tohma finally snaps—
no subject
Date: 2014-12-17 03:56 am (UTC)Sho doesn't exist? oAo (yet Masaki seems bothered more because Satoshi doesn't remember that summer... ¬_¬U Seriously, Masaki?)
I don't like this either, elf! >:(
no subject
Date: 2014-12-17 09:09 pm (UTC)Hahaha~! Masaki got distracted by all the good things, and a part of him probably is aware that this is all just a dream so he might as well enjoy it. But he really can't afford losing that bit of precious memory even in exchange for a perfect world.
Thank you very much for reading~! ^____^<3333