Aesop And His Harem [OneShots]

The graduation day

Eli x Aesop

High school AU

______

Aesop Carl was in love with his best friend, Eli Clark.

They had known each other since kindergarten and had always been in the same class together. When did it start? When did he stop seeing him as just a friend and more than that? It was too long ago for him to remember, or maybe it was already how he felt when they first looked at each other.

Finally, fifteen years had passed. It was graduation day and Aesop still hadn't revealed the true nature of his affection to Eli. He didn't have the courage to do so. He wasn't even sure Eli liked boys either. All these years he watched him get into new relationships.

His first crush, his first girlfriend, his first break-up.

The silver-haired boy was always there during these moments to support the blue-eyed brunet. Sometimes, he felt a twinge of sadness when he saw him admiring a pretty girl from afar, other times, he secretly rejoiced when one of them rejected him or decided to leave him. But there was one thing that tore him apart.

It was the dazzling smile of the young man when he was happy, and not because Aesop was with him but because someone else was with him. Why couldn't it be him? Why did it have to be someone else? He had always watched and looked after him all this time so why couldn't he be happy too?

It hurts.

He thought that loving was supposed to be something pleasant, giving butterflies in the stomach as most people suggested. But no, it was all lies because the only thing he felt was the pain and sadness that he couldn't become someone special to Eli, that he would never be more than his best friend.

And here he was now. The brunet was in a corner of the courtyard, surrounded by other people, his other friends. Aesop was a little further away, he didn't want to mingle with the crowd because he felt that it wasn't his place. There was only Eli who he felt close to and the others just made him feel uncomfortable.

From where he was, he could hear the group around his best friend congratulating him on graduating, laughter and some crying. The grey-eyed boy was just leaning against a tree waiting for the brown-haired boy to come back to him, enjoying the shade the thick foliage offered. After a moment of chatting, Eli said his goodbyes and approached him.

"I didn't keep you waiting too long?"

"You could have stayed a little longer."

"I didn't want to leave you hanging around any longer than that." he replied with a chuckle.

Ah, he was the only one who remembered and cared about him. That was why he was so enthralled with the brown-haired man. Sometimes he wondered if he wasn't staying with him out of pity, but after having confronted him about it once in the past. The latter firmly affirmed that this was not the case, he was a little surprised at the time by the raised tone he used.

"Why don't we take a last look around?"

Aesop nodded and so began to follow Eli around the school grounds, passing by the garden, the gymnasium, the athletics field, and so on. Eventually, they stopped in the backyard where there were several flowerbeds that one of the brown-haired boy's friends was taking great care of. 

They decided to take a break and both sat on a bench in the shade. It was nice with the soft breeze brushing their faces. If possible, the grey-eyed boy would have liked this moment to last forever, just him and the brunet together, without anyone to disturb them.

"It's already over huh... what are you planning to do now?"

"I'm going to attend Oletus University to study art."

"You still like drawing so much I see."

Indeed. It was a secret but he sometimes drew sketches of the brown-haired boy in his spare time.

"What about you?"

"I was thinking of studying zoology."

"You still love animals so much I see." he said a little sarcastically.

"My dream is to become an ornithologist."

"That's... that's not next door is it?"

"Unfortunately not. But it's not that far from here either!"

He should have known better. Deep down he knew that this couldn't last and that one day Eli would go away from him. He would meet other people and maybe finally meet his true love, the real person who should be by his side. Aesop was going to become a mere memory.

"I see. I hope you fulfill your dream in that case."

"Thank you!"

And so that was it? The two friends were going to part like this without Aesop even being able to tell Eli what was on his mind? A feeling of bitterness came over the boy. No, he couldn't keep silent like this, but he was afraid of the brown-haired man's answer. In the worst case, they would never speak again and that was a thought that horrified him.

"E-Eli! I-"

"I love you."

"Huh?"

What? Did he hear that right? Did the brunet just say what he was thinking? He would have thought he was joking if not for the serious expression of the other, the cerulean blue of his eyes fixed on him. Then he felt something wet running down his cheek, a tear. Eli smiled softly before bringing his sleeve to his face to wipe it away.

"Why are you crying?"

"I-I... I'm just happy..."

"Does that mean it's reciprocated?"

"I... I love you too Eli... For so long..."

The brunet laughed softly before grabbing Aesop's face between his hands, then bringing it close to his to place a chaste kiss there.

"Sorry to have kept you waiting."

"You'd better visit me even when you're studying in the neighbouring town..."

"Don't worry, but it's really not far, you know?"

"I don't care..."

This time it was the grey-eyed boy who pulled the other into a kiss, wrapping his arms around his neck so that he couldn't escape. After all this time, Eli was finally his and Aesop was his too. Even though they were going to study at different schools, it was a minor inconvenience. Now that they were together for good, he wouldn't let him go.